I washed my bank card in the washing machine - what to do?

Many have encountered a situation where, in a hurry, they forgot to check the pockets of their clothes before washing, throwing everything into the washing machine. This is how phones, money, flash drives, passports, bank cards and much more end up in the drum. You can part with something irrevocably after such a shake-up, and some items can still be given a “second life.” Today we will answer the question of what to do if a bank card was washed in the washing machine.

What happens after washing?

How many times do we convince ourselves to empty all our pockets before washing anything, but laziness takes its toll and we simply forget to do this. And as practice shows, it’s in vain. After all, the payment for this can be a washed passport or bank card, as in our case.

A bank card is made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or, more simply, plastic, which is resistant to moisture, temperature, and chemical attack. All information about the cardholder and his account is recorded on a magnetic tape or chip located on the card. Most new cards have just magnetic tape.

After washing a plastic card with a magnetic tape in an automatic machine, in 70% of cases nothing serious happens. She continues to work as before. But it must be said that this is the case if the card was washed at a low temperature. If the card was in your pocket, this can also save it. But the card is damaged by locks, buttons and other parts on clothes that can scratch the magnetic tape. A magnet can ruin the card, but fortunately there is none in the washing machine.

Important! Cards with a chip in most cases fail after washing in the machine.

Troika card for travel If you mistakenly wash your card in the washing machine, don't panic. First, take a dry cloth and wipe it, let it sit for a while and dry completely. Inspect the card for damage and whether the numbers have been erased. If everything looks fine, then you can check the card’s functionality at the nearest ATM. Work with the card several times, making sure that it is in good working order, because the card may work every other time, and this is already bad.

If you happen to wash not a bank card, but a troika card to pay for travel in Moscow, then nothing may happen to it either. Everything will depend on the mode in which it was washed. If you notice the card at the very beginning of the wash, you can pull it out, as we wrote in the article How to open a washing machine during washing?

What to do with a damaged card?

If your bank card does not work or does not work well, you must replace it at the branch of the bank where you received it. A card with damage to the magnetic tape cannot be repaired and will be reissued.

To receive a new VTB Bank card ahead of schedule, you need to:

come to the bank with your passport and write an application for early re-issuance of the card, indicating the reason for replacing the card;
give an application to a bank employee;
block the old card;
in 5-10 working days you will receive a new card.

For your information! In order for the new card to have new details (number and account), this must be indicated separately in the application. Otherwise, the details will remain the same except for the PIN code.

The procedure for obtaining a new card in other banks is, by and large, no different. However, the amount of commission for issuing a card in different banks for different types of cards differs and varies from $5 to $15. So, for example, replacing a simple VTB card will cost $1, and a status card will cost $15. Replacing a credit card at Sberbank will be free.

Thus, the fee for issuing a bank card due to damage may not be small, so be careful before washing things in the machine. Otherwise, your carelessness will cost you money and time.