I have two debit cards from the same issuer and they look exactly the same, except for the last four digits of the account number and the expiration date. I am paranoid about accidentally using the wrong one.
I asked the issuer if they could give me two different designs, but no, this issuer doesn’t have that option.
So I’m considering marking them somehow, perhaps with some kind of sticker or marker (felt) pen.
Has anyone dealt with this problem? Have any creative solutions?
I somehow cracked the corner off my ATM card like 15 years ago. I’ve never had a problem using it. You could cut the corner off a card or two.
Is the red card slightly larger than the blue one?
If not, just use a sharpie to mark one or both of them. I’ve had some cards in really bad shape and no one ever hesitated to take them.
Get a label maker and label them, mark them with a Sharpie, punch a hole in one, as long as you don’t damage the numbers or mag stripe or add too much bulk to it, do whatever you want to it.
Another option is that if you only use one and never use the other, don’t carry it with you. Just leave it in your car (in case you need it) or bury it in your wallet in a spot where you won’t grab it by accident.
I’d throw a sticker on one as long as it didn’t obscure the numbers.
Another vote for just marking up one with an indelible marker. My debit card looks similar to my credit card (both issued by TD Canada Trust). While I had different PINs for the two of them so I couldn’t accidentally use one when I meant to use the other, I didn’t like the embarrassment of “Oops! I used the wrong card” when a transaction was rejected, so I wrote on the debit one with a marker so I could instantly see if I grabbed the wrong one.
If I can ask, what’s so terrible about accidentally using the wrong one?
If it’s a “money in the account” issue then why even HAVE the two cards? Unless it’s a legit credit card (A Capital One No Hassle or whatever) most debits can be run as credit and vice-versa anyway, so why the paranoia?
It could be two different accounts, one set aside for saving for and purchasing items like TVs, washing machines, etc. But if that was the case, I wouldn’t even carry the second one unless I meant to use it.
Maybe you can use already existing distinguishing marks on the cards? Perhaps a string of 4 numbers that are different between the two?
Hell, my debit and credit cards look completely different and I still get them muddled! 
I’ve gone with stuffing my debit card into the hidden pocket whereas my credit card goes in the more open card slots. So that makes me use my credit card by default (which gives me cashback based on spend) and it’s a bit more effort to dig out the debit card.
That’s what I was going to say- mark a stripe along the top of one or something like that.
When I had this problem (Wells Fargo), I just put the one I wanted to use the most in the main part of my wallet, and put the other in a different part. That way, as long as I was mindful of where I got the card from, it was never a problem.
And over time it got easier; I could tell the two apart based on the wear and tear differences between the cards.
I used to carry a debit card on my mom’s account for when I was shopping for her. We banked at the same bank, so my card and hers were identical except for the numbers. I wrote “MOM” with a sharpie. This is not rocket surgery.
It’s weird that you got two cards from the same issuer. I either get a single card from the credit card company, or a single card from the bank (which uses my checking account to make purchases, but which I can use to take money from or put money in savings if I use it at an ATM). I have multiple bank accounts and multiple credit cards, but none of the companies give me two different cards.
It’s really not that strange. It’s been discussed many times on this very MB that some families have joint accounts for common expenses and then individual accounts for personal things. If all those accounts are at the same bank the cards will all look the same.
This is basically the situation. They are both cards that I need to use regularly for different purposes. I cannot leave one at home or in the car (Even if that didn’t otherwise sound like a terrible idea anyway).
If they’re not already signed, you could sign them differently. “Old Guy” on one and “O. Guy” on the other.
Might relate to Canadian vs American banking. I have never been asked (by a human or by a machine) whether I wanted a purchase to be treated as a credit card or a debit card transaction. Which one it is depends on which card I use. I use the credit card for purchases and the debit card for cash withdrawals (so I don’t get charged insane interest from the instant I get the money).
I have two very similar cards, one for business and one for personal, and both are in my name. I put a small round sticker on the back of the business card.
A debit card can be processed either like a credit card (swipe and sign) or like an ATM card (swipe and PIN). Depending on which way you do it allocates costs and liabilities differently among the vendor, the transaction processor, and the card issuer.
As a card user, I prefer to sign and treat it as a credit transaction rather than use my PIN.
Didnt it expire about 12 years ago?