# Credit card question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-card-question/650353>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 15, 2013, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-card-question/650353 "2013-02-15T02:09:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-card-question/650353/1 "2013-02-15T02:09:39Z")

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I have a credit card that’s getting worn out. I’ve found putting it inside a thin plastic bag often makes it work better in a scanner. I’ve also seen other people use this trick.

Why does this work?

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**Author:** ![TheChileanBlob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thechileanblob/32/435_2.png) [@TheChileanBlob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheChileanBlob)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-card-question/650353/2 "2013-02-15T02:27:38Z")

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I googled to find out, and lo and behold…[Cecil answers](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2489/does-it-take-fewer-muscles-to-smile-than-it-does-to-frown)!

(Second letter.)

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**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-card-question/650353/3 "2013-02-15T02:55:12Z")

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Answered. Science questions are good but practical answers are better. Call your credit card company and tell them you need a replacement card. You will get one in 3 - 5 business days with an extended expiration date.

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**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-card-question/650353/4 "2013-02-15T04:15:56Z")

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Cecil’s answer is a good one, but his closing comment (“God forbid the clerk should have to punch in the numbers by hand”) misses a significant point.

Many (most?) merchant card services companies charge the store an extra fee when the numbers are entered by hand. With our old contract, I think it was half a percent. So if the card didn’t scan, it didn’t just mean a bit more of the clerk’s time punching in the numbers, but potential errors and cash out of the store’s profit.