# Credit Cards: What's The Latest Expiration Date? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 29, 2004, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-cards-whats-the-latest-expiration-date/282124 "2004-12-29T18:13:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Duderdude2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@Duderdude2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duderdude2)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2004, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-cards-whats-the-latest-expiration-date/282124/1 "2004-12-29T18:13:24Z")
What’s the latest expiration date a credit card can have? So if someone bought one today, when would be the latest it would expire? Bonus Q: Are all expirations equal in length, or do they differ from card to card? ---
**Author:** ![missbunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@missbunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missbunny)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2004, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-cards-whats-the-latest-expiration-date/282124/2 "2004-12-29T18:23:37Z")
I have a Staples credit card that expires in 2025. You probably mean Visa or MasterCard, though, right? ---
**Author:** ![Duderdude2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@Duderdude2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duderdude2)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2004, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-cards-whats-the-latest-expiration-date/282124/3 "2004-12-29T18:25:28Z")
> [@missbunny](#): > > I have a Staples credit card that expires in 2025. You probably mean Visa or MasterCard, though, right? Sorry, I should have specified. Yes, I meant Visa and Mastercard. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2004, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-cards-whats-the-latest-expiration-date/282124/4 "2004-12-29T21:04:53Z")
Hmm out of the 50 or so CC’s i have on file for my customers, the latest is 10/2008. Most seem to have a 2 year expiration, though. All the folks we’ve had to get new card info from (because theirs expired) are expiring in 12-14 months. ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2004, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-cards-whats-the-latest-expiration-date/282124/5 "2004-12-29T22:00:40Z")
> [@Duderdude2](#): > > So if someone **bought** one today, when would be the latest it would expire? You don’t buy a credit card. :rolleyes: You sign away your future! ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2004, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-cards-whats-the-latest-expiration-date/282124/6 "2004-12-29T22:14:49Z")
In my experience as a CC user, 95+ % of all credit cards have a 2-3 year lifespan cycle re expire dates. A heavily used card is probably going to be pretty beat up at the end of 3 years and would need to be replaced anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2004, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-cards-whats-the-latest-expiration-date/282124/7 "2004-12-29T22:39:48Z")
I have a Mastercard, which the bank re-issues in two year cycles. I also have a corporate Diners Club card, which runs on three year cycles.