The Two Bin Rule for Cutting Up Credit Cards
By Jim Bauer
@porwest (112802)
United States
July 10, 2022 8:20am CST
If you are going to cut up credit cards, a thing we do from time to time, especially when one simply expires and they issue new ones with the same number, while it is unlikely that someone will actually fish through your garbage and get at the card—it is still a possibility.
Therefore, following the two bin rule for cutting up credit cards is a good one to follow just to make the possibility an entire impossibility that a tenacious and witty criminal might find it and put it back together like a puzzle and get your information.
Half the card goes into the trash bin, and the other half is set aside. Trash gets picked up. Then, the half you set aside is then tossed out for the next trash day.
No matter how tenacious or witty the crook might be there is no way he is finding both halves of your credit card picked up a week apart in a landfill or your garbage bin.
Of course the entire idea is ridiculous. But it also gave me something to post about. At the same time, I bet you will start doing this now. lol
11 people like this
12 responses
@1creekgirl (44560)
• United States
10 Jul 22
You're right. I usually cut them up in 3 or 4 pieces, but technically someone could possibly piece them together. Two bins it is.
1 person likes this
@1creekgirl (44560)
• United States
25 Nov 23
@porwest After four scam charges to my debit card, I think (hope) it's straightened out now. We opened a global checking account at our credit union which was a separate account that if hacked, the scammer could only get the small amount in there and not your whole checking account.
But we decided that was too inconvenient and we've started using cash more often.
1 person likes this
@porwest (112802)
• United States
27 Nov 23
@1creekgirl Scams irk me. Criminals will stop at nothing.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128831)
• Gainesville, Florida
13 Jul 22
This is something I’ve always done. I cut my cards into dozens of pieces, then throw half of it away at home and take the other half to work and throw it away there.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128831)
• Gainesville, Florida
14 Jul 22
@porwest Nah, you’re not crazy. I’ve read way too many news articles about thieves dumpster diving for peoples thrown out credit cards and financial information. It’s scary what thieves will resort to.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (222285)
• United States
11 Jul 22
My shredder shreds credit cards; so I don't have that problem. That's a good suggestion though.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (222285)
• United States
26 Nov 23
@porwest Cyber crime is getting ridiculous. I want to hit each one of them with a ball bat.
1 person likes this
@porwest (112802)
• United States
25 Nov 23
I have run them through shredders as well, and so long as you give the bin a good mix of regular paper, I don't think anyone would even remotely take the time to go digging. Although, with the tenacity of the criminal element these days, one never knows for sure about that.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (59145)
•
27 Nov 23
I have done this for years. The ex was a banker, and it was one of his very few good suggestions. When they send out the new debit cards every so often, I cut the old one up in small pieces. Chuck a few in a trash bag every week until they are gone. I had my debit card stolen once, long story, but what a hassle to fix that mess. Anything to thwart a thief is a good thing.
1 person likes this
@porwest (112802)
• United States
2 Dec 23
@MarieCoyle That seems a bit extreme to me. But hey, the world can be a crazy place. lol
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (59145)
•
30 Nov 23
@porwest
The old fellow that is one of my neighbors, doesn't trust anyone. When the bank sent his new debit card, he fired up his grill, put an old aluminum pan on the grill, and actually put the cut up pieces of that old debit card in the little pan to melt it. To be fair, it DID melt. But, it smelled so bad and I am sure was a toxic soup. I went inside when he was melting it. He said it smelled so terrible, he shut the lid to the grill, and turned it off.
I told him I think he needs to really clean that grill before he uses it for food...but he doesn't often listen to anyone's advice. He says the world is going too fast for him to keep up!
1 person likes this
@m_audrey6788 (58468)
• Germany
10 Jul 22
I throw away my expired cards but I cut it into half just to make sure it is useless to others 
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (174296)
• United States
10 Jul 22
I'm paranoid about credit and debit cards that are outdated. I cut them with scissors through the numbers and again through the magnetic strip and then in half the other way before disposing of them in three different trash days. *shrug* I may be over-doing it but that's what I was taught to do with them.
@lovebuglena (52167)
• Staten Island, New York
12 Jul 22
I never thought to do that as it never crossed my mind that someone would look through the garbage and play jigsaw puzzle with a shredded credit card. But hey, these days you never know.
Have you ever put a credit card through the shredder? I usually just use scissors to cut it up.
1 person likes this
@solidcodes (1798)
• Philippines
10 Jul 22
Still not the smartest move.
What if the crook is the garbage collector man?
The best way to do it is burn it.
1 person likes this
@Beestring (15373)
• Hong Kong
10 Jul 22
I usually cut them into 4 pieces and put them in two separate garbage bags. But your method seems even safer.
