Many people have had situations where they accidentally washed some items along with their laundry. It could be money, keys, key fobs.
Some encountered a problem when a Sberbank plastic card got into the drum of the machine along with the laundry.
Many people are wondering whether it will work normally after this. It all depends on a number of conditions and the type of card.
We will discuss in more detail what will happen if you accidentally washed a Sberbank card in an automatic washing machine in the article.
Will the credit card work after getting wet?
If the Sberbank card was made of high-quality plastic, then even washing will not affect its further operation.
The product can continue to be used in cases where:
- the banking product is made of high-strength material;
- it has a protective film that protects it from damage and scratches;
- it is equipped with a magnetic stripe that is rarely exposed to external influences;
- During washing, the product was not in the drum of the machine, but inside the trousers or shirt.
In the described cases, the probability of maintaining the functionality of the plastic card is 70%. If during washing it was not inside any item, but in the drum of the machine, then the risk of damage increases to 50%.
If the plate already had any damage or defects before washing, then after washing the likelihood of the product failing increases many times over.
Likely consequences
A product equipped with a magnetic stripe is more reliable than a card containing a chip. The likely consequences of washing plastic with a magnetic stripe can be:
- malfunction due to mechanical damage;
- demagnetization of a banking product;
- deformation in case of washing at high temperatures and in the “Boiling” mode;
- full preservation of functionality.
Possible consequences of washing a card with a chip can be:
- impossibility of further use due to mechanical damage to the chip;
- malfunction of the product due to melting of the chip on it due to exposure to hot water;
- erasing the chip;
- maintaining performance.
In all cases, a common consequence is the erasure of numbers and letters from the surface of the plate. In the future, they become problematic to read and recognize. The product itself becomes shabby in appearance.
Will a washed bank card work?
Most cardholders who are caught in the washing process are wondering whether the banking product has been damaged. One of the main criteria for determining performance is the integrity of the manufacturing procedure.
As practice shows, plastic will work. This fact is due to the following circumstances:
- In the production of cards, Russian banks use high-quality plastic that is not susceptible to humidity. An additional protective measure in the form of a film on the front side can be installed to prevent mechanical damage.
- The presence of a magnetic strip containing the most important data. This structural element of the card is difficult to expose to harmful effects, especially moisture or chemical detergents. The absence of visible defects indicates the ability to work in accordance with the functionality.
- A modern card with a chip, the production of which is widely used in the banking industry, is developed according to the latest technologies and is equipped with a reliability system. Breakage of the internal contents of the card is allowed in case of severe damage.
Expert opinion
Alexander Ivanovich
Financial expert
The plastic will not work after contact with the working drum of the washing machine and the spinning process with a high number of revolutions.
Payment hours from Alfa Bank
There are several ways to check your card:
- damage to property “on the face”;
- conducting a transaction, using an ATM.
- Certificate of income 2-NDFL for individuals in 2021
- Sberbank youth card
- Blocking Sberbank cards for transfers from individuals
What happens to the card after washing in SMA?
Expert opinion
Alexander Ivanovich
Financial expert
The high-strength material used for bank cards allows you to wet the product without worrying about the consequences.
According to statistics, cards with magnetic tape remain functional in 70% of cases after being “bathed” in a washing machine. Less likelihood of functionality is achieved outside the pocket. In such a situation, the possibility of damage from other objects increases.
Plastic may stop working due to the choice of high temperature mode. Melting occurs. It is much easier to damage the chip.
Machine and hand washing of a card - is there a difference in the harm caused?
Much depends on how the card was washed . If it is washed by hand, the plastic will suffer less.
When washing by hand, items are not exposed to high temperatures. The plate itself has less contact with buttons and fasteners on clothes, which can damage it. When washing by hand, it is easier to notice and feel the plastic card in clothes.
When machine washed, plastic is damaged more often. It is negatively affected by various elements of clothing. Additionally, the card can be in contact with the drum of the machine. With this option, the product more often suffers from hot water.
Factors that increase the likelihood of magnetic tape damage
The banking product and its elements may be severely damaged under the following conditions:
- When washing, the magnetic tape was scratched by buttons and zippers from shirts or trousers;
- a Sberbank card was accidentally washed in hot water and boiled at the same time;
- the product came into contact with the drum of the machine during washing;
- the card was washed with a lot of laundry.
In the latter case, the object is greatly deformed and bent. In the future, such a banking product cannot be used for its intended purpose.
Determining the extent of damage
If, after an accidental wash, the numbers and letters on the plate are only blurred, then it often remains suitable for further use. Serious damage to the card is considered to be a scratch anywhere on the card and on the magnetic stripe . It is recommended to check such a card for serviceability by inserting it into the terminal.
A high degree of damage to the product is indicated by the presence of scratches on its chip. There is a high probability that the card will no longer work if, after washing, its chip has melted or been erased.
If such damage is present, it is also recommended to insert plastic into the terminal. If it “reads” the Sberbank card well, allows you to enter a password and make transactions, then the product is not damaged.
Severe damage to the card is its deformation and the appearance of cracks on it . You should not try to insert such a banking product into a terminal. He may not accept the card or take it but not issue it.
What to do if you wash your card?
If you find a washed card, perform the following manipulations:
- Wipe and dry the plastic;
- see if the numbers and your first and last name on the plastic have been erased or not;
- Check the chip and/or magnetic tape for scratches or other damage.
- go to an ATM or terminal, insert your card and try to withdraw money several times. If a withdrawal transaction is processed every other time, then contact the nearest Sberbank branch if you are a Sberbank card holder.
- an authorized bank employee must provide a bank card, passport or other identification document;
- it is necessary to fill out an application for re-issuance of the card ahead of schedule, which indicates the type of international system Visa or MasterCard and the class of the card (Maestro, Standard, Gold, Platinum); when filling out these fields, the operator will issue a personalized card with a new number, expiration date, CV code number and PIN -code. If the client does not fill out these fields, then a plastic card with the old data is issued, only the PIN code is changed. In case of an urgent trip abroad, it is better to order an instant non-personalized card, which will be issued to the “victim” within 1-2 hours.
- pay the commission for re-issuing the card ahead of schedule.
Results
- To avoid this situation, check your clothing pockets before washing, especially if the lining in them is torn.
- If a plastic card has been washed, this does not mean that it will not work.
- We recommend ordering an additional card in addition to the main card, which will save you in a situation with washed plastic and if the ATM “swallowed” the card abroad.
- A personalized card takes up to two weeks to produce.
- Instant non-personalized bank cards are issued on the day of application to the bank branch.
- Reissue is paid for.
- When applying for a new card, consult a specialist on how best to proceed.
Action plan
If there are no noticeable mechanical damages visually observed on the product, then it is enough to put it in order.
To do this you need:
Wipe the plate with a dry cloth. Allow the product to dry completely.- Check the banking product again for damage. This is especially true for the place where the magnetic stripe or chip is located.
- Check the legibility of the inscriptions and numbers on the map.
- Check the functionality of the card on the terminal. Insert it and make sure that the device “reads” it normally. Try entering your password, checking your balance, and performing some kind of operation just to be safe.
When trying to return a deformed card to its previous shape, do not heat it too much. High temperatures can cause plastic to become even more deformed.
If there is noticeable damage on the plate and the terminal cannot read the necessary information from it, then it must be replaced.
To do this you need:
- Go to the bank. You need to contact the department that issued the plate.
- Take with you to the bank not only your card, but also your passport.
- Submit an application to the bank branch requesting early re-issue of the product. Indicate in the document the reasons for the failure of the plastic. Be sure to indicate the date and signature on the application.
- Return the damaged card to the bank employee for destruction.
- Get a new card from the same bank. In this case, the current account and number remain unchanged.
About two weeks are given to reissue the card, but this period can be reduced to one week . At the same time, Sberbank does not charge a commission for this operation. The bank usually notifies you that the card is ready via SMS.
Other risks
Each bank card contains additional information:
- Owner's full name;
- card number;
- month and year in which the validity period ends;
- CVV or CVC three-digit code.
In most cases, this data (except for three-digit codes) is embossed and additionally printed with metallized paint. However, on some credit cards the embossing is not too deep, and the dye is easily washed out. For example, if you wash an old Mastercard card from Sberbank in a washing machine, it will be extremely difficult to read what is written on it. As for the three-digit code, it is most often applied to a paper base, which quickly gets wet, and the ink immediately disappears under the influence of detergents.
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The absence of text data on the front side may result in the bank teller refusing service. And if the owner does not remember the CVV/CVC code, then he will not even be able to make an online transfer of money from the affected card to any other, so that later he can use it in the usual way.
