I washed my Sberbank card in an automatic machine - what will happen to the credit card, will it work after washing it in a washing machine and by hand?

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.

I washed my bank card in the washing machine, what should I do?

If it turns out that the card was washed in a washing machine, what should you do now? First of all, don't panic. It's better to try to get it into working condition.

To do this you need:

Wipe dry with a dry cloth;
Let it dry;
Examine it from all sides for damage and scratches;
If no suspicious defect is found, you can safely go to the ATM and check its functionality;
You need to insert it into the ATM and try to make several operations. For example, look at the balance and display the balance on the screen. If all operations are performed without problems, then everything is fine, you can continue to use this card. However, if errors occur, operations constantly fail, then the problem is obvious, the plastic must be changed at the nearest bank branch.

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.

How to properly store and use the card

If you don’t want to pay for an early replacement of a plastic device, take care of your cards properly. To avoid a fiasco, follow these care recommendations:

do not bend or scratch;
do not soak in water, any solutions or liquids;
keep away from metal objects, electrical appliances, office equipment, mobile phones, coins, magnets;
do not expose to temperatures below -20 and above +40 degrees;
do not write on the product;
use the device only for its intended purpose;
use wallets, bags, cases and holders rather than pockets.

In addition, to protect yourself from fraudulent activities, withdrawal of funds from your account and loss of your card, follow these steps:

do not keep all your money on one card or one account;
pay for mobile banking and alerts in a timely manner to be aware of all money transactions;
do not store a piece of paper with a PIN code written on it next to your credit card;
do not give the device to the conductor during the journey, to the seller or the waiter, use a portable terminal;
do not access the official website of a financial institution or a mobile bank via public Wi-Fi networks;
do not pay for purchases in dubious, unverified online stores;
Before handing over your phone, tablet or laptop for repair, delete logins, passwords and other cached data from the device’s memory.

If you follow these recommendations, in most cases you can have peace of mind about your funds, even if the card stops working. Nothing will happen to the money, and re-releasing a new device will not be difficult.

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.

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.

We recommend: Is it possible to wash a briefcase in a washing machine - how not to miss the cycle and temperature?

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.

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.

What commission does Sberbank and other banks charge for early reissue?

Some banks replace credit and debit cards for free, while others charge a fee for damage and loss. Therefore, it is recommended to find out in advance the conditions for early re-release of the device. Any employee of your bank’s call center knows and will tell you the exact amounts.

For example, Sberbank withdraws 30 rubles from a Muscovite’s account when replacing a Troika social card, a Mir device - 150 rubles, and a classic contactless Visa or MasterCard card - 250 rubles. Alfa-Bank charges 290 rubles for early reissue. VTB Bank charges from 300 to 800 rubles depending on the level, Sovcombank and Pochta Bank - from 300 to 500 rubles.

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 happens if you wash your bank card?

After you have discovered that you have washed a bank card, you may have a logical question about what will happen to the bank card after washing and whether you will be able to use it later.

The bank card of many prestigious banks is made of a fairly durable material - plastic. Therefore, if a Sberbank bank card is washed, there is a chance that everything will be fine with it.

The plastic material itself is quite durable, and to significantly damage it requires either high temperature or chemical exposure.

After washing, you need to evaluate how the card looks. If it remains without visible damage, all the symbols are clearly readable, the owner’s name, number, expiration date, then most likely everything is in order with the card.

You should wipe it, let it dry and go to the nearest ATM to check. If the card shows minor mechanical damage, or has become bent under the influence of high speeds, it can be corrected.

To do this, you will need to turn on the hair dryer at the highest power, heat the plastic and physically correct the bend, returning it to its previous appearance.

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.

Further actions with a washed card

Everything is very simple.

If you find that there is a card in the wash, do not wait for the wash to complete, but try to stop it and remove the card.
In the event that you still find a washed card, then your next steps.
Wipe the plastic, then dry it, inspect the card. Carefully examine the numbers, first and last name on the plastic; they are clearly visible or have been washed.
Carefully inspect the magnetic stripe and chip for visible defects or deformations.
Go to an ATM, terminal and get money from the card (try repeating the procedure several times). If the transaction does not occur or does not work regularly, then hurry to your bank branch.
Explain the situation to the bank employee, show your card and documents confirming your identity.
Fill out an application for a card ahead of schedule.
You pay a fee for early issuance of your card.

Thus, a washed card can continue to work safely or still suffer a little from washing. Therefore, before you start washing, you should definitely check all pockets.

Quality

Now you know what happens if you wash a cardboard bank card, and why it then stops working. But there is no need to worry, because such cases are very rare; almost all banks in Russia have long been producing only plastic analogues.

But we cannot vouch for the strength of cards from Chinese financial organizations and payment systems. Until now, many of them, in order to save money, do not hesitate to offer their customers their low-grade cardboard product.

Of course, if damaged even before the end of its service life, the card can be reissued, but this procedure, as a rule, requires an additional fee. Therefore, if you are concerned about the quality of your future plastic card, do not hesitate to ask its manufacturer about the materials for production.

What happens to the card after washing, will it work?

Bank cards are made of plastic (PVC). This material is resistant to moisture, heat and chemicals. However, there are vulnerabilities on the product - they are represented by a chip and magnetic tape.

With chip

If the plastic is equipped with a chip, then it is highly likely to be damaged.
This metal element often fails even during normal use. Aggressive machine washing will almost certainly damage it.

Detergents make the situation worse. The more aggressive the powder, the higher the risk that the chip will oxidize. The card will almost certainly become unusable after washing with bleach.

With magnetic stripe

If information about the card owner is contained on a magnetic tape, then the chance of its normal functioning after washing remains. If the plastic does not fall out of the pocket during active rotation of the drum, this can save it.

The risk of damage increases if washed in hot water. Coins, keys and other things in your pockets can damage the integrity of the magnetic tape.

Therefore, immediately after finding the card, you need to check its dark stripe for scratches. If they are deep, then there is a high probability of damage to the product.

A few words about production

To understand what happens if you wash a Sberbank card, we suggest finding out how it is made. The process consists of the following steps:

printing - a design is applied to the workpiece on both sides using a special printer;
baking - a magnetized tape is attached, designed to clarify the data. After this, the two parts are joined into one structure using a thermal lamination device. The temperature is set to 120 degrees above zero, and the press presses with a force of 160 bar;
an additional protective element is applied . Each layer is provided with a special film, which in the previous process is hermetically connected to the plastic surface without distorting the previously applied images. Often it is this film that creates reliable protection for the product if it accidentally ends up in the washing machine;
cutting with personalization – the product is cut and personalized with a special code.

Questions and answers

What should you do if you wet your card and it stops making payments?

An unsuccessful wash must be completed by re-issuing the card in person at the bank office, through the website or mobile application for clients.

How much does it cost to replace a bank card?

The cost depends on the financial institution and the status of the plastic. The price ranges from 30 to 1500 rubles per device.

What to do if the magnetic tape on the card is damaged?

If there are scratches or other damage to the magnetic tape, the fragile item stops working. It needs to be replaced at a bank branch.

How to open a washing machine during washing if there is a bank card inside?

Automatic machines with vertical loading allow you to open the doors even while the mechanism is running. To do this, you need to turn off the rotation of the drum, open the door and take out the card.

Front-loading washing machines do not open during a program. You need to stop the wash, turn on the water drain and wait for the door to unlock.