They often touch: the smartphone and the magnetic strip of the debit or credit card. But is that actually harmful?
Smartphones and bank cards are a common duo in many cases. But is that exactly a mistake, because the mobile phone and also the case of the debit and credit card can damage it? TECHBOOK asked banking experts.
Does the smartphone damage the bank card?
Regular commercially available smartphones cannot harm the bank card. At least that’s what Cornelia Schulz, press officer for the German credit industry (DK) in the Federal Association of German Volksbanken and Raiffeisenbanken eV, says about TECHBOOK. “Neither existing nor future wireless connections such as 5G will affect the card or the chip in any way.”
Can the magnet in the phone case destroy the magnetic stripe?
If the phone doesn’t damage the magnetic stripe on the card, could the case do it? These often contain a magnetic lock or a magnetic holder. “However, these are not usually able to damage the magnetic strips on bank cards. Because the credit cards and Girocards of the German banking industry have been magnetized much more strongly (with the so-called “high-coercivity” process) for about ten years than before,” Cornelia Schulz gives the all-clear.
The magnets used to close the case are far too weak to cause problems for the magnetic strip. In case of doubt, that would not be a problem. “An accidental ‘deleting’ of the magnetic stripe would have no effect on payments or withdrawals within Europe anyway, since for security reasons the magnetic stripe has long since been used here, but the forgery-proof chip on the card,” explains Schulz for the German credit industry TECHBOOK. The magnetic stripe is only on the bank cards, since there are countries outside of Europe where not all ATMs and card payment devices have been converted to the chip.
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This is the best way to protect your cards
In general, bank cards can withstand a lot. For example, the chip on the card is resistant to heat, water and magnetism. “The card and chip can even withstand slight bending, for example when carried in the back pocket,” says Schulz. However, consumers should ensure that the chip on the card is not damaged by sharp or pointed objects such as keys. Bank customers should also not exaggerate when dealing with the cards. Excessive folding and bending of the card should be avoided to avoid deforming or even breaking the card.