My dear husband put the laundry in the washing machine without checking all the pockets properly so when I took the stuff out to hang to dry, I found my credit card (which he had borrowed) and a 20 franc note. The note is fine and smells good and the CC looks ok but I have no idea whether it will work or not! I will have to go out and try to buy something with it to check if anything got damaged. It was just a 40oC cycle in the washing machine so I hope if still works! Anyway, travelling tomorrow very early so CC is a must!
You seem to have mistaken the forum for Facebook...
A wash cycle shouldn't damage the card, as it isn't the water but the heat that would. But, as the plastic used in the these cards typically has a melting punt of around 60 C, it should work fine.
No, I did not want to post this on Facebook if I wanted to do so, I could have... Normally people in the Forum have had same experience and I posted on "off topic". Anyway, your reply was helpful and I would have given you a "thanks" but the option is not available. Have a great day
The card won't have melted, but it's possible the magnetic strip might be U/S. 99% of the time, however, it's the chip part that is used these days, which should be OK.
Oh, if you have any bank's card reader for internet access you should be able to check at least that it's readable, if you get a message like 'wrong card'. I think that if it's damaged they would normally say 'card unreadable' or similar.
Oh, you might also check that the signature strip, and the extra number printed on it, isn't damaged. Although I'd be surprised if it were refused, technically a card is invalid if it's been washed off.
Thank you so much! I have been to Migros and used the card for paying for two separate transactions and it is working! The signature is a bit fainter but it is ok.
40C in many locations is normal air temperature so its strange that you even ask the question otherwise you would be asking if its safe to use you credit card in summer or whether you need to leave it inside an airconditioned home
I did not know if the water, laundry liquid, spinning etc would have damaged the card. I asked because I did not know otherwise I would not have asked. Simples.