Credit card expiration date

If your card expires the month BEFORE you leave and you don't have the replacement one, then you will have hiccups.

You don't CANCEL your card, simply ask your card issuer for the replacement now (or whenever you need it to be sure you get it before departure) , explaining to them if they ask why, so you will have an active card. The new card will have the same card number with new expiry and CCV (3 digit code on the back of the card). All transactions will continue to work including any refunds.

Yes, I did explain that I was leaving the country and asked if I could simply replace my card now and have an earlier expiration date. They said no. Perhaps I didn't ask my question correctly.

My advise is the opposite. Every card I own generally arrives a month or so before it expires so that you have plenty of time to activity the card, etc. So if yours is expiring a month before, you should it two months before you leave. Any question, call customer service and ask when the replacement cards are issued. You really have nothing to worry about. This is barely a nibble.

OK, I won't ask who issued your card. :-)

They seem a bit inflexible. Capital One reissued my credit card when I called with a similar expiration issue, no complaints from their end.

Had the same experience as Mark - simply requested an extension to the expiring CC and they complied with zero hassle.

I do not know what question you asked your CC company that get them to deny your request, but if it were my CC I would cancel the card ASAP with that issuing agency and rely on another one.

If your card expires in e.g. November and your trip is in December, I see no problem. All my cards have the replacement show up before they expire which likely means you will have your new one long before you leave. ( in this example in October)

The problem would be if your card expired after you left on the trip.

This 'problem' has no fangs

Deep breath---relax

Good reminder for everyone -- check the expiration date on ALL your cards, especially debit cards and cards you only use for travel. Easy to fix from home, not so easy on the road.

No self-respecting credit card company would allow for a customer to have an expired credit card. How can you charge anything if your card is expired. They are not going to let that happen. It will be renewed well before the expiration date. Just good business. You have a greater risk of being involved in a car accident on the way to the airport than not having your credit card renewed. Worry about that.

I had Mark's and Robert's experience with my Bank of America Visa. Called several months before expiration to tell them I'd be travelling then, and they issued me a new card with the same number well ahead of time. I did this another time when my card started to crack due to years of excessive spending and they replaced it with a fresh new one (don't recall whether the expiration changed, it probably did). They don't want to lose a chance to charge fees to merchants so as long as you pay your bills they'll do whatever you need.

We have had cards renewed with a new expiration date as much as a year in advance. One time the agent said she needed to have supervisor approval, I said let's get them on the phone and i will explain. She came back a minute later and said it approved and gave me a shipping date for the cards. If you are a good customer and pay your bill timely, they want to keep you. Sounds like you did not ask the question right or morevlikely the agent didn't know handle your request. I would call them back.

How did you phrase the request?

"I want to cancel my card and get a new one because it will expire right before my trip."

OR

"I will be traveling right about the time my card expires and am wondering if the replacement with the new expiry date could be sent out sooner."

First one almost guaranteed to be denied because you don't want to cancel anything and the credit card company won't do it without a reason such as lost, stolen, or fraudulent transactions.

I do appreciate what you all have posted.
I called again and they told me that new cards are scheduled to be made September 1st and it will take no less than two weeks to get to customers. I explained that that timing is too uncomfortably close for me since I leave on September 30th.
There is no way to have the card issued sooner. I can cancel it and get a new one with a new number now if I want to do that. I explained that other companies are flexible so why not this one? There was no explanation. I've had this CC for 15 years and have never run into this issue before.
Because I charged the trip and flights last month, my credit score dropped. It's one of those 'heavy use' flags credit companies do.
Fortunately, I have another card in good shape. I like having more than one card while traveling just in case.
I hope this discussion helps others.

There is no way to have the card issued sooner.

I wonder what they would do if a customer called and needed a replacement card because they left it in a pants pocket that went through the washer and warped in the dryer.

The update order is probably already in the system being prepared for mailing so it reaches you on or close to 09/15. That is the only reason I can come up with that explains their reluctance to do anything.

One of my credit cards expired and they didn't send me a new card. When I contacted them, they said "no problem, you just have to ask!" I think it was Discover.

Doc, will there be someone picking up your mail who could FEDEX it to you if it arrives late ? Just as a plan D?

And no matter what, don’t leave home without a copy of the card you used to make your air and rail reservations, whether expired or not. Sometimes you are asked to produce the card with which you reserved or bought tickets.

Yes, I did explain that I was leaving the country and asked if I could
simply replace my card now and have an earlier expiration date. They
said no. Perhaps I didn't ask my question correctly.

No, you didn't do anything incorrectly. That's a ridiculous response from the credit card bank.

If you've ever considered getting a travel-oriented credit card (no international transaction fees), this might be the time. That bank doesn't deserve your business.

I called again and they told me that new cards are scheduled to be
made September 1st and it will take no less than two weeks to get to
customers. I explained that that timing is too uncomfortably close for
me since I leave on September 30th.

I'd drop kick them especially as you have a backup card to use.

I just tried booking a hotel for next May. Our credit car expires April 2019. Bookin.com would not alliw me to use this credit card- if I entered 04, the year defaulted to 2020, wouldn’t let me me enter 2019.
Ended up using an alternative credit card. Typically, if you enter the wrong exp date, the card is denied.