A closer look
Expiration dates on modern credit cards were originally implemented simply to match the physical deterioration of the plastic material and the magnetic strip, ensuring the card would not snap in half after three years of heavy swiping. However, banks quickly realized that sending a replacement card created the perfect psychological opportunity to remind customers of their existing credit line and cleverly market new financial products disguised as a necessary security update. Now, the arbitrary date on the front of your card serves primarily to force you into updating your automatic billing information across fifty different subscription services you forgot you were paying for. It is a brilliant strategy by the financial sector to ensure you never accidentally achieve financial freedom by letting an unwanted streaming service gracefully lapse, keeping you firmly locked into a never-ending cycle of micro-transactions until you die
