We’re often told to sanitize our phones, keyboards, steering wheels — anything and everything we touch on the daily. But how many times have you ran an alcohol swab over your credit card? You might want to start because a new study found that our credit and debit cards contain more germs than a public New York City bathroom. Yikes.
On May 21st, LendEDU published their “Dirty Money” experiment, during which they tested how gross our cash, change, and cards really are. They used a device specifically built to measure how much bacteria is on a given surface. The higher the number, the more disgusting a surface is. If a surface scores a 10 or less, it’s considered sanitary.
LendEDU found that the average credit card has a germ score of — wait for it — 285.
But that’s not the overall germ count. The company found that the average magnetic strip on the back of our credit cards has a germ count of 317. The chip, on the other hand, has an average germ count of 252. America, explain!
Out of all the credit cards tested, LendEDU came across the dirtiest of all credit cards with a count of 1,206. And the cleanest of credit cards was far from sanitary with a germ count of 48.
A new study by finance website, LendEDU, finds that #creditcards and debit cards are near the top of the list when it comes to #germs, even more so than #cash. >> pic.twitter.com/OcP3owvxoM
— WTVY News 4 (@WTVYNews4) May 23, 2019
If you’re more likely to use a debit card than a credit card, you’re in luck (kind of). Debit cards were overall less gross than credit cards, averaging a germ count of 243.
Dirty Money: New Research Reveals the Filthiness of Our Cash, Cards, & Coinshttps://t.co/z8xyOHsNQd
— LendEDU (@GoLendEDU) May 21, 2019
What’s even grosser is that our credit cards are more disgusting than cash and coins. The average germ count for bills was only 160, and the average germ score for coins was only 136.
“This comes as a bit of a surprise as one might expect cash to be the filthiest since cash stays in circulation a lot longer and can travel across the country by changing hands,” the LendEDU writeup reads. “However, debit and credit card usage numbers have quickly caught up to cash’s figures; in fact, debit cards are actually the most commonly used payment method today.”
The site also notes how many germs a card must pick up when it’s placed on a bar or table top to pay a restaurant tab.
Obviously, you can begin sanitizing your credit and debit cards with alcohol ASAP. But it’s also a good idea to simply continue washing your hands as often as possible because TBH, our cards aren’t the only gross things we come in contact with on a daily basis.
Here's a reason to wash your hands after ordering while dining out: Restaurant menus have 100 times more bacteria than a toilet seat, according to one microbiologist. https://t.co/lO0O7O2a3d pic.twitter.com/UO3j6a1Kb4
— WebMD (@WebMD) May 21, 2019
The other option is simply cutting up all your cards and becoming a cash-only person. It takes guts, but you might stay healthier.
Cash is king.
— Andrew Yang🧢⬆️🇺🇸 (@AndrewYang) May 22, 2019
Or maybe make the transition to Bitcoin. We still don’t understand how it works, but maybe you do.
At the end of the day, perhaps this data is the final blow to the credit card system. These cards cause us nothing but pain and misery, after all.
paying off my credit card stresses me out so I just don't pay it at all! self care baby
— ⓚaleigh⚡️ (@kaaallleigh) May 23, 2019
Wow. This hurts, Cathy.
Your credit card isn't the only one turning you down.
— Cathy C (@cali_cathy) May 23, 2019
Perhaps it’s time for us to put them out of their misery. Poor plastic things.
Server : “Cash or Card?”
— nathan (@868nathan) May 22, 2019
Me : “Card.”
*****Reaches for my wallet***
My credit card : pic.twitter.com/rk1UBoxQ8X
But… We just can’t seem to quit you, credit card. No matter how disgusting and mean you are.
They lure us in with their dangerous game. Heck, even cats are getting involved in their schemes.
My cat just got a credit card application in the mail. Wow.
— *Barely Around Elven Napper (@mims_words) May 17, 2019
And if you’ve been sucked in (like that cat was), listen up! Paying off that credit card debt is suuuuuper important.
Hey young people, just a reminder to get a credit card and pay it off consistently cuz having good credit is really important in the future.
— Tim Chantarangsu (@TimothyDeLaG) May 19, 2019
No one really taught me that growing up. I thought just making lotsa money would be good enough, but that credit is a big deal!
Literally us, now knowing how freaking dirty these cards are. You’re really paying with card? Huh…
My bank account looking at me swiping my credit card around. https://t.co/2I7KmZwWAL
— أحـمــد الـتـتــان 🍕 (@altattan7) May 16, 2019
Maybe knowing how gross your card is will make us want to use it less. Let’s hope so.
We’re going to go throw all of our credit cards in the shower now.
