There are several reasons why a credit card has an expiration date. Years of use can wear down the magnetic strips and security chips inside cards, so banks offer to issue replacements.
Likewise, there could be different explanations for why a bank would revoke a credit card. Perhaps the cardholder hasn’t used their card in a long period or hasn’t made any payments for their card for some time.
In both cases, an expired or revoked card doesn’t work when used for purchases. Normally, there’s no problem if you accidentally use an expired or revoked card to buy something; the vendor would inform you that your card isn’t active anymore and would ask you to use another mode of payment.
But it’s a criminal offense in Florida if you use an expired or revoked card to make fraudulent purchases – either through electronic means or another form of trickery.
State law on using expired and revoked cards
According to Florida rules, it’s against the law to use an expired or revoked credit card to defraud either the card issuer or a vendor. The law also states that a court will presume that the cardholder knew about their card’s revocation seven days after their credit card company sent them notice of the cancelation.
Penalties for using expired or revoked cards
Those who violate the state’s rules will be charged with a first-degree misdemeanor. It may be a misdemeanor, but it still carries heavy penalties. On conviction, a person faces up to one year in prison, one year of county probation and as much as $1,000 in fines.
If you manage to use an expired or revoked credit card to make a purchase, you may have committed a crime per Florida law. In addition, if someone steals and abuses your expired credit card, you might be on the hook for fraudulent purchases made under your older card. No matter how the fraudulent purchases were made on a supposedly canceled card, consider seeking legal counsel if you face criminal charges.