system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELi5: Why do credit and debit cards have an expiration date?
gpt
To protect from fraud. Firstly it just adds another data point to check when paying online or remotely. Secondly it prevents really old or forgotten cards from being used if someone else discovers them.And lastly, the components break down and over time, so after more than several years they can't guarantee that the card will still work.