HDFC Bank account holder? Alert! You did not replace your Debit card? Here's why you don't need to worry

For those are not aware, old debit and credit cards that don't have a chip embedded in them will only be valid till December 31, 2018. The Reserve Bank Of India (RBI) has ordered the banks across the country to provide their existing, as well as new customers with new EMV (Europay, Mastercard, Visa) cards. The Reserve Bank took this decision to protect customers' money from online predators who stole their money. Many people ended up losing money this way. Ever since the RBI order, banks have been asking their customers to get their old cards replaced through SMS and email reminders. 

Why EVM cards are better?

The old bank credit and debit cards have a magnetic strip on their back called the magstripe. This strip is made up of small magnets in which the account information is stored. This information is processed when the cards are swiped in a machine and the transaction takes place. 

The new EVM cards, meanwhile, come with a chip which contains the account information in an encrypted format. When these cards are swiped in the machine, it asks for a PIN and the transaction is completed only after that. These cards are not read unless the PIN is entered. 

How to get new cards?

The replacement of old cards is free of cost. For this, the customers can visit the bank with their passbook and need to fill a form for replacing the card. Once the form is submitted, they receive a new card. The process can also be completed online. 

What if the card is not replaced?

In case the users fail to replace their cards before December 31, they will become invalid. While other banks are consistently reminding their customers to get these cards replaced, HDFC has made life easier. It is dispatching the cards even if the customers has not completed the replacement process. 

"As you were informed earlier, we are in the process of dispatching your new Chip+PIN enabled Rewards Debit Card to replace your existing Debit Card XXXXX, in compliance with RBI guidelines. The card’s chip processes data securely and the PIN serves as the second layer of security for your card," it said in a message. 

"You will be communicated with your new card’s dispatch details via SMS," the message added. 

The Reserve Bank had asked the banks to issue chip-based and PIN enabled debit and credit cards from September 2015. The deadline was extended by a few months. However, many customers who had received old cards before the deadline, continue to use them even now.