iphone and credit cards

I put my 3G iPhone in the same pocket as keys, and doesn't scratch. Did the same thing with my first Gen iPhone, and no scratches. Also, no issues with the credit card, it does not contain magnets any near powerful enough to de-magnetise.

K. I don't get this scratching and cracking deal myself. It happens to all my iPods. What makes the iPhone any different?

Back to topic: I doubt it would. I have my phone and wallet next to each other and my cards work on ATMs. The phone isn't a magnet like a speaker is. And if so there is not enough power in the phone to kill your credit card. Mythbusters covers this and only thing that kills it is a pretty powerful magnet they used.

Hi,

In fact something strange happened with me twice already. I went to a public parking lot and when entering, i took the magnetic paying card. When i went to pay the card, it was demagnetized. So i thought it was coincidence, until yesterday it happened again, and my iphone was near the card.

I've noticed in other situations that here in Portugal the signal of my phone company is too strong, interfering with a lot of other machines. But the fact is that only the iphone demagnetized any magnetic strip.

I'm not 100% sure that it was the iphone, but i'm sure that i'm getting out of answers for this.

I have never had any problems with iPhone (or for that matter any cell phone) and credit cards. However, if you put your hotel keycard in the same pocket as your celly, or even in your wallet next to credit cards you will find yourself at the front desk asking for a new card key... This may be related to the parking garage incident...

Yes, you are right. I didn't have any problems related with credit cards, but with the parking card I'm pretty sure it wasn't a coincidence, since i only went to that park twice after buying the iphone, and both times the card was demagnetized.
I got really surprised with that, but everything points to that.
I would like to try it again, but I'm afraid the technicians will start looking at me with the corner of the eye. 🙂

I wonder if this situation happens with other cell phones in general.

Cell phones are electromagnetic devices. Magnetic waves ARE present at all times in and around a phone. But it's usually properly controlled with EMI shielding, FCC regulations, etc. I'm certain the 3G iphone has a lot more EMI strength due to so many different radios/antennas present (edge, 3G, GSM, wifi, bluetooth).

Regardless, I wouldn't risk slapping a credit card right onto the phone itself.

The iPhone and credit card can live happily together in the same pocket!

Your credit card can become demagnetized because of the electrical field that is created by anything electronic but to do this, it would require a strong field which requires a lot of power (like an MRI machine).

No I don't think an iPhone can demagnetize your credit card, but your credit card probably would scratch your iPhone. I would keep in pocket alone, and not with another object.

You'll be fine with the credit cards in the same pocket.

I had that happen with a card issued by the lot that I pay monthly to park in. It turned out that the card was defective and that's why it wouldn't hold. They issued me a new card and all was fine.

I have not had my iphone long enough to check, but I had a Treo 650 and have had lots of problems with hotel room keys kept in the same pocket.

At anyrate we could always go back to skeleton keys & cash, the price we pay for technology... 🙂