Are you looking for a reliable credit card shredder that will ensure your protection from identity fraud? If so, then this is a great spot to be! In this post, we discuss the top 5 credit card shredders that you can purchase right away.
A credit card shredder is perfect for anyone who has any unused old cards lying around. By destroying a card, you can have peace of mind knowing that nobody will use it to benefit your future financial security. In the era of data breaches and identity theft, it is a wise decision to have your credit card shredded before canceling. Even if you know for sure that no one else knows about this specific account number in particular, there are some people who will take advantage of any chance they get when given free rein with sensitive information such as yours.
A credit card shredder is perfect for those who want to cancel a credit card and need it trashed, though many would love the chance of exploiting an unused one. By completely shredding a used or canceled card, people can have peace of mind that they’re keeping their sensitive data safe from prying eyes down the line.
It’s important to destroy all paper documents, discs, and other media with sensitive information. While the following devices can handle credit cards well, they each have additional features that could come in handy. For example – using a device for disc shredding is great if you need to get rid of old CDs or DVDs quickly. Finally, the ability to quickly and easily dispose of unwanted material will make any office worker’s life easier. With this machine taking up less space than trash bags or paper boxes (or even an entire waste bin), there won’t be anything stopping people from ensuring every single document they no longer need ends up in its proper place – neatly shredded and ready for recycling.
This buyer’s guide not only points out some awesome shredder options but goes in-depth to provide some pros and cons for each device. This will allow anyone interested in the best credit card shredders to make a fully informed choice.
Best Credit Card Shredders of 2021
1. AmazonBasics 6-sheet Paper and Credit Card Shredder – the Most Affordable Option
Amazon’s offering is an incredible choice for those on a budget. This device will not break the bank, but it still gets the job done.
The AmazonBasics shredder is the best seller on the titular website for a reason. It’s not only inexpensive but also gets right to work, eliminating any sensitive credit cards or documents that you need to be gone. There are several models of this product with varying capacities and prices; however, in this review, we’ll focus primarily on the base model, which accommodates 6 sheets at once so you can clear up space quickly.
Functionality
The shredder can take on 1 credit card or 6 different sheets at the same time. It only takes 2 minutes to destroy a full load of paper fully, and it is recommended that you let it cool off after each use for 30 minutes, so your machine lasts as long as possible.
Features
- The automatic turnoff helps to prevent overheating
- CrossCut technology that ensures your sensitive documents and credit cards won’t be legible afterward
- Simple to use manual reverse to fix paper jams
- Amazon Basics One Year Warranty
The 8-pound shredder is easy to carry and operates at 70 decibels. It can be operated during the day without disrupting anyone’s sleep. Still, it should not be used in a habitually noisy environment or late hours of the night when people are sleeping.
- The great price point makes it easy to afford
- The simple operation ensures anyone can use it without much fuss
- Amazon is a reliable brand that offers excellent customer service and support
- Small 6 sheet capacity prevents heavy, continuous usage
- The position of the rotor blades make the device a tad top heavy so it is prone to fall over if not leaning against something
2. Swingline EX 12-05 Shredder – a Supremely Reliable Choice
The heavy-duty shredder is a solid choice for those who want their product to last and not have to worry about replacement or repairs.
The sturdy unit serves many purposes but has an increased cost with the added functionality as well. Those people that love having more features may find it worth the price tag in the end, even though there are cheaper options on this list of durable models available.
Functionality
The Shredder has a cutting capacity of 14 sheets, perfect for the home user and small business operator. The shredding slot also handles CDs and DVDs with an extra cutter to prevent wear on other slots.
Features
- 5-gallon bin that is simple to pull out and dump
- Elegant design and light-up symbols for greater control
- It cuts right through envelopes to easily dispose of junk mail
- Divides letter-sized sheets into 400 pieces
This Swingline unit will look great in any office, with its sleek and stylish design. The buttons are all illuminated, so it’s easy to know when the device is ready for use again. The device’s 20-minute cooldown time will allow you to use it for more continuous sessions. The heaviness of the device is one downside, though – at a weight of about 20 pounds, this model has been known to be difficult and tiring on those without much strength who might prefer going with something lighter that doesn’t require an intense lift.
- 14 sheet capacity allows for long shredding sessions
- The five-gallon waste bin means less time dumping out the trash
- The additional disc cutter prevents unnecessary wear and tear on the main card cutter
- Higher price point may keep those with a budget at bay
- There is no indication when the waste bin is full, so users must constantly check the amount of space left
- The motor is prone to overheat if the device is left on for too long. There is no automatic turnoff to prevent this
3. Fellowes Powershred W11C – a Highly Balanced Choice
This shredder is a great way to kick off your search for the right one! It has an excellent price and good features.
The Fellowes Powershred W11C is a little powerhouse that still has some solid features. It’s not the most advanced model on this list, but it does have an affordable price point for those who are interested in shredding without breaking the bank.
The Fellowes PowerShred W11C is a sturdy, medium-duty crosscut shredder. With its compact size (18” H X 13.75” W X 8.5” D; 14.1 lbs.), this shredder will fit nicely into your home or office setting without taking up too much space.
Functionality
This shredder can handle up to 11 sheets and shred credit cards that make it ideal for home or office use. It runs for about 5 minutes before needing to cool off, which is perfect if you only do one small job.
This shredder is powerful, allowing you to easily and quickly destroy up to 11 sheets at a time. You can also load paper with staples without any problems. The paper slot will accept credit cards too! It runs for about five minutes before needing a cooldown, giving the average user plenty of options.
Features
- Safety lock which prevents unwanted damage
- Medium duty usage for simple deskside placement
- Easy to lift handle on the waste bin
- Divides the paper into cross-cut sections to make the unreadable
Used in home offices, this device generates just enough noise to serve as a background sound. Though not too distracting for most children and pets, the PowerShred is sure to get your work done quickly with its 72-decibel volume.
- Safety lock keeps kids, pets, and important documents safe from harm
- The 20-minute cooldown allows the user to keep continuously shredding throughout the day
- A powerful cross cutter that can even destroy objects as thick as NCR pads. All without getting damaged
- The 4.75-gallon waste bin is a bit smaller than other similar models
- Shredding speed begins to slow as one gets closer to the 11 sheets simultaneous capacity
- Has a tendency to break down faster than most shredders
4. Bonsaii DocShred C156-C Paper/CD/Credit Card Shredder – an Overall Solid Option
The Bonsaii DocShred is a fine choice for anyone looking to set and forget their solution. It’s got some great features, but unless you’re really into shredding your own credit cards or are just starting with the process of destroying sensitive information – there might be better options on this list that will have more customers behind them.
The DocShred is a convenient option for anyone who needs a place to dispose of their sensitive information. The machine can shred 8 sheets at once, as well as any discs you need to be disposed of while also taking care of your credit cards. You’ll never have to worry about how full the bin will be thanks to its 5.5-gallon capacity, so this may be what you’re looking for.
Features
- Microcut shredder for paper and other thin material
- Heavy shredder for discs, credit cards, and other thick materials
- It weighs 10 pounds and is sturdily built
The device has 2 cutters depending on what you need it for. The micro-cut takes care of paper and lighter objects while the heavy-duty cutter cuts through credit cards, discs, or any other tough material with ease. The shredder is great for single destroys, but it’s not good if you need to destroy a large number of papers in one sitting. The device needs 40 minutes to cool down after running only 4 minutes, and this means that the machine doesn’t work well when working on extended sessions.
- Large waste bin with see-through window makes it easy to facilitate trash management
- Dual cutters help prevent either from wearing down too quickly
- A Relatively inexpensive price point for the number of features presented
- 40-minute cooldown process makes it much more difficult to shred a large number of things
- The unknown brand which puts the device’s quality into question
- Has a tendency to keep running even when nothing is being shredded
5. Fellowes AutoMax 130C Shredder – for the Most Heavy Duty Shredding
Fellowes’s most advanced shredding solution is perfect for anyone with a massive amount of sensitive information to dispose of.
Businesses that require a large amount of shredding done will love the Fellowes Automax 130C. This is by far the most expensive credit card shredder on this list, and for a good reason! With its larger capacity, businesses can get through their documents quickly without having to worry about slowing down due to wire jams or overworking employees with staples still left in them from earlier projects.
Functionality
The Automax 130C can shred up to 130 sheets of paper at the push of a button. There is also an option for manually feeding 8 pages into it to get even more shredded material out and make things go faster. This machine offers seamless, efficient operation with its automatic feeder that pulls documents smoothly from any drawer or stack you put them on top of. Say goodbye to paper jams with this handy shredder! The machine features a reversing feed that clears up any potential jam in no time. This is perfect for large offices during peak hours, as they can stay productive all day long without interruptions from jammed machines.
Features
- Automatic jam detection that reverses the feeding belt
- Capable of destroying staples in addition to credit cards
- Large 8.5-gallon trash bin to hold lots of paper
This shredder can run for 10 minutes straight before needing a 25-minute cooldown. This is pretty efficient considering the sheer volume of pages that you can automatically feed during that time. It also features an 8.5-gallon waste bin which will certainly fill up rather quickly. Run for 10 minutes straight before needing a 25-minute cooldown. This is efficient considering the sheer volume of pages that you can feed in during those ten minutes, which will fill up your 8.5-gallon waste bin rather quickly when it comes time to empty it.
- The 130 sheets automatic feeder is almost guaranteed to meet just about anyone’s shredding demands
- An automatic jam detector prevents frustrating repair sessions from occurring often
- Pretty fast cooldown considering the sheer amount of work being performed
- The high price point makes it only practical for business owners and large offices
- The waste bin will constantly be full if the full shredding capacity is utilized
- A manual button press is required to turn the shredder off after objects are no longer being fed through
Buyer’s Guide for Credit Card Shredders
The above shredders are all useful in their own right, but each one has a target demographic that would benefit most from the feature set. This next section breaks down who would be best served by each of these machines. This should be a great way to tell which of the above devices is right for you.
Amazon Basics 6 Shredder
This simple to use the device will be best for anyone who would rather not spend much and only has one or two things to destroy. If you don’t plan on using a shredder often or maybe will only ever use it the one time, this is a great choice. It is also easy to store and use, giving users the flexibility to keep the device around and ever need to use it again quickly. Plus, Amazon takes care of its customers, so there is little need to worry about pulling the trigger on this one.
Swingline Shredder
This shredder is an excellent choice for those who like to splurge a bit and get some nice quality products in return. The Swingline has the second-highest price but is feature-rich and is carefully built to last. Not to mention, the sleek look makes it stand out in any home or office. That said, some people might not want their shredder to stand out, as the whole point is to dispose of the information worth protecting carefully.
Fellowes PowerShed W11C
The Fellowes Corporation has a long history of making office products, beginning with the original banker’s box back in 1917. In 1982, Fellowes entered into a licensing agreement with a German company to distribute commercial paper shredders in the United States. This turned out to be a very successful business line for Fellowes. In 1990, the company began marketing its own internally designed shredder products, including the personal paper shredder, a new concept. Fellowes has since become a leading distributor of some of the best paper shredders for sale today, offering a full line of models, from basic home-use versions to sophisticated models designed to protect high-level corporate security.
Many Fellowes shredders incorporate the patented SafeSense® Technology. This features an advanced electronic safety sensor surrounding the paper slot and automatically disables the shredder when hands touch the paper opening. A switch can disable this feature, but a flashing warning light will illuminate to warn the user that SafeSense® has been disabled.
Fellowes PowerShed W11C is a great choice for anyone who wants a solid device that isn’t too expensive. This shredder falls in the middle of this list in just about every category. This makes it a great option for anyone tired of doing research and wants their credit cards and other sensitive documents dealt with as soon as possible. Fellowes is also quite a reputable company, so they will most likely handle any customer support needed down the line with grace.
BonSaii DocShred
This shredder is good for anyone who doesn’t want to cheap out with the least expensive model but still has a budget to uphold. The reasonable price point is paired with a solid feature set that will most likely get the job done for you. Having a window that allows you to see the waste bin is also nice for people who like visual feedback when operating a device like this. That said, BonSaii is the least reputable brand on this list. Those who desperately want a good customer support line might evade this one if something happens down the line. There are no guarantees one way or the other, so some might choose to spend a bit more for peace of mind.
Fellowes AutoMax 130C
This massive unit is great for large business owners or anyone who isn’t concerned with their budget. The automatic 130 sheet system ensures all shredding can be done efficiently but features an expensive price point to match the high output. Still, a business owner who requires lots of data to be destroyed will absolutely love this unit. The automatic feeding belt and paper jam reducer will keep the whole staff more productive in the long term. As stated above, the Fellowes brand offers solid customer support, so any issues that do come up during peak business hours should be handled smoothly and with ease.
Final Thoughts About Credit Card Shredders
We hope it is much easier for you to choose the credit card shredding option that works best for you with the above points considered. Whether you require a one-time use, a budding home office entrepreneur, or a large business firm manager, there is a device on the market for you. No matter what option you pick, destroying your sensitive data is an important step in protecting your identity and avoiding fraudulent behavior.
Soon, most shredders will feature automatic feeding technology and paper jam protection. The feature is too useful not to be applied in most of the newest models being developed. In addition to this, there will be larger sheet capacities and reduced cooldown times to keep a more continuous shredding flow for more heavy-duty usage. As with all modern technology, these devices’ size will continue to shrink despite the increased performance. This will make it far easier to place shredders just about anywhere and make them more convenient to transfer from room to room.
With the advent of all these advanced options, the price will also come down. This means that eventually, all upcoming shredders will be automatic and affordable for everybody. This will really make it harder for criminals to take people’s identities by perusing trash cans and other garbage containers. There is a great chance that it will no longer be worth it for these criminals to steal identities this way.
Going forward, digital protection will become a new hot topic as fewer and fewer things are printed on paper. Criminals who still pursue identity theft will be forced to adapt their methods for the digital age. Is it vital that anyone looking to shield their sensitive information look to digital solutions as well? This is a quick reminder to strengthen your passwords and use two-factor authentication whenever an app or website supports it. Using a password manager is also a great way to make your logins far less hackable. These are great first steps to take once your shredder takes care of any remaining physical data you have left lying around.
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