How to Use Credit Card Stickers to Reach Your Financial Goals

I love fun or inspiring credit card designs. I have a Discover Cash Back card with a relaxing ocean scene with palm trees and another card with the iconic Horseshoe Bend. These designs inject a touch of joy into the otherwise mundane task of using a credit card.

But sometimes credit cards don’t have options you like, or you forget to select a different design before your new card arrives and then you’re stuck with the same one for 20 years. 

So, my interest was piqued when I learned about people adorning their credit cards with stickers. Credit card stickers can indeed be enjoyable, but there's an even more compelling reason to consider them: they can contribute to achieving your financial goals.

(For those uninterested in the fun aspect and keen on discovering how credit card stickers aid in reaching financial goals, skip ahead to #3 under "Why put stickers on your credit card.")

But first:

Can I put a sticker on my credit card?

Certainly, you can affix stickers to your credit card, as long as you exercise caution not to obstruct the chip, strip, or any features crucial to the card's functionality. It's crucial to ensure all information remains visible. Additionally, if the card, with the sticker(s), becomes too thick, it might pose challenges fitting into card reader slots.

Tips for using credit card stickers

• Don't cover the chip.

• Avoid obstructing the name, expiration date, or CVV number.

• Steer clear of metallic stickers, as they may interfere with the card's "tap" capabilities.

• Opt for stickers that aren't excessively thick.

You also may want to use removable stickers in case issues arise or you decide you’d like to change the stickers. 

Why put stickers on your credit card?

1. It’s fun!

Apparently you can get a whole credit card skin to cover your card, like this super sparkly one from Walmart. A company called Cucu makes credit card covers for many interest levels including Hello Kitty, Anime, animal prints, and more.

You could use any removable stickers you find or even use Canva to create your own custom credit card stickers. And of course Etsy has many fun options to consider. 

For more ideas, check out my Pinterest board: Credit Card Stickers.

2. Keep your points and rewards organized. 

Stickers can be a great way of keeping track of which credit cards offer which rewards. For example, if you have a few cards, you might want to remember which one to use when you get gas vs which one to use for groceries or eating out. 

You can get credit card stickers designed just to help you maximize your credit card points and rewards. 

While these first two reasons to use credit card stickers are great, there is an even more important reason why you might want consider it:

3. They can help you achieve your financial goals. 

This is by far the most important part of this article. As a financial coach, I have long recommended that people put reminders of their financial goals on their credit cards. 

Why?

When you go to the store, it’s easy to get distracted by all of the things that you want (and need) to buy. You’re thinking in the moment only of whether or not you want that item and you forget about the larger picture. 

For example, if I go to Target and see a cute sweater that I want, my mind is only focused on the sweater. I’m probably thinking about how good it would look and how I’ve been wanting something new to wear. If I think about money at all, I’m likely to be thinking something like: “I want this sweater, but I probably should save more.” Or “I'm trying to be more careful with money, but I really want this item.”

The problem is that thinking “I should save more” or “I shouldn’t buy so much” is not exciting. OF COURSE you want to buy the sweater. 

This is not because there is anything wrong with you—this is how human brains work. We all experience something called “present bias,” which is the tendency to focus on things in the present over things in the future. 

That means that your brain is naturally going to focus on the immediate reward of buying the sweater now than it will about some potential future reward that comes from saving money for an undefined purpose. 

This is where credit card stickers come in. 

A credit card sticker can act as a reminder of your specific future goals and make them more real in the present. 

Let’s say that I’m at Target. I have the sweater in my card and head toward the checkout. When I take out my credit card to pay, I see the sticker reminding me of my goal to save money for a trip to Hawaii. Maybe the stickers are pictures of where I want to stay or a place I want to visit and I can feel what it would be like to be there. 

Suddenly that goal is much more tangible and it might lead me to reconsider purchasing the sweater because I care about the trip a LOT more than I care about the sweater. 

Will this always work? 

No, of course not. You might still want the sweater, and that’s okay. But at least you’ve made an intentional decision about it. 

So often we go through life on auto-pilot, not fully thinking about all the random things we purchase. Before you know it, you’ve accumulated a lot of random things that end up stashed in closets or taken to Goodwill and you still haven’t achieved any of the things you really care about. 

That’s where the stickers can be useful—they serve as a pattern interrupt to help you stop and actually think about your purchase in the larger context of your financial life and goals. 

So if that sounds like something you want to try, find some stickers that help you visualize your goal and put them on your credit (or debit) cards. 

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