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My Virgin Money credit card has expired: what should I do?

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UKUpdated 6 October 2026 · Written by BuyMeWhiskey Editorial Team · How we check facts

Order a replacement from Virgin Money straight away: it usually arrives in 7 to 10 working days with the same PIN, and your account and balance carry on, but cards that haven't been used for purchases may not be renewed automatically.

Order your replacement card on Virgin Money's help page now. It takes 7 to 10 working days, so don't wait until you need the card.

Order a replacement from Virgin Money

What normally happens when a Virgin Money card expires

The expiry date on the front of your card applies to that piece of plastic, not to your credit card account. Virgin Money says it automatically sends a new card around 2 weeks before the old one expires. When it arrives, you start using it and the old card stops working on its expiry date.

If you'll be away when the new card is due, you can order a replacement early rather than risk it sitting on your doormat while you can't use your old card.

If your card has already expired

Virgin Money's help page says you can order a replacement using its online form. The new card should arrive in 7 to 10 working days, your PIN stays the same, and the card is ready to use when it arrives. If you can't use the form, call the number on the back of your card or in your app.

Until the new card arrives you can't use the account for card purchases. Your credit agreement and your balance carry on as normal in the meantime.

Why some people don't get a new card automatically

The most common reason is that the card hasn't been used. A published Financial Ombudsman Service decision (DRN-4548478) explains how this worked in one Virgin Money case:

The customer's card had a "retail inactivity" marker because it hadn't been used for purchases for around three years.
He had used the account for balance transfers and paid the balance monthly, but the ombudsman said that didn't count as using the card itself.
Virgin Money's policy with that marker was not to send a replacement automatically, but to wait for the customer to ask. It described this as a business decision and a security precaution, and the ombudsman found it wasn't unfair or against the card's terms.
The customer only noticed about 15 months after the card expired. Virgin Money then said it couldn't issue a replacement and invited him to close the account, and the ombudsman said it was entitled to do that after such a gap.

Two other points from that decision are worth knowing. First, Virgin Money accepted it should have told the customer he could appeal to another department, and paid £100 compensation for not doing so and for wrongly promising a card. Second, once a credit card account is closed it can't be reactivated. Getting the card back means a new application with fresh affordability checks.

Your balance and payments carry on

An expired card doesn't pause or cancel what you owe. In the ombudsman case, the account still had a balance that the customer was paying every month even though the card had expired. Keep paying at least the minimum by Direct Debit or bank transfer. A missed payment can be reported to the credit reference agencies, and MoneyHelper notes that accurate negative information, like a missed payment, usually stays on your credit report for six years.

What to do now

Check the date on your card and note when the replacement should arrive (about 2 weeks before).
If nothing has arrived a week before expiry, or it has already expired, order a replacement straight away. Don't wait months: the longer the gap, the more likely the bank is to treat the account as dormant.
If you're told a replacement can't be issued, ask whether you can appeal the decision, and ask for the reasons in writing.
When the new card arrives, check any subscriptions or regular payments you set up on the old card so they don't fail.
To keep a rarely used card alive, make a small purchase every few months and clear it in full.

If you want to complain

Complain to Virgin Money first and say how you'd like it put right. Under the Financial Ombudsman Service rules, a business usually has up to 8 weeks to send its final response. If you're unhappy with that response or don't get one in time, you can take the complaint to the ombudsman for free, but you must do so within 6 months of the date on the final response. Keep a note of calls, dates and who you spoke to.

Gap between card expiry and asking for a new card

Worked example

Priya has a Virgin Money credit card that she keeps for emergencies. Its expiry date is October 2026, and she hasn't used it for purchases since early 2024.

Mid-October: no new card arrives. Because she hasn't made a purchase on it for over two years, it may not have been renewed automatically, as in the ombudsman case above.
Monday 2 November 2026: she spots that the card has expired and orders a replacement online. At 7 to 10 working days, it should arrive between Wednesday 11 November (7 working days) and Monday 16 November (10 working days). Her PIN is unchanged.
In the meantime: she still owes £240 from an old purchase. She keeps paying it by Direct Debit, so nothing negative goes on her credit file.
Once it arrives: she uses it for one small purchase every couple of months and pays it off in full, so it shows as being used.

Compare the ombudsman case: that card expired in November 2021 and the customer asked for a replacement in February 2023. That's 2 months left in 2021, 12 months in 2022 and 1 month in 2023, which makes 15 months. That gap was long enough for the ombudsman to accept that Virgin Money could decline a replacement and invite him to close the account. Priya acted within weeks, so she's in a much stronger position.

Will Virgin Money send me a new card before my old one expires?#

Usually, yes. Virgin Money says it automatically sends a new card around 2 weeks before the old one expires. If you'll be away around then, you can order a replacement early.

How do I replace an expired Virgin Money credit card?#

Order a replacement with Virgin Money's online form, or call the number on the back of your card. The new card should arrive in 7 to 10 working days. Your PIN stays the same, so it's ready to use straight away.

Why didn't I get a replacement Virgin Money credit card?#

The usual reason is that the card hasn't been used for purchases for a long time. In one ombudsman case, a card unused for purchases for about three years had a 'retail inactivity' marker, and Virgin Money's policy was to wait for the customer to ask for a new one. Balance transfers alone didn't count as using the card.

Is my credit card account closed when the card expires?#

No. The expiry date applies to the card, not to the account, so your credit agreement and balance carry on. But if you leave it a long time without asking for a replacement, the bank may refuse to issue one and suggest closing the account. A closed account can't be reactivated.

Do I still have to make payments if my card has expired?#

Yes. You still owe the balance and must keep making at least the minimum payment, for example by Direct Debit or bank transfer. A missed payment can go on your credit file, where accurate negative information usually stays for six years.

Can I complain if Virgin Money won't replace my expired card?#

Yes. Ask whether the decision can be appealed internally, then make a formal complaint if you're unhappy. Virgin Money usually has up to 8 weeks to give a final response, and you then have 6 months to take it to the Financial Ombudsman Service for free.

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Sources

Figures checked against these sources on 6 October 2026. If a rule changes, we update the page and its date.

General information, not personal financial advice. Rules depend on your circumstances; check the official source or speak to a regulated adviser before acting.