How to Open a Door with a Credit Card

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If you forgot your key again and wish you could get into your home without it, you may be able to use your credit card to do so. Just keep in mind that this technique only works on doors that have a simple knob lock with a spring-latch or a slanted-latch. To open your door, wiggle a card into the gap between the door and the door frame. If this doesn’t work, resort to an alternative solution.

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Doing the Basic Technique

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    Insert the card into the gap between the doorknob and door frame and then slide it down next to the doorknob. Push it in as far as it will go at a ninety degree angle to the door.

    Tip: To see the location of the door frame more easily, push the door back as far as it can go with your other hand.

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    Tilt the side of your credit card facing you towards the doorknob until it is almost touching it. You’ll be able to push the credit card further into the gap between the door and door frame.
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    Bending the card back the other way will make the card slip under the angled end of the slant-latch, forcing it back into the door. Quickly open the door and unlock it on the other side. [1]
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    If your door did not easily pop open, try leaning against the door while bending your card back and forth a few times. This will add more pressure to the latch and should open it. [2]
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Finding Alternative Solutions

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    Walk around to all of the ground-level windows that your home has and try to open them. If you find that one is unlocked, pop the screen out and open the window as wide as you can. Then, climb through to get inside. [3]
    • Climbing through a window can be dangerous. Only try this if you’re confident in your ability to climb inside safely.

    Tip: If you have a back door or side door, check that too. You or someone who lives with you may have forgotten to lock it.

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    If you live with friends or a significant other, call or text them to see if they’re nearby. If so, ask if one of them would mind stopping by the home to let you in. While this may require that you wait a few minutes on your front porch steps, it doesn’t involve potentially damaging your property or paying expensive service fees.
    • Also, consider walking to a nearby coffee shop to pass the time if you live somewhere where this is possible.
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    This is a great option if your landlord lives onsite. Give them a call to see if they’re home and ask nicely if they’d mind letting you in. Even if they don’t live onsite, they may work nearby and be kind enough to swing by and help you out.
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    If you don’t have any roommates and your landlord isn’t available to help, it might be time to call a locksmith. Hire them to come to your home and change the locks so that you can get in. While this will effectively solve the problem, it may be pricey, so it’s a good idea to only do it if you’re out of options.

    Note: Keep in mind that your landlord may charge you for changing the locks and/or for damaging the door.

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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    Can I use a library card?
    Red Panda
    Community Answer
    It depends if the library card you have has a similar density and shape to your credit card. If it does, then it most likely will work.
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    Yes No
    Not Helpful 25 Helpful 48
  • Question
    Do I have to use a credit card? Can I use a gift card?
    Community Answer
    If the gift card is plastic, yes.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
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  • Question
    Will the lock get damaged or break if I open a door this way?
    Community Answer
    It depends on the way you open it. If you are too rough and impatient, some locks may get damaged or your credit card could snap and become a blockage.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
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      Tips

      • To avoid having to deal with this again, make a few copies of your key and keep a spare on you at all times and/or hide one near your home.
        Thanks
        Helpful 37 Not Helpful 32
      • Some doors require very little effort while others may be opened by simply pushing a card into the door frame at the same height as the handle without any tilting or bending.
        Thanks
        Helpful 27 Not Helpful 31

      Tips from our Readers

      The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
      • Cut out a bit of plastic from a soda bottle to use instead of a credit card. The plastic is sturdy but more flexible, which makes the process easier and less risky.
      • Make sure you can prove that you have a right to open the door. Otherwise, you may have to deal with law enforcement if someone sees you and gets suspicious.
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      Warnings

      • Be prepared to show proof that you have the right to open the door, or else you could find yourself behind the sort of locked door that a credit card won't open!
        Thanks
        Helpful 30 Not Helpful 27
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      References

      1. ↑ https://pickeroflocks.com/how-to-pick-a-lock-with-a-credit-card/
      2. ↑ https://pickeroflocks.com/how-to-pick-a-lock-with-a-credit-card/
      3. ↑ https://www.safewise.com/blog/what-to-do-when-youre-locked-out-of-your-house/

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      To open a door with a credit card, start by sliding the card in the gap between the doorknob and the frame. Then, bend the card toward the doorknob. Next, bend the end of the card back toward the frame, which will cause the card to slip under the latch and unlock the door. If the door doesn't unlock, try leaning on the door and wiggling the card back and forth quickly. You may need to try a few times before the door opens. If you want to learn what to do if your credit card doesn't work, keep reading the article!

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      • Trankie R.

        Nov 5, 2016

        "Because my door was very tight against the doorstop, I had to first use the plastic of a soda bottle to get in ..." more
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