History Main / SkeletonKeyCard

** In TheSeventies, ''NationalLampoon'' published a parody called "The Big Recall", starring [[CelebrityStar Ralph Nader]] as a detective. The sole reason he kept a gasoline credit card was to break into buildings; he figured that the interest rates the corp. charged justified his using its card that way.

* ''NancyDrew'' used this trick once.

* In the ''Series/SevenDays'' episode "Pinball Wizard", Parker uses his newly acquired "Platinum Card" first to rent a Porsche and then to break in to a girl's apartment.

Up to a point, this used to be TruthInTelevision. Early spring-bolt locks could be circumvented with flexible strips in a similar way (though actual credit-cards are usually too stiff for the purpose), especially if carelessly installed. However lock manufacturers introduced features to prevent this kind of attack a long time ago, and dead-bolt locks were always immune to it. As such, it's a DeadHorseTrope.

[[folder Tabletop Games]]
* In the third edition ''TabletopGame/{{GURPS}} Lite'' rules, the example given for using defaults for skills is a player who doesn't have the Lockpicking skill rolling against IQ-5, and their character running a credit card against the lock because they saw that in a movie once.

Not to be confused with a SkeletonKey. Or ''Film/TheSkeletonKey''.

* Subverted in Film/TheBurbs when Ray's store credit card snaps in half as he attempts this.
* Subverted in Film/HighHeelsAndLowLifes with multiple credit cards of Frances', apparently since she figured it might work This Time.

* If you're [[Series/{{Supernatural}} Dean Winchester]] or [[Series/TheATeam Lt. Templeton Peck]], you just {{Avert|edTrope}} this and use a paperclip, which is just about as realistic.
** Although Dean did use a credit card to get into Angela's house in "Children shouldn't play with dead things". Of course, when Angela's roommate freaked out at his being there he calmed her down by showing her he had a key, so... maybe he was just using the credit card as a joke?

* When Goofy tries this in a ''MickeyMouseWorks'' short, he only gets a sales receipt for the door.

--> ''Robert Foster'': [[LampshadeHanging It's an old trick, but it still works!]]

* In ''Film/Frequency'', Frank Sullivan uses this technique to get into Sissy Clark's apartment. Unfortunately he's too late.

* ''AceVentura'' did it with a door sign.

* A few characters do a similar trick with a knife at various points in the ''[[CatteniSeries Catteni]]'' books; the protagonist explicitly compares it to the credit card trick.

[[quoteright:350:[[Film/{{memento}} http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/memento_key_5802.jpg]]]]

-> "Any lock can be picked by a credit card or a paper clip in seconds."
--> -- [[http://bertc.com/subfour/truth/movies.htm "What Movies Teach Us"]]

* Subverted in ''{{Roxanne}}''. Charlie is called to Roxanne's house to unlock her door. He opens his tool chest to reveal nothing but a single credit card, however the door doesn't take Master Card. He then uses the [[BlatantLies Old Reliable]] method to gain access to her house (deftly scaling the 3 story home to crawl in through the unlocked attic window).

* In ''OddThomas'' by Dean Koontz, the title character jimmies the lock on a sliding glass door using an ID card. Although this was stated to have something to do with the general disrepair of the home... or, at least, a fairly valid explanation was provided.

* In the ''InspectorMorse book'' "The Dead of Jericho", Morse (who has no official standing in the case) makes a surreptitious investigation of the crime scene, and is caught by Detective Constable Walters. Once Morse has satisfied him about his motives for being there, Walters asks him how he got in. Unwilling to reveal the real answer (which involves bribery) Morse attempts to use this trope as an explanation:

* Subverted in ''{{Friends}}'', where Chandler tries this to open a locked cupboard, but loses his credit card through the gap.

* ''HomeImprovement'' has an episode where Tim, attempting to show the efficacy of the anti-theft system he's installed, has a guest star thief try to break in. Moments after saying that he's engaged the system, the front door opens and the thief walks in. He explains that he used a credit card to slip the lock. Tim replies "Sure, if you don't mind destroying your credit card doing it" to which the thief says, "That's why I used yours" and hands Tim's wallet to him.
* Subverted on ''PerfectStrangers'' when Larry tries to open a door with his credit card and it breaks. Worse, the part with his name on it is stuck inside.

* In ''KyleXY'', Stephen Trager uses this to get into a locked door. This is followed with an amazed "Teach me" from his teenage son.

* Given that Barclays Bank used the advertising slogan "a Barclaycard gets you anywhere" and had several ads featuring a ''Film/JamesBond'' parody,[[note]]starring Rowan Atkinson, playing basically the same character as JohnnyEnglish[[/note]] so it's an odds-on bet this trope came up at least once. This slogan is also responsible for the SAS nicknaming their door-breaching shotguns "the Barclaycard".

* Lenard uses this tactic in ''Film/{{Memento}}''.