How to Open a Locked Door With a Credit Card

Usually, when I share an article or video like this, I get a few sarcastic comments like, “Thanks a lot, now criminals can break into my house!” First of all, as long as you use your deadbolt or have a decent security system in place, criminals won’t be able to use this info to break into your house. This method will only get you past a simple lock, and won’t even work if the deadbolt is engaged or the door isn’t loose enough.

I’m sharing this video for two reasons. 1: You can use it to get back inside your house if you ever lock yourself out (it happens to the best of us). And 2: You can use it to get into houses that are abandoned in a post-apocalyptic scenario. For those reasons, I think this is a skill worth learning.

Get a card that you don’t need, head outside (don’t forget your keys!), lock the door behind you, and give this trick a try. Again, you might have trouble if the door isn’t loose enough. Watch the video by VP Prepping & Survival below to see it done. (Note: Depending on the type of lock or how the latch plate is set, this might not work. Try it on one of your doors and see.)