Today, after an in depth chat with Support, I learned the following:

On any specific price plan (in my case Easy Money) there is a limit on the number of free physical cards (3 with Easy Money). When you sign up, you are totally free in your choice what cards you get: any combination of Maestro Debit or Master Credit cards is fine. But....

You CANNOT ever change this choice in the future (never!).This is irrespective of cards coming to their End of Live (expiry date) or wether or not they are Frozen. Even if they have been Blocked! You will never be able to change this choice and you are stuck with the choice you made when you joined bunq (or the choice you later made when you reached your limit of three cards). If you would like to change the ‘mixture’ of your cards, you will have to pay the additional fee of €9 for the new card. It will be seen as an additional (extra, surpassing your limit of free cards) card meaning you will pay the cost of an additional card.
This, even if you would request that ‘change’ at the same moment of (one of your) cards expiry date. So despite the fact that it would not cost bunq anything, you pay for an additional fee.

My idea is to ask bunq to change this policy, as it does not correlate to an organization that prides itself as being the ‘bank of the free’.

Please support this request if you would like the freedom of choice to change your mix of cards.

Maybe bunq will listen.

Cheers,
André