The steps to close a card, in order
Call the card issuer's customer service number on the back of your card. Tell them you want to close the account. They will ask why you're leaving — you don't have to give a detailed reason, but some issuers note your answer. Say you want the account closed, and ask them to confirm the closure in writing.
Before you hang up, ask three specific things: whether there are any remaining fees on the account, what your final balance is, and whether they will send you written confirmation. If there's a balance, pay it in full before the account closes. If you have a $0 balance, the account will close immediately.
After you hang up, check your credit report 30 to 60 days later using AnnualCreditReport.com (the only federally authorized free source). Look for the account status to show "closed by consumer" rather than "closed by issuer." This distinction matters for how the closure affects your credit score.
Key Takeaways
- Call the issuer directly and state clearly that you want to close the account; email alone may not trigger closure.
- Pay any remaining balance before closure, and ask for written confirmation of the closure date.
- Your credit score may drop temporarily because closing a card reduces your available credit, which raises your credit utilization ratio.
- Check your credit report 30 to 60 days after closure to confirm the account shows "closed by consumer."
- Do not close your oldest card if you have a choice, because account age affects your credit score.
Why closing a card affects your credit score
Closing a card removes available credit from your total. If you have $5,000 in available credit across all cards and you close a card with a $2,000 limit, your available credit drops to $3,000. Your credit utilization ratio — the percentage of available credit you're actually using — goes up, and that ratio is weighted heavily in credit score calculations.
The impact is temporary. If you have no other balances, your utilization drops to 0% and your score recovers within a few months. If you carry balances on other cards, the damage is larger and lasts longer. The older the card you close, the more your score may drop, because account age is also a scoring factor.
You can minimize the damage by paying down balances on remaining cards before you close, or by asking the issuer to lower your credit limit on the card you're keeping instead of closing the one you want to leave.
What to do with the physical card
After the account is closed, cut up the card or shred it. Do not throw it in the trash whole. Some people prefer to keep one card intact in a drawer as proof of closure, but this creates a small security risk if the card is lost or stolen.
If the card is a joint account, both account holders should be notified of the closure. If only one person wants to close it, the issuer may require both signatures or may close only that person's access while keeping the account open.
Timing: when to close before or after paying off debt
If you're closing the card because you've paid off a balance, close it after the payment posts and your statement shows a $0 balance. This prevents the issuer from reporting a late payment or reopening the account if a charge appears.
If you're closing the card because you want to stop using it, close it after you've paid the full balance. Do not close it while you still owe money, because the account will remain open until the debt is paid, and you may be charged interest or fees during that time.
If you're closing a card with an annual fee and you're within the grace period to dispute it, dispute the fee first. Some issuers will refund annual fees if you call within 30 to 60 days of being charged. After the refund posts, then close the account.
Rewards points and cash back before closure
Redeem any rewards points or cash back before you close the account. Most issuers let you redeem up until the moment of closure, but some programs expire points immediately when the account closes. Check your rewards program terms or call and ask before you close.
If you have a small balance of points that isn't worth redeeming, ask the issuer whether they will let you keep the account open for a few more months while you accumulate enough to redeem. Some will; others will close it on your requested date regardless.
If the issuer tries to keep you from closing
Customer service may offer you a lower annual fee, a higher rewards rate, or a statement credit to keep the account open. You can accept or decline. If you decline and they still refuse to close the account, ask to speak to a supervisor. If the supervisor also refuses, you can file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) at consumerfinance.gov.
In practice, issuers almost always close accounts when asked. The refusal is rare and usually happens only with premium cards or accounts with large balances. If you're certain you want to close, be firm and ask for the closure to be processed.
What happens to authorized users
If you added someone else as an authorized user on your card, that person's access ends when you close the account. Their credit report will show the account as closed, which may lower their credit score if they don't have other accounts. Notify them before you close so they're not surprised when the card stops working.
If you are an authorized user on someone else's card and they close it, you cannot stop the closure. You can ask them to remove you as an authorized user instead, which keeps the account open but removes your access.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will closing a credit card hurt my credit score?
Yes, temporarily. Your credit utilization ratio will increase because you have less available credit, which lowers your score by 10 to 50 points depending on how much credit you're using on other cards. The impact fades within a few months if you don't carry balances elsewhere. Closing your oldest card causes more damage than closing a newer one.
Can I reopen a closed account?
Sometimes. If you closed the account yourself, most issuers will reopen it within 30 to 90 days if you call and ask. After that window, reopening is harder and may require a new application. If the issuer closed the account due to inactivity or nonpayment, reopening is unlikely without paying any outstanding debt first.
What if I have a balance when I close?
The account stays open until you pay the balance in full. You'll continue to receive statements and may be charged interest and fees. Close the account only after the balance reaches $0 and the payment has posted to your account.
Do I need to close the account in writing, or is a phone call enough?
A phone call is enough, but ask the issuer to send you written confirmation. This protects you if there's a dispute later about whether the account was actually closed. Keep the confirmation letter for your records.
What happens to my credit history after I close the account?
The account stays on your credit report for seven to ten years after closure, showing your payment history during the time you held it. This is actually good — a long history of on-time payments helps your credit score even after the account is closed. The account will eventually fall off your report, but the positive history remains valuable until then.