Closing your Amazon credit card means contacting the bank that issues it, not Amazon itself

The Amazon credit card is issued by either Chase Bank or Synchrony Financial, depending on which version you hold. To close the account, you call the bank's customer service number on the back of your card — not Amazon customer service. The bank will walk you through the closure, confirm you want to proceed, and send you written confirmation.

Closing a credit card affects your credit score in two ways: it lowers the total credit available to you (which can raise your credit utilization ratio), and it removes an active account from your credit history. If this is an older card, closing it also removes a long account history, which can temporarily lower your score. These effects usually fade within a few months, but they are real and worth understanding before you call.

Key Takeaways

  • Call the bank on the back of your card (Chase or Synchrony) to close the account; Amazon customer service cannot close it for you.
  • Pay off any remaining balance before closing, because the bank will not close an account with an unpaid balance.
  • Closing a credit card lowers your available credit and can temporarily raise your credit utilization ratio, which may lower your credit score.
  • Ask the bank to send written confirmation of the closure, and check your credit report a few weeks later to confirm the account shows as closed.
  • If you want to keep the account open but stop using it, you can simply stop charging and leave it inactive instead of closing it.

Pay off your balance before you call

The bank will not close an account that still carries a balance. If you owe money, you have two options: pay the full amount before calling to close, or call first, ask what you owe, and pay it off before the closure is finalized.

If you have a promotional interest rate (like 0% APR for 12 months), closing the account may end that promotion immediately. Check your card agreement or call the bank to ask whether closing will trigger interest charges on any remaining balance. If it will, paying off the balance first is usually the safer choice.

The actual steps to close the account

Find the customer service number on the back of your card. Call during business hours — most banks' credit card lines are open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern time, though hours vary. Have your card number and Social Security number ready.

Tell the representative you want to close the account. They will ask why you are closing it (you do not have to give a detailed reason), confirm your identity, and verify that your balance is zero. They may offer you a retention incentive — a bonus, lower rate, or waived annual fee — to keep the account open. You can accept or decline.

Once you confirm closure, the representative will give you a confirmation number. Write it down. Ask them to send written confirmation to your address on file, and ask when the account will show as closed on your credit report (usually within 30 days).

What happens to your credit after closure

Your credit utilization ratio is the amount of credit you are using divided by the total credit available to you. If you have a $5,000 balance on other cards and $15,000 in total available credit, your utilization is 33%. If you close a card with a $10,000 limit, your total available credit drops to $5,000, and your utilization jumps to 100% — even though you did not charge anything new.

High utilization can lower your credit score. This effect is temporary; as you pay down balances or open new accounts, your utilization improves and your score recovers. But if you are planning to apply for a mortgage, car loan, or other credit in the next few months, closing a card right before that application can hurt your timing.

A closed account also stops building history. Credit scoring models reward accounts that have been open for a long time. If the Amazon card is one of your oldest accounts, closing it removes that history from your active accounts, which can lower your score slightly. The account will stay on your credit report for up to 10 years after closure, so the history is not lost forever — but it no longer counts as an active account.

Keeping the account open without using it

If you want to avoid the score impact of closure but do not want to use the card, you can simply stop charging and leave it open. The account will remain active, your available credit stays the same, and the account history keeps building.

The only risk is an annual fee. The Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature card charges no annual fee, so you can leave it open indefinitely at no cost. If your card has an annual fee and you are not using it, closing makes more sense than paying to keep an unused account open.

Confirming the closure on your credit report

After the bank processes your closure, check your credit report to confirm the account shows as closed. You can view your credit report free once per year at annualcreditreport.com, which is the official government site. You can also check more frequently through your bank, credit card issuer, or a free credit monitoring service.

The account should show a status of "closed by consumer" or "closed at consumer's request" within 30 days. If it still shows as open after 30 days, call the bank again and ask them to confirm the closure was processed. Errors do happen, and catching them early makes them easier to fix.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will closing my Amazon card hurt my credit score?

Yes, temporarily. Closing a card lowers your available credit and removes an active account from your history, which can lower your score by 10 to 50 points depending on your overall credit profile. The impact usually fades within a few months as other factors in your credit history become more prominent.

Can I close my Amazon card online or through the Amazon app?

No. You must call the bank (Chase or Synchrony) directly. Amazon's website and app do not have a closure option because Amazon does not issue the card — the bank does. The bank is the only entity that can close the account.

What if I have a pending balance transfer or promotional offer?

Closing the account may end the promotion. Call the bank before closing and ask whether closure will affect any active promotions or pending transfers. If you have a balance transfer in progress, wait until it completes before closing.

Do I need to destroy my card after closing?

Yes. Cut the card in half or shred it so the card number is not readable. This prevents someone from finding the card and attempting to use it. The account is closed, so charges will be declined, but destroying the physical card is still a good security practice.

Can I reopen the account after I close it?

You can apply for a new Amazon credit card after closure, but the bank will treat it as a new application, not a reopening. You will go through the full approval process again, and a new hard inquiry will appear on your credit report. There is no "reopen" option.