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How to Cancel a Credit Card

4 min read
Last Updated: January 10, 2025
Getting a credit card

Key Takeaways

  1. You need to notify your credit card company to cancel a credit card.

  2. Canceling a credit card can impact your credit score because it will change your credit utilization ratio.

  3. A canceled credit card account can stay on your credit history and credit report for up to ten years.

Paying off your credit card balance and canceling a card might seem like a straightforward process—and it can be. But, before you call your card issuer to cancel a credit card, brief yourself on a few important points of the cancellation process.

Before you cancel a credit card account

People have a variety of good reasons for canceling credit cards. You may decide you no longer want a credit card with an annual fee, you’d prefer a travel credit card, or you’ve been approved for a credit card with a higher credit limit.

 

But, if you’re canceling just because you have multiple credit cards and you want to clear out your wallet a little, you might reconsider. This is especially true if you’re trying to maintain a certain credit score.

Did you know?

Canceling a credit card can change your credit score by lowering your total amount of available credit (impacting your credit utilization ratio) and decreasing the average age of your accounts. This is true even for an unused credit card or a rarely used credit card.

If you carry a balance on any of your credit cards and you cancel one card, it lowers your total available credit. This increases your credit utilization ratio—the percentage of available credit in use. A higher credit utilization rate can lower your credit score.

 

Card cancellation could also impact your credit mix, which is the different types of credit you have available, such as a mortgage, personal or car loan, student loans, and credit cards.

 

The age of your credit cards is important, too. If you cancel an old card, the average age of your accounts could decrease, which can also lower your credit score.

Step-by-step guide: How to cancel a credit card

  1. Pay off your balance. Canceling your credit card doesn’t erase any outstanding balances, accrued interest, or other fees that remain on your credit card account. Be sure to take care of your credit card debt before closing the account. If you haven’t paid off your balance, you’ll need to continue making a credit card payment to the credit card issuer on the closed account (and you’ll lose the available credit you may have had.) You may wish to set up automatic payments to pay off the remaining balance before you cancel.
  2. Use any remaining rewards prior to canceling your credit account. If you don’t want to miss out on accrued points or rewards you’ve earned on your rewards credit card, redeem them prior to canceling. You may also be able to cash them in as a statement credit to help reduce your outstanding credit card balance.
  3. Update your recurring payment accounts. Are you using your card to make recurring payments for utility bills, subscriptions, or streaming services? If so, you’ll want to update your automatic payment information to include your new card.
  4. Notify other cardholders that you intend to close the account. If your spouse or other family members are authorized users on your account, be sure to let them know that you plan to close or cancel the card so they don’t continue to make purchases. Add them to your new credit card if you want them to access a different card in the future.
  5. Request cancellation. Contact your credit card provider through the credit card company’s customer service department. You can find their number on the back of your card (or on your credit card statement) to let them know you want to cancel the account.
  6. Destroy your card. It’s a good security practice to shred or cut up your card before you throw it away, so the account number is no longer legible. Some credit card companies offer secure disposal options, like mailing the card back in a provided envelope, particularly for metal cards. 

Does canceling a credit card impact your credit score?

A closed account will appear on your credit report, and that can impact your credit score. If you want to see the effect, get a copy of your credit report. Approximately one month after you cancel your card, you can access your credit report to confirm that the account information is accurate. You can request your free credit report at AnnualCreditReport.com (the only website authorized by the federal government).

 

If you see an error, contact the credit bureau to investigate incorrect negative factors against your credit score that appear on your credit report, since they could remain on your credit history.

 

The canceled credit account will remain on your credit report, can impact your credit score, and may be visible on your credit history for seven to ten years.

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  • Legal Disclaimer: This site is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for professional advice. The material on this site is not intended to provide legal, investment, or financial advice and does not indicate the availability of any Discover product or service. It does not guarantee that Discover offers or endorses a product or service. For specific advice about your unique circumstances, you may wish to consult a qualified professional.

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