Call Chase customer service or use your online account to close the card

You can cancel a Chase credit card by phone or through your online Chase account. The phone route is faster if you want to speak to someone directly — call the number on the back of your card and ask to close the account. Online, log into your Chase account, go to the card settings, and look for a "close account" or "close card" option. Chase will confirm the closure and send you a written confirmation by mail within a few days.

Before you call or click close, pay off any remaining balance on the card. Chase will not close an account with an outstanding balance, and you will still owe the debt even after the account is closed. If you have pending charges that have not posted yet, wait for them to appear and clear before closing.

The timing matters if you are closing the card because of an annual fee. If your annual fee posts on a specific date each year, close the account before that date arrives. Once the fee posts, Chase will not refund it even if you close the account immediately after.

Key Takeaways

  • Pay off your full balance before closing — Chase will not close an account with money owed, and the debt remains your responsibility after closure.
  • Close the card before your annual fee posts if you want to avoid paying it that year.
  • You can close the account by calling the number on your card or through your online Chase account.
  • Chase will send written confirmation of the closure by mail, which you should keep for your records.
  • Closing a card lowers your total available credit and may affect your credit score temporarily.

What happens to your credit score when you close a card

Closing a credit card can lower your credit score in the short term because it reduces your total available credit. Credit scoring models look at your credit utilization — the amount you owe divided by your total credit limit. If you close a card with a high limit, your utilization ratio goes up even if you do not charge anything new, and that can drop your score by 10 to 50 points depending on how much credit you had available.

The impact is usually temporary. Your score typically recovers within a few months as the closed account ages and other factors in your credit history become more prominent. The damage is smaller if you close a card with a low limit or if you have other cards with high limits still open.

Closing a card also removes that account from your credit history over time. Credit bureaus keep closed accounts on your report for seven to ten years, but they stop counting toward your average account age once they are closed. If you have a short credit history overall, closing an older card can lower your average age and hurt your score more than closing a newer one.

Reasons to keep a card open instead of closing it

Many people close cards they no longer use, but keeping an old card open costs nothing if it has no annual fee and can actually help your credit score. An open card with a zero balance lowers your utilization ratio and shows lenders you have available credit you are not using — both things that improve your score.

If the card has an annual fee and you do not use it, closing makes sense. If it has no annual fee, the math changes. You can put one small recurring charge on it — a streaming service or gas station visit — and set up automatic payment from your bank account. This keeps the account active without requiring you to think about it, and it preserves your credit history and available credit.

The exception is if the card issuer closes it for inactivity. Chase will close accounts that show no activity for a long time, though the exact timeline varies. If you want to keep a card open, use it at least once every six months to be safe.

What to do after you close the card

After Chase confirms the closure, keep the written confirmation letter for your records. You may need it later to prove the account is closed if a debt collector contacts you about old charges, or if there is a dispute about whether you still owe money on that card.

Destroy the physical card once the account is closed. Cut it up or shred it so it cannot be used. Do not just throw it away intact, because the card number is still readable and could be stolen from the trash.

Check your credit report two to three months after closing to make sure the account shows as closed. You can get a free credit report once per year from each of the three major bureaus — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — at annualcreditreport.com. If the account is still showing as open or active, contact Chase to correct it.

If you want to close the card but keep the account open

Chase allows you to close a specific card while keeping your account open if you have multiple cards under one account. This is useful if you want to stop using one card but keep another one active. When you call or go online, specify that you want to close the card, not the entire account.

If you only have one card on your account, closing the card means closing the account — the two are the same thing. You cannot keep the account open with no card attached.

What happens if you close a card with a balance transfer or promotional rate

If you closed a card or are planning to close one that has a balance transfer or promotional interest rate, the remaining balance will lose that rate. Any balance left on the card will revert to the standard purchase APR, which is usually much higher. This means your interest charges will increase on the remaining debt.

If you have a balance transfer with a 0% introductory rate that is still active, do not close the card until the balance is paid off. The promotional rate ends immediately when the account closes, and you will owe interest on the full remaining balance at the regular rate.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will closing my Chase card hurt my credit score?

Yes, but usually only temporarily. Your score may drop 10 to 50 points in the short term because closing the card lowers your available credit and raises your utilization ratio. The impact is smaller if the card has a low limit or if you have other cards with high limits. Your score typically recovers within a few months.

Can I reopen a Chase credit card after I close it?

You can request to reopen a recently closed account by calling Chase, but they are not required to agree. If the account was closed due to inactivity or a missed payment, Chase may decline. If they do reopen it, the account will have the same terms and credit limit it had before closure.

What if I have pending charges when I try to close the card?

Wait for all pending charges to post and clear before closing. Chase will not close an account with pending transactions. Once everything has posted and you have paid the balance, you can proceed with closing the account.

Do I need to call Chase to close the card, or can I do it online?

You can do either. Closing online through your Chase account is faster and you get immediate confirmation. Calling the number on your card lets you speak to someone who can answer questions about the closure and your account. Both methods work equally well.