Call your card issuer and ask to close the account

The fastest way to cancel a credit card is to call the phone number on the back of your card and tell the representative you want to close the account. Have your card in front of you. The issuer will confirm your identity, check for any remaining balance, and process the cancellation on the spot — usually taking effect immediately or within a few business days.

Before you call, pay off any balance you owe. If you have a remaining balance after cancellation, you will still owe it, and the issuer will continue to charge interest until it is paid. Some issuers allow you to set up a payment plan, but closing the account does not erase the debt.

Ask the representative to confirm the account is closed and request written confirmation by mail or email. This creates a record you can reference later if a charge appears on the account or if the issuer reports it as still active to credit bureaus.

Key Takeaways

  • Pay off your full balance before calling to close the account, because closing does not erase what you owe.
  • Call the number on the back of your card, confirm your identity, and ask the representative to close the account and send written confirmation.
  • Closing a card can lower your credit score temporarily because it reduces your total available credit, but the effect usually fades within a few months.
  • If you have authorized users on the account, they will lose access to the card once the account closes.
  • Check your credit report a few weeks after closing to make sure the issuer reported the closure correctly.

Why closing a card affects your credit score

Your credit score depends partly on your credit utilization ratio — the amount of credit you are using divided by the total amount available to you. When you close a card, your available credit shrinks, which can raise your utilization ratio and lower your score temporarily. For example, if you have two cards with $5,000 limits each and you are using $3,000 across both, your utilization is 30 percent. If you close one card, your available credit drops to $5,000, and your utilization jumps to 60 percent.

The impact is usually temporary. Most credit scoring models weight recent activity heavily, so the dip typically fades within three to six months as long as you keep paying other accounts on time. Closing a card also removes it from your credit history, which can slightly lower your score because credit bureaus value a longer history of accounts in good standing.

If you want to minimize the damage, close a card that has a high interest rate or annual fee rather than your oldest card or the one with the highest limit. Keeping your oldest card open preserves your credit history length, and keeping a high-limit card open preserves your available credit even if you do not use it.

What happens to rewards points and cash back

Rewards points and cash back balances usually remain in your account for a set period after you close the card — often 30 to 90 days, though some issuers extend this to six months or longer. Redeem any points or cash back before you call to close the account, or contact the issuer to ask how long you have after closure to use them.

Different issuers have different policies. Some will let you redeem points after the account closes if you do it within the grace period. Others require you to redeem before closure. Ask the representative during your cancellation call what the deadline is and whether you can redeem after the account is closed.

Cancelling a card with an annual fee

If your card has an annual fee, you can often avoid paying it by cancelling before the fee posts. Annual fees usually appear on your statement once a year on the same date your account opened. Check your most recent statement to see when the fee is due, and cancel before that date if you want to avoid it.

Some issuers will waive or refund an annual fee if you call and ask, especially if you have been a customer for a long time or have a good payment history. Before you cancel, call and ask whether the fee can be waived. If the issuer refuses and you do not want to pay, then proceed with cancellation.

Closing the account in writing

If you prefer not to call, you can cancel by mail. Write a letter to the address on your statement requesting account closure. Include your name, account number, and the date. Keep a copy for your records and send the letter by certified mail so you have proof of delivery.

Written cancellation takes longer — usually two to four weeks — because the issuer has to process the request manually. Call after two weeks if you have not received confirmation that the account is closed. Written cancellation is useful if you want a paper trail or if you are uncomfortable discussing the cancellation over the phone, but calling is faster.

Checking your credit report after cancellation

A few weeks after you close the account, check your credit report to make sure the issuer reported the closure correctly. You can view your credit report for free once a year from each of the three major credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — at AnnualCreditReport.com.

Look for the closed account on your report. It should show a status of "closed by consumer" or "account closed at consumer's request." If it shows "closed by creditor" or "delinquent," contact the issuer to correct the record. Errors on your credit report can lower your score and affect your ability to borrow in the future.

What to do if you want to keep the account open but stop using it

If you are worried about the credit score impact of closing a card, you can keep the account open and simply stop using it. This preserves your available credit and your credit history without the temporary score dip that comes with closure.

The downside is that you will still owe any annual fee unless you call and ask the issuer to waive it. Some issuers will close inactive accounts after a long period of non-use, so check your statement occasionally or call once a year to confirm the account is still active. Keeping a card open with zero balance and no activity is harmless to your credit as long as you are not paying a fee for the privilege.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will closing a credit card hurt my credit score?

Yes, but usually only temporarily. Your score may drop by 5 to 10 points in the short term because closing the card reduces your available credit and raises your utilization ratio. The effect typically fades within three to six months as long as you pay your other accounts on time. Closing your oldest card or your highest-limit card has a larger impact than closing a newer or lower-limit card.

What if I have a balance on the card when I close it?

You can still close the account, but you will continue to owe the balance and pay interest on it until it is paid off. The issuer will send you monthly statements for the closed account showing what you owe. Pay the balance as quickly as you can to stop the interest charges.

Can I reopen a credit card after I close it?

It depends on the issuer. Some will reopen a recently closed account if you call and ask within a certain window — often 30 to 60 days. Others treat a closed account as permanently closed and require you to open a new account instead, which resets your account history. Call the issuer if you change your mind shortly after closing.

Do I need to cut up my card after I close it?

Yes, cut or shred the physical card to prevent someone from finding it and attempting to use it. Even though the account is closed, a fraudster could try to charge to the card, and while the transaction would be declined, it is safer to destroy the card entirely.

What happens to authorized users when I close the card?

Any authorized users on the account will lose access to the card once the account closes. If you have a family member or partner with an authorized user card, let them know before you call to cancel so they are not surprised when their card stops working.