The Safe Way to Cancel a Credit Card

Key Takeaways

You may want to cancel a credit card to cut back on your spending or to stop paying the associated fees. Before you cancel, consider how ditching that credit card could impact your credit score and finances. The steps to safely cancel a credit card are to redeem any available rewards, repay your outstanding balance, get in touch with your card issuer, submit a certified letter, and keep an eye on your credit report afterward.

Understanding the Impact on Your Credit Score

Cancelling a credit card can impact your credit score in a few different ways.

Credit Utilization

Your credit utilization ratio measures how much debt you use compared to your total available credit. Canceling your credit card decreases your available credit. But the amount you owe on other accounts stays the same, so you could drive your utilization up. The amount you owe on credit accounts is 30% of your credit score.1 If your credit utilization rate rises and you use a significant amount of your available credit, your credit score could take a hit.1

Average Age of Accounts

The length of your credit history accounts for 15% of your credit score.1 Typically, a longer history contributes to a better credit score. Your credit history length is calculated using several factors, including the age of your oldest and newest accounts and the average age of all credit accounts.

When you cancel a credit card, this can lower the average age of your accounts. Canceling a credit card that is your oldest account could have an even bigger impact on your score.2

Credit Mix

Your credit mix accounts for 10% of your credit score.1 It takes into account the various types of accounts you have, such as credit cards, mortgages, car loans, or student loans.

Closing a credit card could mean you have a less diverse credit mix, potentially lowering your score.2

Reasons to Consider Canceling Credit Card

While getting rid of a credit card may impact your credit score, there are plenty of possible reasons that cancellation may be the right choice for you.32

• Substantial fees: Some credit cards charge an annual fee. This may be the case with premium travel cards or cards offered to people with poor credit. You may find that paying the fee on a credit card is not worth the perks you receive.
• Spending control: Credit cards can be a useful tool, but they can also lead to a high debt load if not used responsibly. If you are working on building a budget and looking for ways to control your spending, canceling a credit card may be helpful.
• Divorce: If you are going through a separation or a divorce, canceling joint credit cards is a common part of untangling your finances. You will need to decide together to cancel a shared card and how to pay off any outstanding balance.
  

Steps to Safely Cancel a Credit Card

If you've decided that canceling a credit card is the right move, you can take a few different actions to minimize any negative impact.2

• Redeem your rewards: Don't forget to take advantage of any credit card rewards before canceling a card. You may have points that can be used to make purchases or converted to cash. Some cards have airline miles rewards programs and discounts for certain purchases. You may even be able to transfer rewards.
• Pay off your balance: If you decide to cancel a card, you are still responsible for any balance on the account. You could cancel the card before paying what you owe, but you will still need to make payments with interest until it is paid in full.
• Contact the card issuer: When you are ready to cancel, you will need to contact the card issuer. Check your cardholder agreement to see if there are any additional steps you need to take to move forward with cancellation.
• Send a certified letter: Sending a certified written letter is a good follow-up measure to ensure the card issuer receives your request and follows through. You can also request the card issuer to send you written confirmation of the cancellation.
• Monitor your credit reports: Keep an eye on your credit reports following cancellation to ensure it is accurately reported. Your credit report should reflect the closure of the account and the fact that you requested the cancellation. If there is an error, you have the right to dispute it with the credit reporting agencies.
  

Common Myths About Canceling Credit Cards

There are some common misconceptions about the impact of canceling credit cards.

Many people believe that canceling a credit card will boost their credit scores. While you may have a good reason to cancel your card, don't expect it to improve your credit score. Canceling an account can lower the average length of your credit history and increase your credit utilization, both of which can have a negative impact on your score.

While closing a credit card can impact your credit score, it doesn't erase the positive impact of on-time payments made on that card. Closed credit cards remain on your credit reports and impact your score for up to 10 years.

If you cancel a credit card on which you have made on-time payments, that card can still help your credit score for the years it remains on your credit report post-cancellation. On the other hand, if you cancel a card with missed and late payments, it can remain on your credit report for up to seven years and push your credit score down.4

The Bottom Line

You can cancel a credit card or choose not to use it anymore to reduce your credit card debt. An unused credit card can boost your credit score by contributing to your credit history and helping to lower your credit utilization.5 But you may have valid reasons for canceling a credit card.

If you decide to proceed with the cancellation, consider the potential impact on your credit score and take the proper steps to ensure you cancel the card safely.