Is it better to stop using a credit card or cancel it?
In most situations, it's better to keep unused credit card accounts open, as closing credit accounts can have a negative impact on your credit score.
Canceling a credit card will cause a direct hit to your credit score, so more often than not, you'll want to keep the account open. Correctly managing an open, rarely-used account may require some extra attention, but the added effort will help your credit in the long run.
While there's truth to the idea that closing a credit account can lower your score, the magnitude of the effect depends on various factors, such as how many other credit accounts you have and how old those accounts are. Sometimes the impact is minimal and your score drops just a few points.
The other risk of leaving a card inactive is the issuer might decide to close the account. If you haven't used a card for a long period, it generally will not hurt your credit score. However, if a lender notices your inactivity and decides to close the account, it can cause your score to slip.
Key takeaways: Closing a credit card can hurt your scores because it lowers your available credit and can lead to a higher credit utilization, meaning the gap between your spending and the amount of credit you can borrow narrows. Canceling a card can also decrease the average age of your accounts.
In general, it's best to keep unused credit cards open so that you benefit from a longer average credit history and a larger amount of available credit. Credit scoring models reward you for having long-standing credit accounts, and for using only a small portion of your credit limit.
Not using a credit card regularly can cause the card to become inactive. If a credit card issuer deems your account to be inactive, it may close the account. However, closing unused credit card accounts can help protect your accounts from fraudulent charges.
A credit card can be canceled without harming your credit scoreâ . To avoid damage to your credit score, paying down credit card balances first (not just the one you're canceling) is key. Closing a charge card won't affect your credit history (history is a factor in your overall credit score).
Owning more than two or three credit cards can become unmanageable for many people. However, your credit needs and financial situation are unique, so there's no hard and fast rule about how many credit cards are too many. The important thing is to make sure that you use your credit cards responsibly.
If you can no longer afford the annual fees associated with the card or if you don't use the card very much and don't feel like you're getting any value for the fee you're paying, it may also make sense to close your credit card.
Should you keep credit cards at zero balance?
Keeping a zero balance is a sign that you're being responsible with the credit extended to you. As long as you keep utilization low and continue on-time payments with a zero balance, there's a good chance you'll see your credit score rise, as well.
It's possible that you could see your credit scores drop after fulfilling your payment obligations on a loan or credit card debt. Paying off debt might lower your credit scores if removing the debt affects certain factors like your credit mix, the length of your credit history or your credit utilization ratio.
Credit utilization â the portion of your credit limits that you are currently using â is a significant factor in credit scores. It is one reason your credit score could drop a little after you pay off debt, particularly if you close the account.
How many credit cards is too many or too few? Credit scoring formulas don't punish you for having too many credit accounts, but you can have too few. Credit bureaus suggest that five or more accounts â which can be a mix of cards and loans â is a reasonable number to build toward over time.
Just like you have to pay the outstanding balance if you still owe money when closing an account, the credit card company must make a payment to you for the full negative balance amount. Unfortunately, you can't place interest charges on the money they have to pay back.
If you close a credit card with a balance, you'll still be responsible for that debt. Card issuers will continue to send statements in the mail, and interest will still be applied to that balance. It's best to leave your account open, as there can be negative impacts on your credit score if you close a card.
Key takeaways
There is no right number of credit cards â it depends on how many you can manage. Having multiple credit cards helps reduce your utilization rate and provides lenders with more information to better gauge your creditworthiness.
By cancelling a credit card, your total credit limit will decrease causing your credit utilization to rise. That could have a negative knock-on effect on your credit score. Here's an example to help explain: Let's say you have just two credit cards that each have a limit of $4,000 â or a total combined limit of $8,000.
You don't need to pay off your credit card before closing your account. However, given the downsides, it's not usually advantageous to close the account. If you end up going through with it, you'll still need to pay off any remaining balance, and the card issuer can continue to charge you interest.
If you don't use a credit card for a year or more, the issuer may decide to close the account. In fact, inactivity is one of the most common reasons for account cancellations. When your account is idle, the card issuer makes no money from transaction fees paid by merchants or from interest if you carry a balance.
How do I close my credit card without paying?
You can't close a credit card with an outstanding balance. In case, you want to close the credit card, you will have to clear the balance that may be on the card. Will closing a credit card affect your credit score? Closing a credit card might affect your credit score.
What is the 5/24 rule? Many card issuers have criteria for who can qualify for new accounts, but Chase is perhaps the most strict. Chase's 5/24 rule means that you can't be approved for most Chase cards if you've opened five or more personal credit cards (from any card issuer) within the past 24 months.
Generally speaking, a good debt-to-income ratio is anything less than or equal to 36%. Meanwhile, any ratio above 43% is considered too high. The biggest piece of your DTI ratio pie is bound to be your monthly mortgage payment.
So, while there is no absolute number that is considered too many, it's best to only apply for and carry the cards that you need and can justify using based on your credit score, ability to pay balances, and rewards aspirations.
- Best overall: Wells Fargo Active CashÂŽ Card.
- Best cash back on everyday spending: Blue Cash EverydayÂŽ Card from American Express.
- Best for long intro APR: Wells Fargo ReflectÂŽ Card.
- Best for balance transfers with excellent credit: CitiÂŽ Diamond PreferredÂŽ Card.
