How long can a credit card have no activity before it closes?
William Jenkins
Updated on February 19, 2026
There’s not a standard inactivity time limit, so it’s difficult to predict when a credit card issuer would close your credit card. It could be six months, one year, two years, or more. You can prevent inactivity cancellations by using your credit card periodically.
Will a credit card close if not used?
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.
What happens if a credit card closes your account?
In addition, if a credit card is closed due to inactivity, you may lose card benefits or accumulated rewards. Please note that a closed account isn’t immediately removed from your credit reports. Even if you paid the account as agreed, it can remain on your reports for up to 10 years.
Can you cancel a credit card before you activate it?
It’s easy to assume that not activating a new credit card is the same as not opening a new credit account but by the time you’ve been sent a credit card in the mail, the account is already open. If you want to cancel your credit card, it’s best to call the credit card issuer right away.
How long does a closed credit card stay on your credit report?
While your score will continue to include account history from all closed, as well as open, cards for as long as they remain on your credit report, the credit bureaus remove closed accounts in good standing after about 10 years and closed accounts with a history of late payments after seven years from the date of the delinquency.
What happens to your credit when you close a closed account?
The good news is that you are now current in payments on your closed account. As a result, the impact of past late payments will fade as time passes and as recent on-time and as-agreed payments show up on your credit report.
What happens when an inactive credit card is closed?
Paid accounts that are inactive may be closed by the lender after a certain period of time; You may not be notified before this happens; The cancellation may impact your debt to credit utilization ratio and your mix of credit accounts
What should I do if my credit card is closed?
If you decide not to ask that the card be reinstated, it’s a good idea to check your credit report to make sure the card account shows as closed. You’re entitled to a free copy of your credit reports every 12 months from each of the three nationwide credit bureaus by visiting