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Should I close a credit card?

Should I close a credit card?

Should I close a credit card?

This is a common topic of discussion when it comes to credit cards. On one hand, closing a card you don’t use anymore might seem like it makes sense. But in reality, your overall length of credit history is a factor when it comes to your credit score.

This is a common topic of discussion when it comes to credit cards. On one hand, closing a card you don’t use anymore might seem like it makes sense. But in reality, your overall length of credit history is a factor when it comes to your credit score.

This is a common topic of discussion when it comes to credit cards. On one hand, closing a card you don’t use anymore might seem like it makes sense. But in reality, your overall length of credit history is a factor when it comes to your credit score.

Jul 23, 2023

Sam Lipscomb

3

min

You're thinking of closing a credit card, but you're not sure what the consequences might be. So what should you do? If you’re thinking about closing a credit card that doesn’t charge an annual fee, try just putting it in a drawer instead. As long as the card is paid off in full, it can sit, unused, and still help build your credit profile - simply because it’s an open line of credit under your name. That’s right, you don’t have to spend a dime on the card to keep it open.

If the card you’re thinking of closing has an annual fee attached to it, it's worth considering closing it. While length of credit history is a relatively low impact factor in your credit score, it's a factor nonetheless. But if the card is your first line of credit, closing it may have a bit more of an effect.

You can also try contacting the card issuer to see if you can downgrade your account to a card with no annual fee. That way you can keep the account open without having to pay an annual fee.

At the end of the day, the decision to close a credit card is in your hands. Length of credit history is an important piece of your credit profile, but it’s not particularly high impact, so closing a card isn’t the end of the world. But if it won’t cost you anything to keep the card open, it can be a good idea to just put it in a drawer to keep your credit profile in good shape.

*This communication is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice.*

Sam Lipscomb

Author bio

Sam is a Kenyon College alum and is head of content at Fizz. He's been a go to personal finance resource among his peers since getting his first credit card during his sophomore year of college. He hails from Washington, DC, loves all things aviation, and currently lives in New York.

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ShoulderTap Technologies, Inc. d/b/a Fizz © 2024.


450 Broadway, Level 2, New York, NY 10013. All rights reserved. FIZZ® is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

ShoulderTap Technologies, Inc. d/b/a Fizz (“Fizz”) is not a bank. The Fizz Debit Mastercard® (“Fizz Card”) is issued by Patriot Bank, N.A., Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Mastercard® and may be used everywhere Mastercard® debit cards are accepted. Any loans you may be offered in connection with your use of the Fizz Card are originated by Lead Bank, a Missouri state-chartered bank. Any promotions or rewards you may be offered in connection with your use of the Fizz Card are offered and managed by Fizz, not our bank partners.


All activities conducted by Fizz as program manager in connection with the Fizz Card and the corresponding line of credit are conducted by Fizz Technologies, Inc. (NMLS: 2522542).


Membership is subject to a periodic, recurring subscription fee. Fizz Members may choose to apply for a Fizz Card, but are not required to. Fizz Membership does not guarantee access to a Fizz Card. Application and eligibility restrictions apply. ¹Over $300 in annual value of Fizz Card based on cash value available to Fizz Card users assuming half of all available rewards and promotions are used. Actual results may vary. To opt out of future recurring subscription charges, Members may cancel their Membership through the app at any time prior to their next billing date. Cardholders who cancel their Membership will lose access to their Fizz Card and line of credit at the end of their subscription term. Closing a line of credit may negatively impact your credit score.


Fizz cardholders: Fizz reports your payment history on the revolving, open-end line of credit accessed by your Fizz Card. Increases or specific changes to your credit score are not guaranteed. Impact on your credit score may vary depending on your use. Fizz is required to report late payments, missed payments, or other defaults on your account, which may negatively impact your credit score. Credit scores are independently determined by credit bureaus based on a number of factors, including your activity with other creditors. The Fizz Card and related services will not remove negative credit history from your credit report. Fizz, on behalf of Lead Bank, will report your activities to Experian®  and Transunion® .


For additional information, terms and conditions applicable to your use of Fizz’s services, please consult Fizz’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, the Cardholder Agreement, any Line of Credit Agreement in effect between you and Lead Bank and any and all other applicable terms, policies and guidelines made available to you through the Fizz services.


Selected customers reviews above describe individual experiences or results. Individuals in TikTok videos featured above are paid spokespeople. Selected customer reviews above describe individual experiences or results. Actual results may vary. App Store rating as of January 2025.


²Credit score sliding scale feature is for informational purposes only. Credit score ranges based on information available on RentSpree. Car loan figures assume a loan value of $30,000 over 72 months and based on information available on CNN. Student loan figures assumes a $35,000 private student loan with a 10-year term and based on information available on CNBC, NerdWallet and Credible. Apartment approval based on information available on BI and RentSpree.


Fizz is not a credit repair tool and does not offer any form of credit counselling services. Fizz makes no representation or promise that it will improve your credit score, history, or profile or provide you with any assistance in that regard. None of Fizz’s services, including your ability to check your credit report and/or score through the Fizz App, is offered or provided with respect to the extension of credit by third parties. Fizz and its affiliates are not credit repair organizations or credit services organizations, and are not offering to sell, provide or perform any service to you for the express or implied purpose of either improving your credit record, credit history or credit rating, obtaining an extension of credit for you, or providing advice or assistance to you with regard to improving your credit record, credit history or credit rating.


For people with disabilities, including those who are visually impaired, deaf, or hard of hearing, we accept messages via our in-app chat, emails at [email protected], and calls on our answering machine at (940) 260-2704. If you leave us a voicemail, please leave your name and number and a member of our customer support team will return your call.

ShoulderTap Technologies, Inc. d/b/a Fizz © 2024.


450 Broadway, Level 2, New York, NY 10013. All rights reserved. FIZZ® is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

ShoulderTap Technologies, Inc. d/b/a Fizz (“Fizz”) is not a bank. The Fizz Debit Mastercard® (“Fizz Card”) is issued by Patriot Bank, N.A., Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Mastercard® and may be used everywhere Mastercard® debit cards are accepted. Any loans you may be offered in connection with your use of the Fizz Card are originated by Lead Bank, a Missouri state-chartered bank. Any promotions or rewards you may be offered in connection with your use of the Fizz Card are offered and managed by Fizz, not our bank partners.


All activities conducted by Fizz as program manager in connection with the Fizz Card and the corresponding line of credit are conducted by Fizz Technologies, Inc. (NMLS: 2522542).


Membership is subject to a periodic, recurring subscription fee. Fizz Members may choose to apply for a Fizz Card, but are not required to. Fizz Membership does not guarantee access to a Fizz Card. Application and eligibility restrictions apply. ¹Over $300 in annual value of Fizz Card based on cash value available to Fizz Card users assuming half of all available rewards and promotions are used. Actual results may vary. To opt out of future recurring subscription charges, Members may cancel their Membership through the app at any time prior to their next billing date. Cardholders who cancel their Membership will lose access to their Fizz Card and line of credit at the end of their subscription term. Closing a line of credit may negatively impact your credit score.


Fizz cardholders: Fizz reports your payment history on the revolving, open-end line of credit accessed by your Fizz Card. Increases or specific changes to your credit score are not guaranteed. Impact on your credit score may vary depending on your use. Fizz is required to report late payments, missed payments, or other defaults on your account, which may negatively impact your credit score. Credit scores are independently determined by credit bureaus based on a number of factors, including your activity with other creditors. The Fizz Card and related services will not remove negative credit history from your credit report. Fizz, on behalf of Lead Bank, will report your activities to Experian®  and Transunion® .


For additional information, terms and conditions applicable to your use of Fizz’s services, please consult Fizz’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, the Cardholder Agreement, any Line of Credit Agreement in effect between you and Lead Bank and any and all other applicable terms, policies and guidelines made available to you through the Fizz services.


Selected customers reviews above describe individual experiences or results. Individuals in TikTok videos featured above are paid spokespeople. Selected customer reviews above describe individual experiences or results. Actual results may vary. App Store rating as of January 2025.


²Credit score sliding scale feature is for informational purposes only. Credit score ranges based on information available on RentSpree. Car loan figures assume a loan value of $30,000 over 72 months and based on information available on CNN. Student loan figures assumes a $35,000 private student loan with a 10-year term and based on information available on CNBC, NerdWallet and Credible. Apartment approval based on information available on BI and RentSpree.


Fizz is not a credit repair tool and does not offer any form of credit counselling services. Fizz makes no representation or promise that it will improve your credit score, history, or profile or provide you with any assistance in that regard. None of Fizz’s services, including your ability to check your credit report and/or score through the Fizz App, is offered or provided with respect to the extension of credit by third parties. Fizz and its affiliates are not credit repair organizations or credit services organizations, and are not offering to sell, provide or perform any service to you for the express or implied purpose of either improving your credit record, credit history or credit rating, obtaining an extension of credit for you, or providing advice or assistance to you with regard to improving your credit record, credit history or credit rating.


For people with disabilities, including those who are visually impaired, deaf, or hard of hearing, we accept messages via our in-app chat, emails at [email protected], and calls on our answering machine at (940) 260-2704. If you leave us a voicemail, please leave your name and number and a member of our customer support team will return your call.

ShoulderTap Technologies, Inc. d/b/a Fizz © 2024.


450 Broadway, Level 2, New York, NY 10013. All rights reserved. FIZZ® is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

ShoulderTap Technologies, Inc. d/b/a Fizz (“Fizz”) is not a bank. The Fizz Debit Mastercard® (“Fizz Card”) is issued by Patriot Bank, N.A., Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Mastercard® and may be used everywhere Mastercard® debit cards are accepted. Any loans you may be offered in connection with your use of the Fizz Card are originated by Lead Bank, a Missouri state-chartered bank. Any promotions or rewards you may be offered in connection with your use of the Fizz Card are offered and managed by Fizz, not our bank partners.


All activities conducted by Fizz as program manager in connection with the Fizz Card and the corresponding line of credit are conducted by Fizz Technologies, Inc. (NMLS: 2522542).


Membership is subject to a periodic, recurring subscription fee. Fizz Members may choose to apply for a Fizz Card, but are not required to. Fizz Membership does not guarantee access to a Fizz Card. Application and eligibility restrictions apply. ¹Over $300 in annual value of Fizz Card based on cash value available to Fizz Card users assuming half of all available rewards and promotions are used. Actual results may vary. To opt out of future recurring subscription charges, Members may cancel their Membership through the app at any time prior to their next billing date. Cardholders who cancel their Membership will lose access to their Fizz Card and line of credit at the end of their subscription term. Closing a line of credit may negatively impact your credit score.


Fizz cardholders: Fizz reports your payment history on the revolving, open-end line of credit accessed by your Fizz Card. Increases or specific changes to your credit score are not guaranteed. Impact on your credit score may vary depending on your use. Fizz is required to report late payments, missed payments, or other defaults on your account, which may negatively impact your credit score. Credit scores are independently determined by credit bureaus based on a number of factors, including your activity with other creditors. The Fizz Card and related services will not remove negative credit history from your credit report. Fizz, on behalf of Lead Bank, will report your activities to Experian®  and Transunion® .


For additional information, terms and conditions applicable to your use of Fizz’s services, please consult Fizz’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, the Cardholder Agreement, any Line of Credit Agreement in effect between you and Lead Bank and any and all other applicable terms, policies and guidelines made available to you through the Fizz services.


Selected customers reviews above describe individual experiences or results. Individuals in TikTok videos featured above are paid spokespeople. Selected customer reviews above describe individual experiences or results. Actual results may vary. App Store rating as of January 2025.


²Credit score sliding scale feature is for informational purposes only. Credit score ranges based on information available on RentSpree. Car loan figures assume a loan value of $30,000 over 72 months and based on information available on CNN. Student loan figures assumes a $35,000 private student loan with a 10-year term and based on information available on CNBC, NerdWallet and Credible. Apartment approval based on information available on BI and RentSpree.


Fizz is not a credit repair tool and does not offer any form of credit counselling services. Fizz makes no representation or promise that it will improve your credit score, history, or profile or provide you with any assistance in that regard. None of Fizz’s services, including your ability to check your credit report and/or score through the Fizz App, is offered or provided with respect to the extension of credit by third parties. Fizz and its affiliates are not credit repair organizations or credit services organizations, and are not offering to sell, provide or perform any service to you for the express or implied purpose of either improving your credit record, credit history or credit rating, obtaining an extension of credit for you, or providing advice or assistance to you with regard to improving your credit record, credit history or credit rating.


For people with disabilities, including those who are visually impaired, deaf, or hard of hearing, we accept messages via our in-app chat, emails at [email protected], and calls on our answering machine at (940) 260-2704. If you leave us a voicemail, please leave your name and number and a member of our customer support team will return your call.