# Have you had a credit card account closed due to inactivity?



## AprilSun (May 13, 2020)

I received a letter in the mail yesterday from Chase Cardmember Services stating that I needed to use my Amazon credit card in the next 15 days if I want to keep it open. They stated otherwise, it would be closed due to inactivity. 

I haven't purchased anything from Amazon since Sept. 2019. That is because I have had so many problems with them I will only use them as a "last resort". Some of my problems were I had ordered 40 lbs. of cat litter and a small bag of cat food. When they shipped it, they put both in the same box without any protection and when I opened the box, the cat food was busted open by the heavy cat litter. 

Other problems I have had with them was when several of my packages were delivered, they were left at my basement door rather than my front door. I had to go down the steps or outside and climb a hill to get the packages back into my house. Then, they automatically signed me up for Prime one time and then started charging me for it. I didn't order enough from them for it to pay me to sign up for Prime and that should be my decision anyway and not theirs. 

After all of this, I started shopping at other places. I don't mind them closing my credit card but I had never heard of a credit card being closed due to inactivity. They're not going to scare me into shopping from them. I say close it!


----------



## applecruncher (May 13, 2020)

Separate into paragraphs.
A wall of text is very hard to read


----------



## Ronni (May 13, 2020)

The 3% cash back is a good deal with the amazon/chase card but if you don’t use amazon often then it would necessarily appeal to you.

I order from them all the time and find their service to be excellent. I’m you’ve had difficulty.


----------



## Devi (May 13, 2020)

Yes, I've heard of credit card companies closing down a credit card for non-use.


----------



## C'est Moi (May 13, 2020)

I have heard of that as well.   And FYI, since the card issuer is not Amazon (it's Chase), they don't care if you shop at Amazon.  If it's a VISA, you can use that card anywhere VISA is accepted.


----------



## OneEyedDiva (May 13, 2020)

I order from Amazon frequently and have only had a couple of issues which really wasn't their fault, but the delivery people. I also have had great service as far as making returns for whatever reason. But like you, my Honorary Daughter has had problems with them.  To answer you question, I seem to remember that once I was informed that my card would be closed because of inactivity.  The only thing about that is I read that it's better for your FICO score if [you] close the card than if the credit card company does it.


----------



## Kaila (May 13, 2020)

I had heard of it, but the card not having been used since Sept 2019, seems like a short time to _*me*_, for it to be cancelled for inactivity.

But if it's not been of good service for you, anyway,
then like you said,  I too, wouldn't let them pressure into keeping it and using it more often.!

I did wonder if you can use that card for other than Amazon, IF you did want to keep the card,
 or if it is some contract that does require Amazon orders.  
If so, then there was perhaps, in VERY tiny print, a policy rule that specified how often you would be required to use it.

But myself, I wouldn't want a card that required as frequent use as that one of yours either!

And that was very poor experience you had, with those shipments!

Nice to see you, though, @AprilSun  !


----------



## Robert59 (May 13, 2020)

I had two credit cards that closed because I didn't spend enough money. JCPenny's and Sears. They called me a tight wad.


----------



## Aunt Bea (May 13, 2020)

I've read that credit card issuers are closing dormant credit cards and in some cases reducing credit limits in an effort to reduce exposure during the pandemic.

One of the fears is that if people are losing their jobs they will start to dig out those old dormant cards and begin to live on them until they can get back to work or worse charge them up and walk away.


----------



## Kaila (May 13, 2020)

That is definitely interesting, @Aunt Bea 

Would a card that _has _been used, last Autumn, be considered _dormant?_


----------



## Gaer (May 13, 2020)

i had term life insurance to pay $5000 for death / burial for the last 25 years.  Paying every month.  Just got a letter they are cancelling it and I have to switch to whole life.  What?  You don't want to hear what  I told them!


----------



## Aunt Bea (May 13, 2020)

Kaila said:


> That is definitely interesting, @Aunt Bea
> 
> Would a card that _has _been used, last Autumn, be considered _dormant?_


No idea, I suppose it would be up to the issuer and your individual credit score.

This is also happening with active cards where the issuers are decreasing credit lines using some sort of predictive model of customer behavior.

Here is one of several articles.  

https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/cre...limits-are-being-slashed-during-covid-crisis/


----------



## treeguy64 (May 13, 2020)

Got the same letter from Chase. Went out and got some groceries. Used my Amazon card. Problem solved.


----------



## Kaila (May 13, 2020)

Yes, @Gaer   I agree with what you told them.....

I once had one, that the benefit to be paid out, was drastically reduced every couple of years older I got,
despite paying the premiums for all the additional years....
until it would have been worth barely ANY return.

I cancelled out of that one, long ago, as soon as I read that _very fine print!_


----------



## Aneeda72 (May 13, 2020)

OneEyedDiva said:


> I order from Amazon frequently and have only had a couple of issues which really wasn't their fault, but the delivery people. I also have had great service as far as making returns for whatever reason. But like you, my Honorary Daughter has had problems with them.  To answer you question, I seem to remember that once I was informed that my card would be closed because of inactivity.  The only thing about that is I read that it's better for your FICO score if [you] close the card than if the credit card company does it.


It’s better not to close anything, it can effect your debt to what you earn ratio, and, no, I can’t explain it any better than that, but it can lower your credit score.  However, if you don’t use credit much, I suppose it doesn’t matter.


----------



## Lakeland living (May 13, 2020)

Yup , they sent one to me without my asking. I ignored it , got a call telling me that since I was not using the card they would now cancel it.  Duh!!!!!


----------



## Aneeda72 (May 13, 2020)

Robert59 said:


> I had two credit cards that closed because I didn't spend enough money. JCPenny's and Sears. They called me a tight wad.


 sears has pretty much gone out of business, too many tight wads I guess.


----------



## Aneeda72 (May 13, 2020)

Gaer said:


> i had term life insurance to pay $5000 for death / burial for the last 25 years.  Paying every month.  Just got a letter they are cancelling it and I have to switch to whole life.  What?  You don't want to hear what  I told them!


We are all bored, we do want to hear what you told them


----------



## hollydolly (May 13, 2020)

Yes I had  my available Balance reduced by half by  a Credit Card company  last year, because I hadn't used the card  in 5 months.. I was stunned, I didn't realise they could do that. I've never been in the red, always pay full balance off every month long before the final date . 
  In fact I was about to use it the following month to book flights, but because they halved my credit limit ( I still would have had enough to book the flights)... I decided they could stick their card  on principle .. and I just don't use it at all now..  instead I  use the credit and debit  cards I  have with my banks


----------



## Lethe200 (May 13, 2020)

Yes, had one of our gas cards cancelled for non-use. It's a company that doesn't have many stations in our immediate area, so we tend to only use it when we're traveling to certain locations.

We use our Chase/Amazon card for most of our major purchases, since the cash back feature works on all purchases, not just Amazon.

We rotate use of our charge cards to keep our accounts active. It doesn't take much - a couple of modest purchases annually will do.

I don't use debit cards as often. Long ago we ran into a credit theft situation at a restaurant and $2100 disappeared from our checking account within minutes. It took 18 months to retrieve the funds. 

The legal protection for debit cards and third party vendors like PayPal and Venmo is much weaker than the legal protection for credit cards.


----------



## hellomimi (May 13, 2020)

Citi closed my 3 double cash MC CCs when I quit using it since Aug 2019. They closed it March 29 this year without stating any reason. It dinged my credit report a bit since my total available credit went down by $25K. I didn't mind it since it went back up the next month. I'm sure eyes were on my accounts which was unprofitable to them while I earned the 2% cashback each month. I will not be surprised if Chase,Amex, Cap1 and other CCs close more unprofitable accounts.


----------



## In The Sticks (May 13, 2020)

I've had that happen to me not too long ago...within the past 6 months.

It was a Sears CITI MasterCard.  I have one rewards card that I use, and the others just take up room in my wallet.  Likely had been years since I bought anything with it...I only used it when shopping at Sears for discounts or points or something.

I got a letter when the expiry date was approaching saying that if I didn't charge some minimum amount of dollars, my card would not be renewed.  So I used it the next time I went to the grocery store, just to keep the credit line active.  I guess the made me do what they wanted.  They got their processing fee plus some some amount of transaction fee from my $12 grocery purchase.

I wouldn't have even bothered except for the stupid way Credit Scores react when you pare back your available credit.  If there had been an annual fee, I would have just let it expire.  I did that with another card last year.


----------



## Pecos (May 13, 2020)

Gaer said:


> i had term life insurance to pay $5000 for death / burial for the last 25 years.  Paying every month.  Just got a letter they are cancelling it and I have to switch to whole life.  What?  You don't want to hear what  I told them!



I have seen this happen to people several times as they get older. A lot of term policies have a maximum age for coverage.

Do they want to substantially increase the monthly fee, or is it a nominal amount? If the cost is reasonable, I would do it, but I doubt that they are going to play nice.

One fellow I knew in the Navy decided to pass on the subsidized survivor benefit program when he retired and buy a cheap term policy. Somehow that insurance company found out that he had cancer and jumped the cost from about $25 a month to $4000 a month for the same coverage the day he turned 70. (The Navy SBP would have cost around $210 a month.) Of course he could not afford it and he died leaving his wife with no insurance and no Navy Survivor retirement. I got nowhere when I tried to talk him and his wife out of doing this (she had to sign the document) back in the late 1980's. Twenty five years later she called me and asked what could be done. I broke my heart to tell her that there was nothing that could be done.

Life insurance is such a landmine!


----------



## Gaer (May 13, 2020)

Pecos said:


> I have seen this happen to people several times as they get older. A lot of term policies have a maximum age for coverage.
> 
> Do they want to substantially increase the monthly fee, or is it a nominal amount? If the cost is reasonable, I would do it, but I doubt that they are going to play nice.
> 
> ...


Thanks Pecos!  Don't need whole life.   Just wanted my burial which was supposed to be good as long as I paid it, (according to my late husband)
My husband was a Federal Marshal and a vet and I got , what? $255.00!  I contacted VA and the Government and they both said the same thing, "Well,Keep your chin up!"  Now the insurance Co is a rip off!  Thanks though!


----------



## Butterfly (May 13, 2020)

treeguy64 said:


> Got the same letter from Chase. Went out and got some groceries. Used my Amazon card. Problem solved.


Me, too.  I did the same thing.  It doesn't require a large purchase, just a purchase.


----------



## Duster (May 13, 2020)

Yes, we've had cards cancelled due to inactivity.  Not a problem unless they owed us cash back or points.


----------



## MarciKS (May 13, 2020)

I haven't received any information yet about my credit card acct being closed due to inactivity but, I'm sure it will come. Can't you just purchase a small thing locally with it? Just to keep it active...


----------



## jujube (May 13, 2020)

Chase was going to not renew my "spare" VISA card for inactivity but I called and asked them to please renew it.  They said "sure".  Now I make sure I use it once a quarter and that appears to keep them happy.

I had a bad experience with Wells Fargo about an account a few years ago.  I had an account that I kept a fair amount of money in.  I hadn't done anything with it for a couple of years but I did check it occasionally.  One night I checked and there was no record of the account.  I panicked, of course.  I'VE BEEN HACKED!  MY ACCOUNT HAS BEEN STOLEN! THE SKY IS FALLING!

I called them and it was  explained that the account had just gone "inactive" and inactive accounts don't show up on the internet.  WHAT THE HECK?  They have my money nicely locked up in their bank but it's OK to act like it's not there? And they didn't send me a notice that this was going to happen?  They could have given someone a heart attack.  I was down at the bank at 9 a.m. the next morning to close the account and give someone a piece of my mind.  You just don't do that to customers!


----------



## In The Sticks (May 13, 2020)

MarciKS said:


> I haven't received any information yet about my credit card acct being closed due to inactivity but, I'm sure it will come. Can't you just purchase a small thing locally with it? Just to keep it active...


My notice came with a "You must charge This Amount before This Date in order to keep your card active" statement.  The amount was under $15.  Others are saying they just got cancelled.  I had the card for years, hardly ever, ever used it.


----------



## MarciKS (May 13, 2020)

In The Sticks said:


> My notice came with a "You must charge This Amount before This Date in order to keep your card active" statement.  The amount was under $15.  Others are saying they just got cancelled.  I had the card for years, hardly ever, ever used it.



I may have to find something to purchase with it then. I just got a new one. Not sure when I'll be putting anything on it.


----------



## In The Sticks (May 13, 2020)

MarciKS said:


> I may have to find something to purchase with it then. I just got a new one. Not sure when I'll be putting anything on it.


The grocery store is always a good place.  You gotta buy food.


----------



## MarciKS (May 13, 2020)

I'm waiting to make an appt with the eye dr when this is over. If it can wait. That should be worth a chunk.


----------



## MickaC (May 13, 2020)

Never had a credit card deemed inactive.......sadly, credit scores are calculated based on purchases on credit cards, and payment history.....sadly too is, someone paying cash all their lives, and having no debt have the lowest scores.....how totally dumb is that. Have had many credit cards issued to me without applying, activating them, but only the ones that had no yearly fee, at one point in time, had 230,000.00 credit in total.....HOW DUMB ARE THESE LENDERS.


----------



## MarciKS (May 13, 2020)

I had spend limits put on my debit and credit card. If I spend more than $250 in a day or go to the same places too many times...the card services people call to make sure it's me.
The credit card limit is $2000.

I got my card burgled once...luckily the rate kept them from purchasing (oops I forgot to finish the post!)

The spending limit on my debit card kept someone in Spain from purchasing plane tickets. LOL


----------



## hellomimi (May 14, 2020)

I'm prepared if Chase closes 3 cards I have with them, one of them the Ink card which gives me 5% cashback on office stores purchases. They give clients 30 days to redeem their rewards once they shutdown the account. I always combine my earned rewards on 1 account for ease of redemption in case they close my accounts.

I'm on my last month earning 1.5% miles per dollar per month on Disover miles. I'll cash in the other 1.5% accumulated the first year this June.

I have never paid a penny interest on CCs, I sign up for their bonuses and usually close the account after the first year.


----------



## Ken N Tx (May 14, 2020)

AprilSun said:


> I received a letter in the mail yesterday from Chase Cardmember Services stating that I needed to use my Amazon credit card in the next 15 days if I want to keep it open. They stated otherwise, it would be closed due to inactivity.


That could have been a scam!! Did it have any link to click on with your info??


----------



## AprilSun (May 14, 2020)

Ken N Tx said:


> That could have been a scam!! Did it have any link to click on with your info??



No, it was a letter that was delivered by the post office. It didn't show any web links in it.


----------



## AprilSun (May 14, 2020)

I want to apologize to everyone for not making my post easy to read. Plus, I would like to thank the person that edited it and made it easier for everyone.


----------



## MickaC (May 14, 2020)

My collection of credit cards described in post 33, were cut up quite a while ago, was done with the amusement from these silly companies, i now only have two. These credit cards that i never applied for, have ceased to arrive anymore, companies must have found their common sense.


----------



## old medic (May 14, 2020)

I guess i will be losing a bunch of accounts then.....
Got 6 sitting with 0 balance and no activity....


----------



## Red Cinders (May 14, 2020)

Chase sent me a notice a couple of years ago that they were going to close my credit card due to inactivity.  I hadn't used that card in a year.  When we went to only using cashback cards, the credit cards we used to use just sat there.  We've had them for many years, and length of time as well as available credit are factors in maintaining a high credit score.  

To keep all cards active I move my monthly $6.99 Britbox subscription around on them -- 4 months on one card, then moved to another, and on and on.  A simply notation on the calendar reminds me, and it takes very little time to make the changes.  I haven't received any more notices of inactivity since.


----------



## MarciKS (May 14, 2020)

Maybe I could find out what the minimum expense for my card is and find a monthly bill like my wi-fi bill to put on there. Then pay it right away which would improve my APR as well as increase my credit score.


----------



## C'est Moi (May 14, 2020)

Red Cinders said:


> Chase sent me a notice a couple of years ago that they were going to close my credit card due to inactivity.  I hadn't used that card in a year.  When we went to only using cashback cards, the credit cards we used to use just sat there.  *We've had them for many years, and length of time as well as available credit are factors in maintaining a high credit score.*
> 
> To keep all cards active I move my monthly $6.99 Britbox subscription around on them -- 4 months on one card, then moved to another, and on and on.  A simply notation on the calendar reminds me, and it takes very little time to make the changes.  I haven't received any more notices of inactivity since.


Exactly right about the credit score.  

I did the same thing with a seldom-used Visa.  I have my Netflix billed to it each month ($9 or so) to keep it active.


----------



## Lethe200 (May 14, 2020)

You can also keep a card active by using it for charitable donations. I give to the local Food Bank and a couple of other charities this way - very convenient, and I get an email at year's end with the Tax ID # and total donations.


----------



## mathjak107 (May 15, 2020)

i always use the ones i rarely use at least once or twice a year


----------



## Ken N Tx (May 15, 2020)

*Police: Why didn't you report your stolen credit card?*
Man: The thief was spending less than my wife.

Police: Then why are you reporting it now?

Man: I think now the thief's wife has started using it!


----------



## OneEyedDiva (Jun 11, 2020)

Here's an article about the negative consequences of a card being canceled for non use. 
https://www.usatoday.com/story/mone...ppens-if-i-dont-use-my-credit-card/111881744/


----------

