Closing an American Express card means you stop using it and ask Amex to shut down the account
You can close an American Express card by calling their customer service line, logging into your online account, or visiting an American Express office in person. The process itself takes minutes, but the consequences — to your credit score, your rewards balance, and your other accounts — can last months or years. Before you call, understand what happens to your points, how the closure affects your credit report, and whether you might want to keep the card open instead.
Amex will not charge you a fee to close the account. They will not ask you to pay off your balance first, though you will still owe whatever you charged. The card stops working when ready after closure, and Amex removes it from your credit report seven to ten years after the account closes, depending on whether you paid it off or defaulted.
Key Takeaways
- Call Amex at the number on the back of your card, or log into your online account and request closure through the settings menu.
- Your rewards points may expire or become unusable after closure, so check your points balance and redeem them before you close the account.
- Closing the card lowers your available credit and can reduce your credit score by 10 to 50 points, depending on how much credit you use on other cards.
- If you have an annual fee, closing the card stops future charges, but Amex will not refund fees you already paid.
- Amex may offer you a retention bonus or fee waiver if you call to close — asking costs nothing and sometimes saves you money.
How to close your American Express card
Call American Express customer service at the number printed on the back of your card. Tell the representative you want to close the account. They will ask why you are closing it — this is where Amex sometimes offers you a reason to stay, such as waiving your next annual fee or crediting you points. Listen to the offer, but do not feel pressured to accept it if you have already decided to close the account.
If you prefer not to call, log into your American Express online account, go to Account Services or Settings, and look for a "Close Account" or "Close This Card" option. Not all Amex cards offer online closure, so if you cannot find the option, calling is your next step. You can also visit an American Express office in person if one is near you, though this is slower than calling.
After you request closure, Amex will send you a confirmation letter in the mail within one to two weeks. Keep this letter. It shows the closure date and your final balance. Do not throw away the card itself — cut it up or shred it so no one else can use the number.
What happens to your rewards points
American Express points usually expire when your account closes. Some cards let you keep your points for a limited time after closure — usually 30 to 90 days — but this varies by card type. Check your card's terms or call Amex before you close to find out your card's specific policy.
The safest move is to redeem your points before you close the account. Log into your Amex account and look at your points balance. You can use points to pay your statement balance, book travel through Amex Travel, or transfer them to partner airlines and hotels. If you have a small balance and few points, you might choose to close anyway, but if you have thousands of points, spending 15 minutes to redeem them first is worth it.
If your points do expire after closure and you did not redeem them, you cannot get them back. Amex does not restore expired points as a courtesy.
How closing affects your credit score
Closing a credit card lowers your credit score because it reduces your total available credit. If you have $5,000 in credit across three cards and you close one card with a $2,000 limit, your available credit drops to $3,000. This change shows up on your credit report as a lower credit utilization ratio — the amount you owe divided by the amount you can borrow.
The score drop is usually between 10 and 50 points, depending on how much of your available credit you are already using. If you use very little credit on your other cards, the impact is smaller. If you are already using 50 percent or more of your available credit, closing a card can hurt your score more.
The damage is temporary. Your score typically recovers within three to six months as long as you pay your other bills on time. The closed account stays on your credit report for seven to ten years, but after two years it has almost no effect on your score.
Annual fees and what you owe
If your American Express card has an annual fee, closing the account stops future charges. However, Amex will not refund any annual fee you already paid in the current year. If you paid a $695 annual fee three months ago and you close the card today, that $695 is gone.
You still owe any balance you charged to the card. Closing the account does not erase your debt. You will receive a bill for your remaining balance, and you must pay it by the due date or you will owe interest and late fees. If you cannot pay the full balance, you can set up a payment plan by calling Amex.
If you have an annual fee card and you are thinking about closing it, call Amex first and ask if they will waive the next annual fee or offer you a credit. Many cardholders keep their cards open for another year just to avoid paying the fee again, so it is worth asking.
When to keep the card open instead
Closing a card is permanent, so consider whether you might want to reopen it later. If you close an Amex card and change your mind, you can ask Amex to reopen it within a certain window — usually 30 to 60 days — but after that, you would have to explore for the card again as a new customer.
If you have had the card for many years, closing it removes a long account history from your credit report, which can lower your score more than closing a newer card would. Long account history is valuable to credit scoring, so if this is your oldest card, you might keep it open and straightforward stop using it instead.
If you have a $0 balance and no annual fee, there is almost no reason to close the card. Keeping it open costs you nothing and protects your credit score. You can put it in a drawer and forget about it.
What to do after you close the account
After Amex confirms the closure, check your credit report to make sure the account shows as closed. You can view your credit report free once per year at annualcreditreport.com. The account should appear as "Closed by Consumer" or "Account Closed" within 30 to 60 days.
If you had automatic payments set up on the Amex card — such as a subscription or utility bill — change those payments to a different card or bank account before you close. If you do not, those charges will be declined and you may miss a payment, which damages your credit score.
If you closed the card because of fraud or unauthorized charges, ask Amex to send you a fraud dispute form. You have 60 days from the date you discover the fraud to report it, and Amex will investigate and remove fraudulent charges from your account.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will Amex let me close my card over the phone?
Yes. Call the number on the back of your card and tell the representative you want to close the account. They will process it when ready. You will receive a confirmation letter in the mail within one to two weeks.
What happens to my rewards points when I close the card?
Most American Express points expire when your account closes, though some cards allow you to keep points for 30 to 90 days after closure. Redeem your points before you close the account to avoid losing them. Check your card's terms or call Amex to find out your specific card's policy.
Can I reopen the card after I close it?
You can ask Amex to reopen the account within 30 to 60 days of closure. After that window, you would have to explore for the card again as a new customer and go through the approval process.
Do I still owe my balance after I close the card?
Yes. Closing the account does not erase what you owe. You will receive a bill for your remaining balance and must pay it by the due date. If you cannot pay in full, call Amex to discuss a payment plan.
How much will closing the card hurt my credit score?
The score drop is usually 10 to 50 points, depending on how much credit you are already using on other cards. The damage is temporary — your score typically recovers within three to six months if you pay your other bills on time.