Not using a credit card does not hurt your score, but inactivity can create problems over time
A credit card sitting unused will not damage your score straightforward because you are not charging on it. The major scoring models — FICO and VantageScore — do not penalise you for zero activity. However, inactivity creates two real risks: your card issuer may close the account, and a closed account can lower your score by removing available credit from your history.
The damage is not from non-use itself. It is from what happens as a result of non-use. A card closed by the issuer stays on your credit report for years, and the loss of that credit line shrinks your total available credit. That shrinkage can raise your credit utilisation ratio — the percentage of your total credit limit you are actually using — and a higher utilisation ratio does lower your score.
Key Takeaways
- Credit card issuers can close inactive accounts without warning, usually after 6 to 12 months of no charges.
- A closed account removes available credit from your profile, which can raise your utilisation ratio and lower your score.
- Using a card once every few months — even for a small charge — is usually enough to keep it active in the issuer's eyes.
- A closed account remains on your credit report for up to 10 years, so the damage can persist long after the card is gone.
- If an account is closed by the issuer, you can contact them to ask for reinstatement, though they are not required to agree.
Why card issuers close inactive accounts
A credit card issuer closes an account when it sees no activity because an unused card represents risk with no revenue. The bank earns money from interest charges and merchant fees. A card you never use generates neither. After months of inactivity, the issuer decides the account is not worth maintaining and closes it.
The timeline varies by issuer. Some close accounts after 6 months of no charges. Others wait 12 months or longer. You will not receive advance notice in most cases — the closure straightforward appears on your credit report. A few issuers send a warning letter, but this is not standard practice.
Closing an account is within the issuer's rights. Your cardholder agreement permits them to do this. You have no recourse to prevent it except to use the card occasionally.
How a closed account affects your credit utilisation ratio
Your credit utilisation ratio is the total amount you owe divided by your total available credit across all cards. If you have three cards with $5,000 limits each and you owe $3,000 total, your utilisation is 20 percent ($3,000 ÷ $15,000). Credit scoring models treat lower utilisation as a sign of responsible credit management.
When an issuer closes one of those three cards, your available credit drops from $15,000 to $10,000. Your debt stays at $3,000. Your utilisation ratio jumps to 30 percent ($3,000 ÷ $10,000). That increase alone can lower your score by 10 to 50 points, depending on your overall credit profile and how close you are to other utilisation thresholds.
The damage is larger if you were already carrying balances on other cards. Someone with $8,000 in debt across those same three cards would move from 53 percent utilisation to 80 percent utilisation when one card closes. That shift can drop a score by 50 to 100 points or more.
The difference between closing a card yourself and having it closed by the issuer
If you close a card yourself, you control the timing and can plan around it. You might pay down other balances first to lower your utilisation before closing the account. You can also space out closures so your score does not take a sudden hit.
If the issuer closes the account, you have no control. The closure happens without warning, and your utilisation ratio changes when ready. The damage to your score is the same either way — the closed account still reduces your available credit — but you at least have a chance to mitigate it if you close the card yourself.
A closed account stays on your credit report for up to 10 years. During that time, it continues to count against your available credit, though its impact on your score weakens over time. Newer accounts and recent activity matter more to scoring models than older closed accounts.
How to keep a card active without using it regularly
The simplest way to prevent closure is to charge something small every few months. This does not mean you have to carry a balance. Charge a coffee, a tank of gas, or a subscription service — anything that shows the card is in use. Pay the full balance when the statement arrives. You build no interest charges and keep the account open.
Set a calendar reminder for every two or three months if you are worried you will forget. Some people set up a small recurring charge — a streaming service or a magazine subscription — and pay it off automatically each month. This removes the need to remember.
If you have multiple cards you want to keep open, rotate which one you use each month. This spreads the activity across your accounts and ensures none of them sit dormant for too long.
Check your statements or log into your online account occasionally, even if you are not charging anything. Some issuers view account logins as a sign of engagement, though this is less reliable than actual charges.
What to do if your card is already closed
If you discover an account has been closed, contact the issuer when ready. Explain that you want to keep the card open and ask if they will reinstate it. Some issuers will reopen the account if you ask within a reasonable time frame — usually within 30 to 90 days of closure. Others will refuse. There is no may provide, but it costs nothing to ask.
If reinstatement is denied, the closed account will remain on your credit report. Make a note of the closure date. The account's impact on your score will fade over time as newer accounts and activity take up more weight in the scoring calculation. After seven years, the account will fall off your report entirely.
In the meantime, focus on lowering your utilisation ratio on your remaining open accounts. Pay down balances if you can. If you have other cards with available credit, the closed account's damage is smaller because your total available credit is spread across more accounts.
When you might want to let a card close
Not every card is worth keeping open. If a card charges an annual fee and you are not using it, closing it yourself makes sense. You avoid the fee and you control when the closure happens. Pay down any balance first, then call the issuer and request closure.
If a card has a high interest rate and you are tempted to carry a balance on it, closing it removes that temptation. The short-term score hit from closure is worth avoiding years of interest charges.
If you have many cards open and your available credit is already very high, losing one card has minimal impact on your utilisation ratio. Someone with $100,000 in total available credit across 10 cards loses only 10 percent of that credit if one card closes. The score impact is usually small.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my credit score go down if I don't use a credit card?
Not from non-use alone. Your score does not penalise you for inactivity. However, if the issuer closes the account because of inactivity, the closure will lower your score by removing available credit. The damage comes from the closure, not the lack of use.
How often do I need to use a credit card to keep it open?
Most issuers expect at least one charge every 6 to 12 months. A single small charge every few months is usually enough. You do not need to carry a balance or spend a lot — just show the card is in use.
Can I ask the issuer to reopen a closed account?
Yes, you can call and ask. Some issuers will reinstate the account if you request it within 30 to 90 days of closure. Others will refuse. There is no may provide, but it is worth trying if the closure was recent.
Does closing a credit card hurt my score?
Yes, closing any card — whether you close it or the issuer does — removes available credit and can raise your utilisation ratio. The impact depends on how much credit you lose relative to your total available credit and how much you are currently using.
How long does a closed account stay on my credit report?
A closed account remains on your report for up to 10 years. Its impact on your score weakens over time as newer accounts and recent activity become more important to the scoring calculation.