Should I cancel a credit card I don't use?

If it has no annual fee, it's usually best to keep open. Keeping old credit cards open adds to your available credit and your average account age, both of which help your credit score. If it does charge an annual fee and you're not using any perks, downgrading to a no-annual-fee version beats canceling.

Does canceling a credit card hurt your credit score?

It can, but usually not by much, and not forever. Closing a credit card lowers your total available credit, which can raise your credit utilization and hurt your credit score. Keeping your oldest credit cards open and your balances low elsewhere softens the hit, and credit scores often recover within a few months.

Have Too Many Credit Cards? Here's Which Ones You Should Cancel

A wallet full of credit cards isn't a problem by itself. But it's time to cancel one when you're paying annual fees for perks you never use, or an old card stays open only because a forgotten subscription is charging it.

Nearly 1 in 5 cardholders pay an annual fee on their primary card, according to Motley Fool Money research. If yours isn't paying you back in cash back or rewards, start there. But closing credit cards can ding your credit score, so strategy matters.

One rule first: if you're carrying a balance, pay it down before canceling anything. Closing a card doesn't erase the debt, and no rewards beat the money you're losing to interest. Here's how to decide what stays and what goes.

1. Cancel when the annual fee costs more than the perks

A pricey credit card only earns its keep when the perks pay you back more than the annual fee. There's no sense in paying $95 per year for a card that sits unused.

Before canceling, ask your bank about switching to a no-annual-fee card. Most mainstream rewards credit cards have several downgrade options, which keeps the account open and protects your credit history. It usually takes just one phone call.

If you can't downgrade and the benefits don't cover the fee, cut it loose. A card that costs more than it gives back is the easiest first cancellation.

2. Cancel your newest credit cards before your oldest ones

When two credit cards are on the chopping block, close the newer one. Long relationships are good for your credit score, so closing a recently opened credit card does less damage than closing an old one.

Handle one thing first, though: cash out your rewards before the account closes. Points, miles, and cash back usually disappear the moment a credit card is canceled. Americans let billions in credit card rewards go unused every year, according to Motley Fool Money research. Don't add your balance to that pile.

3. Cancel when your spending has moved on from the card

The best credit card for your life five years ago might be the wrong card today. A card built for restaurants and nights out loses its value if your spending shifts to groceries and family dinners at home.

And sticking with old rewards programs can cost you. Say you spend $20,000 a year on a credit card earning 1% cash back. That's $200 in rewards. Move the same spending to a 2% flat-rate cash back card, and you'd pull in $400. Same purchases, double the cash back, no new habits to build.

How canceling a credit card affects your credit score

There are two main reasons why closing a credit card can cause your credit score to drop.

First, canceling a credit account shrinks your total available credit. That in turn raises your credit utilization, the share of your available credit you're using, which is a major factor in your credit score. Using a small slice of a big credit limit looks better to lenders than maxing out a small one.

Second, closing an account can shorten your credit history over time. A closed account in good standing can stay on your report for up to 10 years. Once it drops off, though, your average account age can slip, and so can your score.

These issues are easy to plan around. Protect your oldest accounts, and any high-limit credit cards you have open, to avoid an ugly surprise on your credit report.

Most people only need two to three credit cards

There's no perfect number of credit cards to have, but most people do fine with two or three well-chosen cards. A simple lineup covers nearly every purchase.

Your oldest no-annual-fee card, kept open for history. This anchors your credit age and costs nothing to hold. Put one small bill on it and set autopay.
One credit card for your biggest spending category. Whether that's groceries, gas, or travel, this is where you earn the most. It should match your largest monthly expense.
A flat-rate card for everything else. A simple cash back card that earns the same on every purchase, so it can handle whatever the first two miss. No categories to track.

Three cards can cover a grocery run, a gas fill-up, and a big vacation without cluttering your wallet. More than that can be a hassle to manage.

Fewer cards, more rewards

A little credit card strategizing goes a long way here. The goal isn't to cancel every card you don't use. It's to stop paying fees you don't have to and earn more on the spending you're already doing.

Start with any annual-fee cards you've outgrown. Protect your oldest accounts. Then build a small lineup of the best credit cards that match how you actually spend.

FAQs

If it has no annual fee, it's usually best to keep open. Keeping old credit cards open adds to your available credit and your average account age, both of which help your credit score. If it does charge an annual fee and you're not using any perks, downgrading to a no-annual-fee version beats canceling.
It can, but usually not by much, and not forever. Closing a credit card lowers your total available credit, which can raise your credit utilization and hurt your credit score. Keeping your oldest credit cards open and your balances low elsewhere softens the hit, and credit scores often recover within a few months.

This device is too small