Does Chase Close Inactive Credit Cards?

If you have a Chase card that hasn't left your wallet (or your sock drawer) in a while, you might be wondering whether Chase will eventually shut it down. The short answer is yes, it can. Chase lists inactivity as one of the reasons an issuer may close a credit card account, and it doesn't publish a specific deadline you can plan around.

The good news: keeping a Chase card open is easy once you know what matters. Here's how Chase handles inactive cards, what you can lose if one is closed, whether you can get it back, and the simplest way to keep every Chase card active.

Does Chase close inactive credit cards?

Yes. In its own credit card education center, Chase explains that an issuer may decide to close an account after it hasn't been used for a certain period of time, giving "several consecutive months" as an example. Inactivity sits on the same list as fraud, delinquency and a big drop in credit score.

What Chase doesn't do is publish an exact number of months. You'll see plenty of anecdotes online, but there's no official timeline, and policies can change. That's why the safest approach isn't trying to find the limit. It's making sure each card is used regularly so the question never comes up. (We explain why guessing is risky in How Long Can a Credit Card Be Inactive Before It's Closed?)

Why Chase closes cards that aren't being used

From an issuer's point of view, an unused card is all cost and no benefit. A card with no purchases earns the bank no interchange fees and no interest, yet the bank still has to maintain the account, send statements, monitor for fraud and keep that credit line available to you. An open line of credit is also a potential risk the bank carries on its books.

Closing dormant accounts tidies all of that up. It isn't personal, and it doesn't mean you did anything wrong. It's simply what happens to accounts that look forgotten.

Will Chase warn you before closing your card?

Don't count on it. Some cardholders report getting a letter, but issuers in general aren't required to give you notice before closing an account for inactivity. According to Equifax, the 45-day advance notice rule from the Credit CARD Act covers major changes to your account terms, but not cancellations due to inactivity.

Chase itself suggests keeping your contact information up to date so you don't miss notifications about your account status. That's good advice, but a notice that arrives after the fact won't help much. The better protection is never letting a card look inactive in the first place.

Which Chase cards are most at risk?

Any Chase card you don't use can be closed, but the ones most likely to end up forgotten tend to be:

• No-annual-fee cards you've outgrown. A Freedom or Freedom Unlimited you opened years ago, before you moved your spending to a travel card, is a classic sock-drawer card.
• Cards you only use for one thing. If you only reach for a card during certain bonus categories or promotions, it can sit idle for long stretches in between.
• Cards you keep "just in case." Emergency backup cards are valuable precisely because they're open. An emergency card that got closed while you weren't looking doesn't do its job.

Cards with annual fees bring the issuer revenue even when you don't use them, but that doesn't make them immune. If you want a card to stay open, use it.

What happens if Chase closes your card

An inactivity closure isn't a late payment, so it isn't a negative mark in itself. But it can still affect your credit and your wallet in a few ways.

Your credit utilization can jump

When a card closes, its credit limit disappears from your total available credit. If you carry balances on other cards, your utilization ratio goes up even though your spending didn't change. For example, if you owe $3,000 across cards with $20,000 in total limits, your utilization is 15%. Lose a $10,000 Chase card and that same $3,000 is now 30% of a $10,000 total. Amounts owed make up 30% of a FICO Score, so that change may lower your score. Here's how utilization works and how to lower it.

Your credit history eventually gets shorter

A closed account in good standing can stay on your credit report for up to 10 years, so the age of the account keeps counting for a while. Once it falls off, though, your average account age may drop, especially if that Chase card was one of your oldest.

Rewards and benefits can disappear

Chase Ultimate Rewards points and card perks are tied to your open accounts. If a card is closed, points earned on it may be at risk depending on Chase's rewards terms and how your accounts are set up. If you have a balance of points on a card you rarely use, it's worth checking your options before anything happens to it.

For the bigger picture, see Does Closing a Credit Card Hurt Your Credit?

Can you reopen a closed Chase card?

Sometimes. Chase says that, generally, if an account was closed due to inactivity, you may be able to reopen it. The process is simple:

1. Call the number on the back of your card (or Chase customer service) as soon as you notice.
2. Be ready to verify your identity with details like your name, Social Security number and address.
3. Explain that you want to keep the account and plan to use it.
4. Review the terms if it's reopened, in case anything has changed.

Chase may say yes or no depending on your situation, so acting quickly gives you the best chance. Our guide Credit Card Closed? What to Do Next walks through the whole process, including what to do if the answer is no.

How to keep every Chase card active

Keeping a Chase card open comes down to two habits: use it regularly, and pay it on time. The purchase can be tiny. Issuers care that the card is being used, not how much you spend.

• Put a small recurring charge on each card. A streaming service or other subscription works, as long as you remember to move it if a card is replaced or the subscription ends.
• Turn on autopay for the full statement balance. That way a tiny charge never turns into a late payment or interest. Here's how to set up autopay the right way.
• Set a calendar reminder to check each card's activity every few months, so a canceled subscription doesn't leave a card idle.
• Ask about a product change if you no longer like a card's features. Switching to a card you'll actually use can be better than letting it sit.

Doing this by hand works, but it gets harder with every card you own. That's where automation helps.

The automatic option: one Credicated plan per Chase card

Credicated places a tiny recurring charge on each card you choose, so your Chase cards show regular activity without you having to remember anything. Pair each plan with autopay and the card pays itself off, too.

• Platinum: $0.99 every month, for the most regular activity.
• Gold: $1.25 every 3 months.
• Silver: $1.25 every year.

Most people put one plan on each Chase card they want to protect, often Platinum on the cards they care about most. You can label each subscription with the card's name or last four digits, then pause, swap or cancel anytime. See how Credicated works, and check out our bulk discounts if you're covering several cards.

Frequently asked questions

How long can a Chase card be inactive before it's closed?

Chase doesn't publish a set timeline. Its own education content mentions "several consecutive months" only as an example. The safest plan is to use each card regularly rather than trying to find the cutoff.

Does Chase charge an inactivity fee?

No. Credit card inactivity fees have been banned since 2010 under the Credit CARD Act. The risk of not using a card isn't a fee, it's losing the account.

Does a Chase inactivity closure hurt my credit?

The closure itself isn't a negative mark, but losing the credit limit can raise your utilization, and your history may get shorter once the account eventually drops off your report. Either can lower your score.

How much do I need to spend to keep a Chase card active?

Any small purchase counts as activity. A charge of a dollar or less, paid off automatically, keeps the card in use without adding real cost.

Will a recurring subscription keep my Chase card open?

Yes, a recurring purchase is activity. Just remember that subscriptions can be canceled or fail when a card number changes, so check in on each card occasionally.

This article is for general educational purposes and isn't financial advice. Issuer policies change; review your cardholder agreement and contact your issuer with questions about your account. Credicated is not affiliated with JPMorgan Chase or Equifax.