There’s no definitive rule for how often you need to use your credit card in order to build credit. Some credit card issuers will close your credit card account if it goes unused for a certain period of months. The specifics depend on the credit card issuer, but the range is generally between 12 and 24 months.

Is it bad to leave a credit card unused?

An unused card with a high annual fee that you can’t afford is also generally safe to close, as is a newly opened account that you don’t use. Cancelling it will have less of a negative impact on your credit score than closing an older account.

What happens if you don’t use your credit card?

You may not have given much thought to the credit card in the back of your wallet or in a drawer – the one that was paid off and that you haven’t used in a while. But after a certain period of time, which varies depending on the lender or creditor’s policies, they may consider your account “inactive” and it may be closed.

How long can an unused credit card stay open?

There’s no set time for all credit cards, but typically a year or more is about the maximum your unused card might stay open. And, for some good news, you’re not allowed to be charged inactivity fees on unused accounts.

Is there a fee for an unused credit card?

Most credit card issuers do not charge an inactivity or dormant account fee on unused credit cards. Typically, inactivity fees are only assessed on deposit accounts, like checking accounts or savings accounts. How long can a card go unused before being closed?

What does it mean when your credit card account is inactive?

It depends on the company. Accounts may be deemed inactive if there aren’t any new purchases on the card for a certain period of time. You may want to consider speaking with the credit card company with whom you have an account to learn more about its policies on account inactivity.