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United States banks freeze and close credit cards that go several months without recording purchases or payments. The practice is already used by JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo and Citi, the four largest issuers in the country, according to their own policies.
Each institution sets its own inactivity period and, in most cases, it is not required to notify you before closing the account. The law does not require issuers to give advance notice when the closure is due to inactivity.
What does it mean when a bank freezes a credit card for inactivity?
When a card is not used for a certain period of time, the bank may reduce the credit limit or close the account outright. Some issuers first lower the available limit before proceeding with the final closure of the account.
The exact timeframe varies by institution and there is no single nationwide rule. These are the known policies of the four largest banks:
- Wells Fargo: closes inactive accounts generally after two to three years, depending on the card type and other factors.
- Bank of America: usually acts when there is prolonged inactivity, typically after three years of no use.
- Citi: does not set an exact inactivity period, since that criterion changes depending on the card and the issuer. In practice, users have reported closures between 12 and 18 months.
- Chase: may close accounts for inactivity, fraud, delinquency or a sharp drop in the credit score, without a published fixed period.
What minimum expense prevents my card from being closed?
There is no mandatory amount set by law or by banks. A small purchase every now and then is enough to keep the account active. The issuer does not earn money while the account remains inactive, neither from merchant fees nor from interest.
If the account is closed, the cardholder loses that line of credit and their utilization ratio may rise, a key factor in the credit score. Reducing available credit while keeping the same spending increases that ratio and negatively affects the score. Using the card once every few months, even for a minimal expense, is the simplest way to avoid it.