How long before a credit card is closed for inactivity?

There is no official published timeline

Issuers almost never publish exact inactivity thresholds. What we know comes from thousands of cardholder data points on forums, Doctor of Credit, and credit blogs. Timelines vary by issuer, product, your relationship, and even credit line size.

Treat published ranges as guidance, not guarantees. A card can survive longer — or get cut sooner.

Typical ranges by issuer

Aggressive: Citi and Bank of America often show up in closure reports around 6–12 months with little or no warning.

Moderate: Chase, Amex, Discover, Barclays, and U.S. Bank commonly appear in the 12–18 month range, sometimes with a warning.

Lenient: Capital One frequently leaves cards open 2+ years, though low usage (not just zero) has triggered closures too.

How often to use the card

A practical rule: post a transaction at least once before half of the issuer's reported window elapses. For a bank that closes around 12 months, charging every 3–4 months is comfortable. For 6-month issuers, monthly or quarterly is safer.

Our issuer guides break this down per bank with suggested charge cadences.