2022 what should be the minimum usage to keep cards open?

[sarge12]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I would do every 3 months but I told myself in 2022 I will never keep cards just for padding anymore. It becomes a job trying to remember which one needs something on it every 3 months. Every card I have, I use.

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If I never use a card, there is a reason. I have gotten many offers with high SUB, but much lower rewards thereafter than other cards available. I never put charges on a card for the sole reason of keeping it open. Having cards closed due to inactivity is just not a big deal to me. It just means there is one less card to keep up with. I know some here prefer to have closed by cardholder vs closed by issuer, in the remarks. What I have not seen is any evidence that closed by issuer harms a score. I think closed is closed, as long as no balance remains, and the payment history was good. Some of my cards, I actually wish they would close. Of course if the loss of available credit limit is lost it will affect utilization, but I always PIF, so no concern there.

[Yasselife]

@sarge12  I like this approach, I closed Synchrony and It's still doing updates as if it was open; in my experience trade accs drop off 10yrs after the last update, not when the acc was closed. 
   5 yrs of active history (which I have on some of mine) is hard to let it die. USAA for example, the reason why I started this topic. Amazon reload takes no effort, at least for the amount of cards I have.

[NRB525]

If I have to look for ways to trick a card to stay open after six months, I'm inclined to close it. 

Looking at you, Discover. 

[sarge12]

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@Yasselife wrote:

@sarge12  I like this approach, I closed Synchrony and It's still doing updates as if it was open; in my experience trade accs drop off 10yrs after the last update, not when the acc was closed. 
   5 yrs of active history (which I have on some of mine) is hard to let it die. USAA for example, the reason why I started this topic. Amazon reload takes no effort, at least for the amount of cards I have.

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I would be a very, very happy man, if the fact that an issuer might close one of my credit cards was even in the top ten issues I have. I know that my credit card issuers can close my card for almost any reason, or no reason at all. I too, have the right to close any card for any reason. Knowing that, I never put myself in position to rely on credit cards, even if all of them were closed at once. I know some people are reliant on credit cards, and can't get their finances such that they can change that soon. IMHO however, that should be the ultimate goal for everyone. If every credit card I posess were closed tommorrow, I would use a debit card from then on. My quality of life would not change at all. That being said though, I self limit myself to a maximum of 2 cards per issuer. I like knowing if any single issuer changes their terms in a way I no longer benefit from their cards, I can cut ties with them. That insures that no single issuer has any legal means of seriously harming my credit score. As long as my credit activity is honestly and accurately reported, my scores will be OK. I control my use of credit. That is not to say I never choose to do anything that will drop my scores...I do! I recently paid off my mortgage, financed my 2022 Toyota Camry LE, and opened 1 new credit card. My fico 08, and 09 scores dropped around 50 points, but I knew they would drop. I could, if I chose to, pay the car off within a week. My savings being pre-tax, it would cost me in added income taxes, so it would not be smart, but I could do so.

[Yasselife]

@sarge12  Congrats on achieving  financial freedom and your new Toyota. Fico is fun. 

[pauldc73]

My wife has had a Citi Diamond Preferred card that has only been used for a balance transfer, and has never been used for a purchase.  Last activity was from about August/September of 2019.  Still waiting for Citi to close it automatically as my wife won't call.  But no, it's still open.  She just received the replacement card in the mail, so I suppose Citi is hopeful it will be used soon.  I was surprised the replacement card is still the "old school" design with the raised numbers on the front!

[Crowhelm]

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@pauldc73 wrote:

My wife has had a Citi Diamond Preferred card that has only been used for a balance transfer, and has never been used for a purchase.  Last activity was from about August/September of 2019.  Still waiting for Citi to close it automatically as my wife won't call.  But no, it's still open.  She just received the replacement card in the mail, so I suppose Citi is hopeful it will be used soon.  I was surprised the replacement card is still the "old school" design with the raised numbers on the front!

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Well, in fairness to Citi, why waste a nice card for a sock-drawered card? lol