Keeping Cards Active...

[coldfusion]

To some extent it is profile and issuer specific.  Issuers also tend to be more lenient with an AF card vs. one that has no annual fee. 

If you want to really be safe, a charge every 3 months but there's generally minimal risk if you place a charge placed on the card once every 6 months. 

[Anonymous]

I'd say a swipe inside every 6 months is sufficient in most cases.  As for the dollar value, it can be tiny.  I don't know what store cards you have, but you could probably find a $2 item or so at the counter where you pay and that could constitute usage just fine.

[Kforce]

As others have said some issuers have closed a card after 4 months and others still alive after 10 years..

My current payment minimum is every 3 months, at least $5.

** Some issuers credit and don't post small amounts **

Two other things to think about on unused cards.

Some issuers cancel any linked bank accounts that you pay from if not used within a time period (City - 6 months)

Some card reward/point systems have rewards that expire if not redeemed within a time period. (Fine print somewhere on rewards page)

[CreditMagic7]

If any of the long term group is still around the going answer would been a pack of chew gum 6 months or per year.

These days it's likely not so much a chew gum purchase but at least every 3-6 months. Hard to nail it down to any exact scientific stat but every lender has some threshold and even CSR's probably wouldn't even know that exact expectation.

[NoMoreE46]

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@coldfusion wrote:

To some extent it is profile and issuer specific.  Issuers also tend to be more lenient with an AF card vs. one that has no annual fee. 

If you want to really be safe, a charge every 3 months but there's generally minimal risk if you place a charge placed on the card once every 6 months. 

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My wife's Disney Chase was inactive for well over three years before she got a notification of a pending closure.  She is > 800 and < 3%.    

(She did nothing and let the card close......  🤬)

[Aim_High]

Agreed that it varies based on lender and profile.   From my experience, I've had retail store cards closed fairly quickly (one year or less) without use.  I usually suggest a more frequent minimum usage of them than the major bank cards.   The general consensus of three to six months is probably sufficient to avoid closure.   On the other end of the spectrum, I have two cards that literally haven't had a swipe in years without closure.  However, they are both with financial institutions where I do regular banking, which is probably helping to keep them open.   I don't recommend doing that if you really want to keep them open.  I'm lukewarm about both of these cards so they've been a low priority.   

Remember, though, that even if the lender doesn't close the card, you could get a Credit Limit Decrease (CLD) if you're putting only putting small occasional charges on their card. 

[longtimelurker]

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@Aim_High wrote:

Remember, though, that even if the lender doesn't close the card, you could get a Credit Limit Decrease (CLD) if you're putting only putting small occasional charges on their card. 

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This!   A few of us experienced it with Cap One, mine was a CLD from $35K to $10K, with a spend the previous year of less than $300.   Basically, a tiny spend (pack of gum, or in my case a bit more) every three months, shouldn't be enough to justify a large CL from the lenders view.   I am somewhat surprised that these CLDs don't happen more often!

[House1204]

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@CreditMagic7 wrote:

If any of the long term group is still around the going answer would been a pack of chew gum 6 months or per year.

These days it's likely not so much a chew gum purchase but at least every 3-6 months. Hard to nail it down to any exact scientific stat but every lender has some threshold and even CSR's probably wouldn't even know that exact expectation.

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We are still here! Forum member since April 2008. Buy some gum!

[Anonymous]

You should post more often!  13 years on the forum and only 16 posts!

[CreditMagic7]

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@House1204 wrote:

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@CreditMagic7 wrote:

If any of the long term group is still around the going answer would been a pack of chew gum 6 months or per year.

These days it's likely not so much a chew gum purchase but at least every 3-6 months. Hard to nail it down to any exact scientific stat but every lender has some threshold and even CSR's probably wouldn't even know that exact expectation.

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We are still here! Forum member since April 2008. Buy some gum!

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Yeah, where you been keeping yourself? Lurking?

On a topic note that might be of some interest. I just had a dilly of a time getting not the Dell Preferred Account signed on into but the store had me locked out. I'm one of those who is most retail card active when its warmer than cold months so my new account from Oct opening is /was yet to be used. I did today. But had to jump thru hoops galore then was notified i hadn't had any purchases since the card was approved. Which is true. Kept getting error messages that email was on file but needed to reset password, which i did 5 times to no avail.

Thanks goodness Dell has a ready chat box and they set the Dell store sign in so i  could order. And order i did.

Just a heads up for anyone who let their Dell Preferred Account lay dormant for 6 months. Duh me.