I'm in sort of the same situation.
My oldest card is Lowe's (opened 2004) with Belk right behind it (2006) and where I live now isn't close to either. As luck would have it, there's a Home Depot just a few miles away (because of course). 
Sometimes I will go months without using either of them, but when it gets close to a year I usually try to make a small online purchase to reset the clock, so to speak. Around Black Friday is a good time for this, since the minimum for free shipping is usually either low or waived altogether.
Closed accounts usually stick around for a while (up to 10 years) and FICO will continue to factor them into the total account age as long as they report, so there's usually little harm in closing an account. There are several schools of thought on what's best (either 'cut the fat' or keep them around like I do) and there's really no wrong answer... just do what works for you. I kind of like the idea of having really old accounts, so I tend to go the 'keep alive' route personally. That's definitely not the only option, of course.
About store cards in general, I'm more neutral on if they're good or bad. If something saves me money then in my book it's good, but that's just me. Some folks don't like having store cards because it's a personal goal for them only to have network cards, and of course that's fine, too. The (roughly) annual "keep alive" charges don't bother me, and truthfully I once went years without using the Lowe's card and it never got closed, although I wouldn't recommend that these days.
Just my 2¢. 
If they are store cards where visiting the store is a pain, and you aren't interested in online shopping...I think it's time to cut them out.
8/22/24
3/09/25
@sean31732 wrote:Hey Guys, after much deliberation I feel that I'm at a crossroads in my credit journey.
I'm now wondering if it's EVER truly beneficial to apply for (and keep) a specific STORE ONLY credit card? I use to think YES, and now I'm thinking that was a mistake. I have several of these cards in my overall CC portfolio, and I feel trapped by them all these years later. Getting CLI's or interest rate reductions on any of these particular cards has proven to be a challenge. 😒
I also can't use them ANYWHERE ELSE!
I came to the conclusion a long time ago not to bother with store cards. It's just not worth having the pressure to buy from a single place. I had one for a couple of months, being sucked into it by the cashier, but closed it pretty quickly. Since then I stay away, no matter how enticing.
The biggest problem is that I was approved for these cards many years ago, and if I close any of them it will have a severe impact on my average age of accounts.
Usually a closed account stays on your reports for many years, typically 10 years or so. So if it affects any of your aging factors, it probably won't be for another 10 years, by which time you will have added 10 years of aging
But I don't really use them anymore (except for one on rare occasions) The promise of 'exclusive deals and special offers for cardholders' has not really panned out for me over the years either. (which is why I don't use the cards much) Should I just close them, or just FORCE myself to use them anyway?
My vote is : close them.
I feel like I don't have any good options, and that if I'm not careful the CC issuers (Comenity Bank & Synchrony Bank) will slash my limits or forcibly close them for me because I'm not using them. 👎
An additional (although less important) note is that all these cards are between 29-30% APR.
I don't want to severely damage my excellent credit scores. (800+ across all three credit bureaus) It has taken years for me to get my scores where they are now. I would really hate to blow all that up so that I could hit the reset button.
As noted above, it won't hurt your credit scores to close them.
So I wanted to know what you guys think about this idea, and how well it would work for me...
So because closing these cards (all 6+ years) is going to affect my length of credit score, I was thinking about just closing ONE card every 12 months over a period of 36 months. I have 10 other credit cards at the present time. (I use 4 of them on a regular basis) I also have a car loan in good standing, and no missed payments for the past eight years. Closing a CC account in good standing (with a zero balance of course) shouldn't hurt me that much right?
Right.
So what do you guys think? Could this work out for me without nerfing my credit scores too much? 🙃
Yes
@sean31732 wrote:Hey Guys, after much deliberation I feel that I'm at a crossroads in my credit journey.
I'm now wondering if it's EVER truly beneficial to apply for (and keep) a specific STORE ONLY credit card? I use to think YES, and now I'm thinking that was a mistake. I have several of these cards in my overall CC portfolio, and I feel trapped by them all these years later. Getting CLI's or interest rate reductions on any of these particular cards has proven to be a challenge. 😒
I also can't use them ANYWHERE ELSE!
The biggest problem is that I was approved for these cards many years ago, and if I close any of them it will have a severe impact on my average age of accounts. But I don't really use them anymore (except for one on rare occasions) The promise of 'exclusive deals and special offers for cardholders' has not really panned out for me over the years either. (which is why I don't use the cards much) Should I just close them, or just FORCE myself to use them anyway?
I feel like I don't have any good options, and that if I'm not careful the CC issuers (Comenity Bank & Synchrony Bank) will slash my limits or forcibly close them for me because I'm not using them. 👎
An additional (although less important) note is that all these cards are between 29-30% APR.
I don't want to severely damage my excellent credit scores. (800+ across all three credit bureaus) It has taken years for me to get my scores where they are now. I would really hate to blow all that up so that I could hit the reset button.
So I wanted to know what you guys think about this idea, and how well it would work for me...
So because closing these cards (all 6+ years) is going to affect my length of credit score, I was thinking about just closing ONE card every 12 months over a period of 36 months. I have 10 other credit cards at the present time. (I use 4 of them on a regular basis) I also have a car loan in good standing, and no missed payments for the past eight years. Closing a CC account in good standing (with a zero balance of course) shouldn't hurt me that much right?
So what do you guys think? Could this work out for me without nerfing my credit scores too much? 🙃
Since you're a tad nervous about doing it, that's a good idea. As I said before I don't think closing them will hurt your scores at all, so do whatever you find most comfortable.
You and others have brought up some great issues with store cards, @sean31732. I'm not totally against them - for the right reasons or the right consumer profile - but on the whole, I recommend using them in moderation (if at all.)
Due to easier underwriting standards, they may be easier to qualify for than other cards, so adding one or two in a building/rebuilding process can be helpful. And for a consumer who regularly and organically shops at a certain store, they can be convenient and provide some special savings opportunities.
But on other hand, they can be a negative.
- Some cards may only be useful in that store; I prefer cards I can use elsewhere if desired.
- Rewards may only redeemed in-store as opposed to cash on most cards.
- They may be more sensitive to non-use than major bank cards so it can be frustrating to waste a HP and new account only to have them closed unexpectedly. I've had store cards closed without notice on me within six months of last use.
- They require time for additional account management to monitor for fraud, payments due, or redemption of rewards before expiration.
- Most retailers use the cards and loyalty programs as a means to sending marketing to you by snail mail and/or email. While special offers might be welcomed in some cases, in others they can quickly become a nuisance.
For age, the accounts will normally continue to report to your credit for up to ten years after closing, so I wouldn't worry about the impact on average age of accounts. As with any closure, the FICO impact is more from the lost aggregate utilization padding if you're carrying balances. If they are for retailers where you don't plan to shop, I would close them without regret. They are not worth the time and hassle to manage so set yourself free! Yes, you could space them out one every three months or so but you don't need to wait a year. Shutting down a bunch of accounts all at once might make your other lenders wonder if you're under distress, but a few months spacing is adequate to avoid that IMO.
