Not using a credit card does lower your credit score, but the damage is usually small and temporary

A credit card you never use will not help your score, and it may hurt it slightly. The damage comes from two directions: your credit utilization ratio (the percentage of your available credit you are actually using) climbs when you stop using one card, and accounts that sit dormant for months can be closed by the card issuer, which removes available credit from your file. Neither effect is dramatic, but both move your score in the wrong direction.

The good news is that inactivity alone will not tank your score the way missed payments or high balances will. If you have other cards you use responsibly, the impact is usually a dip of 5 to 15 points. The real risk is if that unused card is your oldest account or your only card with a high credit limit — closing it removes something your score depends on.

Key Takeaways

  • Unused credit cards can be closed by the issuer after 6 to 12 months of inactivity, which reduces your total available credit and raises your utilization ratio.
  • Your credit utilization ratio — the percentage of available credit you use — makes up about 30 percent of your credit score, so losing a high-limit card hurts more than losing a low-limit one.
  • A small charge every few months, paid in full, keeps the account active without costing you interest or affecting your score negatively.
  • Closing a card yourself causes the same damage as the issuer closing it, so if you want to stop using a card, keeping it open is better than canceling it.

How credit utilization works and why it matters

Your credit utilization ratio is the total balance across all your cards divided by your total credit limit. If you have three cards with $5,000 limits each ($15,000 total) and you carry a $3,000 balance on one card, your utilization is 20 percent. Credit scoring models treat utilization as a sign of financial stress — the higher it is, the riskier you look.

When you stop using a card, that card's credit limit is still counted in your total available credit, so your utilization should stay the same. But if the issuer closes the account because you have not used it, that limit disappears. Now your total available credit drops, and your utilization ratio climbs even if your actual balance has not changed. A card with a $10,000 limit that gets closed can swing your utilization from 20 percent to 30 percent or higher, depending on your other cards.

Utilization makes up roughly 30 percent of your credit score, so a significant jump can lower your score by 20 to 50 points. The exact impact depends on how much of your total credit limit that card represented and what your utilization was before it closed.

When card issuers close inactive accounts

Most card issuers will close an account if you do not use it for 6 to 12 months, though the exact timeline varies by company. Some are more aggressive; others are more lenient. You will usually get a notice in the mail before they close it, but not always, and the notice may arrive after the decision has already been made.

The closure appears on your credit report as an account closed by the creditor (not by you), which is a neutral event — it does not damage your score the way a late payment does. But the loss of available credit is what hurts. If you want to keep the account open, you need to use it at least occasionally.

How to keep a card active without paying interest

You do not need to carry a balance to keep a card active. A single small charge every few months, paid in full when the bill arrives, is enough. Put a subscription on it — a streaming service, a magazine, a gym membership — or use it for one purchase a month and pay it off when ready. The issuer sees activity, the account stays open, and you pay no interest.

Paying in full also means your utilization on that card stays at zero or near zero, which is better for your score than carrying a balance. The goal is to show the issuer that the account is being monitored and used responsibly, not abandoned.

If you genuinely do not want to use the card, keeping it in a drawer unused is still better than closing it, as long as the issuer does not close it first. But you are taking the risk that they will, so occasional use is the safer choice.

The difference between closing a card yourself and having it closed

Closing a card yourself and having the issuer close it both remove that credit limit from your file, so the damage to your utilization ratio is the same. The difference is psychological and practical: when you close it, you are in control of the timing. When the issuer closes it, you may not notice for weeks, and by then the damage is already on your report.

If you have decided you truly do not want a card, closing it yourself lets you plan around the score impact — for instance, by paying down balances on other cards first to offset the utilization increase. Letting it close passively gives you no control and no warning.

Which cards matter most to keep open

Not all cards are equally important to your score. Your oldest card carries extra weight because age of accounts makes up about 15 percent of your score. Closing your oldest card hurts more than closing a newer one. Similarly, a card with a $20,000 limit matters more to your utilization ratio than a card with a $2,000 limit.

If you have multiple cards and need to decide which ones to keep active, prioritize your oldest card and your highest-limit card. Those two are doing the most work for your score. A newer card with a low limit is the safest one to let sit unused, though even that is better kept active if you can manage it.

How long inactivity affects your score

The damage from not using a card happens in stages. For the first few months, there is no effect — the account is still open and the credit limit still counts. Around month 6 to 12, the issuer may close it, and that is when your score takes a hit. The hit is when ready but not permanent. Your score will begin to recover within a few months as the closed account ages and becomes less relevant to your current credit profile.

If the account stays open because you use it occasionally, there is no damage at all. Your score may even benefit slightly from the account's age and the fact that you are using credit responsibly across multiple cards.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my score go down if I have a credit card I never use?

Only if the issuer closes the account due to inactivity. As long as the account is open, the credit limit counts toward your available credit and your utilization ratio stays the same. Once it closes, your available credit drops and your utilization climbs, which lowers your score by 5 to 50 points depending on the card's limit.

How often do I need to use a card to keep it active?

Most issuers want to see activity at least once every 6 to 12 months. A single small charge every few months is enough. You do not need to carry a balance — paying it off in full is actually better for your score.

Is it better to close a card or let it sit unused?

Keeping it open and using it occasionally is best. If you must choose between closing it yourself and letting the issuer close it, closing it yourself gives you control over the timing. But both have the same effect on your score — they remove the credit limit and raise your utilization.

Does having too many credit cards hurt my score?

The number of cards itself does not hurt your score. What matters is your utilization ratio and whether you pay on time. More cards with low balances is better than fewer cards with high balances, because it lowers your overall utilization.

Can I reopen a card after the issuer closes it?

You can contact the issuer and ask them to reopen it, but they are not required to agree. Some will reopen it if you ask within a certain window; others will not. If they refuse, you can explore for a new card from the same issuer, but it will be treated as a new account with a new age, so you lose the benefit of the original account's history.