The basic steps to close your Bank of America credit card
To cancel a Bank of America credit card, you call the customer service number on the back of your card and ask to close the account. A representative will confirm your identity, review your account balance, and process the cancellation. The whole call usually takes 10 to 15 minutes. Bank of America will send you a written confirmation in the mail within a few days.
Before you call, pay off any remaining balance on the card. Bank of America will not close an account with an outstanding balance — you will need to settle what you owe first. If you have pending transactions or automatic payments set to that card, cancel or redirect those before closing the account.
After the account closes, the card itself stops working when ready. However, the account remains visible on your credit report for up to 10 years as a closed account. This is normal and does not harm your credit — closed accounts in good standing actually help your credit history.
Key Takeaways
- Call the number on the back of your Bank of America credit card and tell the representative you want to close the account.
- Pay off your full balance before calling, because Bank of America will not close an account with money owed.
- Stop any automatic payments or recurring charges on the card before you cancel, or redirect them to another payment method.
- The closed account stays on your credit report for years, which is normal and does not hurt your credit score if the account was in good standing.
- Request written confirmation of the cancellation and keep it for your records.
What happens to your credit score when you close a credit card
Closing a credit card can lower your credit score temporarily, but the effect is usually small and fades over time. The main reason is that closing an account reduces your total available credit. If you had a $5,000 limit on this card and $15,000 in total limits across all your cards, closing this one drops your total available credit to $10,000. This changes your credit utilization ratio — the percentage of your total credit limit that you are actually using.
The impact is smaller if you are not carrying balances on your other cards. If you owe nothing on your remaining cards, closing one account has almost no effect on your score. The damage is larger if you carry balances on your other cards, because your utilization ratio goes up when your available credit shrinks.
The score recovery is usually quick. Within a few months, the temporary dip disappears, especially if you keep your other accounts in good standing and do not miss any payments. The closed account itself remains on your credit report and continues to show that you managed credit responsibly, which helps your long-term credit history.
Reasons to cancel versus reasons to keep the card open
Cancel the card if you are paying an annual fee and not using the card enough to justify it, if the rewards program no longer matches your spending, or if you are trying to simplify your finances by reducing the number of accounts you manage. You should also cancel if the card has a high interest rate and you are tempted to carry a balance, or if you want to close accounts as part of paying down debt.
Keep the card open if it has no annual fee, even if you do not use it regularly. An unused card with a zero balance helps your credit score by keeping your available credit high and showing a long account history. Bank of America may close the account for inactivity after a long period of no use — typically 12 months or more — but this is rare and the impact on your credit is minimal.
If the card has an annual fee but offers strong rewards or benefits you value, the math might favor keeping it. Calculate what you earn in rewards or cash back against the annual fee. If the rewards exceed the fee, the card pays for itself. If not, closing it makes financial sense.
Preparing your accounts before you cancel
Review your recent statements and identify any automatic payments or recurring charges tied to this card. Common examples are streaming services, insurance payments, utility bills, gym memberships, and subscription services. For each one, log into the merchant's website or call them directly to update your payment method to a different card or bank account.
Do not rely on the merchant to stop charging you after you close the card. If a charge attempts to post after the account closes, it will be declined, but you may face late fees from the merchant or have your service interrupted. Taking 15 minutes to redirect these payments before you call Bank of America prevents this problem entirely.
Check your account for pending transactions — charges you made but that have not yet posted to your statement. These can take several days to appear. If you close the account while a transaction is pending, it may still post after closure, which can cause confusion. Wait until pending transactions have cleared, or contact the merchant to confirm the charge has posted before you proceed.
What to expect after the account closes
Your Bank of America credit card stops working when ready after you confirm the cancellation. You cannot use it for purchases, and any attempt to charge it will be declined. If you have a PIN set up for ATM withdrawals on this card, that access ends too.
Bank of America will mail you a written confirmation of the closure within a few business days. Keep this letter in your records. It serves as proof that you closed the account on a specific date, which is useful if you ever dispute a charge or need to show that the account was closed.
If you have a Bank of America checking account or other products with the bank, closing one credit card does not affect those accounts. Only the credit card itself closes. Your other banking relationships remain unchanged.
If you change your mind after canceling
If you cancel the card and then decide you want it back, contact Bank of America within 30 days. The bank can sometimes reopen a recently closed account, though this is not may provide. After 30 days, reopening becomes much harder or impossible, and you may have to explore for a new card instead.
If you have to explore for a new card, you will go through the full process process again, including a hard inquiry on your credit report. This is another reason to be certain before you call to cancel — the process of closing and reopening creates unnecessary credit inquiries and paperwork.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I cancel my Bank of America credit card online or through the app?
Bank of America does not allow you to close a credit card through their website or mobile app. You must call the customer service number on the back of your card. This is standard practice across most credit card issuers — they require a phone call to confirm your identity and may support you are making the decision intentionally.
What if I have a balance I cannot pay off right now?
Bank of America will not close the account until the balance is paid in full. You have two options: pay the balance before calling to cancel, or keep the account open and continue making payments until it is paid off. Closing an account with an outstanding balance is not possible, so you must resolve the debt first.
Will closing my card hurt my credit if I have other cards?
The impact is usually small if you have other cards with available credit and no balances on them. Your credit score may dip slightly for a few months because your total available credit decreases, but the effect fades quickly. If you carry balances on your other cards, the impact is larger because your utilization ratio increases.
How long does it take for the card to stop working?
Your Bank of America credit card stops working when ready after you confirm the cancellation on the phone. You cannot use it for any purchases or transactions after that moment. The written confirmation arrives in the mail within a few business days.
What happens to my rewards points when I close the card?
This depends on the specific Bank of America card you have. Some cards let you keep and redeem rewards after closure, while others require you to redeem them before the account closes. Ask the representative about your rewards balance before you hang up, and redeem any points you want to keep before the account is officially closed.