Weren't you getting monthly statements from each?

That happened to me with my Target card. I didn't use it for a while so they closed it.

No statement that I ever saw. I guess because they’ve been closed for years?

Regarding closing cards. Yes, they do that now, I do not think it is new. I always received correspondence/notification.

Yeah, I did the same thing and found I had no active credit cards (because I didn't use any of them for some years). I guess I understand...I just use debit card anyway.

I am keeping a Sears CC from when we were newlyweds. It should qualify as "memorabilia" soon.

I don't get statements from Sears or any other stores where we once had accounts in the days before you could use Amex and other CCs everywhere.

Jim, DH might have received something while he was sick and forgot to tell me.

I have no regrets, we spent most of his last months in hospitals and trying to say everything we could to each other knowing that we wouldn’t see each other ever again.

We talked finances a few times but those months were a blur. I just wanted to hold on forever.

I never ran into this before the housing crisis about 10 years ago. After that, banks got picky about how much credit they had floating around and started closing cards if they weren't used. A lot of my friends had problems with cards suddenly being closed without notice, and we got warnings on some cards too but never had one closed without a warning. Sometimes they send notice, sometimes not. I only keep a few cards and make a point of using them all at least once a year to keep them active.

I think it is profitable for them to do this. For example, I received a letter telling me a card I had not used would be closed in 90 days for lack of use. I looked at the current interest rates of credit cards and my card is 4% lower. If I would let it close and open another card in the future, it is almost guaranteed that the new interest rate would be higher.

Yes they do shut them down if they aren't used within a certain amount of time.

Macy's has done this for years, closing unused accounts after about two years. Twice now I have had to open a new account to make a large purchase, but I did so because there was a really great "open a new account today and get 25% off your purchases" offer. So I managed to get a $1500 rug on sale at half price and then another 25% off. Worked for me.

I don’t know how long it’s been going on, but I would assume It helps to cut down on fraud

I think department stores have always de-activated cards after a certain length of time with no usage.

They do not send out statements with no balance. I am hoping many of mine have closed out.

Yes, my Tiffany's NM, Saks, and now probably my Macy's card have all been closed as I don't use them. I use my AmEx card for everything, and I haven't been to NYC now in 4 years.

Store credit cards you have to chop up, write a note telling them to close the account, sign it and mail it ALL back to them. The bigger CC companies will close the account if it's unused for a year.

Nicole, I completely disagree. It's just the opposite. Store cards are closed, bank cards are forever.

I don't know about 'store cards', but your credit rating is affected negatively by too many openings and closing of regular credit card accounts. If any of those accounts you are closing were Master, Visa, etc., call their service number to discuss, Be prepared to provide a copy of his death certificate. They may ask for it to prevent a knock on your credit rating. Also ask if a facsimile of the certificate will suffice. If so, that could save you some money. Financial institutions often require certified copies of death certificates.

Sushipup, I didn't know Macy's did that. I stopped in several months ago to pick up a new wheeled overnighter, planned to use my card for something like an additional 10% off and my card was refused. They don't seem to have customer service dept in all stores any longer and no one could tell me why. I used a bank card for my overnight bag.

Called a couple of days later to see what the problem was with my card (that I'd used periodically all my adult life) and they said cancelled for 'lack of use'. I was really offended and declined her offer for me to reapply - I'd had that card since before I was married...it dated back to 1971, and after a lapse in activity in 2016-17 they decided I was no longer a good customer ;0)

It is not a new practice. I remember shopping at Sears probably 40 years ago for some kind of tool, and finding that my card had been cancelled. I had not used it for years. Never renewed it. This week I tried to use my Macy's card only to discover it had been cancelled. We had a fraud situation with one of our Macy's cards, so maybe that is why it was cancelled. I had 3 Macy's cards until recently, 3 different accounts from when Macy's merged with other department stores. Each time that happened, Macy's sent us a new card to replace our Broadway and May Company cards. Now I have a newer card that is the only active one, and that was sent to me to replace the fraudulently used one.

Had a Citi card cancelled for non-use. Just received notice from BoA - if card not used in next 30 days, will be cancelled.

JeCrigler, my DH passed away 2 months ago. Any credit we ever had was in his name. My friend told me that I had to establish my own credit now. Sure enough, this was true. It's something to think about. Everyone needs established credit.

Love, on all our credit cards we put both names on the applications and both names are on each card. That means I did get credit?

We received notification from Capitol One that the card was terminated. Discover has been missing us and sending correspondence. We replaced Discover spending with Ally Bank 2% cash back credit card which offers a 10% bonus on the cash back that's deposited to the online savings account. Plus Ally works in Canada and Discover doesn't.

I use MasterCard in Canada because there is no extra fee. Then I pay it off immediately when I get home so there is no finance charge either.

Another thing about some credit cards. It's wise to sign up if they are offering a 10% discount on your immediate purchase. HD, Lowe's, Best Buy, etc., will often take 10% off the purchase when signing up. And, when you sign up, you don't have to charge the purchase to the new account. I take advantage of those deals whenever I can.

Elizabeth, anytime I use MC in Canada, I'm charged a 1% foreign exchange fee.

So if 9 have already been cancelled, and you have 18 remaining, do you wish to keep any of those? If so, figure out which 5or so of them you do wish to keep for now. As someone mentioned, it can affect your credit rating if you cancel a lot of credit cards at one time. So pick 3-4 you immediately want to cancel, call those companies and cancel now. It won’t hurt actually if you do, say, apply for a loan for a car and your credit is checked. You can easily explain you just wanted to get rid of old credit cards not used due to your husband’s death. Then next year do it again. You are actually reducing you credit ceiling by canceling these cards, which is a good thing.

If you applied jointly then yes you did get credit. That seems to be the case if both names are actually on one card. If you have separate cards with your individual names on them and your husband was the primary cardholder and you are an authorized user then the card is not yours to use.

As for building credit as an authorized user many major credit card issuers do report authorized user activity to credit bureaus. Smaller issuers do not. Some parents/families utilize the former as an opportunity to build credit for their children.

DH and I have separate credit cards with the same banks and issuers. I am an authorized user on all of his. He is an authorized user on just a couple of mine. I also carry a few store cards in my name only. I handle the finances. This works well for both of us. Keeps us both with excellent credit card scores. The really odd thing is I consistently am offered ridiculously higher credit limits than he even though he is the breadwinner and I stayed out of the workforce.

It depends on who you get your MasterCard from whether or not there is a foreign exchange fee. I call ahead to see what the terms are.

You are actually reducing you credit ceiling by canceling these cards, which is a good thing.

I have to disagree with that statement. Having a high ceiling allows you to have a lower credit card utilization ratio. As long as you don't get into debt and pay your cards off each month it can be a very healthy thing for your score. That in turn gives you the best credit terms when buying or taking out a loan should you need one.

If I were the OP I would take a look at the cards (that are actually hers) the OP has and cancel any that have annual fees if she doesn't need them or use them. But otherwise just let them be.

You may need to read the fine print of your existing cards and have a clean out, here...You want your own credit. If your score is high enough, I would shop around for a single card that works for you (no annual fee, cashback or points...we like Chase Freedom as there are quarterly bonus cashback depending on where you shop)...I think it's 5% at walmart and some others now...

We have another card (for the travel points) that we use for ALL of our utilities, etc. on autopay, the balance of which automatically gets paid by the bank. This one has a fee, but it pays that and then some, so I works for us.

None of this will work if you have cc balances.

Penny, Chase is in my stack. I like them too!!

I think most of us use CC's for convenience, not long term payments. Am I right?

We don't carry a balance on any CC beyond the payment due date.

Elizabeth, you're right! Thanks for the suggestion. All it took was a call to MC and they reset my current card to "no foreign transaction fee" and "no currency exchange fee". I guess they wanted to keep me, even though they don't earn any interest on me.

Thank you!

I don't have credit cards, I should know the answer to this but can you establish credit by having a mortgage instead. My mortgage is now paid off. If I have need for a credit card I just buy a prepaid one.

I'm glad to have found this thread, as I was extremely upset that without notice Lowes cancelled my card in September which I had for 16 years. Actually they notified me in October that they had already cancelled it. I had not used the card while paying off thousands of renovation 18-month interest free charges which I completed paying off successfully in December of last year. I had been in the planning stage for the next round of projects when I received the notice. The card employees said the decision was not reversible, but could not give a straight answer. on why. One said it was my credit score, but that is impossible. I have been very upset over this and although I doubt I will ever shop at Lowes again, I don't feel quite so personally affronted after reading all the above postings. I had no idea this practice was so widespread.

Indigo, Lowe’s shocked me too!! I’ve had my credit card with them for 25 years. Admittedly I haven’t used it in 20 years but I never knew it was closed.

Honestly for me, and sounds like most people open a store credit card because they are offering some kind of instant discount on purchases. Then never use it again.

On my Amex, MasterCard & Visa I get reward points or miles when I use them. Therefore I never have a purpose for that store card again. I have to believe DH knew but forgot.

I find it odd that you say all your accounts are joint accounts. I think you had better recheck that. Very few card issuers allow joint accounts. Some banks do but Amex, Mastercard, Visa etc. do not. So if those 18 cards are not issued by your bank or banks they are most likely not joint accounts making you an authorized user, not a joint card holder. Continuing to use those cards could be considered fraud.

Now it could be that you opened your accounts when joint accounts were still being issued. Whether or not you would be grandfathered in would be up their fine print.

From what I understand, a mortgage alone isn't enough to establish and keep a high credit score rating, you have to have some diversity for you to qualify for the top credit score level.

ETA: a variety of credit sources and regular use demonstrating you pay the credit issuer back for what you spend.

Our credit cards are all bank issued visa credit cards - one from the bank we have our checking account at and the other from BofA, both of which we pay the bills on from our bank account with debit card.

It's nothing new. I had cards closed on me 30 years ago for non-use. I got several store cards and once I got Shoppers Charge, then Discover there was no reason to use the store cards and get a separate bill to pay, unless there was a financial benefit to using the card.

I think it's a good idea. Cards get lost and forgotten and could easily be abused. If you don't use a card, why have it is my feeling.

Watchme, that is true, but the income helps determine that too. So without the husband’s original income when credit was applied for, it might not be so favorable to have a high available credit and not enough income to support the debt. That was the point I was trying to make in cancelling a few cards. But if her credit score is ok, yes, just let them be. Probably better to get a credit report first and just look it over.

While it is true that credit ceilings are based on income and opening new cards requires income verification, credit scores themselves have little or nothing to do with income. One thing to remember when closing cards is to try to always keep the oldest and keep it active by occasional use. My own credit score took a hit when I payed off my vehicle. I pay them off early. I was still in the very good/excellent numbers but still a 24 point hit just for paying off a loan. That's the account diversity part. But it is inching back up and now I am in a good time of closing or opening new credit again and not having hard inquiries affect me much if at all. Another thing to watch for is cards that "upgrade" you to rewards cards and such. Some do it automatically, others have an opt out feature. For example some stores will upgrade you to a store card to a combined use anywhere Retailer/Mastercard for rewards. Often these upgrades are reported as new accounts creating a hard inquiry on you record.