Call Bank of America to close your card, pay off the balance first, and confirm the closure in writing
To close a Bank of America credit card, you must call their customer service line at 1-800-732-9194, confirm you want to close the account, and pay any remaining balance. Bank of America will not close an account with an outstanding balance. After you call, the card issuer will send you a written confirmation of the closure. This confirmation is important to keep—it proves the account is closed if a dispute arises later.
The process itself takes one phone call, but the full closure can take 30 to 60 days to appear on your credit report. During that time, the account will show as "closed by customer" rather than active, and you will not be able to use the card. Any pending transactions may still post to the account after closure, so check your statement for several billing cycles.
Key Takeaways
- Pay off your full balance before calling to close—Bank of America will not close an account with money owed.
- Call 1-800-732-9194 and tell the representative you want to close the account; they will confirm the closure over the phone.
- Request written confirmation of the closure and keep it in your records as proof the account is closed.
- The closure will appear on your credit report within 30 to 60 days, but the account shows as closed immediately after the call.
- Check your statement for two or three billing cycles after closure to catch any delayed transactions.
Pay off your balance before you call
Bank of America will not close a credit card account that has an outstanding balance. If you have a balance, you have two options: pay it in full before calling, or set up a payment plan and close the account after the final payment clears.
If you choose to pay in full first, do so at least one business day before you call. This gives the payment time to post to your account. You can pay online through your Bank of America account, by phone, by mail, or in person at a branch. Once the balance shows as zero, call to close the account.
If you have a large balance and cannot pay it all at once, you can still close the account after the final payment posts. However, you will need to make that final payment before the closure is complete, so plan accordingly.
Call the customer service number and request closure
Bank of America's credit card customer service line is 1-800-732-9194. Have your card number or account number ready when you call. Tell the representative you want to close the account. They will ask you why you are closing it—this is optional to answer, but they may offer incentives to keep the account open. You can decline and proceed with closure.
The representative will confirm your identity, verify that your balance is zero, and process the closure. They will give you a confirmation number over the phone. Write this number down. The entire call usually takes 5 to 10 minutes.
If you are closing the account because of fraud or unauthorized charges, tell the representative immediately. They may freeze the account and initiate a dispute investigation before closing it. Do not close the account until the fraud investigation is complete, as closing it can complicate the dispute process.
Request written confirmation and keep it on file
After you hang up, Bank of America will mail you a written confirmation that the account is closed. This letter typically arrives within 7 to 10 business days. It will show the account number, the closure date, and a statement that the account is closed at the customer's request.
Keep this letter in your records indefinitely. If a debt collector later claims you owe money on this account, or if the account reappears on your credit report as open, you have proof of closure. You may also need it if you dispute a charge that posts after the account closes.
If you do not receive written confirmation within two weeks, call back and ask them to send it again or provide a reference number for the closure.
Monitor your credit report and statement after closure
After you close the account, it will show on your credit report as "closed by customer" for up to seven years. This is normal and does not harm your credit score. In fact, closing a card with a high balance can slightly improve your score by lowering your overall credit utilization ratio.
Check your credit report 30 to 60 days after closure to confirm the account shows as closed. You can get a free copy of your credit report from each of the three major bureaus—Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion—once per year at annualcreditreport.com. If the account still shows as open after 60 days, contact Bank of America again.
Continue to check your statement for two or three billing cycles after closure. Transactions that were pending at the time of closure may still post, and you need to verify that no unauthorized charges appear. After the final statement closes, the account should go dormant.
What happens to rewards points and pending transactions
If your Bank of America credit card earns rewards points, you should redeem them before closing the account. Bank of America's policy is to keep rewards points in your account for a limited time after closure, but the exact timeline varies. Call before you close to ask how long your points will remain available.
Pending transactions—charges that have not yet posted to your account—may still post after closure. This is especially true for recurring charges like subscriptions or automatic payments. If you have recurring charges on this card, update those merchants with a new payment method before you close the account. If a charge posts after closure, contact Bank of America to dispute it or request a refund.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will closing my credit card hurt my credit score?
Closing a card can have a small negative impact on your score because it reduces your total available credit, which increases your credit utilization ratio. However, if the card had a high balance, closing it may actually improve your score. The impact is usually temporary and recovers within a few months.
Can I reopen the account after I close it?
Bank of America may allow you to reopen a closed account within a certain timeframe, but this depends on how long ago it was closed and the reason for closure. Call customer service to ask. If too much time has passed, you will need to open a new account instead.
What if I have an authorized user on the account?
When you close the account, any authorized users will lose access to the card. Notify them before you call to close. If they need to keep a credit card, they should open their own account or you should remove them as an authorized user first and then close the account.
Do I need to cut up the card after closing?
Yes. Cut the card into pieces or shred it to prevent someone from finding it and attempting to use it. Even though the account is closed, a physical card could be misused if it falls into the wrong hands.
What if Bank of America denies my closure request?
Bank of America cannot deny a closure request if your balance is zero. If they refuse to close the account, ask to speak to a supervisor and explain that you want the account closed. If they still refuse, file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) at consumerfinance.gov.