Old Credit Cards?

J2010 · 23 June 2017 at 10:58AM

Hi folks, just wondering if anyone can answer the following please...

I had an interest free card with Barclays and used it properly. Paying off the balance before the end of the 0% interest period... I then rang them to close the card but the agent tried to get me to take a new card... this time with an interest rate. I declined as I had already been accepted for another 0% card with my bank...

The agent then advised me to leave my old BarclayCard account open incase I needed it for the future and also told me it was good for my credit rating to do this... so I did.

A few years later I'm thinking about closing it as I just keep getting letters from them about offers etc, and today my new card just arrived which I doubt I'll ever use.

What I wanted to know was is it true about having the account remain open is good for my credit rating?

If I leave this open would it make it easier in the future to get another 0% card from them or would that not matter?

Thanks!

Candyapple · 23 June 2017 at 11:05AM

Yes it's good for your credit history keeping it open because it will increase your average age of accounts history.

It won't matter if you leave the account open or not, you are still allowed 2 Barclaycards so you can always get another card from them if you needed to. Another benefit of keeping it is if you did decide to apply for another card with them and you didn't get a high enough credit limit - you can split the limit from your old card onto the new one.

Old Credit Cards?

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