We are an independent publisher. Our reporters create honest, accurate, and objective content to help you make decisions. To support our work, we are paid for providing advertising services. Many, but not all, of the offers and clickable hyperlinks (such as a “Next” button) that appear on this site are from companies that compensate us. The compensation we receive and other factors, such as your location, may impact what ads and links appear on our site, and how, where, and in what order ads and links appear. While we strive to provide a wide range of offers, our site does not include information about every product or service that may be available to you. We strive to keep our information accurate and up-to-date, but some information may not be current. So, your actual offer terms from an advertiser may be different than the offer terms on this site. And the advertised offers may be subject to additional terms and conditions of the advertiser. All information is presented without any warranty or guarantee to you.

This page may include: credit card ads that we may be paid for (“advertiser listing”); and general information about credit card products (“editorial content”). Many, but not all, of the offers and clickable hyperlinks (such as a “Apply Now” button or “Learn More” button) that appear on this site are from companies that compensate us. When you click on that hyperlink or button, you may be directed to the credit card issuer’s website where you can review the terms and conditions for your selected offer. Each advertiser is responsible for the accuracy and availability of its ad offer details, but we attempt to verify those offer details. We have partnerships with advertisers such as Brex, Capital One, Chase, Citi, Wells Fargo and Discover. We also include editorial content to educate consumers about financial products and services. Some of that content may also contain ads, including links to advertisers’ sites, and we may be paid on those ads or links.

For more information, please see How we make money.

Easily Find Out Credit Card Open & Close Dates

  • Million Mile Secrets

    • Signing up for credit cards through partner links earns us a commission. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Here’s our full advertising policy: How we make money.

    Million Mile Secrets reader, Mary Beth commented:

    We have a lot of credit cards and I have not kept track of when I opened, closed, etc.  Is there a way to find this out?

    Great question, Mary Beth!

    Tracking credit card open and close dates can help you decide if you are eligible for a sign-up bonus again.  It’s also important to know because Chase is limiting credit card approvals if you have ~5 or more new accounts on your credit report within the previous 24 months.

    Help Decide If You Should Apply for New Cards

    Your credit card open dates will also give you an idea of when you will be charged your annual fee (if any).

    I’ll explain the best ways to find the information you’re looking for!

    View Your Credit Report

    Link:   CreditKarma  

    Link:   AnnualCreditReport.com 

    Banks access your credit report whenever you apply for credit.  You can view the information on your credit report as well!

    Your credit report contains information for each credit card you’ve opened, including:

    Check Your Credit Report for Important Information About Your Credit Card Accounts

    In addition, you can (and should) get a free copy of your credit report every time you are denied credit.  Why?  Because it is free, and it doesn’t hurt to review your credit report for accuracy.

    You are also entitled to a free copy of your credit report from each bureau every 12 months.

    Here are links to the free or discounted request pages of the 3 credit bureaus:

    A free copy of your Equifax report is also available through Credit Karma.

    If you closed or have inactive accounts, these may be shown on your credit report indefinitely, but in most cases will be removed 10 years after the date of last activity.

    Keep in mind each bank reports a new card opening to the credit bureaus at different times.  Generally, new cards are shown on your credit report within 30 to 60 days.

    Contact Your Credit Card Customer Service

    One easy way to find out when you opened a credit card is to contact your credit card company.  Call the phone number on the back of your card, or send a secure message through your online account.

    Call Your Credit Card Customer Service Number for Information on Account Open Dates and Annual Fees

    Also, you can ask the customer service representative when your annual fee (if any) will appear on your billing statement.  If you are considering cancelling your card because of the annual fee, you might be able to have it waived.

    Remember that banks use your approval date as your credit card open date and NOT the date you receive or activate your card.

    Keep Your Own Records

    When you have a lot of credit cards, staying organized is the most important thing you can do to make sure you get the most value out of your miles and points.

    I like to keep a spreadsheet that tracks certain information, such as:

    You can use your records to compare against your credit reports to confirm accuracy.

    Bottom Line

    Credit card open dates are determined based on the date you were approved for the card.

    Contacting your credit card customer service over the phone or by writing a secure message can be an easy way to get information about your credit card open dates and annual fees (if any).

    Also, you can see your credit card open and close dates on your credit report from CreditKarma, AnnualCreditReport.com, and the 3 credit bureaus.

    It’s best to keep your own records on a spreadsheet or whatever method you’re comfortable with.  That way, you can double-check the information on your credit report!

    Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)