How Long Should You Keep a Card After the Welcome Bonus?

By Bryce Casson, Founder · Cardocrat · Updated July 2026
The short answer: Keep the card at least until the bonus posts and your account is a full year old. Closing before a year can trigger clawbacks or annoy the issuer. After year one, decide each renewal whether to keep, downgrade, or cancel based on the fee and the value.

This guide covers why you should wait for the bonus to clear, why the one-year mark matters, and how to decide between keeping, downgrading, and canceling after that.

Wait for the bonus to post and clear

First, never close a card before the welcome bonus has actually posted and settled, since closing too early can cost you the bonus. Some issuers also claw back a bonus if the account is closed very quickly, so let it fully land before you consider anything. Our guide on protecting your welcome bonus covers the traps.

The one-year mark

Closing a card within the first year can annoy an issuer and, with some, put future approvals at risk, so the common guidance is to hold the card until at least the first annual fee comes due. That first renewal is the natural decision point, when you weigh whether the card is worth paying for again.

Keep, downgrade, or cancel

At renewal, keep the card if its benefits clearly outbeat the fee, or if it is a no-fee card worth holding for the credit history. If not, a downgrade to a no-fee version from the same issuer preserves your account age and usually your points, which beats canceling outright. Cancel only when there is no good downgrade and the fee is not worth it, keeping in mind when to cancel a card and that closing can raise your utilization.

The bottom line
  • Do not close until the bonus has posted and cleared.
  • Closing before one year can trigger a clawback or flag your account.
  • After year one, weigh the annual fee against the value.
  • A downgrade preserves history and often the points.
  • Cancel only if neither keeping nor downgrading makes sense.

Frequently asked questions

Can I cancel a card right after getting the welcome bonus?
It is unwise. Wait until the bonus has posted and cleared, and ideally until the first year is up, since closing early can trigger a clawback or flag your account.
Why keep a card for a full year?
Closing within the first year can annoy issuers and risk future approvals. Holding until the first annual fee is due gives a natural decision point.
Should I cancel or downgrade after year one?
Downgrade if a no-fee version exists, since it preserves history and usually points. Cancel only if there is no worthwhile downgrade and the fee is not justified.

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Bryce Casson

Written by Bryce Casson, Founder of Cardocrat. About the author and how we rank cards.