Can I "reactivate" an old credit card to lengthen my credit history/improve credit score??

I seem to recall that my wife did this once, called up and reactivated a Chase card after it had been closed about a year. Has anyone done this as a way to lengthen your credit history? Obviously I'm talking about reopening a card from 3-5 years ago (I accidently closed all of my older ones

Thanks for calling [Your Financial Institution]. I have successfully reinstated all your previous credit card accounts.
Please feel free to contact us if we can be of further service.

I tried to do that with my credit union (PEFCU). They would *not* re-activate my credit card (my first, closed it before I knew better!).

I have successfully done this with a citibank student card.

at that time it was owned by associates.

reopened 3 years later, new hard on my CR, same acct number and open date, and CLI increase.

HappyGuy said: Sounds like one phone call will give you your answer. Share your results when you find out.

loserguy said: I seem to recall that my wife did this once, called up and reactivated a Chase card after it had been closed about a year. Has anyone done this as a way to lengthen your credit history? Obviously I'm talking about reopening a card from 3-5 years ago (I accidently closed all of my older ones

HappyGuy: How can one phone call tell me if I can re-open 12 of my closed credit cards?? Please advise who I would call.

Chase - 1 year
First USA - 90 Days

MeraNamJoker said: discover refused

How long ago was the card deactivated?

discover is 90 days to reopen

if its houshold bank , all i can say is u will need goodluck & then a trillion dollars!!!!

Household bank S U C K S

Seriously tho, I would like to hear some strategies on reinstatement

HappyGuy said: loserguy said: HappyGuy said: Sounds like one phone call will give you your answer. Share your results when you find out.

loserguy said: I seem to recall that my wife did this once, called up and reactivated a Chase card after it had been closed about a year. Has anyone done this as a way to lengthen your credit history? Obviously I'm talking about reopening a card from 3-5 years ago (I accidently closed all of my older ones

HappyGuy: How can one phone call tell me if I can re-open 12 of my closed credit cards?? Please advise who I would call.

LoserGuy: Re-read your OP, when you wrote "I'm talking about reopening a card" I thought it was clear you meant "one" card and in that case you would call the card issuer. I was not trying to be rude. Q]

No offense taken, I was just trying to be a sma*rt*ss. Sorry I did call Chase for a card closed about 2 years ago, they couldn't find it. My next strategy is to call Neiman Marcus, I closed that card 8 years ago, but they still report it every month for some reason

I reopened my Macy's card about 12 to 18 months after I closed it. New hard inquiry, same account opening date, larger credit line.

First USA did not find the SSN in the system about a year after, so reopening was not possible.

Has anyone tried to reopen a card closed by the bank? Thanks for sharing your story.

wsailor said: Has anyone tried to reopen a card closed by the bank? Thanks for sharing your story. if the issuing bank closed the account despite your wishes, they may not want you back as a customer

anyone have any success with household bank ? or is there no light at the end of that tunnel

tazmania99 said: The bank will run a credit check on you again if you ask for reinstating your account. Such credit check is a hard inquiry on your credit report and thus lowering your FICO.

is this true?

I have reopened an MBNA account after 25 months, but I got a hard hit on my Experian report.

I've heard from AMEX CSR's that their time limit is 1 year.

Just had amusing interaction with CITI.

They sent my wife a nice offer of 5X normal thank you rewards on her card.
You had to phone to register. This was in a nice package with a little gift list binder enclosed and a book of coupons. Computer took registration and urged use of card.

Realized card was one that had recently been consolidated with a Dirver's edge rewards one. At time no special reward program.

Called to see if it could be reactivated. Was told the consolidation could not be undone even though only a few weeks had past. Proposed a new application but was told that a new card would not get the 5X normal reward to end of year.

Since the previous card had not been used for a while, I assume the special offer was to get a card using customer for Christmas shopping. I have heard of promotions being applied when a customer threatens to cancel. Not being willing to reopen a card considered eligible for a promotion strikes me as unwise.

Of course, there is the stupidity of not updating list of card holders before sending out the gift packages (fancy box with gift list holder and the offer).

If they knew they needed a long lead time for the printing etc. of the offer, they could have put a sentence saying if for some reason the customer had canceled the card it could be reopened.

Suggestions appreciated. I tried an E-mail message on surviving card in hope it would be forwarded to someone with common sense.

Reopened AMEX closed for 6 months, soft pull on EXP, same CL, CSR pointed out that reinstatement is only allowed within a year from cancellation. They might have pulled soft since I have another account with them, and it may have been an account review inquiry.

Also reopend MBNA card closed for 22 months, soft pull on EXP, less CL since I had opened another account with them since then.

Tried to reopen Citi(former Associates) card, denied because of high utilization on other accounts. Strangely, no new hard/soft pulls are on TU (which they supposedly used). I assume they used one of their account review inquiries back in November (I have two other accounts with Citi).

On EXP both reopened accounts show up as if they have never been closed, but on TU, AMEX account still has a closing date, although the comment "closed by consumer" is gone. In contrast, the MBNA account show up on TU still with "closed by consumer" but the closing date is gone.

ShaneM said: I tried with a FirstUSA card (aka Chase, aka BankOne) about a month after cancellation. No dice. They said I have to reapply. And I asked 3 different people. Apparently they didn't want my business anyway. Despite all this, the card still shows up when I log into BankOne. They don't know their heads from their arses over there.

Same here, at least with BankOne/FirstUSA-originating cards.