By Ben Luthi5 Steps to Take When Your Credit Card Changes Issuers
By Ben Luthi
From time to time, credit cards may switch from one card issuer to another. When this happens, you'll typically get a notice in the mail, and it's important to understand how the change can impact you and your account.
It's common for card issuers to change with co-branded retail, airline and hotel credit cards, but it can also happen with other cards. For example, Costco didn't renew its partnership with American Express, preferring lower fees from Visa, and Citi began issuing the wholesale club's flagship card. Fidelity and Walmart are other major companies that have switched from one card issuer to another.
Regardless of the reasons for the switch, here are five steps you can take if you've learned that you're getting a new issuer.
1. Understand When the Change Is Happening
You should receive a notice from your current or new credit card issuer letting you know that the switch is happening and when. This can give you the time you need to ensure that you're prepared for the change.
During this time, consider getting a backup credit card if you don't already have one. While the transition can go smoothly in a lot of cases, that's not always going to happen. When cardholders change, cards may get delayed or there could be issues activating the new card.
Having a backup card means you don't have to worry about interruptions in your everyday spending.
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Citi Double Cash® Card
Intro APR:0% for 18 months on Balance Transfers
Ongoing APR:17.49% - 27.49% (Variable)
Rewards:2% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$0
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
Intro bonus:You may be eligible for as high as $200 cash back after spending $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in the first 6 months. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Cash back is received as Reward Dollars, redeemable for statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout. Terms Apply.
Intro APR:0% on Purchases and Balance Transfers for 15 months
Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable
Rewards:1% - 3% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$0
Wells Fargo Reflect® Card
Intro APR:0% intro APR for 21 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers
Ongoing APR:17.49%, 23.99%, or 28.24% Variable APR
Rewards:N/A*
Annual Fee:$0
Revel® Platinum Mastercard®
Ongoing APR:35.90% Fixed
Rewards:N/A*
Annual Fee:$75 - $125
Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card
Intro APR:0% for 21 months on Balance Transfers and 12 months on Purchases
Ongoing APR:16.49% - 27.24% (Variable)
Rewards:N/A*
Annual Fee:$0
American Express Platinum Card®
Intro bonus:You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $12,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
Ongoing APR:See Pay Over Time APR
Rewards:1x - 5x (Points per dollar)
Annual Fee:$895
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
Intro bonus:Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months
Intro APR:0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers
Ongoing APR:18.49%, 24.49%, or 28.49% Variable APR
Rewards:2% (Cash Rewards)
Annual Fee:$0
Discover it® Cash Back
Intro bonus:INTRO OFFER: Unlimited Cashback Match for all new cardmembers. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. You could turn $150 cash back into $300.
Intro APR:0% intro APR for 15 months on Purchases and Balance Transfers
Ongoing APR:17.49% - 26.49% Variable APR
Rewards:1% - 5% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$0
The opensky® Secured Visa® Credit Card
Ongoing APR:23.89% Variable
Rewards:10% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$35
American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® Card
Intro APR:0% for 15 months on Balance Transfers
Ongoing APR:19.49% - 29.49% (Variable)
Rewards:2x (Miles per dollar)
Annual Fee:$0
Credit One Bank® Secured Card
Ongoing APR:29.74% Variable
Rewards:1% (cash back)
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Citi Strata Premier® Card
Intro bonus:Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com.
Ongoing APR:19.49% - 27.49% (Variable)
Rewards:1x - 10x (Points per dollar)
Annual Fee:$95
Avant® Cashback Rewards Mastercard®
Ongoing APR:35.99%*
Rewards:1% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$0*
Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi
Ongoing APR:18.74% - 26.74% (Variable)
Rewards:1% - 5% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$0
First Latitude Secured Mastercard® Cash Back Rewards
Ongoing APR:27.49% Variable
Rewards:1% - 10% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$0
Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®
Ongoing APR:19.49% - 29.49% (Variable)
Rewards:2x (Miles per dollar)
Annual Fee:$99, waived for first 12 months
Avant® Cashback Rewards Mastercard®
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Rewards:1% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$39*
Credit One Bank® Platinum X5 Visa® Metal Card
Ongoing APR:29.74% Variable
Rewards:1% - 5% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$95
First Progress Prestige Secured Mastercard® Cash Back Rewards
Ongoing APR:13.49% Variable
Rewards:1% - 10% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$49
Credit One Bank® Wander® American Express® with Dining, Gas & Travel Rewards
Ongoing APR:29.74% Variable
Rewards:1% - 10% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$95
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
Intro bonus:Earn 200,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 5/13/2026.
Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable
Rewards:2x - 6x (Points per dollar)
Annual Fee:$650
Discover it® Miles
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Intro APR:0% intro APR for 15 months on Purchases and Balance Transfers
Ongoing APR:17.49% - 26.49% Variable APR
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Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
Intro bonus:Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 in purchases with your new Card, and an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $3,000 in purchases on the Card, both within your first 6 months. Ends 04/01/2026.
Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable
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Annual Fee:$650
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
Intro bonus:Earn 80,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases with your new Card, and an additional 20,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $2,000 in purchases on the Card, both within your first 6 months. Ends 04/01/2026.
Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable
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Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card
Intro bonus:Earn 10,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable
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One Key™ Card
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Ongoing APR:18.49%, 23.49%, or 28.49% Variable APR
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One Key+™ Card
Intro bonus:Earn $350 in OneKeyCash™ after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. OneKeyCash is not redeemable for cash and can only be used on Expedia®, Hotels.com® and Vrbo®. To learn more, please refer to the One Key Terms and Conditions at www.expedia.com/one-key-terms.
Ongoing APR:18.49%, 23.49%, or 28.49% Variable APR
Rewards:2x - 3x (Points per dollar)
Annual Fee:$99
Avant® Cashback Rewards Mastercard® - With A Higher Credit Limit
Ongoing APR:35.99%*
Rewards:1% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$125*
Avant® Cashback Rewards Mastercard®
Ongoing APR:35.99%*
Rewards:1% (cash back)
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Avant® Cashback Rewards Mastercard®
Ongoing APR:35.99%*
Rewards:1% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$75*
See all our best credit cards for 2026.
2. Save Your Electronic Statements and Notices
Once the transition to the new card issuer is complete, you may lose access to the digital files in your account with the original card issuer.
If you rely on electronic statements and don't download them or print them out, you may have trouble deducting certain business and medical expenses on your tax return, and you may have a harder time keeping track of your budget for past months.
Before your card switches over to the new issuer, make sure you get a copy of all of your account statements and notices, and keep them in a safe place until you need them.
3. Make Sure the Rewards Transfer
If you have a rewards credit card, it's important to keep an eye on your rewards. If it's a co-branded card, such as an airline or hotel card, you won't need to worry about your existing balance because your points or miles are stored with the co-branded partner, not the card issuer.
However, you may want to review how many points or miles you should have earned on your recent purchases to ensure you get credit.
If the card's rewards are stored with the card issuer, take note of the balance so you can double-check once everything has been changed over to the new card issuer. If you don't want to worry about it at all, consider redeeming your rewards before the switch has been completed.
4. Set Up the New Card
Once you receive your new card in the mail, you'll need to activate it before you can use it. You'll also likely get a new account number, which means that if you use the card for recurring charges, you'll need to update the account information on your autopay accounts to avoid missing a payment.
This is crucial for utility accounts in particular because a missed payment could result in having your electricity, water or gas turned off.
5. Review Any New Features
Depending on the terms of the new partnership, you may have a new suite of benefits on your card—and you may also lose some. While certain terms, such as your annual fee and credit limit, will likely remain the same, other features might not.
For example, rewards earnings could change with the new card. Whereas you may have earned a higher percentage on dining out—and regularly used your card to earn those rewards—your new card may offer a reduced benefit or none at all.
Review the terms of the new card and how they differ from your old card, and decide whether or not you want to use the new card or if you want to get a new one for everyday use.
Check Your Credit Before Applying for Another Credit Card
If you're considering getting a new credit card because you don't like what the new issuer on an existing card offers, it's important to check your credit score before you apply. Most of the top rewards cards require good or excellent credit, which means a FICO® ScoreΘ of 670 or higher.
Use Experian's free credit monitoring tool to get free access to your FICO® Score and Experian credit report. If your score needs some work, take steps to improve it so you can get the type of credit card you want.
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About the author
Ben Luthi
Ben Luthi has worked in financial planning, banking and auto finance, and writes about all aspects of money. His work has appeared in Time, Success, USA Today, Credit Karma, NerdWallet, Wirecutter and more.
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