The date closed is when the creditor reports that an account stopped being open for use. A closed account can still show a balance and stay on your report for years. If you closed the account yourself, the creditor must report that you did.
Also called: closed date, account closed date, date account closed, closed account
What it means
The date closed is the date the account was closed to new activity. A credit card can be closed by you or by the issuer. A loan usually closes when it is paid off, refinanced, or charged off. The CFPB’s 2012 report on the credit reporting system lists the open and close dates among the basics creditors generally report, and notes that a closed account may also carry the reason it closed.
Closed does not mean gone
A closed account can still owe money and still show a balance. It can also stay on your report for years. Equifax says a closed account paid as agreed can remain for up to 10 years from the date the lender reported it, while negative information follows the seven-year rule tied to the date of first delinquency. The close date does not restart that seven-year period.
Who closed it matters
Lenders may read an account closed by the issuer differently from one you closed. Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681s-2(a)(4), a creditor that regularly reports must tell the credit bureau when you voluntarily close a credit account. If you closed a card and the report suggests the issuer did, that is worth correcting. See closed by credit grantor.
Common errors
- An account you closed still shown as open, or the reverse. The CFPB’s report lists “Listing closed accounts as open” among examples of furnisher errors.
- A close date that is wrong by months or years.
- A paid-off loan that shows as closed but still carries a balance.
- An account you closed reported as closed by the creditor.
How to dispute it
Find your closing letter, final statement, or payoff confirmation. Dispute in writing with each bureau showing the error, and include the document that shows when and how the account closed. You can also dispute directly with the creditor.
When it can be an FCRA violation
Creditors must report your voluntary closure (§ 1681s-2(a)(4)), correct information they learn is wrong (§ 1681s-2(a)(2)), and investigate disputes the bureaus forward (§ 1681s-2(b)). A close date or status that misleads lenders and survives a dispute can support a claim.
If a closed-account error stays on your report after you dispute it, FCRA Attorneys offers a free case review, and you pay no fee unless we win.
Related
- Closed by credit grantor
- Date opened
- Tradeline
- Balance
- Date reported / date of account information
- Paid charge-off
- How to Dispute Credit Report Errors With Equifax, Experian and TransUnion
- How to Write a Credit Report Dispute Letter That Gets Investigated
- How to Dispute Experian: Dispute Address, Phone, Deadlines and Your Rights
- How to Dispute Equifax: Dispute Address, Phone, Deadlines and Your Rights
- How to Dispute TransUnion: Dispute Address, Phone, Deadlines and Your Rights
Sources
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681s-2, responsibilities of furnishers (Cornell LII)
- CFPB, Key Dimensions and Processes in the U.S. Credit Reporting System (2012)
- Equifax, How Long Does Information Stay on My Credit Report?
- Experian, Glossary
Updated November 2026. This glossary is written by FCRA Attorneys from public sources. It is general information, not legal advice, and is not affiliated with any credit bureau or industry association.