What is a credit card retention offer — and how do you ask for one?

Yahoo

01-08-2025

It makes sense to apply for credit cards if they'll provide value to you with their rewards and benefits, especially if you're able to earn a generous credit card sign-up bonus. However, you might find you aren't getting as much value from a new card as you hoped, particularly if a high annual fee has just posted to your account after the first year.
Before canceling or downgrading to a no-annual-fee credit card, consider whether your card issuer might extend a retention offer to keep you as a cardholder. This could result in opportunities to earn rewards or statement credits, even if you weren't thinking of canceling, for simply asking for a retention offer.
What is a credit card retention offer?
A credit card retention offer is an offer a card issuer makes to entice a current cardholder not to cancel their card membership. You might want to cancel for various reasons, but credit card companies want to keep you on as a customer, especially if your card has an annual fee.
For example, here's a retention offer I once received from an online chat agent for The Platinum Card® from American Express:
'As you are such a valued Card Member, you can earn 45,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $4,000 or more on purchases on your Platinum Card account within 3 months of accepting this offer. The 45,000 Membership Rewards points will be credited to your account 8 to 12 weeks after the purchase requirement has been met. This is our way of saying thank you for keeping your Platinum Card account open today.'
To receive the above retention offer of 45,000 bonus points, I would have had to spend $4,000 on my Amex Platinum card in three months.
Related: Does closing a credit card hurt your credit?
How credit card retention offers work
A retention offer is designed to entice you away from closing your credit card account, so it must offer something worthwhile. That often means you're able to earn points, miles, or cash back for spending a certain amount on your card within a specified timeframe, similar to how new cardmember welcome bonuses work.
You might also receive retention offers that don't require any spending at all. In these cases, the card issuer might simply give you a statement credit or an annual fee reduction to keep your account open. You might also receive a completely waived annual fee.
Whether a retention offer is worth it depends on the potential value of the continued card membership, including the value of the offer.
Types of retention offers
These are common types of retention offers people have received from different card issuers:
Rewards: You can earn points or miles for meeting a spending requirement on your card over the course of a few months or more. This is the same format as welcome bonuses for new cardmembers.
Statement credit: You receive a flat statement credit, which may cover some or all of your annual fee.
Waived or reduced annual fee: Your annual fee is reduced, or you receive an annual fee waiver for the upcoming membership year.
Related: Best rewards credit cards
How to ask for a retention offer
If you don't think your card is providing enough value, you can call the number on the back of your card and ask to be transferred to the retention department. Some card issuers, like American Express, also have online chat agents who are authorized to extend retention offers. You can log in to your Amex account to chat with an agent.
It's common to receive retention offers if you're asking to close your card, and many people call in to close their card after an annual fee posts to their account. However, there's no official guideline stating that you can only ask for a retention offer after a year or more; that's just a common time for people to ask for one.
Here are some things to keep in mind when asking for a retention offer:
You might have to call: I prefer speaking with chat agents, but not all card issuers have chat options. If that's the case, you'll have to call in.
You typically want to ask specifically about retention offers: Depending on the agent, calling in and saying you want to cancel might get you exactly what you're asking for. Rather than talking about canceling, specifically ask for available retention offers associated with your account.
You might have to explain why you're considering canceling: An agent will know you're considering canceling if you mention 'retention offers,' so you might get a few questions about why you want to cancel. In most cases, talking about the annual fee will move the conversation along, especially if you say you 'aren't getting enough value' from any card benefits or perks the agent might mention, like travel credits or airport lounge access.
You want to keep records: If you receive a retention offer you're happy with, make sure you have some sort of record of the conversation in case the offer doesn't post later. For phone calls, get a reference number or ask if they can email you something about the offer. For chat conversations, you can ask for a reference number and take screenshots of the conversation (send them to yourself in an email).
Related: How to safely cancel a credit card in 7 steps
Credit card retention offer FAQs
How often can you ask for a retention offer?
There's no official time frame for asking for retention offers, but it likely doesn't make sense to continuously ask for offers week after week or month after month. A few times per year might make more sense.
Should you take a retention offer?
You should only accept a credit card retention offer if you're willing to keep your card account open and you think you'll get enough value from the card's benefits and the retention offer to more than offset the annual fee.
What is an example of a credit card retention offer?
An example of a credit card retention offer is your card issuer offering you a $150 statement credit to help offset your card's annual fee. Another example would be an offer to receive 20,000 points after spending $2,000 in three months on your card.
Can you negotiate credit card retention offers?
You can always ask an agent about any additional or better offers, even if they've just presented you with an offer. There's no harm in asking, and you might end up with a superior offer than previously extended.
How do I get an Amex retention offer?
If you have an American Express credit card with an annual fee, consider calling the number on the back of your card or using your online account's chat function to ask an agent about Amex retention offers. There's no guarantee that you'll have any offers available, but it doesn't hurt to check.
Which credit card issuers provide retention offers?
Many credit card issuers, including American Express, Bank of America, Chase, and Citi, have been known to provide retention bonuses to existing cardholders. Capital One isn't known for frequently providing retention offers.
Editorial Disclosure: The information in this article has not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. All opinions belong solely to the Yahoo Finance and are not those of any other entity. The details on financial products, including card rates and fees, are accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank's website for the most current information. This site doesn't include all currently available offers. Credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.