Do you need help canceling your USAA Republic credit card? Let us help! We will give you contact information along with step-by-step instructions on how to cancel your credit card account with USAA.
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We know this may be obvious for many, but credit card accounts aren't closed simply by cutting up the card. No matter what type of credit card you are canceling, you need to pay off your balance and contact the customer service department at the credit card company to cancel it completely.
Besides paying off the balance, there are other steps to take before you call to cancel your account. First, stop automatic charges to your USAA Republic credit card account. Second, tell any of your authorized users to stop using it. Finally, use up any rewards you have accrued on your account by being a good customer.
Did you get the preliminary work done, and is your account at zero? Here are the steps you need to take to cancel the account.
How to Cancel Your Own USAA Credit Card
Here are the steps to canceling your USAA credit card account.
Step 1: Make sure the balance is zero
Before contacting USAA to close your account, confirm you have a zero balance by logging in to your online account.
Do you have a difficult time remembering your password? Consider using a password manager.
Your account will not be officially closed until you pay off the balance. However, if you contact USAA, the customer service reps can disable the credit card so that you won't be tempted to use it while paying off your debt.
Step 2: Contact USAA
Call the number found on the back of your USAA Republic credit card or the one found on your billing statement to cancel the credit card. The general customer care number for USAA is 210-531-USAA (8722) or 800-531-USAA (8722).
The customer service representative working for USAA may try to encourage you to keep your account open by rewarding you for sticking with them. However, if you wish to sever ties with the company because you have problems with credit cards, you'll need to stand firm and close the account.
Step 3: Look for confirmation to be sent through the mail
Once your account balance is zero and you have closed your account, you should receive confirmation through the mail that the account is closed. If you don't receive any written communication from USAA, follow up with a written notice (including your name, address, contact phone number, and credit card number) asking for a written confirmation that the account is closed.
Having a "paper trail" when closing an account is always a good idea, as it may help you dispute fraudulent or mistaken charges placed on your account.
Step 4: Check your credit report
Wait 30 days after your account is closed and then check your credit report to make sure USAA is not listed as a current account.
How to Cancel a Deceased Loved One's USAA Credit Card
We are sorry for your recent loss. We know you are probably completely overwhelmed with all there is to do following the death of a loved one. But, unfortunately, even though you are hurting from your loss, you need to contact your loved one's credit card companies to notify them about the death.
Please understand that there's no need to settle your loved one's credit card accounts within hours or days of the death. In fact, don't let the credit card company persuade you to use your own personal funds to pay off the balance. However, it is good to notify the deceased's credit card companies so that criminals who target the dead cannot make fraudulent charges on the account.
Start by going through the deceased's wallet and calling the numbers on the back of all of their credit cards. You might also look through a pile of current bills to find other companies that need to be notified.
Later, the estate executor will need to follow up with USAA and other companies when you receive all the necessary paperwork, including the copies of the death certificate.
Most full-service funeral homes will help you order certified copies of the death certificate. The funeral home staff also typically notifies the Social Security Administration about the death. This agency, in turn, informs the country's major credit agencies, which will flag the deceased's social security number so that no new accounts can be opened using their identity.
Do not use your loved one's USAA credit card following their death.
Now that you have a general understanding of what happens to financial accounts after a person dies, here are the steps for canceling a deceased person's USAA credit card account.
Step 1: Contact the USAA survivor relations team
Contact the USAA survivor relations team to notify the company about the death. The website for this department states that they can "evaluate your options and help you make the best decisions for you and your family."
Start the process by calling the department at 800-292-8294. This department is open Monday through Friday.
You can also send documents to the survivor relations team at the following address:
Send by Mail:
ATTN: Survivor Relations Team
9800 Fredericksburg Rd
San Antonio, TX 78288
Please include the deceased's USAA member number inside mailed documents.
To send documents by fax, use the following number: 800-531-8877. When faxing documents, provide a cover letter that includes:
ATTN: Survivor Relations Team
Name of Loved One
USAA Number
The company also provides this helpful checklist to help you learn more about the process.
Step 2: Be prepared to provide the survivor relations team with the necessary documents and information
You will need to have the proper documents to close your loved one's USAA accounts.
Here's the information and documentation you should gather.
- Name and social security number of the deceased
- Deceased's date of birth and death
- Account number
- Copy of their death certificate
- Copy of the Letter of Administration or Letters of Testamentary (to prove you have authority to act on behalf of the estate)
- A copy of the Letter of Instruction for each executor and/or beneficiary
Closing your loved one's accounts may take patience. Please understand that the USAA survivor relations team member may not be authorized to give you specific information regarding the balance on the account. If there is a balance on the USAA credit card account, the estate's executor will use the deceased person's assets to pay what is owed. This may prolong the process of closing the account.
If a co-owner is on the account, the co-owner may be required to apply for a new credit card account instead of having the account switch over to their name.
Fortunately, the USAA survivor relations team has a lot of experience handling end-of-life financial matters and will walk you through this process.
Step 3: Ask for confirmation that the account has been closed
Once the balance has been paid, make sure you receive confirmation from USAA that the account has been closed. Keep this documentation with the estate paperwork in case problems arise with the account at a later date.
Create Your Own End-of-Life Plan
Hopefully, the experience you had following the death of your loved one will encourage you to create your own end-of-life plan.
At a minimum, leave behind an organized list of all of your accounts, including your assets and debts. Then create a will or trust so that your loved ones know how you wish your assets to be distributed at the end of your life. Talk with an estate attorney in your area to understand how the process works.
Finally, create an end-of-life plan that lists your preferred method of disposition and eternal resting place.
Make things easy for the people you love. Give them the gift of a well-organized estate.
Source:
- "USAA Loss of a Loved One." Resources, USAA, 2021. Usaa.com