From: "Artless Dodger" 
Newsgroups: alt.org.natl-assn-mortgage-brokers
Subject: Cancelling credit card -- effect on credit score.
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2004 16:02:36 -0400

I have a credit card account that I want to cancel.

It's a Merrick Bank partially secured VISA card ($300 security deposit,
$2,500 credit limit).  I always pay the balance off in full each month
whenever I use this VISA card, so I have a zero balance.

I want to cancel it for two reasons.

The first reason is that they insist on billing me $3.00 each month for the
annual fee instead of allowing me to just pay one $36.00 payment for the
annual fee.  So, every month, even if I don't use my card, I have to mail
them a stupid $3.00 payment for a bill that has nothing else on it.

The second reason is that they just announced that they will now be using
something called "electronic check conversion" when they receive a payment
by check.  They said that, instead of processing the check depositing it and
having it go back through my bank, they will read the routing numbers and
process the payment as an electronic fund transfer.  My check will never go
bank to my bank, just a debit note for the amount that was taken out of my
account.

Now for my question.  If I voluntarily cancel and close this VISA card
account, will that have any negative impact on my credit score?