Consumer complaint received 2026-05-28 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Closing your account — Company closed your account
Company: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL
State: TX

Complaint narrative:
I am submitting this complaint regarding both the handling and closure of my CareCredit account, as well as the extremely poor customer service experience that followed. I originally opened a CareCredit account specifically for emergency medical and veterinary situations. Opening the account impacted my credit, which I accepted because the card was marketed as a reliable emergency financial resource. My physical card displayed an expiration date of XXXX, so I reasonably believed the account remained active and available should an emergency arise. At no point was I clearly informed that simply not using the card could result in the account being closed before the listed expiration date. Had I been informed that inactivity alone could lead to closure, I would have used the account periodically to keep it active. Instead, I discovered the account had been closed only when I attempted to access it. What followed was one of the worst customer service experiences I have had with a financial institution. After logging into the website, I was redirected to a phone number where I waited approximately 30 minutes just to reach a representative. The first representative immediately attempted to transfer me elsewhere without addressing the issue. I requested a warm transfer so I would not simply be sent back into another hold queue or disconnected after already waiting so long. What should have been a simple and professional request turned into an unnecessary argument lasting several minutes, during which I was repeatedly told this could not be done. Only after continued insistence was the representative finally able to complete the exact warm transfer I had originally requested, demonstrating that the request was possible all along. The second representative merely read a scripted explanation stating the account had been closed, but was unable to provide any supporting documentation, notices, or records explaining when or how I had allegedly been informed. When I asked to formally file a complaint regarding both the closure and the customer service experience, I was then told that no complaint could be submitted either. The entire experience was unacceptable. CareCredit advertises itself as a financial safety net for emergencies, yet my account was closed without meaningful warning despite my credit profile improving since the account was originally opened. The stated reasoning for closure therefore made little sense. After discovering the closure, I reapplied despite the poor treatment I had already received, only to be denied entirely. In effect, I was encouraged to open a credit account that impacted my credit score, led to the expectation of emergency availability, was closed without adequate notice despite the card itself displaying a future expiration date, and then I was denied when attempting to reestablish access. The lack of transparency, lack of documentation, inability to file a complaint through customer service, excessive hold times, and argumentative handling by representatives reflects extremely poorly on CareCredit and Synchrony as a financial institution. A credit card marketed for emergencies should not quietly disappear due to inactivity without clear communication to the customer. Customers should not discover during a stressful situation that the emergency account they relied upon no longer exists despite the physical card showing a valid expiration date years into the future.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation