Consumer complaint received 2025-11-26 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: CA

Complaint narrative:
The company made a business decision to close my account because of two returned payments for insufficient funds in s 12 month period. The second returned payment occurred at the beginning of XXXX and this is apparently what triggered the decision. At the beginning of XXXX I made a decision to change banks precipitated by my receipt of a large check that had to be deposited into an old bank account. I moved most of the money out of the account that I had set for automatic payments, but I failed to change the automatic payment to the new account. I was not notified the payment failed. However, while still in the month of XXXX, I realized the payment failed when I went to pay down the balance after having received the check and working with an advisor to determine how to begin to handle my debt. As this an account hadn't been closed, this was one of the accounts I decided to significantly pay down. It would leave me with a fair amount of credit available and help my suffering credit score 's utilization rating. In fact, as with each account that saw significantly reduced balances, I called Venmo to be sure the account was still open and in good standing. It was as was evident in the purchase that I made in the card around XX/XX/year>. So, I was shocked when I opened the app to see an a available credit of {$0.00}. When I called I was told that a decision and been made on or around XX/XX/XXXX to close my account, and that there was nothing I could do to appeal for reopening. I was told to reapply after I paid off the card. 

It seems incredibly capricious and unfair that synchrony bank/venmo would take my payment that significantly reduced their risk, allow me continued use of the card for almost an entire month and then close my account without any notice or explanation. As, I mentioned I only found out about this when I went to the app to make a payment and noticed the {$0.00} available credit. 

I made the decision to pay them down significantly because they didn't XXXX XXXX me when I was having a tough time financially. If I'd known they would take my money and then abandon me when as I became less risky for them, I could have made a decision that was consistent with the lost ion they would put me in. 

As someone trying to navigate these obscure, almost unknowable rules of credit and credit scores, having an institution move in this way against a consumer is a reason that consumers have such a difficult time getting out of financial predicaments. They make the rules as they go along, and what's worse is they never tell anyone the rules. If I'd not made a purchase in mid XXXX to make sure the card was open the balance would have gone from {$3800.00} down to {$240.00}. I don't know how it can be deemed reasonable or fair to accept a reduction in risk represented by the payment, allow the consumer to continue to use the card, and then close the account. 

I would like this to be reconsidered and have my account reopened with the credit limit it had when it was closed after they'd virtually been made whole.

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