DM's Natwest Mastercard again: account suddenly cancelled

[SayItIsntSo]

Thanks to the wonderful advice I got on here, I paid off my DM's natwest mastercard, in fact I overpaid it by about £50. Out of the blue she has just received a letter with a cheque for £20 saying only here is a cheque as the mastercard account is now closed. Her own bank account (also natwest) is still active and not overdrawn. Is this normal? She'd received no other post informing her that this would happen (I know as she gives me all her bills and bank letters to deal with at the moment). She has paid the minimum interest payment by direct debit for a few years, until I paid it off in a lump sum as things were getting on top of her. Now the card is suddenly cancelled?

It's not normal, no. I have two 'spare' credit cards that I paid off months ago & have a zero balance but which I can still use if necessary. I'd call and ask what's going on.

They do sometimes close accounts that haven't been active for a while ( as they aren't making any money out of them)

Thanks, I'll make further enquiries ... I know that DM hasn't used the card for ages (more than a year or two) so that could be why. It is strange that the letter just said the account has been closed. [dons deerstalker and polishes magnifying glass]

If it's been a year or two and the account is settled then they might well close it. Your OP made it sound as though you paid off the card quite recently and then it was 'suddenly cancelled'... which would be usual.

Yes I did pay off her card last month - then no correspondence at all until DM was told it has been closed, with no other explanation.

Then we're back in 'make a phone-call' territory. It could be that if she had been in arrears, didn't use the card and it was deemed a 'problem account' ... which can't be closed until it's back in credit... then they were just waiting for the pay-off before closing.

Either way... does she need a credit card? Is she better off with debit cards or some kind of pre-pay arangement?