Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast

Comenity/Bread Financial Suddenly Closing Accounts

9 snips
Sep 23, 2025
Guest
Darren Pyshaw
Darren Pyshaw, a credit-card strategist with a Ph.D., joins the discussion on sudden Comenity/Bread Financial account shutdowns, revealing shocking triggers and patterns that left many bewildered. He shares personal experiences of zeroed credit limits and declined transactions, alongside practical de-risking strategies. The duo dives into maximizing card benefits while navigating these challenges, weighing the risks of self-closing accounts. Adapt and thrive in the points game, they say, as they provide invaluable insights for frequent travelers.
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ANECDOTE

Sudden Zeroed Limits And Silent Shutdown

  • Justin discovered his Comenity/Bread accounts declined and then showed zero credit with no prior warning.
  • He called the number and heard a robotic message: "your account is currently closed."
ANECDOTE

How The 5% Stack Looked In Practice

  • Justin stacked a 3% grocery card plus a 2% payoff rebate to net roughly 5% back and earned thousands that year.
  • He estimates roughly $12,000 gross from aggressive use of high limits across cards before shutdowns hit.
INSIGHT

Shutdowns Likely Came From Multiple Triggers

  • Multiple signals likely combined to trigger Comenity/Bread shutdowns rather than a single cause.
  • Factors included pay-by-phone activity, high reward payouts, merchant category mixes, and agent review visibility.
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