To cancel a CIMB credit card in Malaysia, call the Consumer Contact Centre at +603 6204 7788 or visit any CIMB branch with your identification and the card. The OCTO app and Clicks portal handle freezes, PIN resets, and spending controls, but full account closure isn’t available through either. Before you make the call, clear the balance, redeem your rewards, move recurring charges to another card, and settle any active installment plans, because closure accelerates them.
Clear These Items Before You Call
Pay Off Every Ringgit
CIMB won’t process a cancellation while the card carries an outstanding balance. That means paying not just your latest statement but any transactions still pending. Check pending charges in the OCTO app or Clicks a day or two before you call. If any amount is left behind, the bank keeps charging late payment fees of 1% of the unpaid balance, minimum RM10 and maximum RM100, until the account hits zero.1CIMB. Credit Card Fees and Charges
Redeem Your Rewards
CIMB Member Rewards points and accumulated cash rebates disappear the moment the card is deactivated, with no way to recover them afterward. If you hold another CIMB credit card, ask whether points can transfer over. Otherwise redeem them for merchandise, vouchers, or statement credit first.
Move Recurring Payments
Any subscription, utility, or insurance premium set to auto-charge your CIMB card will fail after closure. The provider won’t know why, and some impose their own late fees. Go through at least two months of statements to catch every recurring charge, then update each provider with a new payment method before you cancel.
Settle Active Installment Plans
This is where people get caught out. If you have an active installment plan through CIMB’s Auto Balance Conversion or a similar program, the full remaining principal becomes due immediately when the card is cancelled. There’s no processing fee or cancellation fee for early settlement, but you still need the cash to cover whatever is left.2CIMB. Auto Balance Conversion – Pay Credit Card Balances The same applies to balance transfer plans. Factor this into your payoff before requesting closure.
Check for a Credit Balance
If you overpaid and the card shows a negative balance, that money isn’t lost. CIMB refunds the credit balance into your CIMB savings or current account within 90 days of the cancellation date. If you don’t hold a CIMB deposit account, contact the bank to arrange a transfer to an external account; the 90-day clock then starts from when those transfer details are confirmed.3CIMB Bank Malaysia. CIMB Credit Card Inactivity – Credit Balance Refund
What to Have Ready
- Your NRIC number if you’re a Malaysian citizen or permanent resident, or your passport number if you’re an expatriate. The name must match your CIMB account exactly.
- The full 16-digit card number on the front of the card, which identifies the specific credit line if you hold more than one CIMB card.
- A working contact number in case the bank needs to reach you during processing.
How to Submit the Cancellation
By Phone
Call the CIMB Consumer Contact Centre at +603 6204 7788.4CIMB. Customer Help Centre You’ll go through an automated voice menu before reaching an agent. State clearly that you want to permanently close the credit card account. Expect a short retention pitch, where the agent may offer fee waivers or bonus points to keep you on. Decline and ask them to proceed.
At a Branch
Walk into any CIMB branch with your NRIC or passport and the card itself. An officer will have you sign a cancellation form or accept a written letter of instruction. The advantage of going in person is that you can ask for a printed acknowledgment on the spot.
Why Not Online
The OCTO app handles activation, PIN resets, freezing and unfreezing, and managing contactless or overseas spending. Full closure isn’t available through the app or through Clicks.5CIMB Bank. Manage Your Card With Ease on CIMB OCTO App The phone call or branch visit is the only way.
Annual Fees and Service Tax
CIMB does not refund the unused portion of your annual fee if you cancel partway through the billing year. If the annual fee just posted and it’s what pushed you to cancel, call and ask for a waiver before you close the account. Banks grant waivers reasonably often for cardholders with a clean payment history. Once the card is closed, the fee isn’t coming back.
Malaysia’s service tax on credit cards is RM25 per year. If the bank reverses the underlying annual fee, the service tax is reversed with it. Cancel without a fee waiver and the RM25 stays with the bank too.
Supplementary Cards
Supplementary card transactions bill to the principal account, so cancelling the principal card affects the entire account. If you want to cancel only a supplementary card while keeping the principal open, tell CIMB that specifically. The channels are the same: phone or branch.
After Your Card Is Cancelled
Destroy the Card
Cut through the EMV chip and the magnetic stripe with scissors so the card can’t be read, then toss the pieces in separate bins. Any virtual card number you had is deactivated automatically, but physically destroying the card prevents attempts at a terminal.
Get Written Confirmation
Ask CIMB for a closure confirmation letter or email. This is your proof that cancellation was requested and completed. If unexpected charges appear months later, or the bank’s records don’t reflect the closure, that document is your simplest defense. Don’t skip it.
Verify Your CCRIS Report
Bank Negara Malaysia’s CCRIS tracks your credit facilities, and the cancelled card should appear as closed on your report. CCRIS is updated monthly, so wait at least one full reporting cycle before checking. You can pull your own report for free through Bank Negara’s eCCRIS portal.6Central Bank of Malaysia. eCCRIS If the card still shows as active after two months, contact CIMB and ask them to correct the reporting.