If you do not activate your credit card, it means that you cannot use it to make purchases or access the credit line that has been extended to you. Credit card activation is typically required by the issuing bank in order to protect against fraud and ensure that only the authorized cardholder is using the card.

If you do not activate your credit card, it will not be able to be used until it is activated. This means that you will not be able to make purchases with the card, access the credit line, or earn any rewards or benefits associated with the card. It is important to activate your credit card as soon as you receive it in order to avoid any delays or issues in using it.

However, not activating your credit card may have some consequences, depending on the issuer and the terms of your credit card account.

Here are a few potential consequences of not activating a credit card:

1. You may be charged an annual fee: Some credit cards have annual fees that are charged to your account each year. If you do not activate the card, you may still be charged the annual fee even if you are not using the card.
2. You may lose promotional offers: Many credit cards offer promotional offers, such as 0% intro APR on balance transfers or purchases, when you open a new account. If you do not activate the card, you may lose out on these promotional offers.
3. You may not be able to access account information online: Many credit card issuers allow you to access your account information online, including your account balance, transaction history, and payment due date. If you do not activate your card, you may not be able to access this information.
4. Your credit utilization ratio may be affected: Your credit utilization ratio is the amount of credit you are using compared to the total amount of credit available to you. It is a key factor that determines your credit score. If you do not activate a credit card and have a high credit limit, your credit utilization ratio may be higher than it would be if you were using the card. This could have a negative impact on your credit score.

Bottom line:

In summary, if you do not activate your credit card, you will not be able to use it to make purchases or access the credit line that has been extended to you. This can be inconvenient if you were planning on using the card to make a purchase or if you need to access the credit line for an emergency. It is important to activate your credit card as soon as you receive it in order to avoid any delays or issues in using it.

Additionally, failing to activate your credit card may result in additional fees or charges, such as annual fees or inactivity fees, if the card has these types of fees associated with it. It is important to read the terms and conditions of your credit card agreement to understand any fees or charges that may be applied if you do not activate the card.