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In case you missed the news, Spirit Airlines ceased operations for good on May 2, 2026. And right now, there are far more questions than answers about what comes next.
One of the biggest unknowns is what this means if you’re a cardholder of the Bank of America-issued Free Spirit® Travel More MasterCard® or Free Spirit® Travel Mastercard®, or if you recently signed up for the Free Spirit Debit Card.
To help get some clarity, we reached out to those in the know. And here’s what you should know.
What Will Happen to My Spirit Airlines Credit or Debit Cards?
It’s not very often that a rewards program — or an airline, for that matter — shuts down what feels like overnight. In the wake of that, there are a lot of questions, a lot of confusion, and a justified amount of chaos.
A recent (albeit smaller) example is the discontinuation of the Mesa Homeowners Card. Remember that? That was something.
Now, with one fewer airline in the skies, there’s also one fewer rewards program. For all intents and purposes, the Free Spirit program is a thing of the past. But if you were more invested than most — say, you had a Spirit Travel More Mastercard or kept funds in a Free Spirit Debit Card account — you likely have a lot of extremely valid questions.
First and foremost, your account and funds aren’t going anywhere. Beyond that, though, there are a few things you should know about how Bank of America and Cross River Bank plan to handle these accounts. So, let’s go card by card.
Free Spirit Travel More MasterCard and Free Spirit Travel Mastercard
To Spirit’s credit, it was pretty relentless in trying to make the Bank of America-issued Spirit Travel More Mastercard a must-have. In its prime, the card offered perks like free checked bags, complimentary upgrades (yes!), and more.
All that to say, there were real reasons to carry this card. And we know plenty of readers still have it and/or its no-annual-fee counterpart, the Spirit Travel Mastercard.
So, what’s happening now?
From the top, you can no longer apply for either card. As of May 2, 2026, Bank of America shut down the Free Spirit card application pages.
If you already have one, though, it will still work and you can continue to use it. That said, since Free Spirit points are no longer redeemable (and can’t be transferred to another airline or loyalty program), you may want to consider using a different card for everyday spending.
As Spirit works through the bankruptcy process, the courts will ultimately determine what happens to outstanding loyalty balances. Hopefully there's good news that'll come from that, but I wouldn't get your hopes up.
Bank of America is also still working through how it will handle these accounts. When asked, a spokesperson didn’t confirm whether cards will be automatically converted (or if you have to ask) to another product or whether recently charged annual fees (new or renewal) will be refunded. The only guidance so far is that the bank will communicate directly with cardholders as updates become available.
If you have specific questions about the Free Spirit program, Bank of America is directing inquiries to SpiritAirlinesInfo@epiqglobal.com.
Free Spirit Debit Card
Beyond its credit cards, Spirit Airlines also offered a co-branded debit card for Free Spirit members. Unfortunately, it was only open for signups for 19 days, from its launch on April 13 to the airline’s cessation of operations on May 2.
But if you did sign up to earn Free Spirit points on debit card transactions, there is some clarity. Cross River Bank, the card’s issuer, published a handy FAQ on the card’s landing page.
In short, your funds are safe. Your balance is held separately from Spirit Airlines’ assets, and the airline’s bankruptcy has no impact on your money. You can even withdraw your funds now if you’d like.
What’s more, your card will continue to work, but it will no longer earn rewards. So, as with the Spirit credit cards above, you may want to switch to a different card for everyday spending. There are a couple of other debit cards that earn travel rewards, so you have options.
I’d expect Cross River Bank to communicate with cardholders as more information becomes available. But since Free Spirit points are no longer redeemable, it’s probably wise to transfer your funds out of your Free Spirit Debit Card account and turn over a new leaf somewhere else.
Bottom Line
It’s truly unfortunate that Spirit Airlines shut down on May 2, 2026, leaving around 17,000 employees out of a job and complicating countless trips.
The good news is that if you have a Spirit Airlines credit card or funds in a Free Spirit Debit Card account, there’s no immediate reason to worry. You can still log in, make payments, and even use your card.
That said, it’s probably best to pause on using it for now, since Free Spirit points are no longer redeemable. Thankfully, there are plenty of other options out there.
