Does cancelling a credit card lower my credit score??

[Ketchup]

less available debt=lower score

Fixed it for you.

 

[Ketchup]

you can close a account with a balance??

the last time i tried that it was a Chase card and they would not let me close it until i was paid off to a 0 balance.

You cannot close an account unless it's paid in full. You can, however, cancel your ability to make charges on the account. This is many times the best way to get rid of a card with a balance.