Your credit utilization is how much of your available credit card limit you’re using. Enter your cards to see your overall and per-card utilization, and how much you’d need to pay down to reach a target.
This calculator gives estimates for learning and planning. It isn’t financial advice or a loan offer. Nothing you enter is saved or sent anywhere; the math runs in your browser.
Why utilization matters
Amounts owed, which includes your utilization ratio on revolving accounts like credit cards, makes up 30% of a FICO Score, according to FICO. Using most of your available credit can lower your scores. A low ratio generally helps more than a high one.
In most scoring models in use today, utilization is based on the balances your card issuers most recently reported. Pay a balance down and your ratio improves once the lower balance is reported, usually after your next statement closes.
Ways to lower it
- Pay before the statement closes. Card issuers usually report the statement balance, so a payment a few days before the closing date lowers what gets reported.
- Think twice before closing old cards. Closing a card removes its limit from your total, which can push your ratio up.
- Ask for a credit limit increase if your income has gone up, and don’t add spending to the new room.
Related guides
- How Credit Utilization Affects Your Score
- Credit Score Breakdown: What Impacts Your Score?
- What Happens to Your Credit Score When You Close an Account
- How to Recover from a Credit Score Drop
- How to Read Your Credit Report Line by Line