Credit Utilization Calculator
Calculate the share of your credit limits in use, per card and overall. Explore a target ratio and see what changes when new balances are reported.
Per-card utilization and reported-balance changes
| Card | Reported balance | Limit | Utilization | Payment to target | Revised balance | Revised utilization | Revised payment to target |
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How credit utilization is calculated
Per-card utilization = reported balance ÷ credit limit × 100. Overall utilization = sum of reported balances ÷ sum of credit limits × 100. The overall ratio is weighted by credit limits, not a simple average of the card percentages. An unused card with a positive reported limit still contributes to that total.
Payments needed to reach your selected ratio
The allowed balance is the limit multiplied by your target percentage, rounded down to the nearest cent. The required payment is the amount above that allowed balance, or zero if you are already at or below the target. We use exact integer-cent arithmetic for these targets so display rounding cannot understate the payment by a cent.
The overall payment is the minimum combined balance reduction for the aggregate target; it is not a card-by-card payment recommendation. Bringing every individual card to that same target can require more money. A low overall ratio can coexist with a highly utilized individual card.
Reported balances versus today's balances
A payment or purchase affects this comparison only when the resulting balance is reported. Reporting and score-calculation dates can differ from your payment date. Revised balances are hypothetical replacements, not additional payments subtracted a second time; the tool does not simulate future purchases, interest or reporting delays.
Include only revolving cards with a known, positive credit limit. Zero-limit, closed-account and no-preset-limit products may be handled differently by scoring models and are outside this estimate. For an issuer credit balance, use zero debt here. Negative balances are not modeled. Above-limit balances are accepted and may produce utilization above 100%.
No guaranteed score change
A target ratio is a planning assumption, not a universal score cutoff. Scores use different models and other information. You do not need to carry an interest-bearing balance to use this calculator, and paying only the calculated target amount does not replace your required payment.
Sources: CFPB: Understanding credit scores, CFPB: Balances and score timing, and myFICO: Credit limits and utilization.