The most important principle for using credit cards is to always pay your bill on time and in full. Following this simple rule can help you avoid interest charges, late fees and poor credit scores. By paying your bill in full, you'll avoid interest and build toward a high credit score.
Your payment history accounts for 35% of your credit score. Paying at least the minimum amount on your credit card each month is a good way to build (or maintain) a good credit score. Paying on time will also help you avoid getting slapped with fees. Many charge $25 or more for late fees.
2/30 Rule. The 2/30 rule says that you can only have two applications every 30 days or else you'll automatically be rejected.
According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, experts recommend keeping your credit utilization below 30% of your available credit. So if your only line of credit is a credit card with a $2,000 limit, that would mean keeping your balance below $600.
It says your total debt shouldn't equal more than 20% of your annual income, and that your monthly debt payments shouldn't be more than 10% of your monthly income. While the 20/10 rule can be a useful way to make conscious decisions about borrowing, it's not necessarily a useful approach to debt for everyone.
A good guideline is the 30% rule: Use no more than 30% of your credit limit to keep your debt-to-credit ratio strong. Staying under 10% is even better. In a real-life budget, the 30% rule works like this: If you have a card with a $1,000 credit limit, it's best not to have more than a $300 balance at any time.
It's a good idea to pay off your credit card balance in full whenever you're able. Carrying a monthly credit card balance can cost you in interest and increase your credit utilization rate, which is one factor used to calculate your credit scores.
Going over your credit card limit or missing payments can put you into financial difficulties and cause extra interest charges or late fees. Paying household items on credit cards such as groceries, personal care items or cleaning supplies is also not the best idea.
2/3/4 Rule
Here's how the rule works: You can be approved for up to two new credit cards every rolling two-month period. You can be approved for up to three new credit cards every rolling 12-month period. You can be approved for up to four new credit cards every rolling 24-month period.
Individuals with a classic FICO score above 795 use an average 7% of their available credit. As your revolving debt climbs, your credit score will begin dropping — long before it reaches the recommended utilization limit of 30% of your available credit.
To keep your scores healthy, a rule of thumb is to use no more than 30% of your credit card's limit at all times. On a card with a $200 limit, for example, that would mean keeping your balance below $60. The less of your limit you use, the better.
You should try to spend $90 or less on a credit card with a $300 limit, then pay the bill in full by the due date. The rule of thumb is to keep your credit utilization ratio below 30%, and credit utilization is calculated by dividing your statement balance by your credit limit and multiplying by 100.
What is a good credit utilization ratio? A low utilization ratio is best, which is why keeping it below 30% is ideal. If you routinely use a credit card with a $1,000 limit, you should aim to charge at most $300 per month, paying it off in full at the end of each billing cycle.
The Chase 5/24 rule is an important consideration for anyone applying for a Chase credit card. Chase will likely deny your credit card application if you've opened five or more new cards in the past 24 months.
A $1,500 credit limit is good if you have fair to good credit, as it is well above the lowest limits on the market but still far below the highest. The average credit card limit overall is around $13,000. You typically need good or excellent credit, a high income and little to no existing debt to get a limit that high.
The Takeaway
The 15/3 credit card payment rule is a strategy that involves making two payments each month to your credit card company. You make one payment 15 days before your statement is due and another payment three days before the due date.
You finally used your credit card for a big purchase you've had your eye on, but now you're wondering if you should pay your credit card balance off in full. Generally, it's best to pay off your credit card balance before its due date to avoid interest charges that get tacked onto the balance month to month.