How this calculator works
Credit utilization is the share of your available revolving credit that you are currently using, expressed as a percentage. It can be measured per card (balance ÷ that card's limit) or overall (total balances across all cards ÷ total limits across all cards), and both versions are commonly referenced when discussing credit scores.
This calculator accepts up to five cards' balances and limits, reports utilization for each card individually and combined, and calculates exactly how much you would need to pay down — either on a single card or across your total balance — to bring utilization to a target percentage you choose.
The formulas
Per-card utilization = card balance ÷ card limit × 100Overall utilization = sum of all balances ÷ sum of all limits × 100Amount to pay down to reach a target = current balance − (limit × target % ÷ 100), floored at 0The 30% target is a commonly cited guideline in personal-finance discussions of credit scoring, not a rule set by any card issuer or credit bureau. Lower utilization is generally viewed more favorably, and some sources cite single-digit percentages as an even stronger signal.
Worked example: two cards, 30% target
- Card 1: $800 balance on a $5,000 limit → 800 ÷ 5,000 × 100 = 16% utilization. Already under 30%, so no pay-down is needed on this card.
- Card 2: $1,500 balance on a $3,000 limit → 1,500 ÷ 3,000 × 100 = 50% utilization. To reach 30%, the target balance is 3,000 × 0.30 = $900, so pay down 1,500 − 900 = $600.
- Combined: total balance $2,300 across total limits of $8,000 → 2,300 ÷ 8,000 × 100 = 28.75% overall utilization, which is already at or below the 30% target for the combined total, even though Card 2 alone is well above it.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my overall utilization look fine but one card looks high?
Overall utilization blends every card's balance and limit together, so a heavily used card can be masked by a lightly used one with a large limit. Some scoring models weigh individual card utilization as well as the overall figure, so it can be worth paying down a single high-utilization card even if your combined percentage already looks fine.
Where does the 30% target come from?
It is a widely repeated guideline in consumer credit education rather than a published threshold from FICO or VantageScore. Both scoring models simply treat lower utilization as generally better on a continuous scale, without publishing an exact cutoff.
Does closing a card with a $0 balance help my utilization?
No — it usually hurts. Closing a card removes its limit from your total available credit, which raises your overall utilization percentage for the same total balance. Leaving unused cards open (with no balance) generally keeps utilization lower.
Does utilization matter if I pay my balance in full every month?
It can still matter, because many card issuers report the statement balance to credit bureaus — the amount owed on your statement date — regardless of whether you pay it off in full before interest accrues. Paying down some of the balance before the statement closes can lower the reported utilization even if you always pay in full.
What if I only have one credit card — does per-card and overall utilization differ?
No — with only one card, per-card and overall utilization are the same number, since the overall formula (sum of all balances ÷ sum of all limits) collapses to that single card's balance divided by its own limit when there is nothing else to combine. Enter just that card's balance and limit and leave the others blank.