Maxed out my Cabela's - hopefully with positive results

[DeeBee78]

My Cabela's CLI eligibility is coming up in a couple of months. I've only used the card once for an eBay purchase and PIF'd before the statement cut.  

I've heard on the forums that Cabela's likes lots of usage, and large payments. I had a $2500 purchase coming up. I maxed it out ($1,000) and this time I'm waiting for the statement to cut before paying it off.

It's driving me crazy to let a card report 100% utilization, but I think it's for the best. I've got the money sitting there, waiting... It looks like my transaction was on the first day of the billing cycle, so payment won't be due until March 20th.

[Anonymous]

Why would you want the enitre 1000.00 to report?  I would pay a large portion prior to my statement cutting, wouldn't let over 25% report.  You will take a big hit on your score and possibly send a red flag to other lenders.   I'm sweating just thinking about the idea of maxing out your card for a CLI.  

[FinStar]

OP - with WFB, it apepars it's all profile-based.  IME, I never had to resort to maxing out the CL to qualify for auto-CLI during their quarterly reviews.  For me, it's been a combination of moderate usage, PIF, low utilization with others, and definitely not maxing the card.

Not sure if your specific scenario will trigger or yield the intended result, but I wouldn't be upset with Cabelas/WFB if they do not CLI despite these efforts - YEMV.

[Anonymous]

Yeah maxing out your 1k card and letting it report 0 utility might be risky as in shooting yourself in the foot because like Rosey said it might send a red flag and other lenders may shut your other cards down. Ok say you get a 2k CLI and now your card is 3k are you going to max it out and let it report 0 again on the next go around on a 3k limit? Some lenders may not be willing to take that risk again. To each its own just a Fico member just giving my opinion advice to another member....good luck on your game plan.

[Anonymous]

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@DeeBee78 wrote:

My Cabela's CLI eligibility is coming up in a couple of months. I've only used the card once for an eBay purchase and PIF'd before the statement cut.  

I've heard on the forums that Cabela's likes lots of usage, and large payments. I had a $2500 purchase coming up. I maxed it out ($1,000) and this time I'm waiting for the statement to cut before paying it off.

It's driving me crazy to let a card report 100% utilization, but I think it's for the best. I've got the money sitting there, waiting... It looks like my transaction was on the first day of the billing cycle, so payment won't be due until March 20th.

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Please let us know the outcome of your test. Thanks in advance!

[DeeBee78]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Why would you want the enitre 1000.00 to report?  I would pay a large portion prior to my statement cutting, wouldn't let over 25% report.  You will take a big hit on your score and possibly send a red flag to other lenders.   I'm sweating just thinking about the idea of maxing out your card for a CLI.  

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I don't think maxing it out for one statement is going to harm me long term. Any score hit will be temporary, and a few points at most. Since I'm not looking for credit, I'm not concerned about my scores right now. I'm focused on growing existing lines until April, when I'll take two HP's for Cabela's and BoA. Their low limits need to grow. 

[wacdenney]

I have to agree with others that this is a bad idea.  Use the card and PIF, but maxing it out isn't going to inspire any lender to extend you more credit.  IMO

[jkt1975]

never let anything report as 100% utilization...

[Chris679]

Any lender that would get scared by one $1000 card maxed out for one month isn't someone I want to do business with. Use your cards responsibly and if they don't like it there are tons of other companies out there that will.

[ScoreOrBeScored]

You will be okay, take your 20 point hit and just get it back when it reports $0 next month. There is nothing wrong with what OP

is doing. If that's the way they choose to prove themselves to the lender than let them. I doubt very serious it will raise red flags as

this is only a $1k card. It takes more than $1k card being maxed to cause any red flags. Just pay the day after statement cuts and

lender has no issue.  I doubt other lenders will even flinch over this. You guys just overthink everything a little too much sometimes.