In Credit Card Speak,
Utilization refers to how much of something you are using, utilization of the CL in percentage terms for example.
Usage is just outright, did you use the card for a purchase this month or not, regardless of amounts.
Most often we discuss utilization as a percentage of available credit, because there is an underlying assumption that the cardholder used the card to get there. Your topic is "how long can I go without using my card".
@Chris679 wrote:
@ecxpa wrote:
@Chris679 wrote:
I agree with the above, I don't think cash advance is ever a good idea. Should be only when you need it which should be never.I agree with the first part of your answer but not the last part........what if you are stranded somewhere without cash....after all that's what the cash advance feature is for isn't it?
The cash advance feature is a way for the CCC to take advantage of someone who allows themselves to be put into this position. They do that by charging crazy high fees and interest with no grace period. You should use an ATM card for this. Obviously you gotta do what you gotta do but there are much better alternatives.
except in an emergency, ecxpa's example scenario.
If you really had to do this, do it with discover. No fee for cash back at checkout. Like a billion places where you can do it, and it posts like a purchase. Same interest rate and the clock doesnt start immediately. But honestly if you are pulling cash out of a card it might be time to rethink some things. Then again i have a bank thats open 7 days a week. I suppose if I were locked in a central american jail I would pull cash off of a card, but beyond that I cant think of a good reason.
For usage, just do something you have to do anyway. Buy a pack of gum. Go to panera. Get a car wash. Buy me a nice present. Its 2015, making a payment as soon as the transaction posts takes all of 45 seconds unless you cant remember your password 
Im not an AA paranoid, but if I were a credit card issuer I would wonder about someone getting cash advances. There arent many places that dont take cards these days, so its either for drugs or lapdances in my very vivid imagination. As a card issuer Im worried about either of those.
@ecxpa wrote:
@NRB525 wrote:In Credit Card Speak,
Utilization refers to how much of something you are using, utilization of the CL in percentage terms for example.
Usage is just outright, did you use the card for a purchase this month or not, regardless of amounts.
Most often we discuss utilization as a percentage of available credit, because there is an underlying assumption that the cardholder used the card to get there. Your topic is "how long can I go without using my card".
Sorry but your crystal ball is all fogged up. If my question was "how long can I go without using my card" I would have asked that question.......don't try to put words in my mouth. You definition of usage and utilization is confusing also.......seems to me you are talking about percentage of credit line for utilization and I understand this but to me utilization of something means to use it......and to use something means to utilize it. Just semantincs I am sure but I am not into legalese.....sorry for not being as articulate as you
I'm not trying to put words in your mouth, I'm trying to share how we define utilization vs usage in the context of credit cards.
You can keep the title as is, but don't be surprised with outlier comments like Nixon's (which is off topic btw) 
Yah, I like totally did not get that from your OP. Sorry.
If you want a CLI, my general opinion is you want to show heavy usage, and high utilization of the card. This works better on small limit cards, $300 - $2,000 just because higher utilization of larger limit cards is just more difficult to manage. One also has to have a realistic expectation of how much CLI can be obtained. Certain types of cards like CapOne "early builder" cards seem to have a wheel boot that keeps them from growing. Others, like AMEX, could care less whether you max it out, the 3x CLI seems to be only contingent on making the payments on time. YMMV