You want to let a balance actually report on one credit card rather than paying as soon as it posts reporting $0.
BCE isn't a starter card for those with blemishes in the past; I'd probably wait twelve months but that's me (you can certainly get some additional approvals at the 6 month mark), you have enough installment history that you're facing other UW issues rather than your score and the bulk of that is your limited revolving history.
@brickie74 wrote:Thanks Revelate.
Yea, at the time i wasn't aware that Credit Karma recommendations are worthless. They recommended BCE based on my scores.. I'm greatful to have stumbled on My Fico Forums afterwards.
I wasn't aware that I needed to roll a balance over.
Does it matter how little of a balance reports (say $10-40)?
Would you recommend rolling a balance over on both cards or just one?
When you say that the bulk of my credit situation is due to my limited revolving history . . . is there anything else that I can do at this point besides. . .
- Give it time to mature
- Let a balance rollover
MyFico is an amazing place to be lots of good reads here. 
@brickie74 wrote:Thanks Revelate.
Yea, at the time i wasn't aware that Credit Karma recommendations are worthless. They recommended BCE based on my scores.. I'm greatful to have stumbled on My Fico Forums afterwards.
I wasn't aware that I needed to roll a balance over.
Does it matter how little of a balance reports (say $10-40)?
Would you recommend rolling a balance over on both cards or just one?
When you say that the bulk of my credit situation is due to my limited revolving history . . . is there anything else that I can do at this point besides. . .
- Give it time to mature
- Let a balance rollover
Right now not really; longer term you probably want 4 or even 5 revolvers (quality of life 5 vs 4) for scoring purposes.
In general it doesn't really matter what your balances are month to month, but when you do want to apply for something or to see where you are, that's where cleaning up to only one balance reporting is a benefit from a scoring perspective. Typically I just let my balances report and then pay with very few exceptions, I'd rather lenders see that I'm using my cards in their account reviews and I know it doesn't matter much what my scores are unless I'm applying for something.
Any non-zero dollar amount is fine, though some lenders will write off very low amounts... $5 is fine on a single tradeline, suggested itis <9% on a single tradeline but I just usually leave $20 on a random tradeline but most of mine are well in excess of 1k now... have to micromanage a bit more when just starting to get pretty reporting.
@brickie74 wrote:I wasn't aware that I needed to roll a balance over.
I'm concerned about your use of the phrase "roll a balance over." Perhaps I'm misreading you, but I just wanted to be sure we're talking about the same thing:
Never pay interest. ie, always pay it all before the due date(unless circumstances are conspiring against you)
There's a section of FICO points that are optimized by having "all zero except one", or all but a single card reporting zero balance. (pay most before statement date, pay one after statement date but before due date)
