Although there are different circumstances around CLD's (credit limit decreases), they generally occur because the lender has seen something on the consumer's credit reports that makes them nervous --high unpaid balances on other cards or new lates, for instance --or because the consumer has maintained high balances on his/her own card and doesn't seem to be making an effort to get them down. Back during the initial credit crunch, some banks CLD'd customers with high balances with 0% APR. They apparently decided that they wanted their money back now, thank you, as they weren't earning any interest on those balances.
So that being said, I don't think you look like a likely target for CLD's. You're bringing down your balances, and you're using your cards periodically. Try to look at your credit profile the way a lender might --do you have balances creeping up across the board? Have you gone crazy, applying for lots of new credit recently? Have you had any new delinquencies (30-day lates, etc.) show up on your reports? Have you been late paying this individual card? (This generally isn't reported to the credit bureaus if you missed the deadline by a couple of days, but the lender most certainly makes a note in your file and keeps an eye on you.) If you're looking like a stable, responsible user of credit, you should be OK.
It goes without saying that you should never be making just minimum payments. If you can't clear off a balance within 3 months or so, you should be paying well over the minimum --minimum times three, for example, or minimum plus $50, depending on the balance owed.
As for frequent usage, HSBC (and Orchard) were closing their bank cards (MC, Visa) in a New York minute if they went without being used for several months. (I don't know if they're still doing this, but they definitely were a while back.) However, I have a Best Buy store card --no MC/ Visa/ etc logo on it --and I've gone as long as 8 months without usage. I wouldn't recommend this, and I scampered to a BB and bought some blank CD's when I realized how long it had been, but the card was still open and the CL was intact. In fact, like you, I got a CLI online, back when they were still doing this.
I'll let someone else comment on the Wells Fargo card, because I've never had one and I don't know how touchy they are. But I would advise using any bank card more often than a tank of gas every 4 months. If you have a reasonable amount of self-discipline in terms of not running up CC balances, I'd suggest using the WF for grocery shopping, for instance, or another regular activity for which you have money already budgeted. If you wanted (and if WF allows frequent payments), you could pay off your weekly grocery bill online every Saturday or something, thus keeping the card busy and controlling your CC balances.
At any rate, just from what you wrote, I think that you should be safe from CLD's, unless something changes drastically. But I'd recommend using the WF card more often than in your scenario.
* Credit is a wonderful servant, but a terrible master. * Who's the boss --you or your credit?
FICO's: EQ 781 - TU 793 - EX 779 (from PSECU) - Done credit hunting; having fun with credit gardening. - EQ 590 on 5/14/2007
