High Balance

[MrTom]

Just a quick question on the High Balance section of the trade line on credit cards.

Where does this amount come from? 

• Is it the highest your balance ever was at statment cut?
• Is it the highest your balance ever was at a given time?  So if I have a 1000 limit card, charge 900 and pay that 900 in 24 hours would it report my high balance as 900?

[Thomas_Thumb]

It depends on the CC company. Many report the highest "point in time" balance on the card for that cycle regardless of statement cut date. Some report only the highest based on statements.

On my Best Buy credit card the highest statement balance listed is $3011. However, my High Balance (HB) shows $3202 dated the same cycle (3/2014). Prior to that I had a HB of $2520 with a statement balance of $2102 (1/2014). [refer to paste below]

Note: If a subsequent cycle results in a new high balance it will get added to your credit report along with the date. However, the previous high balance and its date will be listed as well.

[MrTom]

I was mainly wondering how Amex reports

[HeavenOhio]

With AMEX, it's the highest statement balance.

[Anonymous]

I've only run into highest statement balance being listed as "high balance" on any given trade line, never any other number like something mid-cycle.

[Revelate]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I've only run into highest statement balance being listed as "high balance" on any given trade line, never any other number like something mid-cycle.

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Bank of America among others.

There was an old thread on CC's about that, IIRC was about 30/70 between those that did vs. did not report a mid-cycle balance.

[HeavenOhio]

Based only on memory of information posted here, I think Capital One and Chase might use mid-cycle balances.

[Anonymous]

I have two Chase accounts and a Capital One account and neither have ever reported anything other than a statement balance.

Rev, if the ratio you stated above is true, I'm an extreme outlier than as I have 7 different creditors with which I have revolvers and none of the 7 have ever reported anything other than a statement balance, with the lone exception being Chase reporting a $0 balance mid-cycle which has nothing to do with High Balance of course.

[Thomas_Thumb]

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@HeavenOhio wrote:

Based only on memory of information posted here, I think Capital One and Chase might use mid-cycle balances.

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FWIW - At the time my Best Buy card posted a HB that was greater than the statement balance (3/2014), it was managed by CBNA. The transfer in card management from Cap One to CBNA took place 9/2013 based on Cap One BB card close date.

The difference [statement vs high balance] was/is easy to spot when reviewing old credit reports from the CBs. [see example pasted in prior post]

[Anonymous]

In my own experience (just double checked on Experian), Cap One, Chase and Penfed report the highest balance ever (not just current cycle but the entire card history). Amex, Discover and Citi report the highest statement balance ever.