Thank you for your help. I really need an educated answer from someone who *knows* the answer.
*Please do not guess - only comment if you know for sure. If you see anyone posting incorrect information, please comment to let me know their information is inaccurate.
Preface: *Please be kind.* I have been dealing with substantial loss and I do not have family. It is 4:00am – I am doing my best. Not to mention I have literally had 14 surgeries and I am in *pain* as I type this.
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Question:
Which utilization mix *on individual cards* is better for a higher credit score?
(I *know* that *Overall* Utilization under 30% they say is best - but lower is even better - shoot for 9% or less. I know AZEO is the very best. Sadly not an option at the moment. Can you answer my specific question toward the bottom after you see the percentages I am looking at?
I am asking about individual cards - and YES they do individually have an effect on score. I have been tracking it for some time. I need to know *which* mix is best until I can get them all under 9% so when I make large payments - I make them the best way.)
Which payoff behavior will raise my credit score faster?
1/2 at 28% utilization and 1/2 at 0% utilization
> OR<
1/4 at 22% utilization - 5/8 at 9% utilization - 1/8 at 0% utilization
> OR<
Your suggestion
Right now my cards are basically
1/3 at under 26% - 1/3 at under 9% - 1/3 at 0%
Credit Cards are my only debt - the interest on my cards is a non-issue now - so I don't need to pay off according to interest.
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IF you care to help answer but need more details for a precise answer: (maybe this will help another reader with same questions)
You can skip to exact percentages of each card - listed below - if you don't want to read this:
You can use correct terms and they won't go over my head. I am fairly educated on how credit works. (I used to be a Corporate Accountant)
I check my credit score and balance of every single card on Experian *every single day* so that I am aware what is on my credit report and what payment/balance has what effect - but I cannot figure the above question out.
I have every due date/statement date on a spreadsheet and I make sure it matches my credit report exactly daily as the statments drop and they report.
(I am not obsessed. Once you have identity theft like I did - trust me, you will do the same.)
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Factors that affect credit score that I will notate:
== Overall utilization is 18%.
== Everything else paid off. No car loan, no mortgage - which I now know *tanked* my credit score by paying off to zero balance. My score was 830 having double the amount of debt I have now! Uggh.) Yes, I should have paid off cards first. (Long Story) Another reason I track every single dollar now.
== *zero* late payments, *zero* collections, *zero* loans
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I have found - and why I am posing the question. I just cannot figure the above question out:
==12/14 Credit Score was 748.
==12/15 Credit Score dropped to 741 due to utilization on a newer card. Went from 0% to 28% on a newer card (Balance Transfer) No other change at the time it dropped. The balance I transferred was a new charge that had not hit the bureaus yet. Was not from another card.
== 12/16 paid it to 9% and asked card to update bureaus.
== 12/18 They did. Experian showed 9% but no change to score despite showing the change.
== 12/31 still no change back to score.
**My overall utilization % did *not* change* with either the 28% or 9% as this is a higher credit limit card. Has remained 18% overall.
I will pay it back down to 0% but now I have to wait until the 15th for it to reflect 
IF it even will.
I had other cards go from 0% to 26% in the past (BXfer). These raised my overall utilization 2% and *no* change in credit score (what?)
So obviously newer cards hold more weight with than older cards if you carry a balance.
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This is EXACTLY what I am looking at and my exact question
Right now I have 25 cards. 50% of my cards are under 9%.
9 cards at 0% utilization
4 cards are 8-9% utilization
4 cards are 11-13% utilization
8 cards under 26% utilization
Low % doesn’t = Low $0 – they have larger credit limits. Same with the larger %. I can’t easily pay off any to 0 or would have. What I did do is get all of them to basically 0 interest.
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skip to EXACT Question now that you see percentages:
Do I pay the 4 cards that are 10.98% utilization to be under 9% utilization
>OR<
Do I pay the 4 cards at 9% utilization to a zero balance?
>OR<
Do I pay that money toward the 8 cards 26%-28% utilization? (but they will only come down to 22%-23% with the same $)
25 cards
12 cards at 28% utilization 13 cards at 0% utilization
> OR<
6 cards at 19% utilization - 15 cards at 9% utilization - 4 cards at 0% utilization
> OR<
Your suggestion
Utilization:
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
---------
0.83% (zero interest plan so don’t want to payoff yet)
8.62%
8.70%
8.90%
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10.98% (Do I get this bracket under 9% or do I get the 4 cards that are 9% or less to a zero balance first?)
11.65%
13.38%
13.48%
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26.00%
26.50%
27.50%
27.52%
27.78%
27.97%
27.98%
27.50%
Until I can have all under 9% I am trying to find which is the best way to pay off cards.
My husband lost his job for 22 months due to COVID and not being able to find a new job. I got hit with major medical issues. (I have had 14 surgeries) Unfortunately our cards were utilized. We didn’t lose our house or anything else. So I will take this as a win with a lot on my plate right now. I made LARGE payments this month alone so they are being paid. Many I am paying off to zero and recharging but I don’t want the bureau to see the 0% in case one month I can’t and it looks like I charged a LOT to cards all of a sudden. It could cause some cards to drop my limits.
I now use them ALL for business invoices to keep my business going. They are not business credit cards. I know, I know – they should be – We did not celebrate Christmas. No Tree. No Gifts. Every penny went to the credit cards.
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TL DR: Which payoff behavior will raise my credit score faster? Having my cards at
1/2 at 28% and 1/2 at 0%
> OR<
1/4 at 22% - 5/8 at 9% - 1/8 at 0%
> OR<
Your suggestion
Is it better to pay off the ones 26%+ USING the 0% cards - to have more at 9% and have less at zero%?
Or pay off the ones 13.68% or less to complete zero first and have more cards with a 0 balance and rest at 26%-28%?
I *know* it is better to get the highest 8 under 9% - that's not what I am asking.
I am asking -
Is it better to have all under 9% and NO 0% cards >OR<
Is it better to have more cards at 0% or does it even make a difference how many are 9% or less?
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If you are still with me, thank you. I am sorry for writing so much.
@dax wrote:*Please be kind* Please only answer if you know for sure. Thank you.
Which utilization mix *on individual cards* is better to raise credit score? I know AZEO is best but I can't do that at the moment.**Interest is not an issue - so I don't need to pay the highest interest cards first**----------------------------
==Is it better to have more cards with a zero balance >OR< is it better to pay down the higher 26% utilization cards to under 20% utilization and have less cards at 0%.
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Right now I have 25 cards. 1/3 at under 26% - 1/3 at 9% - 1/3 at 0%
9 cards at 0% utilization
4 cards are 8-9% utilization
4 cards are 11-13% utilization
8 under 26% utilization
(50% of my cards are under 9%.)
Using money:
Do I pay the 4 cards that are 10.98% utilization to be under 9% utilization?
>OR<
Do I pay the 4 cards at 9% utilization to a zero balance?
>OR<
Do I take all of that money and put it toward the 8 cards 26% utilization? (but they will only come down to 22%-23% with the same $)
Using balance transfers:
Should I use Balance Transfer offers on the 0% utilization cards to pay down the 26% utilization cards to be less than 15% utilization? Would it make a difference if I have less cards at 0% utilization but all balances under 15% utilization?
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Until I can have all under 9% I am trying to find which is the best way to pay off cards.
Thank you for your help.
Welcome to the forum.
Since you have no card balances > 26%, the most productive application of your payment money would be towards the smaller balances, turning as many of them as possible into zero balances. Doing that is helpful to your FICO 8 scores, and is like a shot of adrenaline for your FICO mortage scores.
Thank you!! That was what I needed to know. I paid them immediately when the statement dropped. I will ask the cards to do a mid-cycle update to show the 0.00. Thank you for your clarification – that helps me answer that one once and for all 
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I have a quick question if you don't mind. I really need help figuring this one out. It is making me crazy. You seem to be very knowledgeable. Or for anyone else that knows. (PLEASE no guessing)
I have searched and searched and can’t find this answer.
Questions in ==Q?==
==Q?== New cards and the effect of utilization on your credit score – even if you don’t go over 30%?
(I had this happen with another new card 3 years ago. Same 7pt drop – but drop rebounded if I kept it under 15% - not sure if 15% mattered just never let it get above that) Not the same with this card)
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Details:
=New BoA card opened 09/08/24 - used monthly (quite a bit) and paid to 0.00 each month for statement to report as 0.00 until 12/14/2024 statement. I did a BT (0% APR) to take to 28% utilization and my score dropped 7 points.
==12/14 Credit Score was 748.
==12/15 Credit Score dropped to 7 points to 741 after BoA reported. Nothing else reported within 5 days either side. So no changes except this.
This 7pt matters because I went from the VERY GOOD bracket to GOOD bracket
==Q?== Do new cards have different utilization criteria for credit score changes?
Details to give background on other things that may cause score to change:
=My overall utilization actually went down from 18% to 17%. (The BT was for a balance that had not hit the credit bureau yet and I made payments to other cards well over the BT amount)
==No other change to report within months of score dropping - except all balances going down. In fact, no changes except balances up and down except this card in 36mos except this new card 09/08/24.
==0 collections (ever), 0 late payments (ever), 0 public records (ever)
==Only this one new card and only this one Hard inquiry in last 36 months.
So I tried this to get score to go back up the 7 points it dropped – didn’t work:
== 12/16 paid BoA to 9%utilization and asked card to update bureaus. BoA agreed (after speaking to MANY people)
== 12/18 Experian shows 9% for BoA but score did not rebound despite showing the change.
== 01/18 statement - Still at 8.95% and still no change to score.
==Q?== Do I have to keep this brand new account at 0.00 for it not to drop my score? Meaning I can’t take advantage of the 0% APR BT or opening APR? To make clear – even IF I go to 28% utilization on this card, my overall utilization % doesn’t not increase.
**My overall utilization % has gone DOWN during all this - not up.
Overall did *not* change* with BoA reporting the 28% or the changed 9%
==Overall was 18% - now 17%.
I will pay BoA down to 0% but I wanted to see if my score would rebound at 9%. Didn’t.
I had these other cards go from 0% to 26% (months ago with BXfer. These raised my overall utilization 2% and *no* change in credit score
==Q?==So newer cards hold more weight with than older cards if you carry a balance? Do you know the utilization thresholds on new cards?