how will my score be affected

[Anonymous]

now that i'm credit cards debt free... well i have one card that we use sparingly and pay in full, we're gearing up to stop using all my credit cards. my question is how will that affect my score

[Tuscani]

Depends.. what was your credit picture and scores before?

[haulingthescoreup]

Good chance that if you have no credit cards/ revolving reporting at all, your scores will drop. One veteran poster lost 20 points. Most of the time, it's good to have at least one card posting an absolutely minimal amount, although I'm sure that there might be some individual cases where this isn't so.

If you want to stop using your cards, maybe you could find a small recurring bill or recurring charitable donation that you can put on one card, allow to post, and then pay off before the due date. If it's for the same amount each month, you could set it up for auto-pay and not have to fool with it at all, other than to confirm that your checking account has been deducted for the auto-pay. That way you're not using it for anything that you wouldn't be doing anyway, and your scores will still benefit.

[Red1Blue]

Best thing is put all the cards in the sock drawer and using one or two cards sparingly. Other cards do a small transaction once in 3-6 months to keep the cards active. I am not sure closing the cards is a good idea. Let the cards age and they will help you in turn in the future.

[Anonymous]

FYI: 

Some if not all cc will allow you to pay on-line anytime during the month. 

I have found myself paying for an item with a credit card to obtain miles or credits to then pay the Credit Card off within the next couple of days, rather than waiting for the statement. 

I am also debt free and it feels great.  Good job.

I do leave a little something in each cc, $10 or $20, but I do pay in full to make sure that I am not paying any interest.

Some cc will limit the number of times within a billing cycle that you can pay on-line.

[MidnightVoice]

My favorite way of keeping a CC alive is the monthly charitable donation.  I have a small one on my emergency card and a small one on my daughter's emergency card.

Plus MyFICO charges for SW come monthly, and that can be another way