The Problem

Your credit card company reports your balance to the credit bureaus on the statement date—not the due date. So even if you pay your card off in full by the due date, your reported balance may still appear high if you had a large balance on your statement date.

Why does this matter? Because one of the biggest factors affecting your credit score is something called credit utilization.

What is Credit Utilization?

Credit utilization is how much of your available credit you’re using. It’s calculated like this:

Balance ÷ Credit Limit × 100 = Utilization %

For example:

• If your limit is $2,000 and your balance is $1,000 on your statement date, you’re using 50% of your credit.
• Experts recommend keeping this under 30%, and ideally under 10% to boost your score.

The Fix: Pay Before the Statement Date

Want your score to reflect lower balances? Just pay early.

🕒 Paying before the statement date (instead of the due date) ensures a lower balance gets reported to the credit bureaus, which lowers your utilization and improves your score.

Smart Habits That Boost Your Credit

✅ Pay before your statement date
✅ Keep your utilization under 30%
✅ Avoid closing old accounts
✅ Set up reminders to avoid late payments
✅ Track balances, APRs, and due dates with a tool that works

Downloadable Resource: Free Credit Card Tracker

To help you stay on top of everything—from balances and due dates to APRs and promo periods—we’ve created a simple, editable Credit Card Tracker you can use right now.

You’ll be able to:

• Monitor all your credit cards in one place
• Track statement vs. due dates
• See utilization rates at a glance
• Store APRs, promo expirations, and custom notes

Good credit isn’t just about paying on time—it’s about managing the details that lenders see behind the scenes. A small change in timing can make a big difference. Build smart habits and take control of your financial future one move at a time.

Downloadable Resource: Smart Credit Habits Infographic