For most people, credit scores are a mystery; even credit experts don't know every last thing about how credit scores are calculated -- and what makes them change. If you pay off credit card debt, for instance, will your credit score go up -- or down? Here's what you need to know.
If I pay off my credit card in full, will my credit go up?
Yes. (Usually.)
Here's a short chart showing different methods of paying off credit card debt and how they usually impact your credit score.
| Method used to pay off credit cards | Usual impact on credit score |
|---|---|
| Cash or check | Boost in score |
| Personal loan, debt consolidation loan | Boost in score |
| Cash-out refinance | Boost in score |
| Line of credit, HELOC | No change |
| Balance transfer credit card | No change |
Note: Depending on your circ*mstances, you may not see these effects on your credit score. We'll explain more about how your credit score is calculated below so you can take all factors into account.
Credit card comparison
We recommend comparing options to ensure the card you're selecting is the best fit for you. To make your search easier, here's a short list of standout credit cards.
| Offer | Our Rating | Welcome Offer | Rewards Program | APR | Learn More |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card | Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars. 5.00/5Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.5 stars equals Best.4 stars equals Excellent.3 stars equals Good.2 stars equals Fair.1 star equals Poor.We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. | 75,000 Miles75,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening | 2X-5X milesEarn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options. | Intro: Purchases: N/A Balance Transfers: N/A Regular:19.99% - 29.99% (Variable) |
What goes into my credit score calculation?
Every consumer's credit history is unique. And most credit scoring agencies don't publish their formulas.
However, FICO -- the most commonly used credit scoring agency -- does publish what types of data it considers, and how much it weighs each factor.
Here are FICO's official scoring factors:
- Payment history (35% of score)
- Amounts owed (30% of score)
- Credit history length (15% of score)
- Credit mix (10% of score)
- New credit (10% of score)
To understand your credit score, ask yourself these five questions:
- Do you pay all your debts on time every month? (Payment history)
- Are you maxing out your credit cards? (Amounts owed)
- Do you have a solid history of paying back debt? (Credit history length; older is better)
- Do you know how to manage a variety of types of debt? (Credit mix)
- Have you applied for several new loans, credit cards, or other forms of credit recently? (New credit)
What is my credit utilization rate?
When companies are deciding your credit score, they compare how much you've borrowed to how much credit you have available. This is your credit utilization rate. It factors into the "Amounts Owed" category of credit score.
Here's an example:
| Amount owed on credit card | Credit card limit | Credit utilization ratio | Good or bad? |
|---|---|---|---|
| $500 | $500 | 100% | Bad |
| $500 | $1,000 | 50% | Bad |
| $500 | $2,000 | 25% | Good |
FICO looks at utilization across all of your credit cards, but it also considers individual cards. For a good credit score, try to keep your credit utilization at about 30% or less per card.
Since lower utilization is better, reducing it typically increases your credit score. When you pay off credit card debt and your score goes up, you can credit most of that boost to this one factor.
How much will credit score increase after paying off credit cards?
Improvement depends heavily on how high your utilization was in the first place.
If you're close to maxing out your credit cards, your credit score could jump 10 points or more when you pay off credit card balances completely.
If you haven't used most of your available credit, you might only gain a few points when you pay off credit card debt. Yes, even if you pay off the cards entirely.
Don't close your credit cards
Because your utilization is the ratio of your current credit card balances to your credit card limits, it's important to keep your credit cards open. $0 owed on a card with a $1,000 limit is impressive. $0 owed when you have no credit cards doesn't pack the same punch.
How long after paying off credit cards does credit score improve?
You should see your score go up within a month (sometimes less).
Your credit card issuer typically sends an updated report to credit bureaus once a month when your statement period ends. A new credit score is calculated every time your credit is pulled, and the new score uses the latest balance information. So you should see the results of these payments as soon as your balances update on your credit reports.
This is fast compared to other methods. Some ways of boosting your credit can take months or even years.
Why did my credit score go down when I paid off my credit card?
When your credit score goes down after you pay off a credit card, it's typically because you closed your account. Why? Once again, it boils down to utilization.
Credit utilization decreases when you pay off credit card balances. But this only works if your total available credit stays the same.
When you close a credit card, you lose access to that credit line. This means your total available credit decreases. If you have balances on your remaining credit cards, a decrease in your total available credit can cause your utilization rate to rise.
To avoid this, pay off credit card balances without closing your accounts. Of course, if you have problems using your card responsibly -- or the card has an annual fee -- it may be worthwhile to close the account, despite the potential impact on your score.
Less debt, better scores -- it's a win-win
It's always a good idea to pay off credit card debt monthly, regardless of how that debt repayment impacts your credit scores. Unless you have an intro APR deal, any outstanding balance carried from month to month accrues interest -- at a high interest rate.
Happily, you don't have to choose between paying down high-interest debt and your credit score. When you pay off credit card debt, you almost always see an improvement in your credit score. It's hard to predict how much your credit score will change, but hopefully, this guide helps you estimate the potential change.
Still have questions?
Here are some other questions we've answered:
- Does Applying for a Credit Card Hurt Your Credit Score?
- Does Maxing Out a Credit Card Hurt Your Credit Score?
- How to Rebuild Your Credit
- Best High Limit Credit Cards
FAQs
This depends on your credit utilization rate. Basically, the more credit you use, the less trustworthy credit bureaus regard you, and the lower your score. If you suddenly pay off a lot of credit, your score could go up. But if you close a card completely, your credit score might actually go down.
Credit bureaus don't care when you pay off your credit card, so long as you're not late. But they do care about credit utilization. Occasionally, paying your credit card early will lower your credit utilization right before banks report to FICO, potentially boosting your score a bit extra.
Generally speaking, consistency matters way, way more than sometimes paying early.
Our Credit Cards Experts
By:Brittney Myers
Writer
Brittney started her writing career in the world of science, putting her physics degree to good use. Her journey into finance started with building her personal credit, but soon grew into a borderline obsession with credit cards and travel rewards. For the last 7 years, she has enjoyed the ability to share her expertise with readers, as well as the opportunity to interview companies and individuals making an impact on our financial lives. She wholly believe most problems can be solved with the right research -- and a good spreadsheet -- and she specializes in translating complex financial topics into actionable advice to help educate and empower readers.
By:Cole Tretheway
Cole Tretheway is a full-time personal finance writer whose articles have been featured on The Ascent and The Motley Fool. He has a degree in English with a Certificate in Professional and Technical Communication from California Polytechnic University, SLO.
Fact CheckedAshley Maready
Writer and Editor
Ashley Maready is a former history museum professional who made the leap to digital content writing and editing in 2021. She has a BA in History and Philosophy from Hood College and an MA in Applied History from Shippensburg University. Ashley loves creating content for the public and learning new things so she can teach others, whether it's information about salt mining, canal mules, or personal finance.
