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What is my credit utilization rate?

Type the balance and credit limit of each credit card. The credit utilization calculator gives your overall ratio and each card’s ratio, and how much to pay down to reach a target such as the 30% the CFPB suggests.

Your numbers

Credit cards
Row 1
Row 2
Use the balance on your statement; that is usually what card issuers report.
Overall utilization
37.5%

Your credit utilization is 37.5%, above 30%.

Total balances
$3,000.00
Total credit limit
$8,000.00
Credit available
$5,000.00
Pay down to reach the target
$600.00
Highest card
60%
Each card
Card 1: 24%; Card 2: 60%
Compared with the target
above 30%

Overall utilization: 37.5%. Your credit utilization is 37.5%, above 30%.

The results are estimates for information only. They are not financial, tax, or legal advice. Check the numbers with your lender or a qualified professional before you decide. Terms of use

How to calculate

Finds your credit utilization ratio, total card balances ÷ total credit limits, overall and for each card, and how much to pay down to get under a target such as 30%.

Example with the default inputs (Credit cards [Balance $1,200.00, Credit limit $5,000.00; Balance $1,800.00, Credit limit $3,000.00], Target utilization 30%): Your credit utilization is 37.5%, above 30%.

Method: Utilization = total balances ÷ total credit limits × 100; each card = its balance ÷ its limit × 100; pay down = total balances − target% × total limits, or $0 if already at or under the target.

  • Only revolving credit (credit cards and credit lines) counts; installment loans have no limit to compare with.
  • Balances are what the card issuer reports, usually the statement balance, not what you owe after a payment.
  • Credit scoring models may weigh overall and per-card utilization in their own ways; this page shows the ratios, not a score.

Machine-readable copies: Markdown, JSON.

Worked examples

Each example is checked against the calculator on every build.

  1. Credit cards 1200 5000; 1800 3000, Target utilization 30% gives Overall utilization 37.5%, Total balances $3,000.00, Total credit limit $8,000.00, Credit available $5,000.00, Pay down to reach the target $600.00, Highest card 60%, Each card Card 1: 24%; Card 2: 60%, Compared with the target above 30%.Source: CFPB, Credit score myths that might be holding you back from improving your credit (divide your total credit card balances by your credit limits to get the credit utilization ratio; keeping it under 30 percent shows lenders you have available credit), https://www.consumerfinance.gov/archive/blog/credit-score-myths-might-be-holding-you-back-improving-your-credit/ (retrieved 2026-10-02)
  2. Credit cards 500 2000, Target utilization 30% gives Overall utilization 25%, Pay down to reach the target $0.00, Compared with the target at or under 30%.Source: CFPB, Credit score myths that might be holding you back from improving your credit (divide your total credit card balances by your credit limits to get the credit utilization ratio; keeping it under 30 percent shows lenders you have available credit), https://www.consumerfinance.gov/archive/blog/credit-score-myths-might-be-holding-you-back-improving-your-credit/ (retrieved 2026-10-02)
  3. Credit cards 0 10000; 2500 2500; 333.33 1000, Target utilization 10% gives Overall utilization 20.98763%, Total balances $2,833.33, Total credit limit $13,500.00, Pay down to reach the target $1,483.33, Each card Card 1: 0%; Card 2: 100%; Card 3: 33.33%, Compared with the target above 10%.Source: CFPB, Credit score myths that might be holding you back from improving your credit (divide your total credit card balances by your credit limits to get the credit utilization ratio; keeping it under 30 percent shows lenders you have available credit), https://www.consumerfinance.gov/archive/blog/credit-score-myths-might-be-holding-you-back-improving-your-credit/ (retrieved 2026-10-02)

How it works

For cards with balances B₁, B₂, … and credit limits L₁, L₂, …:

  • Overall utilization = (B₁ + B₂ + …) ÷ (L₁ + L₂ + …) × 100
  • Each card = Bₖ ÷ Lₖ × 100; the highest card is the largest of these
  • Credit available = total limits − total balances (negative when over the limit)
  • Pay down to reach the target = total balances − target × total limits ÷ 100, or $0 when utilization is already at or under the target
  • Compared with the target: “at or under T%” when overall utilization ≤ T, otherwise “above T%”

Sums and ratios run in double precision.

Rules

  • 1 to 20 cards. Each balance is $0 to $1 billion; each limit is $0.01 to $1 billion. The target is 0% to 100% (default 30%).
  • Utilization can be above 100% when a balance is over its limit.

Output format. Percents with up to 2 decimals; money in dollars and cents, rounded half up. “Each card” reads “Card 1: 24%; Card 2: 60%”: each value is Math.round(value × 100) ÷ 100 (2 decimals, halves rounded up), with trailing zeros dropped. The target in the verdict is written to 10 significant digits.

Worked examples by hand

$1,200 of $5,000 and $1,800 of $3,000, target 30%. Total $3,000 ÷ $8,000 = 37.5%: above 30%. Card 1: 1,200 ÷ 5,000 = 24%; card 2: 1,800 ÷ 3,000 = 60% (the highest). Available: 8,000 − 3,000 = $5,000. Pay down 3,000 − 0.30 × 8,000 = $600.

$500 of $2,000, target 30%. 500 ÷ 2,000 = 25%: at or under 30%, so pay down $0.

$0 of $10,000, $2,500 of $2,500 and $333.33 of $1,000, target 10%. Total $2,833.33 ÷ $13,500 = 20.99%. Cards: 0%, 100%, 33.33%. Pay down 2,833.33 − 0.10 × 13,500 = $1,483.33.

Other questions people ask

What is credit utilization?

The share of your available revolving credit that you are using: your credit card balances divided by your credit limits. The CFPB calls it the credit utilization ratio, and it is one of the things credit scores look at.

How do I calculate my credit utilization?

Add up the balances on all your cards, add up their credit limits, divide, and multiply by 100. With $1,200 on a $5,000 card and $1,800 on a $3,000 card: $3,000 ÷ $8,000 = 37.5%.

What is a good credit utilization?

The CFPB says experts advise keeping it at no more than 30 percent of your total credit limit, and that a low ratio shows lenders you have credit available. Lower is generally better.

How much do I need to pay to get under 30%?

Pay down total balances − 30% × total limits. In the example, 30% of $8,000 is $2,400, so paying $600 brings $3,000 down to $2,400, exactly 30%.

Does utilization count per card or overall?

Both can matter. Scoring models look at your total utilization and may also look at each card, so a single maxed-out card can count against you even when the total is low. The page shows each card and the highest one.

Does closing a card raise my utilization?

It can. Closing a card removes its limit from the total, so the same balances are a larger share of less credit. The CFPB gives this as a reason closing cards can lower your scores.

Which balance should I use?

Usually the statement balance, because that is what most issuers report to the credit bureaus. Paying before the statement closes lowers the reported balance.