{
  "id": "credit-utilization",
  "version": "e7e83254128c",
  "status": "published",
  "name": "Credit Utilization Calculator",
  "question": "What is my credit utilization rate?",
  "summary": "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%.",
  "category": "finance",
  "subcategory": "loans",
  "url": "https://www.acalculator.org/finance/credit-utilization-calculator",
  "markdown": "https://www.acalculator.org/finance/credit-utilization-calculator.md",
  "kind": "function",
  "method": "Utilization = total balances ÷ total credit limits × 100; each card = its balance ÷ its limit × 100; pay down = total balances − target% × total limits, or $0 if already at or under the target.",
  "assumptions": [
    "Only revolving credit (credit cards and credit lines) counts; installment loans have no limit to compare with.",
    "Balances are what the card issuer reports, usually the statement balance, not what you owe after a payment.",
    "Credit scoring models may weigh overall and per-card utilization in their own ways; this page shows the ratios, not a score."
  ],
  "inputs": {
    "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
    "type": "object",
    "properties": {
      "cards": {
        "title": "Credit cards",
        "description": "One row per credit card or credit line: what you owe now and its credit limit.",
        "type": "array",
        "items": {
          "type": "object",
          "properties": {
            "b": {
              "title": "Balance",
              "description": "What you owe on the card, $0 or more.",
              "type": "number",
              "x-unit": "USD",
              "minimum": 0,
              "maximum": 1000000000
            },
            "l": {
              "title": "Credit limit",
              "description": "The card’s credit limit, more than $0.",
              "type": "number",
              "x-unit": "USD",
              "minimum": 0.01,
              "maximum": 1000000000
            }
          }
        }
      },
      "t": {
        "title": "Target utilization",
        "description": "The utilization you want to get under. CFPB suggests keeping it below 30%.",
        "type": "number",
        "x-unit": "percent",
        "minimum": 0,
        "maximum": 100
      }
    }
  },
  "outputs": {
    "utilization": {
      "label": "Overall utilization",
      "description": "Total balances ÷ total credit limits × 100.",
      "format": "percent"
    },
    "balance": {
      "label": "Total balances",
      "description": "All the balances added up.",
      "format": "money"
    },
    "limit": {
      "label": "Total credit limit",
      "description": "All the credit limits added up.",
      "format": "money"
    },
    "available": {
      "label": "Credit available",
      "description": "Total limit minus total balances (negative when over the limit).",
      "format": "money"
    },
    "payDown": {
      "label": "Pay down to reach the target",
      "description": "How much to pay off the total balances to bring overall utilization down to the target; $0 if you are there.",
      "format": "money"
    },
    "highest": {
      "label": "Highest card",
      "description": "The highest utilization on any one card.",
      "format": "percent"
    },
    "perCard": {
      "label": "Each card",
      "description": "Each card’s balance ÷ limit, in the order typed, rounded to 2 decimals.",
      "format": "text"
    },
    "verdict": {
      "label": "Compared with the target",
      "description": "Whether overall utilization is at or under the target, or above it.",
      "format": "text"
    }
  },
  "defaultAnswer": {
    "inputs": {
      "cards": [
        {
          "balance": 1200,
          "limit": 5000
        },
        {
          "balance": 1800,
          "limit": 3000
        }
      ],
      "t": 30
    },
    "outputs": {
      "utilization": 37.5,
      "balance": 3000,
      "limit": 8000,
      "available": 5000,
      "payDown": 600,
      "highest": 60,
      "perCard": "Card 1: 24%; Card 2: 60%",
      "verdict": "above 30%"
    },
    "text": "Your credit utilization is 37.5%, above 30%."
  },
  "examples": [
    {
      "given": {
        "cards": [
          {
            "balance": 1200,
            "limit": 5000
          },
          {
            "balance": 1800,
            "limit": 3000
          }
        ],
        "t": 30
      },
      "expect": {
        "utilization": 37.5,
        "balance": 3000,
        "limit": 8000,
        "available": 5000,
        "payDown": 600,
        "highest": 60,
        "perCard": "Card 1: 24%; Card 2: 60%",
        "verdict": "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); hand calculation in content.mdx: 3,000 ÷ 8,000 = 37.5%; 3,000 − 30% × 8,000 = 600"
    },
    {
      "given": {
        "cards": [
          {
            "balance": 500,
            "limit": 2000
          }
        ],
        "t": 30
      },
      "expect": {
        "utilization": 25,
        "payDown": 0,
        "verdict": "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); hand calculation in content.mdx: 500 ÷ 2,000 = 25%"
    },
    {
      "given": {
        "cards": [
          {
            "balance": 0,
            "limit": 10000
          },
          {
            "balance": 2500,
            "limit": 2500
          },
          {
            "balance": 333.33,
            "limit": 1000
          }
        ],
        "t": 10
      },
      "expect": {
        "utilization": 20.987629629629627,
        "balance": 2833.33,
        "limit": 13500,
        "payDown": 1483.33,
        "perCard": "Card 1: 0%; Card 2: 100%; Card 3: 33.33%",
        "verdict": "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); hand calculation in content.mdx: 2,833.33 ÷ 13,500 = 20.99%; Python 3: (0+2500+333.33)/13500*100"
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    "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; closing cards while keeping the same balance raises the share you use). https://www.consumerfinance.gov/archive/blog/credit-score-myths-might-be-holding-you-back-improving-your-credit/ (retrieved 2026-10-02)",
    "CFPB, Understand your credit score (how close you are to your credit limit affects your score; keep your use of credit at no more than 30 percent of your total credit limit). https://www.consumerfinance.gov/consumer-tools/credit-reports-and-scores/understand-your-credit-score/ (retrieved 2026-10-02)"
  ],
  "related": [
    "credit-card-payoff",
    "credit-card-interest",
    "debt-to-income-ratio"
  ],
  "changelog": []
}