Credit 101: What Is Revolving Utilization?

According to Experian, the average credit score in the United States was just over 700 in 2019. That’s considered a good credit score—and if you want a good credit score, you have to consider your revolving utilization. Revolving utilization measures the amount of revolving credit limits that you are currently using, and it accounts for a large portion of your credit score.

Find out more about what revolving utilization is, how to manage it, and how it impacts your credit score below.

What Is Revolving Credit?

To understand revolving utilization, you first have to understand revolving credit. Revolving credit accounts are those that have a “revolving” balance, such as credit cards.

When you are approved for a credit card, you are given a credit limit. If you have a credit card with a limit of $1,000 and you use it to buy $200 worth of goods, you now have a $200 balance and an $800 remaining credit limit.

Now, if you pay that $200, you again have $1,000 of open credit. If you pay $150, you have $950 of open credit. But your credit revolves between balance owed and how much open credit you have available to use. How much you have to pay each month—known as the minimum payment—depends on how much your balance owed is.

Other forms of revolving credit include lines of credit and home equity lines of credit. They work similar to credit cards.

What Isn’t Revolving Credit?

Unlike revolving credit, installment loans involve taking out a lump sum and paying it back in an agreed-upon fashion over a set term of months or years. Typically, you agree to pay a certain amount per month for a certain number of months to cover the amount you borrowed plus any interest.

With an installment loan, the amount of your monthly payment is determined by your loan agreement, not the balance due. Common types of installment loans include vehicle loans, personal loans, student loans, and mortgages.

What Is Revolving Utilization?

Revolving utilization, also known as “credit utilization” or your “debt-to-limit ratio,” relates only to revolving credit and isn’t a factor with installment loans. Utilization refers to how much of your credit balance you’re using at a given time.

Here’s how to determine your individual and overall credit utilization:

1. Look at your credit reports and identify all of your revolving accounts. Each of these accounts has a credit limit (the most you can spend on that account) and a balance (how much you have spent).
2. To calculate individual utilization percentage on an account, divide the balance by the credit limit, and multiply that number by 100.
   1. $500/$1,000 = 0.5
   2. 5*100 = 50%
3. To calculate overall utilization (all revolving accounts), add up all of the credit limits (total credit limit) and all of the balances (total spent) on your revolving accounts. Divide the total balance by total credit limit, and multiply that number by 100.

If you have a credit card with a $1,000 credit limit and a balance of $500, your utilization rate is 50%, for example. For the same card, if you have a balance of $100, your utilization rate is 10%.

When it comes to your credit score, revolving utilization is typically calculated in total. For example:

• You have one card with a limit of $1,000 and a balance of $500.
• You have a second card with a limit of $4,000 and a balance of $400.
• You have a third card with a limit of $3,000 and a balance of $600.
• Your total credit limit across all three cards is $8,000.
• Your total utilization across all three cards is $1,500.
• Your revolving utilization is around 19%.

How Can You Reduce Revolving Utilization?

You can reduce revolving utilization in two ways. First, you can pay down your balances. The less you owe, the less your utilization will be.

Second, you can increase your credit limit. If you apply for a new credit card but don’t use it, you’ll have more open credit, and that can reduce your utilization. You might also be able to ask your credit card company to review your account for a credit increase if you’re an account holder in good standing.

What Is Revolving Utilization’s Impact on Your Credit Score?

Your revolving utilization rate does impact your credit. It’s the second-largest factor in the calculation of your credit score. Your utilization rate accounts for around 30% of your score. The only factor more important is whether you make your payments on time.

Why is credit utilization so important to your score? Because to lenders, it can say a lot about you as a borrower.

If you’re currently maxed out on all your existing credit, you may be struggling to pay your debts. Or you might not be managing your debts in the most responsible fashion. Either way, lenders might see you as a riskier investment and be less inclined to approve you for loans or other credit.

How Do You Know If You Have a Revolving Utilization Problem?

Sign up for Credit.com’s free Credit Report Card. It provides a snapshot of your credit report and gives you a grade for each of the five areas that make up your score. That includes payment history, credit utilization, age of credit, credit mix, and inquiries. The credit report card makes it easy for you to see what might be negatively affecting your credit score.

You can also sign up for ExtraCredit, an exciting new product from Credit.com. With an ExtraCredit account, you get a look at 28 of your FICO scores from all three credit bureaus—plus exclusive discounts and cashback offers as well as other features—for less than $25 a month.