Is It Better to Pay Off One Credit Card or Reduce Balances on Two? (2024)

FAQs

Is It Better to Pay Off One Credit Card or Reduce Balances on Two? ›

If one card has a significantly higher interest rate, it may be more beneficial to focus on paying off that card first. By eliminating the high-interest debt, you can save money on interest payments in the long run.

To eliminate debt accounts more quickly, start with the credit card that has the lowest balance, as this can provide a sense of accomplishment and motivation to continue. Regardless of the strategy you choose, always make minimum payments on your other cards to avoid penalties and maintain your credit standing.

Bottom line

If you have a credit card balance, it's typically best to pay it off in full if you can. Carrying a balance can lead to expensive interest charges and growing debt.

Paying more than the monthly minimum helps accelerate your debt payoff and is a more active approach. When you pay more than the minimum each month, you are chipping away a larger chunk of your debt and thus shortening the amount of time it will take to pay off.

The best approach to debt repayment depends on your balances, interest rates and financial goals. Prioritizing high-interest debt should save you the most money—but in some cases, it might make more sense to pay off your highest balance first.

Paying off the debt on the card with the highest interest rate first is one method to reduce credit card debt. This is called the “debt avalanche method.” While some advocate for paying off your smallest debt first because it seems easier, you may save more on interest over time by chipping away at high-interest debt.

Similarly, if you pay off a credit card debt and close the account entirely, your scores could drop. This is because your total available credit is lowered when you close a line of credit, which could result in a higher credit utilization ratio.

With the snowball method, you pay off the card with the smallest balance first. Once you've repaid the balance in full, you take the money you were paying for that debt and use it to help pay down the next smallest balance.

Paying off your monthly statement balances in full each month is the path to avoiding credit card debt. As long as you pay off your statement balance in full, your grace period kicks in and you can make purchases on your credit card without paying interest until the next statement due date.

Is it better to have no balance or a low balance on a credit card? ›

The lower your balances, the better your score — and a very low balance will keep your financial risks low. But the best way to maintain a high credit score is to pay your balances in full on time, every time.

The current balance on your monthly loan statement is not the same as the payoff amount, which is the amount necessary to completely satisfy the loan and close it out. The payoff amount will almost always be higher than your statement balance because of interest.

You should always strive to pay off your statement balance in full each month by the due date to avoid costly interest charges. It isn't necessary to pay off the current balance before the end of a billing cycle, but doing so can help maintain a low credit utilization and boost your credit score.

If you make only the credit card minimum payment, you'll end up paying a large amount of interest before you pay off your balance. By paying every two weeks instead, you end up making additional payments, which can help lower the total amount of interest that you have to pay before your balance is completely paid off.

It's a good idea to pay off your credit card balance in full whenever you're able. Carrying a monthly credit card balance can cost you in interest and increase your credit utilization rate, which is one factor used to calculate your credit scores.

Paying off credit card debt is smart, whether you zero out your balance every month or are finally done paying down debt after months or years. And as you might expect, it will affect your credit score. Whether you are chipping away at a balance or eliminating it with one big payment, your score will likely go up.

Since credit utilization makes up 30 percent of your credit score, it's a good idea to keep your available credit as high as possible — and your debts as low as possible. Running up high balances on your credit cards raises your credit utilization ratio and can lower your credit score.