Is it bad to have a lot of credit cards with zero balance?

It’s better to pay off your credit card than to keep a balance because paying the card off will save you money on interest. Credit card companies charge interest when you don’t pay your bill in full every month, but you’ll enjoy a grace period with no interest if you always pay your full statement balance by the due date.... read full answer

Some people think you need to carry a balance in order to see positive information on your credit report, but that’s simply not true. You don’t even need to use your credit card to build credit. Simply keeping an account open and in good standing is enough to help your credit.

Here’s why it’s better to pay off your card than to carry a balance:

• If you pay your bill in full each month, you won’t be charged any interest on most credit cards, thanks to a grace period. But you’ll lose the grace period if you don’t pay in full one month, and you’ll have to pay your entire balance for two consecutive billing cycles to get it back.
• You don’t need to carry a balance for a credit card to help your credit score. What matters most for credit building is meeting due dates and keeping credit utilization low.
• Paying your bills on time doesn’t require you to pay your balance in full each month. You just have to make the minimum payment listed on your statement. But if you take on too much debt, you may find it hard to make your monthly payments.
• Carrying a balance makes it harder to keep your credit utilization low, since your everyday spending will be added on top of the amount you’re carrying from month to month. It’s best to use less than 30% of the credit made available to you.

So, to recap, it’s better to pay off your credit card than to carry a balance because it builds your credit history just as well without subjecting you to interest charges. Just remember, not carrying a balance does not mean you have to stop using your credit card. There is a middle ground. A balance will be listed on your credit card statement whenever you make purchases, but if you pay that amount by the due date, you won’t really be carrying a balance.

Using your card regularly actually helps because having a credit utilization ratio between 1% and 10% is slightly better for your credit score than 0%. But credit utilization is based on your statement balance, and your monthly statement comes before the due date. So you can still pay your bill in full every month while doing right by your credit score.

Why 0% APR credit cards are an exception

During the 0% APR introductory period, your balance – whether from a purchase or balance transfer – won’t accrue interest as long as you pay the minimum amount required by the due date each month. So, keeping a balance is expected, but you do have to make monthly payments along the way. And if you don’t pay in full by the end of the 0% period, interest will come into play.

That said, if you’ve got some credit card debt you’d like to get rid of, a 0% balance transfer credit card could help you save a lot of time and money. And if you’re trying to improve your credit, WalletHub’s free daily credit scores and credit analysis can get you on track.

Six or more credit cards might be too many for most people, given that the average American has a total of five credit cards. Everyone should have at least one credit card for credit-building purposes, even if they don’t use it to make purchases, but the exact number of cards you should have... read full answer differs by person. It depends on how well you can manage one credit card, then two, and so on.

If you’re not sure how many credit cards is too many for you, there are a number of factors you can think about when making your decision. In particular, consider your recent spending and payment history. If you’re having trouble paying the full statement balance by the due date on each account you already have open, think twice about applying for another credit card account.

How to Determine How Many Credit Cards Is Too Many For You

1. Look at your credit report and score.

   If you have a history of financial mistakes, such as missed payments, you probably don’t want to get more than one card until you prove yourself to be a responsible borrower. Besides, it may be hard to get more than one worthwhile cards with damaged credit, anyway.

2. Review your utilization and payment history.

   If you’re maxing out all the cards you have, credit card companies probably won’t want to give you more spending power. Plus, credit card debt can be very expensive, and you don’t want to rack up balances that exceed what you can repay comfortably.

3. Consider credit card company rules.

   Some issuers have unofficial rules regarding how many credit cards is too many for an applicant to have. For example, there are lots of rumors floating around that Chase will deny a credit card application if you’ve already opened five accounts (from any issuers) in the past 24 months. Such restrictions could limit your options for opening a new account, or just serve as a sign that you might want to slow down the pace of your applications.

4. Determine how well you’re keeping track of your credit cards.

   Even if your credit is good and you’ve never forgotten to pay a bill, that doesn’t mean you never will. Having too many open accounts to keep track of can lead to forgotten due dates, interest charges from simply forgetting to pay a credit card in full, and other issues. If you have trouble listing your credit cards from memory, you’re likely to forget to pay one at some point.

There are benefits to having more than one credit card account. Having several credit cards can help you save money by allowing you to get the best collection of rates and rewards for your biggest transactions. For example, you could get a flat-rate cash back credit card for everyday expenses, a bonus rewards card for travel, and a balance transfer card to reduce the cost of existing debt. Having multiple cards can also help your credit score if you keep your credit utilization low and your payments on time.

What you should watch out for is applying for too many credit cards too quickly. It’s best to not apply for more than one or two per year, as each application puts a hard inquiry on your credit report and temporarily hurts your credit score.

The more data that’s at your disposal, the easier it will be to decide how many credit cards you should have. WalletHub can help with free daily credit score updates and personalized credit-improvement advice.