What Is The FICO (Fair Isaac) Credit Utilization Chart?

The FICO credit utilization chart displays utilization percentage on the horizontal axis and the likely effect on your FICO score on the vertical axis, divided into three utilization bands: under 10 % (optimal), 10‑30 % (acceptable), and over 30 % (higher risk). It compares the reported balance that credit bureaus see with the statement balance you pay each month, showing how each band typically moves your score.

For example, a reported balance of $200 on a $5,000 limit equals 4 % utilization, landing in the optimal band and typically nudging the score upward a few points. A $1,200 balance on the same limit is 24 % utilization, falls in the acceptable band, and usually leaves the score unchanged or causes a slight dip. A $3,500 balance equals 70 % utilization, exceeds the 30 % threshold, and likely drags the score down noticeably. The chart updates with each reported balance, not the statement balance, a distinction covered in the next section.

Each utilization band tells you the credit utilization range that typically influences your FICO score. Below is what the chart means for each band:

• 0 %‑9 % (optimal): Reported balance stays well below the statement balance; FICO score usually sees a modest boost or remains stable.
• 10 %‑29 % (acceptable): Utilization stays in the 'good' zone; FICO score may improve slightly or stay unchanged, provided other factors are solid.
• 30 %‑49 % (higher risk): Utilization enters the warning zone; FICO score often dips modestly, especially if the reported balance approaches the statement balance.
• 50 % + (very high risk): Utilization is high; FICO score likely declines noticeably, and lenders may view the account as over‑extended.

Lower credit utilization almost always nudges your FICO score upward, while higher utilization typically pushes it down. The chart translates the percentage of reported balance you carry into a range of likely score effects, assuming all other factors stay constant.

• 0‑9 % utilization → likely +5‑15 points (optimal zone)
• 10‑29 % utilization → likely 0‑5 points gain or neutral (acceptable range)
• 30‑49 % utilization → likely - 5‑10 points (moderate risk)
• 50‑74 % utilization → likely - 10‑30 points (high risk)
• 75‑100 % utilization → likely - 30‑50 points (very high risk)

These ranges assume the reported balance (the figure lenders see) matches your statement balance; differences between the two can shift you into a higher or lower band, which we explore in the next section on statement versus reported balances.

Zero‑percent, 30‑percent, and 90‑percent utilization look very different on your credit report, and each lands in a distinct utilization band.

• 0 % utilization - A $5,000 card shows a reported balance of $0. The utilization band is 'optimal < 10 %.' The FICO score typically stays steady or improves slightly if you have other active accounts; the lack of balance simply avoids a negative impact.
• 30 % utilization - The same $5,000 card reports a $1,500 balance. This sits at the top of the 'acceptable 10‑30 %' band. The FICO score usually drops a few points, especially if the balance appears on the statement that closes before the reporting date.
• 90 % utilization - With a $4,500 reported balance on the $5,000 limit, the utilization band jumps to 'higher‑risk > 30 %.' The FICO score often falls noticeably, sometimes 20‑30 points, because the reported balance signals heavy debt load.

All three examples assume the statement balance equals the reported balance on the date the creditor sends data to the bureaus. If your statement balance is lower than the reported balance (for example, you paid down $500 before the reporting date), the utilization that the FICO model sees will be smaller than the raw percentage shown on the statement.

These concrete snapshots illustrate how the same credit limit can move you across utilization bands and affect your FICO score. In the next section we'll show how to isolate the single account that's dragging down your overall utilization.

Spot the accounts that inflate your credit utilization by comparing each card's reported balance to its credit limit.

1. Pull your latest credit report or use a credit‑monitoring dashboard that lists every revolving account with its current balance and line of credit.
2. Calculate the utilization for each account: reported balance ÷ credit limit × 100 %.
3. Rank the accounts from highest to lowest percentage; any card above the 30 % threshold sits in a higher‑risk utilization band on the FICO chart we covered earlier.
4. Verify the reported balance against the most recent statement balance  -  if the statement balance is lower, the creditor may have posted a larger figure after your payment cycle, temporarily dragging down the overall utilization.
5. Flag the top‑three accounts with the worst ratios, then either pay them down before the statement closing date or request a higher credit limit to move them into the 10‑30 % acceptable band.

The statement balance shows the amount owed on the exact day your monthly billing cycle closes, and it is the figure most credit‑card issuers use to calculate the utilization that appears on the FICO score; staying under 10 % places you in the optimal band, while 10‑30 % remains acceptable.

The reported balance is the number the creditor actually sends to the credit bureaus, which can lag the statement balance by a few days or include payments posted after the closing date; this lag may push your reported utilization into a higher‑risk band (over 30 %) until the next cycle updates, so timing your payments around the statement closing date matters for the next section.

The statement closing date determines which reported balance the credit bureaus see, so timing payments around that date lets you keep credit utilization in the optimal utilization bands. If the statement balance is high on the closing date, the reported balance spikes and your FICO score may dip, even if you pay it off later.

Pay down or fully settle the revolving account before the closing date, then let the statement balance settle under 10 % of the credit limit. If you can't clear it all, make a mid‑cycle payment to bring the reported balance down, or ask the creditor to move the closing date. These moves keep your utilization low on the report, setting up a healthier FICO score before we dive into the 'lower reported utilization fast' tactics in the next section.

• Pay down the current reported balance to under 10% of each credit limit, which typically lands you in the optimal utilization band and nudges the FICO score upward.
• Request a credit‑limit increase before the next reporting cycle; a higher limit lowers the utilization ratio on the reported balance without additional spending.
• Make a payment before the statement closing date so the statement balance - and thus the reported balance - shows a lower number.
• Transfer part of the debt to another revolving account or a personal loan; spreading the balance reduces utilization on each card's reported balance.
• Freeze or temporarily stop new charges on high‑utilization cards until the next report, keeping the reported balance low.

Joint accounts, authorized users, and co‑signed loans all feed the same utilization data that the FICO credit utilization chart uses, so they can move you in or out of optimal (under 10 %) and higher‑risk (over 30 %) bands.

• Joint credit cards report the same statement balance and credit limit on each holder's report; both parties' FICO scores feel the same utilization, so pay down the balance before the statement closing date or ask the issuer to increase the limit to shrink the reported utilization.
• Authorized users inherit the primary's utilization because the revolving balance appears on their report; adding an authorized user to a low‑utilization card can improve the user's score, while removing a user from a high‑utilization card prevents that high ratio from dragging their score down.
• Co‑signed installment loans (auto, student, personal) do not factor into credit utilization; they show as 'installment debt' and affect the FICO score through payment history and overall debt load, not the utilization bands.
• To keep joint accounts from harming either score, treat the credit limit as shared and manage the reported balance together; consider splitting the limit with a separate card on each person's name if the issuer allows.
• When you notice a sudden FICO dip, verify that the reported balance on joint accounts matches the statement balance you expect; mismatches often arise from timing differences between when the balance is posted and when the issuer reports it.
• If an authorized user's score is suffering, move them to a card with a lower balance‑to‑limit ratio or ask the primary to increase that card's limit, then monitor the next reporting cycle.

If your FICO score moved while your credit utilization stayed in the same band, the change is coming from other score components.

Payment history carries the most weight, so a single 30‑day late payment, a collection, or a charge‑off can outweigh a stable utilization band. New hard inquiries, recently opened accounts, or the aging out of an older revolving line also shift the score. Even a change in credit mix - closing a credit card or adding an installment loan - affects the model, as does the difference between your statement balance and the balance that was actually reported to bureaus.

Start by pulling your credit report and matching each reported balance to the statement balance from that billing cycle; note any new inquiries, accounts, or recent delinquencies. Dispute any errors you find, and use the upcoming 'lower reported utilization fast' tactics to mitigate temporary spikes.