New Member
Posts: 6
Registered: ‎03-21-2007

What happens when I have a CC but don't use it?

I have a Citicard account that has a limit of $6,800 and a balance of $0.  I haven't used the account in over a year.  How will this affect my score?  Will Citicards eventually stop reporting this account if I don't use it once in a while?  I've read a lot of advise about keeping a $100 balance on a CC, or making small purchases and PIF every month.  What if I just want to keep the card at a zero balance?
Valued Contributor
Posts: 2,374
Registered: ‎03-15-2007

Re: What happens when I have a CC but don't use it?

Don't keep the card at zero balance. Remember, an important component of FICO is paying bills on time. If you don't get any bills, you can't pay them on time.

You don't even need to keep a $100 balance. A $30 balance works just fine. Anything to get a bill--a tank of gas, dinner and a movie, a weeks' groceries, or your Vonage bill. Put it on autopay so you're never late. You can even PIF once in awhile. Just keep it reporting, and keep getting a bill to pay on time.
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in a credit-scoring postnuclear Stone Age...
Regular Contributor
Posts: 169
Registered: ‎03-16-2007


[ Edited ]
Balance being zero is just fine. Heck, you'll get a penalty if you carry balances on too many accounts.
What does matter is that the card is reporting. After a certain number of months citi will report the card as inactive, at which point it won't be factored in. After another number of months they'll likely cancel the account. To prevent this you need to use the card every once in a while. You can pay it in full before it reports, you don't get brownie fico points for having balance reported.

Revolving your balances doesn't help your fico score, it only adds an aditional drain to your wallet.

Message Edited by okrogius on 04-11-2007 02:18 PM


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