So, while there is no absolute number that is considered too many, it's best to only apply for and carry the cards you need and can justify using based on your credit score, ability to pay balances and rewards aspirations.
Owning more than two or three credit cards can become unmanageable for many people. However, your credit needs and financial situation are unique, so there's no hard and fast rule about how many credit cards are too many. The important thing is to make sure that you use your credit cards responsibly.
“Three or four is a good number for a lot of people, but you can build credit with as little as one,” Rossman said. Research from Experian found U.S. consumers carried 3.9 credit cards on average in 2023 — down from 4.2 in 2017. But Americans with exceptional FICO scores — 800 to 850 — had 4.8 credit cards on average.
There's no limit to how many credit cards you can have – the main thing is not to build up debt you can't afford.
Keeping a low credit utilization ratio is good, but having too many credit cards with zero balance may negatively impact your credit score. If your credit cards have zero balance for several years due to inactivity, your credit card issuer might stop sending account updates to credit bureaus.
The 5/24 rule, often referred to as the Chase 5/24 rule, is an unofficial Chase guideline that states you will not be approved for a new Chase card if you have opened five or more credit card accounts from any bank within the past 24 months.
Even better, just over 1 in 5 people (21.2%) have an exceptional FICO credit score of 800 or above, all but guaranteeing access to the best products and interest rates.
Closing a credit card can hurt your credit, especially if it's a card you've had for years. An account closure can cause a temporary hit to your credit by increasing your credit utilization, lowering your average age of accounts and possibly limiting your credit mix.
A 700 credit score can help you in securing a Rs 50,000 Personal Loan with many benefits, such as: Lower interest rates. Higher loan amounts. Faster approval process.
As long as you're smart about using your credit card and practice responsible credit behaviors, such as making payments on time and in full, you can open as many credit cards as you want.
In most cases, however, it's best to keep unused credit cards open so you benefit from longer credit history and lower credit utilization (as a result of more available credit). You can use the card for occasional small purchases or recurring payments to keep it active as opposed to using it regularly.
Even missing a payment by a whole week won't hurt your credit. 30 days late: Once you're 30 days late, the creditor can report your late payment to the credit bureaus. The new late payment could hurt your credit scores, and the score drop tends to be largest for consumers who previously had excellent credit.
Hard pulls can affect your credit score and may also hurt your eligibility for new credit cards and/or loans — especially if the number of inquiries reaches six.
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.
Key takeaways
There is no right number of credit cards to own, but in general, most people should consider having at least two in case of emergencies or fraud. Having multiple credit cards helps reduce your utilization rate and provides lenders with more information to better gauge your creditworthiness.
Typically, leaving your credit card accounts open is the best option, even if you're not using them. However, there are a few valid reasons for deciding to close an account.
There are some differences around how the various data elements on a credit report factor into the score calculations. Although credit scoring models vary, generally, credit scores from 660 to 724 are considered good; 725 to 759 are considered very good; and 760 and up are considered excellent.
Key takeaways
If you don't use your card, your credit card issuer may lower your credit limit or close your account due to inactivity. Closing a credit card account can affect your credit scores by decreasing your available credit and increasing your credit utilization ratio.
What is the highest credit score possible? To start off: No, it's not possible to have a 900 credit score in the United States. In some countries that use other models, like Canada, people could have a score of 900. The current scoring models in the U.S. have a maximum of 850.
South Burlington, Vt., is the city with the highest credit score, while Detroit is the city with the lowest, according to personal finance site WalletHub.
Credit card churning happens when a person applies for lots of credit cards to collect big sign-up and welcome bonuses (often in the form of cash back or miles). Once they get the sign-up rewards and bonuses, a credit card churner will usually stop using the cards or cancel them, only to repeat the process again.
Amex five-card rule
American Express limits cardholders to a total of five personal and business credit cards at a time. But the five-card rule doesn't apply to hybrid cards, which offers some flexibility if you need more than five Amex cards.