Will putting a huge purchase on my credit card ruin my score?
Charging a massive purchase temporarily spikes your credit utilization ratio, causing your score to drop until the statement closes and the balance is paid. However, paying it off immediately ensures you collect the reward points without long-term damage, as utilization resets once the payment is processed.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Paying off the credit card balance immediately when it enters pending statusDid this help you?
- 2Waiting for the monthly statement cycle to pay the balance in full while keeping cash in a high-yield savings accountDid this help you?
- 3Asking vendors for a cash or check discount instead of using a credit cardDid this help you?
- 4Looking into alternative higher-spend sign-up bonus offers like a $750 bonus for $4,000 spend.Did this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I’m about to make a massive purchase next week, and I’m hoping to pay it with a CC and pay it off as soon as it hits my account to get free points. Will it affect my credit score if I do that?”source ↗
“My credit will tank due to much higher than normal utilization, but after the next statement it jumps right back up.”source ↗
“I have an upcoming auto expense of $3,500 and am contemplating opening Citi double cash back card ($200 back $1,500 spend) and US bank signature visa ($200 cash back $1,000 spend).”source ↗
“Even paying 3% is $105 Id net nearly $300 and already have the cash set aside for the expense.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 3Why do bulk packages cost more than buying smaller ones?
- 5Are retirement account transfer bonuses actually worth it?
- 6How do I choose between multiple credit cards?
- 2What can I actually use a high credit score for?
- 13How is anyone actually affording a large wedding?
- 7When should I pay my credit card to lower utilization and avoid interest?