> This statement is incorrect. Your credit score looks at utilization: how much credit you're using divided by how much credit you have available.

Keyword "in the long run"

Unlike payment history and age of accounts, utilization is not a buildable component of credit scores because it gets reset by newer utilization data every month. The currently used FICO models do not look at past utilizations.

Most credit card companies report the statement balance as the utilization for that month. Some report the current balance on a fixed day of month. If you have to fine tune your utilization, look up the AZEO strategy.