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Credit Advice
Topics addressed on March 17, 2010:
How long before paid credit cards are updated
Dear Experian,
I just paid off a lot of my credit card debt. When will I see it take effect on my credit report?
- DUK
Dear DUK,
Congratulations! Paying off your debts is the most important step in reestablishing your credit history.
Lenders, including credit card providers, usually update your account information once a month. For that reason, we suggest you allow a minimum of 30 days and up to 45 days for the account information to be reported.
However, the updates could be made much sooner depending on how soon after receiving the payments the lender reported the new account details.
I encourage you to continue using your credit card each month, keeping your balance well below your limit and paying in full each month. That current and careful usage demonstrates that you can now manage credit very well and helps your credit scores.
Thanks for asking.
- The "Ask Experian" team