By Tim Maxwell
Edited by Peggy BennettHow Many Credit Cards Is Too Many?
By Tim MaxwellEdited by Peggy Bennett
Quick Answer
There is no specific number of credit cards considered too many. Instead, the right number of credit cards for you depends on how well you can manage multiple credit card’s credit limits and bill due dates.
There's no specific number of credit cards that's right for everyone. For some, one credit card is plenty, while others may prefer multiple cards to improve their credit score or earn rewards. The same principle applies to how lenders view applicants and credit cards. What one lender considers too many accounts might seem perfectly acceptable to another.
To identify the best number of accounts for you, educate yourself to make sure you can comfortably manage your credit cards, no matter how many you have. Here's what you need to know about how many credit cards may be too many, how opening a new card can affect your credit score and whether closing one could hurt it.
How Many Credit Cards Is Too Many?
A quick review of your financial situation can help you determine how many cards are too many for you. Consider your:
- Financial discipline: If your credit cards are often maxed out or you can't pay your balances in full each month, it may indicate you're carrying more credit than you can comfortably manage. It may be best to hold off on opening a new card until you've reduced or paid off your existing credit card balances.
- Organizational skills: If you're struggling to keep up with due dates and balances, it might be a sign to carry fewer cards. Doing so could make your accounts more manageable and help protect your credit score from late payments.
- Credit goals: Ideally, the number of cards you have should fit your current credit goals. A couple credit cards is typically adequate to help you build a payment history and credit score. If you already have an established credit score, opening a new card could improve your credit card utilization, or the percentage of available credit you're using, which could help improve your credit scores. But you should only do so if you can comfortably afford to pay off your balance in full each month and avoid interest charges.
- Spending habits: If you tend to overspend or carry balances, even one credit card may be too many because interest charges and long-term debt can damage your financial health.
- Costs and fees: You may have too many credit cards if you're paying more in high annual fees, interest or penalties than you're receiving in card rewards and benefits.
Is There a Limit to How Many Credit Cards I Can Have?
No, there's no official or legal limit on the number of credit cards you can have, or even a recognized standard. According to Experian data, Americans hold about four credit cards on average. But the ideal number for you may be more or less, depending on your financial goals and ability to manage multiple cards.
Rather than focusing on how many cards you have, it's more important to consider how new accounts affect both your credit and overall financial health. For example, credit scoring models including FICO and VantageScore® don't have a set threshold for the number of credit cards you can have to maintain a good credit score. Having several cards isn't inherently bad, but adding too many new accounts can affect your length of credit history and increase the number of hard inquiries on your credit report, which may lower your score.
If your balances already exceed roughly 30% of your available credit or you're struggling to pay your cards on time, it's a sign you may have reached the limit of cards you can manage responsibly without harming your credit.
Opening another credit card might help in certain scenarios, such as when you have a thin credit file (fewer than five accounts) or want to lower your overall utilization by increasing available credit. Even then, you should only apply for a new credit card if it makes sense and you're confident you can comfortably manage the extra account.
Learn more: When Should I Apply for Another Credit Card?
Is One Credit Card Enough?
Experian data shows that 25% of consumers in the United States use only one credit card, and they tend to have better credit and lower debt balances than those with multiple cards. Still, deciding whether one card is enough for you may come down to how you use them and the benefits you want.
When One Credit Card Is Enough
One card is enough to help you demonstrate responsible credit card habits like keeping a low credit utilization rate and making consistent on-time payments.
Even if new card offers include enticing intro bonuses or valuable rewards, you may prefer to stick with one card if it helps you avoid annual fees or if you think there's a high likelihood you would carry a balance from month to month and incur interest charges. And if you struggle to keep up with multiple billing cycles and due dates, you may prefer the simplicity of one card, with one bill, one due date and a more manageable balance.
Additionally, the more credit cards you have, the greater your chances are that one is compromised in a data breach or case of fraud.
When One Credit Card Isn't Enough
Having only one card may not be enough if you want to maximize rewards, cash back or other benefits. A second card can also come in handy in emergencies, especially if the credit limit on your first card is low and you need additional credit to cover the cost.
Additional cards can also increase your total available credit, which could lower your credit utilization and help your credit scores. Keep in mind, experts commonly recommend keeping your utilization on individual credit cards and in total below 30% to avoid more substantial damage to your credit; high credit score achievers typically keep their utilization below 10%.
Having multiple cards could help you simplify your finances. For example, you might use a card strictly for business expenses and another for personal use to make it easier to track your spending.
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Does Opening a New Credit Card Hurt Your Credit Score?
Yes, opening a new credit card account can cause a small, temporary drop in your credit score. When a card issuer checks your credit as part of a new application, it creates a hard inquiry on your credit report, which can lower your score by a few points. Generally, this is true for each new credit card application you submit, so applying for several cards could reduce your score more substantially.
A new account can also shorten the average age of your credit history, a credit score factor that makes up about 15% of your FICO® ScoreΘ, the credit score used by 90% of top lenders.
The way you manage the new card could also hurt your credit score. For example, if you miss payments on the card or carry a high balance, it could hurt your payment history and amounts owed (reflected in your credit utilization rate). These two factors make up 35% and 30% of your FICO® Score, respectively.
Tip: Avoid hard inquiries on your credit report by applying for new accounts only when you need to. And if you're considering applying for multiple credit cards, try to spread out your applications instead of submitting them close together. For example, it's generally a good idea to wait six months between applications to reduce the combined effect of multiple hard inquiries on your credit report and the possible perception among lenders that you may be experiencing financial difficulties.
Does Closing a Credit Card Hurt Your Credit Score?
If you plan to reduce the number of credit cards in your wallet, be strategic because closing a credit card may negatively affect your credit score. Importantly, closing a card reduces your available credit, which could raise your credit utilization and lower your scores.
If you close a credit card, particularly an older one, it will eventually reduce your average account age, which could also harm your score. However, when you close a credit card account that is up to date on payments, its payment history stays on your credit report for 10 years. In that case, your credit score could continue to benefit from that positive history long after you've closed the account. Payment history makes up the largest share of your credit score, so if you're going to close a card, it's best to do it when your account is in good standing with no late payments.
Before closing a credit card account:
- Check your utilization first. Calculate how your credit utilization might change if you close one or more credit cards. If closing your card causes a significant increase in your credit utilization, it could negatively affect your credit scores.
- Weigh the trade-offs. Closing a card could cause a dip in your credit score, but probably not enough to prevent you from qualifying for new credit later on. However, if you're closing the card simply because you no longer want to pay an annual fee, for example, consider contacting your card issuer to see if you can change, or downgrade, your card to one without a fee. That way you keep your available credit at a lower cost.
- Review your risk factors. Check your credit report regularly and review the risk factors that describe what elements in your credit report are negatively affecting your score. If "too many open revolving accounts" appears, closing one or two cards may help. If it doesn't appear, you probably don't need to worry about the number of credit cards you already have.
Learn more: Should You Cancel Your Unused Credit Cards or Keep Them?
How to Use Credit Cards Responsibly
Whether you have one credit card or a dozen, practicing responsible credit card habits can help you improve your credit score and protect your financial health. Here are a few ways to do that:
- Pay on time. Card issuers report late fees to the credit bureaus if your payment is more than 30 days past due. A single late fee can seriously hurt your scores, and it will stay on your credit report for seven years.
- Pay more than the minimum due. Minimum payments on credit cards are typically only 1% to 4% of the card's balance. If it's feasible, aim to pay your statement balance in full to avoid interest charges, or as much as you reasonably can.
- Keep your credit utilization low. Remember, keeping your balance below 30%, or as low as possible, can help you maintain strong credit. One way to limit unnecessary spending is to use your credit cards for essentials like groceries and gas rather than impulse purchases.
- Review your statements. When looking over your credit card statement, pay special attention to the Schumer Box, which breaks down a card's rates and fees. Familiarize yourself with all the costs, ranging from purchase and penalty APRs to annual and cash advance fees. Also, review each card's benefits guide to understand the protections, rewards and bonus offers it provides. Once you know how your card works and what it costs, you can better plan when to use it, how to repay it and how to make the most of its benefits.
- Set up account alerts. You can track your spending and avoid late payments by setting up text or email alerts on your credit card accounts. If you're concerned about missing due dates, consider using autopay to ensure at least your minimum payment posts on time (you can add additional payments during the month).
Make Sure Your Credit Cards Fit Your Goals
There's no specific number of credit cards you should have. Regardless of how many credit cards are in your wallet, the important thing is that you can manage them responsibly and that they're serving your needs.
If your current cards aren't helping you meet your goals, explore other cards that provide the benefits you're looking for. Experian can help you shop and compare several credit card options to find the best one based on your credit profile.
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About the author
Tim Maxwell
Tim Maxwell is a former television news journalist turned personal finance writer and credit card expert with over two decades of media experience. His work has been published in Bankrate, Fox Business, Washington Post, USA Today, The Balance, MarketWatch and others. He is also the founder of the personal finance website Incomist.
Read more from Tim