So everyone is aware of the general rule that you should keep credit card utilization below 30% of your credit limit. It's also a good idea to keep this utilization above 0%.
It's very easy to stay below 30% if you just always keep your balance below 30%. Whenever you get close to that 30% ceiling, you pay it down, or pay it in full.
What isn't so easy is making sure you stay above 0% without carrying a balance. A lot of websites say "You don't have to carry a balance. You should pay it in full before the due date every month. Just using your card is enough to show activity". That sounds great and all, but it doesn't specifically address how that ensures you don't have 0% utilization if you zero out your balance every month.
For example, I have had a Wells Fargo credit card for about a year now. I have used the max available credit every single month, and then paid it off in full at the end of the month. I just signed up on Mint.com and with that I got a free credit report. My credit card utilization on the report was 0% even though I maxed out my limit every month.
Ideally, I'd like my utilization to be 20-25%. Is it even possible to attempt to achieve this, or at least get it above 0%?
It seems like you need to know when your specific issuer reports your information to each of the 3 credit bureaus, or more importantly, at what point during the month they are taking this "snapshot" of your balance that gets reported to each bureau.
If anyone could have an answer to this, specifically for Capital One, that would be great. I'm switching to their quicksilver card.
Basically, I want to ensure that I maintain a utilization rate greater than 0%, while paying my balance in full every month.