Strategy for Large Purchases
 

Curious about how reporting to credit bureaus works with cards that do not report a credit line (like visa signature and AMEX "no preset limit" cards.)

I am going to be making a fairly large (for me) purchase within the next couple months. This won't fall into any "bonus" categories nor is it available at any bonus malls - so I'm stuck deciding which card to use.

Would it be best to use a card that does not report a limit? Would this long term help my credit / debt ratio, since it would be obvious your credit is at least at that high mark?

I am choosing between SPG Amex (which has a standard CL that is high enough to handle this charge), PRG Amex (No Pre-set limit), and Chase Sapphire Preferred (Visa signature that does not report limit, and has a "flexible" limit). My initial inclination was to use the SPG Amex because I value the SPG points, and because AMEX is pretty good if there are ever problems, but then I started thinking about CL and trying to improve credit / debt ratio.

Any thoughts? Anyone have experience with how the credit bureaus handle this sort of thing?

Thanks and sort for the long post!

If you are planning to pay it off rather than carry a balance, you can always pre-pay it. Most FTers are frugal enough that we don't carry balances and pay interest. If it's $10,000 and you send the CC company $10,000 the week before, you'll have a credit balance and it won't even show as credit used.

Yea I was planning on paying it off right away.

I just was not sure if I would be better off putting it on a card that does not report limit, allowing that to show up, and then immediately pay it off - to increase the "high balance" on the account, thus (long term) decreasing my debt / available credit ratio.