What happens to your credit score if most credit card debt is consolidated onto one card?

Consolidating most credit card debt onto one card often increases your credit utilization ratio, which is the amount of credit you are using relative to your total available credit. A higher utilization ratio can negatively impact your credit score, as credit scoring models typically view higher utilization as a risk factor. Ideally, it's recommended to keep your credit utilization below 30% of your total available credit. When most of your debt is placed on a single card, you might exceed this threshold, leading to a decrease in your score.

Additionally, credit scoring models take into account the balance on each credit card and the utilization across all accounts. If consolidating your debt onto one card raises this single card's utilization significantly, it can result in a lower overall credit score, making this choice the most accurate in terms of understanding potential credit score implications.