If you are already asking this question, then the money gods are on your side. The golden rule here really is to always pay your balance, since it is the simplest way to raise your credit score and get a more favorable rate. A higher credit score shows the credit card issuer that you always do your best to pay down any debts. Keep your credit utilization or the amount of credit you are using to less than 30% of your total balance. So if your credit card limit is $10,000, do your best not to go over $3,000. And here comes a nice trick: You can transfer your balance to low-interest cards to help you escape the compounding interest of your debt. You simply open up a new account, and consolidate your card debt onto the new, low-rate card.