Should you pay off your credit card purchases immediately or wait till the end of the billing cycle to pay them off? BECU's Todd Pietzsch says that you don't have to carry a balance to build credit. By simply using your credit card regularly your credit score will rise. For the best results, never let your balance rise above 10% of your credit limit. How do you keep your balance down? If you make a big credit card purchase consider paying it immediately. Your credit score will benefit from your use of the card and your balance at the end of the cycle will remain low.