re: Question regarding high charges vs. credit limit on card

In the last year, I opened one card at a jewelry store to buy something for my wife where they were offering a special discount to use their credit. They gave me an $8k limit and I only used $1700, then waited ten days, got the account info, paid it all over the phone and cancelled the account.

Other than that, I just don't use credit cards. I used to have another Visa card from American Airlines (Citi), but Citi got weird after the bank troubles in 2008 and tried to raise rates on me for no good reason and so I cancelled them. I got a VISA card with $1500 in credit from BOA for opening a checking account and cancelled that after sitting on it for three years without using it. That's pretty much it.

I have one and only one ding on my credit in the last 30+ years, and that was a $40 charge that an a-hole medical facility sent to collection while I was disputing the charge, and they refused to remove it, and the collection agency turned it in to the credit agencies. That was six years ago and I'm still pissed about it.

So other than that, I'm wondering if my use of the credit card the way I do affects things? I mean, it shows a high balance right now of nearly $17k, but I've received all but $5k from my company of that and will pay it next week before the due date. This is what I do every month.