Your utilization is choking your score before anything else does. If your card limit is $500 and your balance is $450, that is 90 percent used. The bureaus read that as maxed out. Get it under 30 percent first. Then get it under 10 percent if you can. Pay it down before your statement date, not just before your due date, because that is the balance they report. Do this today. Check your balance, check your limit, do the math. Drop your number in the comments. What is your utilization right now?