That's a common misconception. Credit score is positively correlated with paying on time, having high available credit relative to usage, and the age of your oldest credit account.

However, using more of your cards' limit (a high debt utilization ratio) actually reduces your score.

On-time payments are only one factor in your score. Depending on the model it may only account for 20-30% of the score. Using your cards a few times a year may satisfy the criteria. You don't have to take on any debt to have a high credit score.