I'm pretty sure they see everything, but the way it's chunked up can create artifacts. Balances are tabulated monthly, but they also see your payments. A higher balance means higher utilization which lowers your score. Paying early counts as a history of on time payment and lower utilization, which is good for your score.

https://www.chase.com/personal/credit-cards/education/basics/should-you-pay-off-credit-card-early