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Credit limits determine how much you can spend on any given credit card. Card issuers may increase your credit limit automatically, but in many cases you can request an increase directly from the issuer. High credit limits can help you make bigger purchases and help your overall credit utilization rate low. The key is to keep the balance low from month-to-month and make payments on time.
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Increasing the credit limit on an American Express credit card is fairly simple if your account is in good standing. Good standing means the cardholder has steady employment or income, on-time payment history and a good credit score. Keep in mind, the length of time you’ve held a particular card can impact your ability to request a credit limit increase.
If all the above requirements are met, then you should contact the issuer and request a limit increase. See below for more details. Additionally, issuers may automatically increase your limit at their discretion.
Yes, some card issuers—including American Express—may increase a cardholder’s credit limit automatically if cardholders:
Card issuers use a variety of information to determine whether cardholders are eligible for an automatic increase, including credit history and income. Keeping your income updated on your account may improve your odds.
American Express will review your account as often as every six to 12 months for an automatic credit limit adjustment. However, that doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed an increase with responsible card use.
Also, note that you can only request a credit line increase once every six months for each American Express card you have.
Getting a higher credit limit is often a sign you’re in good standing with the credit card issuer. You may automatically receive a higher limit if you have more income than the prior year, keep up a history of on-time payments or maintain a good credit score.
A few pros to having a higher credit limit include:
There are a few risks to having a higher credit limit, especially if the consequences of higher spending are not considered carefully.
To request an increase, your account must be open for at least six months. Then, you can follow these steps:
If you don’t have the option to request a credit limit increase online or you prefer to speak to a representative, you can call the number on the back of your card and make the request over the phone.
Remember to keep the increase request reasonable. That is, 10% to 25% more than your current limit. If your limit is $1,000, asking for an increase to $10,000 may or may not be approved, or may result in only a portion of the requested increase being approved.
Request for a credit limit increase denied? There are a few reasons this might be the case.
If you’ve requested an increase recently, American Express might deny a second request. Try again after more time has passed. Other reasons for denial could be a consistently high card balance, frequent late payments, or a low credit score.
Don’t stress if the request is denied. Ask American Express representatives if they can provide a reason, and then work on improving the appearance of your perceived weak area over the next six months. Pay down any balance, pay bills on time, and report income increases to American Express when they happen.
Another option is to apply for a new credit card with American Express or a different card issuer. Note however that while American Express does not perform a hard credit inquiry for an existing customer’s credit limit increase request, American Express and other issuers may perform a hard credit inquiry before approving individuals for a new card.
Opening a new credit card can come with added risks. If cardholders have trouble managing spending, opening a new credit card could lead to further debt. Keep in mind, a hard credit inquiry could (temporarily) lower your credit score by a few points.
Requesting a credit limit increase is pretty easy, but remember to be realistic when requesting an increase from the card issuer. Simply waiting for an increase is a good option because many card issuers will reward responsible cardholders with automatic increases. Limit increases could lead to higher credit scores and more spending capabilities. Make sure to maintain responsible spending habits and keep making on-time payments to boost your credit score.
