SIS started a thread tracking Highest CL per CC, which prompted me to start this topic for getting credit limit increases WITHOUT a hard pull.
Discover
Limit: 17.5k *
Strategy: CSR via phone every 3 months 'till 12.5k - one 5k bump to 17.5k. * The "Discover Rule" requires a hard pull if current limit is at or above 15k.
Citi Div Platinum
Limit: 20k+
Strategy: CL button + phone every 3 months from 5k to 20k; button exclusively above 20k.
Message edited by: dlr3 on 2009-09-08 18:41:37 CDT
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Expect a Hard:
Barclay's Business (i.e. Bank Atlantic) - always a hard pull per call on 1/9/09 Chase - almost always - regardless Citi - when subitting the form online after hitting the cli button: New website design note - button seems to appear / disappear every 90 days or so after a successful CLI. Discover - when already at or beyond 15k FNBO - Always hard through form.
No Hard Pull:
Juniper / Barclay's - Call the number on the back of your card and speak to CSR and ask if you qualify for an increase (they did not ask me any income related questions). Discover (personal) - Discover now has an automated credit limit increase service in their voice response system (number on back of card: 1-800-DISCOVER). The automated system prompts for desired dollar increase in credit limit and annual household income (both of which are keyed in using touchtone phone.) Alternately, a CSR may be able to still take the request. The required wait time between increases is also now up to 6 months. (as of 1-5-09) US Bank (personal) - Call the number on the back of your card and speak to CSR and ask if you qualify for an increase without hard pull, CSR mentioned every 3 months with usage = at least 20% (they did not ask me any income related questions). Wells Fargo - Call CSR, Ask for increase without Hard pull. Call back if your CSR says "We have to hard pull/It's a secret". USAA - Initial check. Can choose to allow inquiry to try for additional review/boost Citi - No credit check unless rep asks you for income information; cli is instant; otherwise hard will follow AMEX - Use online form for no-hard CLI. Be warned of Financial Reviews though if you ask for too much. (usually up to $24,999 without additional info needed) Bank of America - Use online form for no-hard CLI. WalMart - Use online form for no-hard CLI. Every 6 months usually. Principal - No credit check for pre-approved limit increase. If you want more then you will get a hard. WAMU - Unable to request CLI. Neither online nor over phone. CLI's done "periodically"
Message edited by: jackcrawfish on 2009-10-16 13:14:11 CDT
Storme said:Why would Citi give you an automatic CLI if you have shown that you don't go above 1k in spending?
That makes no sense.
This does happen with issuers. I have a card that I use soley for restaurants and entertainment for work in which I receive reimbursement. I don't use over 20% of my CL yet they keep bumping up the limit periodically.
I recently got an AMEX MBNA card and they wanted to give me an initial line of 5000. When the csr asked if i wanted to take advantage of their intro BT offer, i said that "i would in the future because i have a discover card with a 6500 balance. can i get a higher limit with you so i could cover all of my discover card balance with the BT offer?"
Sure enough- i got my initial line changed to 6500 (which is a lot for me, because i have super low income and super high rent).
Message edited by: dagr8vik on 2005-05-17 11:37:33
Storme said:Why would Citi give you an automatic CLI if you have shown that you don't go above 1k in spending?
That makes no sense.
Maybe they would like you to use their card more often then other cards...Maybe they want you to start spending more, carry a balance, etc...It really does not have to make sense...They are just giving you more of a chance to carry a larger balance...
dagr8vik said:I recently got an AMEX MBNA card and they wanted to give me an initial line of 5000. When the csr asked if i wanted to take advantage of their intro BT offer, i said that "i would in the future because i have a discover card with a 6500 balance. can i get a higher limit with you so i could cover all of my discover card balance with the BT offer?"
Sure enough- i got my initial line changed to 6500 (which is a lot for me, because i have super low income and super high rent).Taking advantage of BT offers is one of the best ways - besides a high income - to get higher CLs. I've noticed that especially true with BofA and Chase. With BofA - I received a pre-approved offer about 3 years ago for a card with "up to a $5K limit". I did a BT for $4K and actually ended up receiving $7.5K. So much for "up to". With Chase - I call into activate and they have some spiel about BT offers. I say that I have a BT or two that I'd like to do but the current CL isn't high enough to cover what I want to transfer. From that point, I've had 2 different things happen. When I got my first Chase card, they immediately doubled my starting CL so that they could accomodate the BT. The 2nd time around, they said my CL was X amount, but that I could transfer up to Y amount. They didn't increase the CL, but anything that I transferred above and beyond X amount would automatically equate to a new, higher CL. If I didn't transfer above that amount, my CL would remain the same.
had Blue cash that was unused for a little over a year with 2K cl. Did instant CL increase on-line to 3.9K called in a few days and got another instantincrease to 10K. also, I've recently applied for 3 AMEX cards (BLUE - 7.5K & Hilton $20K, IN NYC - limit unknown)... don't know why they gave me so much CL, but I got from 2K to almost 40K in a week
Citi seem to be more likely to approve you for higher CL for the type(i.e. brand) of card that you don't have: i.e. if you don't have universal card, you are more likely to get approved for it and with higher CL. Example, my wife moved all CL to Dividend Card(total about $19K), closed all other cards. Applied for Driver's Edge and For Universal Card - got 3K CL on Driver's and 10K on Universal.
Looks like MBNA is not going to give me anymore, in order to get Schwab card I was given a choice move some CL from existing cards on convert existing account. Total MBNA CL about 33K Same with case, but I got "stuck" on $26K total CL.
Got one discover card with 10K cl and have been approved for new one with 8K. But from what I understand discover does not let you move CL. Is this correct?
PS I did not read the full OP. Now that I see that you want to bump CL without hard pulls... I understand that you won't find my info very useful.
Message edited by: fotomaniak on 2005-05-17 16:16:03
How do you guys get these huge CLs? I've hads my CC's for about a year, two with $700 limits the other $500. I hate these limits because I can't buy anything without putting like 40% utilization on the dam thing.
It seems the credit line is related to your household annual income. I got a good credit score but some credit card companies were reluctant to increase my credit line because my annual income is not that high.
citi, keep hitting the online CLI button. (if it comes up, don't fill in the form. (citi from 750>1500>2250>2550>3250>4500)
Could you please elaborate? How often you hit the CLI button? Your sentence makes it sound like you are rapidly hitting the mouse button hehe. And what do you mean by don't fill out the form? So, if some form comes up to fill out, just try the CLI button another time?
I do think annual household income must play a decent factor into credit lines. To this day, I don't have a single CL above $17.5K. All together, though, I have over $100K in total available credit (small compared to some on this board). I think those guys on this board who report $25K, $50K, etc lines must report $150K or more for annual income. Mine is still in the "5 figure" range.
Of course, we don't know the algorithms each CC issuer uses to increase our lines. To me, main factors are: income, utilization, credit store, credit history length. And as mentioned, BTs are probably one of your best weapons. Although, I did have one point where I asked to BT about $5K for a new line, but they only offered a $2.5K line so the BT became null.
I remember SiS saying it's best to keep your AMEX CL's below $20K.. I currently have been using the online increase and stopped when the CL reached $19,750
I just got an increase on an AMEX Blue I don't use from 1K to 2.7K. I then moved 1.7K to my main AMEX, which is now at 12.6K. I requested an increase on the Blue a second time, and it gave me another 1.7K. I haven't tried a third time, because the reallocation utility hasn't caught up yet; it's not showing the second increase yet.
So, it looks like AMEX's system is more willing to give automatic increases to cards that are at their minimum line.
Got DeltaAMEX Gold with a 4k limit, got it bumped up automatically to 8k after about 10 months with an offer of an additional increase upto 20k if I used BT.
I have a chase card with a $12k limit, no real need to go higher, but wonder if it could help my credit score, currently at 771. Also have a FirstUSA (now chase) with $8700 limit and discover with $4700. Total current balances of all cards, $247 to be paid off when next expense report check clears. BTW, HHI is in the mid 5 figures.
I have found Chase to be very generous. My Citi cards have the lowest credit lines, and they have been reluctant to offer me good increases. Possible it is because I have 2 citi cards, and my wife has 1. I have been calling the companies roughly every 6 months to ask for an increase. I might finance my next car that way if I get a 1.9 for lifetime of loan, or some such deal. MBNA has given me bumps every month or two without me ever asking.
MBNA: heavy usage = frequent unrequested increases. Can often negotiate mammoth lines by dangling a BT in front of them. Ditto with Chase. Citi: likes alot usage for increases, but hates alot of new accounts. Best way is to take the hard inq to get lines over 20K and in amounts of 9K per hard inq. BofA: A no-brainer. Offer up a BT and you'll grow CL's very rapidly. CLI link on website only offers paltry increases. Altough, even with non use, you can get 3-5K every 6-9 months without a hard pull. AMEX: Use the CLI button on-line. Very, very generous. Also, awesome $ for $ BT CLI offers.
Don't know about Discover, I refuse to do business with them
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BTW, HHI is in the mid 5 figures.
