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Two-part blog article from Barclaycard... http://www.barclaycardring.com/t5/Barclaycard-Ring-Public-Blog/A-Case-Study-of-a-Credit-Line-Increase-and-Decrease/ba-p/5742 http://www.barclaycardring.com/t5/Barclaycard-Ring-Public-Blog/A-Case-Study-of-a-Credit-Line-Increase-and-Decrease-Part-II/ba-p/5840

I’ve been getting ready to do some CLI’s and such, and have been compiling information on BofA - jotting down my own personal dealings (not feelings), combing through threads, sending PM’s, making phone calls to BofA CSR’s and having others try things in their phone dealings as well (thanks Uber). I started to put together a repository of sorts and figured what the hell, I’ll just post it for everyone- present and future. Hopefully this can be a wiki-type post and people can add to or correct any of the below info. This is an objective post, not subjective. I didn’t put this together as a “reason I <3 BofA” post, nor for someone to list a bad CSR experience. I also understand that in 2008-2010 BofA balance chased individuals. I cannot find any widespread evidence of that recently (within 4 years) happening. So please try to keep this as a what you can/can’t do post and leave feelings out of it. Perhaps some info on how BofA treats BK's (how long since discharge is required for secured, how long since discharge is required for unsecured), how BofA treats people who burned them (do they blacklist) etc could be added. Applications BofA, Fidelity and Merrill all use the same underwriting and analyst departments. According to the credit pulls database, BofA products pull from various CRA’s, even in the same state. You can have multiple BofA products with little problem. If you already have any BofA/Fidelity/Merrill product and would like to apply for another product, you might want to do the application by phone. BofA is notorious for taking credit line from one product in order to give you another product. You cannot apply for two products with the same hard pull. CLI’s While Bob’s “Master Issuers who give Auto CLI’s” does list BofA and I have found several other examples, on the whole they do not appear to be common. A CLI will more than likely require a request. Some people get hard inquiries, some people get soft inquiries. So expect a hard. Requested CLI’s have been granted in as little as 60 days since opening a trade line. Requested CLI’s have been granted in as little as 60 days since the last CLI. If you have more than one BofA/Fidelity/Merrill product and would like to request a CLI, you might want to do the request by phone. BofA is notorious for taking credit line from one product in order to increase your credit line on another product. You cannot request CLI’s for two or more products on the same hard pull. You cannot combine a new application for one product and a CLI for another existing product on the same hard pull. Doesn’t matter which one you try first. Maybe you get lucky and the CRA combines the pulls, but that is luck and not the doing of BofA. With supporting income, BofA cards can have extremely high individual limits. I have seen reports of $100K.

Does anybody know if Synchrony Bank policy on maximum credit limits for PayPal MasterCard has changed? I could have sworn people were calling the underwriters and getting $25k. I tried the telephone luv button and got nowhere so tried submitting a normal CLI request. I don't remember if it asked me for the desired CL, but if it did I would have asked for $25k. Today I get a letter stating my request for CLI is declined because "the amount requested exceeds the amount of increase our bank policy allows." WTF does that mean now?

I thought I've seen here where Navy had a three-card limit with combined maximum exposure at $50k unless one of your cards was the Flagship Rewards and then it was $80k. Can anybody confirm or deny that?

Hello, I already had one $5000 Cash Rewards Visa with BofA and a $300 limit Signature Visa as well. The $300 Visa was open since 2007. The $5000 limit one has been open since 2011. I also have a $2500 Amazon store card since about 2011 and a Capital One Quicksilver Visa with an $800 limit, and a Capital One Platinum MasterCard with a $700 limit. Have had both of those since 2010. The $5000 BofA Cash Rewards card, Amazon Store Card, and both Capital One cards have all been as the limit since last summer. I never had any late payments. I have had my checking account with BofA since 2007. I also have a business account with BofA. No Money Market amounts or anything like that with them. My Experian score is 726 (That's who they pulled) I was in the branch on Monday and the teller said I had a Credit Card offer. So I sat down with the representative, and had him put in an application for another Cash Rewards Visa with a $5000 limit. That was instantly approved and I got the credit card in the mail yesterday. So today I'm at work and decide to call in and do a balance transfer from my other cards to my new card. While I'm talking to the CSR I ask if he thinks I can get a CLI to 10 or 15 grand. He said he thinks I can and maybe they won't even do another inquiry since I just got this card yesterday. I said ok go for it. 15 grand. He doesn't get an immediate answer back and says I should hear something in the next 3 days. This was around 1PM today. I check my account at 4 and I see my limit is up to $15000 on my new card. Wooo hooo! The CSR also said that I can get a cash advance for up to my maximum credit line at 0% until April of 2016. Fees are 3%. He already had approved me for $4800 (Since my initial credit limit on the new card was only $5000) but said once I get my CLI just call him back and he can give me more. I'll be calling him Friday! Lol I'm gonna put all my other card balances on here so I can get the 0%. They'll be paid off well before then.

Since I've seen the light from this board and MyFico.com I now understand that to really help your chances in the future to increase one's current credit line limits it's best to try to run as much through your CC's as possible everyday instead of just using your bank debit card, cash or writing checks. One poster on this board or Myfico (i forgot which one( stated he was running $10-$15K a month on a $5K limit card using this strategy without the cash advances though I think. My question is two fold. To help with mass usage of my credit cards (on all my personal and different businesses I own for day to day, monthly and yearly expenses) will CASH ADVANCES help or hurt me in the eyes of the credit card companies in regards to helping me increase my credit limits? Basically do CC companies see someone that takes cash advances differently then someone that spends the exact same amount on some product or service? Like they're in need of the cash and more of a risk to them. For example instead of paying a contractor for work they do for you with a check you could pay them in cash through a CC cash advance. Yes, you'd get hit with a 2-3% fee. But you would get to run more transactions through your credit cards and thus in theory you would use your CC's more instead of just for purchases of products or services. Again from everything I've read, besides keeping your CC at a zero balance and then leave $2 on one card every month. For maximum chances to increase your credit lines the more transactions the CC companies see you do every month the more likely they are in the future to give you a CLI but also a bigger one correct? Please chime in with your first hand experiences with this. Thanks so much. I'm finally finalizing my Christmas Breaking Bad marathon (watching Season 5 episode 12) so all his cash has got me thinking cash!

OMG! Can't believe it worked! DW applied for 3x CLI, from $9,400 to $28,200, instant approval! It was on her Amex Blue everyday card. Her FICO scores: Exp : 789 TU : 798 Eq : 806 Card used lightly over last 61 days, PIF always. She wants to achieve credit pimp status in the next year!! Thank you fellow CB'ers for all the great advice! (special shout out to BobWang, Ubercat, mendlesshon, HoustonLynne, CV91915, SecretAgentWoman)

Applied last night and got the app pending notice. Called this morning and the security dept needed to verify me. Then she said she needed to transfer me because my card limit wasn't enough to cover the requested balance transfers. Got to the other analyst and she really didn't want to budge, so I thanked her and let it go. I called back and chatted with a different analyst about paying down balances, lower APR, blahdy, blahdy, blah, and she bumped it to cover all my requested transfers and to still have credit available!!!! So stinkin excited!!!!!!

Check your account, if you haven't. They're in the holiday spirit. 2 x Auto CLIs in 3 months time. $3,000 > $4,500 > $6,000 Just checked mom's account and dad's account - They were auto CLI'd, as well.

Got this antique Orchard Bank card that got schlepped off on Cap One. At the time I was not thrilled at the prospects of being adopted by Cap One since from what I read online they were worse than HSBC. But Cap One gave me a CLI to $10k so I was happy. Every couple of months I try the LUV button more for the free FICO than anything else. And, expectedly, I always get shot down usually for insufficient use. But I get my FICO, which was my original goal. So two days ago I figure I'll go for another FICO and got the usual "under review" message. The past three months I've used my Cap One card a lot, but still had no expectation of getting a CLI. Today get the message than they increased to $15k. I'm shocked! But no FICO. I'm not sure if it's just because of holiday season or maybe Cap One really does like to see usage. Still, even though $15k is below average, considering it is from Cap One I will take it with gratitude. One thing I noticed that's changed with the LUV button is that now it asks for your usual monthly CC spending. I wonder what effect that has in their decision.

So, I logged into my Walmart account today to check my balance as my statement cuts soon. I saw a late payment fee. I'd let $2 report and was completely sure that I'd paid it the day after, but I apparently did not. I just got done setting alerts in my calendar for all payment due dates (should have done that already.) Lesson learned. I just received an auto cli from $400->$1000, so I was going to click the luv button in March. How bad have I shot myself in the foot here? Might I be better calling the UW when the time comes, and explaining myself? Feel kind of ill about it. But on the other hand, of all my cards, that would be the one I'd pick to have learned that lesson on, so there's a silver lining at least. Please feel free to berate me, I need the negative reinforcement

Emboldened by my recent and successful app spree, but disappointed I did not top my existing high limits, I am ready to start aggressively tackling CLIs. Start with Synchrony: I have a Home Design Furniture account. CL is $6,800. As of Friday, balance will be zero. I have a Care Credit. CL is $2,500. By next week, balance will be zero. I have a Lowe's. CL is $5,600. By next week, balance will be $2,500 (no interest). I see many posts on here to go for $35,000. My highest CL is $8,000. Should I go for $35,000 on all three and just let them make counters if that is not feasible? Also, do I do all three at once, or do I do one, hang up, call back, do another, and so on? Then comes Chase: I have a Marriott. CL is $8,000. I have an Amazon. CL is $3,000. I have a Slate. CL is $500. Makes me me sad just to type that. All will have zero or near zero balances within the next few weeks. How high do I shoot with these requests? Also, as with above, do I do them all on the same call or one at a time? If I do them one at a time, will it be three hard pulls or will they use the same one?Or, will it be three hard pulls no matter what? Lastly, say each card gets a $2,000 raise, could I then push limits around and make Marriott $15,000 with the other cards at $1,250 or so?

What is the best way to get a CLI without a hard pull? I heard calling and threatening to cancel will get you an increase without a hard pull.

This weekend will mark the one-year anniversary on my Gold Delta Amex, CL $5000. Never had an increase, and never requested one due to my overall utilization being off the charts this year. So once all my massive payments to Amex and other finish cycling through this week, and my utilization plunges, I was going to finally try for a CLI. Of course, no decision is that easy, right? Do I simply go for a CLI, or do I try to PC from Delta Gold to Delta Platinum? If I do decide to PC, will there automatically be a consideration of a new limit, or will I have to also ask for that? Basically, does it make sense to do a CLI request first, and THEN a PC, or the other way around, or to do both at the same time? I had a FR at the end of July. Assuming I am OK with a CLI or PC (which would tell me nothing about the FR scared them or pissed them off), I would like to add another Amex. With already having Delta, and with using Marriott as my exclusive hotel, none of the other airline/hotel cards would interest me. Any suggestions on what might be a good one to add? Finally, as noted, card anniversary is this weekend. If I am going for a new card, is there any difference between applying now or waiting until January 2015, or would either new card show 2013 and it would not matter? As always, thanks!

Got hit with a FR from Amex at end of July. Everything checked out fine (employment, income, bank statements). Does the fact that they got a much better look at my finances than just my word make me more likely to get a CLI? Does the fact that they had doubts due to high utilization and spending patterns make me less likely to be granted an increase, even though I turned out OK? Or does one have nothing to do with the other? They will run my report, filter it through their secret system, and decide based on that regardless of the FR?

I received my Bank of America travel rewards card on Monday, called Tuesday for a CLI from 2500 to 5000, approved. Called today and asked to get bumped to 7500, put on hold for a few minutes, asked some income and employment info, approved. Bank OF America is awesome seems they are very generous with CLI's 2 in 2 days and just got the card Monday.

My last CLI spree around September 22-24 resulted in CLI's on 4 or 5 cards but got the 7-10 day notice from CHASE. After I got the letter I recon'ed it. They totally screwed me up by doing this. Got a secure message from them early today saying "Per your request" we have decreased your Credit Limit Got on the phone with them and had to tell my story to 3 different CSR's and literally waited on the phone with them for over 45 minutes just to get my Credit Limit back to what it WAS because they screwed up. Telling them I NEVER requested a CLD and that THEY made the mistake on their end. But what really angers me is that they pulled another Hard Inq just to get my CL back to the original limit. Totally unprofessional. Only good thing is that I had EX frozen so they couldn't screw me with an EX pull. I won't be asking for a CLI from these guys for a LONG time. FUNNY Thing is that I just got 2 pre-approvals for a Slate and a Sapphire card from them in the mail yesterday. WTH Should have just applied and then moved the limits around.

So, what's the current state of requesting a CLI on a Macy's store card? Are they hard pulling, soft pulling, or it depends on the whimsy and abilities of who you talk to on the phone?

I know this is a baby step, but I wanted to let EVERYONE know that all their sharing of wisdom and knowledge does not go in vain, and as frustrating as it may get EXPLAINING and REPEATING things over and over again, as a NEWBIE (barely here over a year) I would like to thank ALL OF YOU! Getting ready for upcoming App Spree, so contacted Cap1 EO Tuesday Morning for CLI's (after last PIF payment went thru). Had QS1 at $4k, Cap1 Sparks Classic $1700, QS1 $1200 and Barclay's MC Rewarsd $500. Have been rebuilding credit since Spring 2013, and thanks to CB have all 3 FAKOS in low 700's. Have been putting alot of spend thru cards and PIF every month. SO I requested CLI's of $20k, $20k, and $15k, explaining that based on current spend and paying off ea card multiple times every month, I'd like to be able to use card and not worry about getting near 100% Utilization. Well they came back in 48 hrs with QS1 $4k>$5k, Sparks $1700>$4k, and QS1 $1200>$3k. Not what I wanted but not bad, gives me a decent base and am gearing up to hopefully get a few 5 figure cards during spree. So, now I debate whether or not to call Barclay's BD back after being declined 3 weeks ago for a CLI. Negative has been removed on TU since then and 3 weeks have passed, I have had card 1 yr w/ NO CLI EVER, declined 2x, but i decide to call and got a CLI $500>$3k. Not bad for a Thursday morning. Again, Thanks to EVERYONE! One day I will be able to share what I know with others too and pay it forward!!

A friend of mine has a $50K limit from Discover for an account from 2004, but has a promotional balance at a very low interest rate, causing his utilization to be at around 60% on that card, so I was suggesting he apply for a CLI, but wonder if he is already at the maximum they will give anyone. Does Discover have a maximum credit limit above which you cannot go beyond, if so, what is the maximum exposure they will allow?

Hello is it a good idea to ask for a CLI before or while activating your new card? Or is it better to wait a few months. Sometime when the credit app is approved it says if you'd like to inquire about the limit, you can do so when activating.

Hi guys, First time/long time... wondering if you had any advice as I consider my next moves. I'm 25, make about $43k a year before taxes, and have investment assets and income I could include if needed. Had credit since 2010, no missed payments, baddies, or anything like that. Oldest account is 3 yrs 8 months, newest is 7 months, and AAOA is about 1 year 10 months. These are my cards: AMEX Blue Sky, $10,500 limit AMEX Blue Cash Everyday, $2,000 limit BofA BankAmericard $5,000 limit Barclaycard Rewards $2,000 limit (newest, opened 1/2014) Barclaycard Financing (Apple) $2,350 Chase Slate $3,300 limit Chase Sapphire $5,000 limit Chase Freedom $4,000 limit Citi Dividend Platinum Select $5,900 limit (oldest, opened 12/2010) Citi Simplicity $3,000 limit Citi AAdvantage Bronze MasterCard $6,500 limit Discover IT $4,500 limit FNB Omaha $6,000 limit Comenity/JCrew $1,000 limit Comenity/Express $500 limit Utilization is around 23%. I have roughly $14k spread across several accounts with long-term (>12 months) 0% offers, otherwise I pay everything in full and do not carry a balance. If needed I could pay off the $14k immediately but since it's at 0% and I'm earning more in my investments I don't see a need to do that while the offers are still in effect unless you have better advice. Is it worth applying for more cards (if so, which)? Should I focus on CLIs (again, where should I prioritize and how much to ask for)? Both? Neither? Is it time to garden? I have an inquiry scheduled to drop off in November, by which point my AAOA should be over 2 years. I appreciate your guidance. Thanks in advance!

Apped for Lowes after reading about generous CLIs from them. (not to mention TU pull). Got the, call 800 number for additional review, message and initially approved for $1300. bleh. Called backdoor a couple hours later and spoke to some very nice lady from overseas about increasing to $25k. After a few minutes of reviewing my CR, "Unfortunately, we can ONLY approve you for $12k." Darn! haha Next goal, get back in with AMEX.

Hi everyone, It's been a while - since mid-2009 to be exact and I've missed being here. Long story short, I lost 90% of my self-employment income in a 3-day period, which led to losing my car, credit, and eventually my house, which I loved. It was my first house. I had just peaked 700 on my mid-score too, but had no savings. It's been incredibly humbling. So, I'm taking baby steps back into re-establishing credit after five years of being pretty much cash-only and off the grid. I got a preapproved CapOne invitation in the mail and thought, why not? All they can say is no. Yay, I got the usual $300 CL, same as when I was re-establishing myself after my divorce. After 5 months of on-time payments, they'll do a CLI. It won't be a problem, but I was wondering what the current CLI is for these types of starter cards. I'm sure the landscape has changed since the last time I was here. Thanks, everyone, and it's really nice to be back.

So, I decided to try for a CLI on my NFCU Visa Platinum last week and was a little shy about asking for much so I just asked for a CLI from $13k to $15k. I clicked on the Increase My Credit Limit link inside my Visa account details screen, input my info in the the first screen, put how much I wanted and hit the submit button. It came back instant approval, so I was like GREAT! That's the first CLI I've received from them on the card I've had since 2008. After I did that I was searching the interwebs about CLI from NFCU since I couldn't find specifics on the forum here. I found a master thread on the MyFico forums, and their theory is that you can click on the link, fill in the info and if it immediately comes back with an approval or a counteroffer, then it's a soft pull. If it takes you to a second screen where you have to submit it's most likely going to be a hard pull. Their theory is that you should always ask for $25k at first and if you are already pre-approved for an amount between what you currently have and $25k it will counteroffer with that amount or give you the full $25k with a soft pull. If you ask for anything beyond $25k it will go for manual review, i.e. hard pull. Others on that thread have been successful in their CLI's with a soft using this method. If you don't get an instant approval or counteroffer after the first screen, you can cancel your request and no hard is pulled. Anyone tried this here? *Side Note* - This is only for credit cards through NFCU, the Navcheck is apparently always a hard pull.