Why won't BOA give me a CLI?

[revvystoke]

I opened my Alaska Airlines account with them last Feburary. I have run almost 30k through the card since then. The limit was 3500 but I combined from another card and will be upgraded to the signature card. I had requested a CLI a couple months ago and was denied. Their reasoning was that I didn't have a established payment history. I pay the card around 5 times per month since I max it out then have to wait for the payment to go through to use it again which gets annoying.

I use the card because I fly the airline alot and I like having the companion ticket. I had a combined balance of around 10k on my cards last month due to Christmas shopping but I paid them all off this month. I almost always PIF. My credit score is low since the PIF'd balances have not updated yet it is at 690 but was at 728 before the balances hit. I make 56k a year. What should I do with the card? Decrease spending? Let balances report?

[drsmith]

Call them and ask 

[revvystoke]

I did call several times. I get the response that I don't have enough payment history which I don't understand I have made hundreds of payments and usually PIF or carry a negative balance.

Everytime I call I get the same reponse. When I called for a recon in Sept they told me to keep paying it off monthly but I was still declined in early December.

If it wasn't for the miles I wouldn't put up with the hassle of multiple payments and would just SD it and forget about it.

[pizzadude]

---

revvystoke wrote:

I opened my Alaska Airlines account with them last Feburary. I have run almost 30k through the card since then. The limit was 3500 but I combined from another card and will be upgraded to the signature card. I had requested a CLI a couple months ago and was denied. Their reasoning was that I didn't have a established payment history. I pay the card around 5 times per month since I max it out then have to wait for the payment to go through to use it again which gets annoying.

I use the card because I fly the airline alot and I like having the companion ticket. I had a combined balance of around 10k on my cards last month due to Christmas shopping but I paid them all off this month. I almost always PIF. My credit score is low since the PIF'd balances have not updated yet it is at 690 but was at 728 before the balances hit. I make 56k a year. What should I do with the card? Decrease spending? Let balances report?

---

Your account is just too new.   Many people expect to get auto CLIs after 6 months, 9 months, etc... but some companies just won't do that until your account has been opened for a long enough period of time for them to feel comfortable with your spending & payment habits.

[Anonymous]

---

@revvystoke wrote:

I did call several times. I get the response that I don't have enough payment history which I don't understand I have made hundreds of payments and usually PIF or carry a negative balance.

Everytime I call I get the same reponse. When I called for a recon in Sept they told me to keep paying it off monthly but I was still declined in early December.

If it wasn't for the miles I wouldn't put up with the hassle of multiple payments and would just SD it and forget about it.

---

Looks like you have the answer to your original question.  They don't feel that you've had the account long enough for them to grant you a CLI.

[Creditaddict]

Are you calling CSR on back or card or back door number into credit dept?  They say 1 year is not enought exp?

What do your other limits look like and with who?

[Anonymous]

---

@pizzadude wrote:

---

revvystoke wrote:

I opened my Alaska Airlines account with them last Feburary. I have run almost 30k through the card since then. The limit was 3500 but I combined from another card and will be upgraded to the signature card. I had requested a CLI a couple months ago and was denied. Their reasoning was that I didn't have a established payment history. I pay the card around 5 times per month since I max it out then have to wait for the payment to go through to use it again which gets annoying.

I use the card because I fly the airline alot and I like having the companion ticket. I had a combined balance of around 10k on my cards last month due to Christmas shopping but I paid them all off this month. I almost always PIF. My credit score is low since the PIF'd balances have not updated yet it is at 690 but was at 728 before the balances hit. I make 56k a year. What should I do with the card? Decrease spending? Let balances report?

---

Your account is just too new.   Many people expect to get auto CLIs after 6 months, 9 months, etc... but some companies just won't do that until your account has been opened for a long enough period of time for them to feel comfortable with your spending & payment habits.

---

+1

It took a couple of years for BoA to start giving me auto CLIs. IIRC, is was in Nov. or December of '08 (somewhere around that time) that I got my first CLI, period. That first one was at my request (after having been told "NO!" quite a few times). Since then, I haven't requested a CLI, but get auto CLIs at least once a year during my cards anniversary month.

Another thing that might matter-- is BoA your highest credit line, currently? They seem hesitant to be the first to extend the higher limit. I'd suggest that you give it another year, maybe reduce your payments to once per month (if it's possible with your usage patterns), and work on a higher credit limit with another lender, in the meantime. I think that you might find a more pliable BoA when you revisit the issue.

[LS2982]

---

@revvystoke wrote:

I opened my Alaska Airlines account with them last Feburary. I have run almost 30k through the card since then. The limit was 3500 but I combined from another card and will be upgraded to the signature card. I had requested a CLI a couple months ago and was denied. Their reasoning was that I didn't have a established payment history. I pay the card around 5 times per month since I max it out then have to wait for the payment to go through to use it again which gets annoying.

I use the card because I fly the airline alot and I like having the companion ticket. I had a combined balance of around 10k on my cards last month due to Christmas shopping but I paid them all off this month. I almost always PIF. My credit score is low since the PIF'd balances have not updated yet it is at 690 but was at 728 before the balances hit. I make 56k a year. What should I do with the card? Decrease spending? Let balances report?

---

Have you spoke with a supervisor on this?

[Anonymous]

Do you have mortgage or installment loan? They might consider it as part of debt which reduces ability to pay back hence low CL. I managed to get first CLI after being with FIA for 4 months and I reported lower income than yours. My CL is $3000.

[Anonymous]

I had my BoA World MC for 3 months (5K initial CL) and I had only run one purchase thru the card for 1780 or something like that and I PIF 18 days later (before the statement cut) and a week later I hit the luv button in my online account and asked for an additional 5K, and within 2 days I logged into my online account and I noticed my CL was @ 10K.

Maybe BoA is seeing something on your report that concerns them and they just want to see more history from you with them???

Whatever the case, I wish you the Very Best, and I hope that BoA will eventually (hopefully sooner than later) will grant you the CLI you are looking for.