topic Re: Credit limit way to low in Credit Cards

Credit limit way to low

jackhughes — Sat, 03 May 2025 13:33:01 GMT

Hey guys!

I started my credit jouney on a AU chase freedom unlimited in July 2023 so now 1yr and 9months old which had a small credit limit of $500 which allowed to me to open my own freedom unlimited in December 2023 which started with 500$ and now has a $1000 from a credit limit increase and I also have a Capital One Quicksilver One card with only a $500 credit limit which i started from $300 and my most recent card is a PayPal Cashback Mastercard with $1,700 which im really happy with but currently has a disputed transaction on due to a company refusing to refund me. I also have a 730 credit score.

The problem is I max out these credit cards literally every month or close to it because the credit limit is way to low and chase and capital one all say I dont qualify for a credit limit increase which to me is ridiculous considering my income and use and the money i hold in both banks seperately.

I feel like i've hit a deadend and kind of stuck in my situation now and looking for some advice what I should do to proceed in my credit journey!!

Another weird side note my own personal chase freedom unlimited has stopped being reported too all major credit bureaus in July last year but the card still works and is in good standing.

Hard pulls:
Equifax: 7 all expire by Decemeber this year

Transunion: 14 same thing expire by decemeber other than 1 due to paypal hard pull

Experian: 6 all expire by December this year too

I think hard pulls are currently ruining my credit too but obviously i was very unexperienced and was applying to the best cards obviously i didnt qualify for

Re: Credit limit way to low

AndySoCal — Sat, 03 May 2025 14:08:05 GMT

@jackhughes @The inquires represent the pursuit of new credit either a new credit card etc or a hard pull CLI. With number that you have may cause a lender to have concern. You may want to investigate a secured credit card and or make multiple payments a month some lenders do not like that from some posts I have read. If I was in your situation I would wait till after the first of the year to appy for another card. Also, check to see if the lender has a pre-qualify option as well. Hope this helps.

Re: Credit limit way to low

Patient957 — Sat, 03 May 2025 14:37:20 GMT

@jackhughes wrote:
I feel like i've hit a deadend and kind of stuck in my situation now and looking for some advice what I should do to proceed in my credit journey!!

IMO, it's those HPs holding you back. Once they fall off December, you'll have a better chance at CLIs. In the meantime, use your 3 cards a lot and pay the statement balance in full monthly, or even weekly if you wish to cycle more spend on them each month.

Also stop applying for cards, especially ones you know you don't qualify for. Once you're able to start getting CLIs on your existing cards, consider adding new cards at a reasonable pace to thicken your file.

Re: Credit limit way to low

Varsity_Lu — Sat, 03 May 2025 15:27:53 GMT

So, you have three cards with low limits and you have a bunch of hard pulls. Your solution is time and discipline.

Time: don't apply for anything until all the inqs and new accounts are at least a year old. Freeze your credit so no more hard pulls can occur.

Discipline: pay off your cards in full each week so that you can keep using them for normal things. Find out when your statements post and make sure 2 of them are fully paid off and one only has a little bit on it when they post. Your low limits don't give you a lot of wiggle room, so track this diligently and make sure nothing slips through.

If you do those things, your credit score will improve. Once the inq and new accounts drop off, you can find a card that you are pre-approved for and get a better card. Then, rinse and repeat steps one and two for another year.

Re: Credit limit way to low

Gregory1776 — Sat, 03 May 2025 16:14:42 GMT

By expire by December, is that falling off your report in December, or no longer scorable?

Re: Credit limit way to low

GZG — Sat, 03 May 2025 16:46:26 GMT

I mean, go take $5k, put it on a secured card and your limit problems should stop for a bit

Re: Credit limit way to low

coldfusion — Sat, 03 May 2025 17:24:44 GMT

Your Chase Freedom Unlimited card no longer reporting is most likely due to an error made on their end, since Chase is normally a reliable reporter and all 3 CRAs were affected at the same time. IMO you should try contacting them directly ( https://www.chase.com/digital/resources/complaints-feedback ) to complain that they haven't updated the information with any of the credit reporting agencies since last July, once they confirm that they are (now) reporting correctly wait 30 days and if a report hasn't been updated file a dispute with the relevant CRA due to incorrect reporting.

Re: Credit limit way to low

jackhughes — Sat, 03 May 2025 17:42:22 GMT

They fall of my report in December its would have been 2 years at that point.

Re: Credit limit way to low

jackhughes — Sat, 03 May 2025 17:43:10 GMT

Any recommendations for a secure card to put that much money it, becuase i've always thought previously you couldnt put more than 1k in.

Re: Credit limit way to low

jackhughes — Sat, 03 May 2025 17:44:09 GMT

Is there any possible negatives of me contacting them or any problems that could occur because i reply heavily on that card on a daily basis and dont want like my card to be reissued or something similar.

Re: Credit limit way to low

dfwxjer — Sat, 03 May 2025 17:45:36 GMT

Charge a tank of gas, or something similar, each month and let it report then pay that off.

Don't use the other two cards.

Use your debit card for every single other purchase in the month. Continue this for 4-6 months and your score will jump. Unfortunately, your current cards are not "daily drivers" so trying to run everything through them right now will just delay your progress and cause frustration. The bit of rewards you'll miss out on is insignificant at best.

After you practice the above discipline you should see offers for $5-10k credit limits where you can effectively move all your spend to cards to begin earning rewards.

Good luck!

Re: Credit limit way to low

coldfusion — Sat, 03 May 2025 19:10:08 GMT

@jackhughes wrote:
Is there any possible negatives of me contacting them or any problems that could occur because i reply heavily on that card on a daily basis and dont want like my card to be reissued or something similar.

If you're talking about your own Freedom Unlimited no, you aren't disputing any transactions or having issues with payment, only that for some reason Chase stopped reporting. Technically they are not legally required to report but it is their policy to do so and if they aren't it's fair to bring it to their attention.

Re: Credit limit way to low

ptatohed — Sat, 03 May 2025 23:41:42 GMT

Like others said, waiting is probably best but if you are dying to get a high(er) limit card now, you can try a Soft Pull Pre-Qual card that will show your credit limit before you accept (and get a Hard Pull). The below thread is a bit dated but can be a good place to start.

https://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/General-Credit-Topics/Soft-pull-PREAPPROVALs-Updated-4-20-21/td-p/5938753

Re: Credit limit way to low

FicoMike0 — Sun, 04 May 2025 00:00:37 GMT

Don't let the refund dispute tank your credit. Work it with merchant, work it with bank, work with mastercard, but don't be late. If necessary, pay it and work for refund.

As others have said, pay more frequently.

Get ahold of chase, they're a first string bank, they will report to all three, something is wrong!

If you need a higher limit, usb has secured cards to $5000.

Have you burned amex? If not, try their apply with confidence, no hp if no account approved. They do higher limits, bce is a good card.

For scores, do azeo, manage reported utilization.

Re: Credit limit way to low

ElvisCaprice — Sun, 04 May 2025 07:38:22 GMT

@jackhughes wrote:
They fall of my report in December its would have been 2 years at that point.

Then the hard pulls are not the issue. Most issuers look back only 1 year.

Re: Credit limit way to low

PayAndProsper — Sun, 04 May 2025 11:04:16 GMT

@dfwxjer escribió:
Charge a tank of gas, or something similar, each month and let it report then pay that off.

Don't use the other two cards.

Use your debit card for every single other purchase in the month. Continue this for 4-6 months and your score will jump. Unfortunately, your current cards are not "daily drivers" so trying to run everything through them right now will just delay your progress and cause frustration. The bit of rewards you'll miss out on is insignificant at best.

After you practice the above discipline you should see offers for $5-10k credit limits where you can effectively move all your spend to cards to begin earning rewards.

Good luck!

I'm sorry, but this is not good advice.

Recommending the usage of debit over credit, outside of being in a situation where one is trying to pay down balances that are being carried on cards that are actively accruing interest, would lead to unnecessary exposure in a time where identity theft and hacking methods are becoming increasingly sophisticated.

If the problem is low limits, not using 2 cards at all is not going to be a solution. In fact, lack of usage of current credit lines is an often-issued reason for denial of a CLI. Cycling spend through cards helps to justify the need for a CLI, as well as provides the CC issuer with profit off of the transaction fees. An unused card does nothing for the issuer, which is why they are at risk of being closed after long periods of disuse.

OP's score is not the issue. A 730 is not a troubling FICO score, by any means. While AZEO does help to maximize your FICO score at any given moment, utilization is very much a dynamic credit-scoring metric that is likely to change from one month to another with regular usage. Furthermore, if controlling reported utilization were OP's goal, rather than not using the cards, he could just make sure to pay them off a couple days before the statement close date. That way, he would be pushing through justified spending and still reporting a zero balance to the 3 CRAs. By the way, credit cycling is hardly an issue when it is normal spend on cards with low limits. I believe issuers would expect for $2,000 ran through a $500-limit card in a month to be less suspicious than $30,000 ran through a card with a $5,000 limit, in the same span of time.

This is likely a profile issue. As was stated earlier, time (and in the same vein, consistency) is likely the metric you're dealing with. There is a young profile with several hard inquiries (that, while not counting towards your score, can certainly count when considering CLIs) and exclusively low limits. Perhaps AZEO would help OP out, a bit, if he is eligible, time-wise, for a CLI because I could also see how having all of the cards reporting high utilization at the time of the application could cause the issuers to give pause. Due to variances in information reported, there is often no way for the issuer to know whether the 80% or > utilization rates on cards from the other issuers are being consistently paid in full or are being carried from one month to the next.

@jackhughes Just keep trying. Practicing AZEO cannot hurt you. Do that while maintaining your normal spend and you should eventually be granted a CLI. Also, in the case of Chase, don't be afraid to call in for the CLI and explain that you really just need a workable limit. Having someone individually look at your request on reconsideration can bear fruit.

Re: Credit limit way to low

dfwxjer — Mon, 05 May 2025 15:59:07 GMT

@PayAndProsper wrote:
@dfwxjer escribió:
Charge a tank of gas, or something similar, each month and let it report then pay that off.

Don't use the other two cards.

Use your debit card for every single other purchase in the month. Continue this for 4-6 months and your score will jump. Unfortunately, your current cards are not "daily drivers" so trying to run everything through them right now will just delay your progress and cause frustration. The bit of rewards you'll miss out on is insignificant at best.

After you practice the above discipline you should see offers for $5-10k credit limits where you can effectively move all your spend to cards to begin earning rewards.

Good luck!
I'm sorry, but this is not good advice.

Recommending the usage of debit over credit, outside of being in a situation where one is trying to pay down balances that are being carried on cards that are actively accruing interest, would lead to unnecessary exposure in a time where identity theft and hacking methods are becoming increasingly sophisticated.

If the problem is low limits, not using 2 cards at all is not going to be a solution. In fact, lack of usage of current credit lines is an often-issued reason for denial of a CLI. Cycling spend through cards helps to justify the need for a CLI, as well as provides the CC issuer with profit off of the transaction fees. An unused card does nothing for the issuer, which is why they are at risk of being closed after long periods of disuse.

OP's score is not the issue. A 730 is not a troubling FICO score, by any means. While AZEO does help to maximize your FICO score at any given moment, utilization is very much a dynamic credit-scoring metric that is likely to change from one month to another with regular usage. Furthermore, if controlling reported utilization were OP's goal, rather than not using the cards, he could just make sure to pay them off a couple days before the statement close date. That way, he would be pushing through justified spending and still reporting a zero balance to the 3 CRAs. By the way, credit cycling is hardly an issue when it is normal spend on cards with low limits. I believe issuers would expect for $2,000 ran through a $500-limit card in a month to be less suspicious than $30,000 ran through a card with a $5,000 limit, in the same span of time.

This is likely a profile issue. As was stated earlier, time (and in the same vein, consistency) is likely the metric you're dealing with. There is a young profile with several hard inquiries (that, while not counting towards your score, can certainly count when considering CLIs) and exclusively low limits. Perhaps AZEO would help OP out, a bit, if he is eligible, time-wise, for a CLI because I could also see how having all of the cards reporting high utilization at the time of the application could cause the issuers to give pause. Due to variances in information reported, there is often no way for the issuer to know whether the 80% or > utilization rates on cards from the other issuers are being consistently paid in full or are being carried from one month to the next.

@jackhughes Just keep trying. Practicing AZEO cannot hurt you. Do that while maintaining your normal spend and you should eventually be granted a CLI. Also, in the case of Chase, don't be afraid to call in for the CLI and explain that you really just need a workable limit. Having someone individually look at your request on reconsideration can bear fruit.

My advice is proven to work. I've helped numerous people using the exact path I detailed out, and within 4-6 months their profile is strong enough to apply for prime cards with higher limits. My plan is not intended to 10-20x CLI his current cards. A bucketed Cap1 card won't grow to a worthwhile limit so there's no reason to power cycle it throughout the month. The Chase card will grow with time, and organic CLIs will come along the way. The path I laid out will help the OP obtain prime cards with much better SLs.

I think the benefit of obtaining prime cards with healthy SLs is worth the slight risk of using a debit card for 4-6 months. If this is a paralyzing fear then sign up for a secured card by putting up a significant deposit. BofA is one of the better ones for this route.

Re: Credit limit way to low

ptatohed — Mon, 05 May 2025 16:33:26 GMT

@dfwxjer wrote:
@PayAndProsper wrote:
@dfwxjer escribió:
Charge a tank of gas, or something similar, each month and let it report then pay that off.

Don't use the other two cards.

Use your debit card for every single other purchase in the month. Continue this for 4-6 months and your score will jump. Unfortunately, your current cards are not "daily drivers" so trying to run everything through them right now will just delay your progress and cause frustration. The bit of rewards you'll miss out on is insignificant at best.

After you practice the above discipline you should see offers for $5-10k credit limits where you can effectively move all your spend to cards to begin earning rewards.

Good luck!
I'm sorry, but this is not good advice.

Recommending the usage of debit over credit, outside of being in a situation where one is trying to pay down balances that are being carried on cards that are actively accruing interest, would lead to unnecessary exposure in a time where identity theft and hacking methods are becoming increasingly sophisticated.

If the problem is low limits, not using 2 cards at all is not going to be a solution. In fact, lack of usage of current credit lines is an often-issued reason for denial of a CLI. Cycling spend through cards helps to justify the need for a CLI, as well as provides the CC issuer with profit off of the transaction fees. An unused card does nothing for the issuer, which is why they are at risk of being closed after long periods of disuse.

OP's score is not the issue. A 730 is not a troubling FICO score, by any means. While AZEO does help to maximize your FICO score at any given moment, utilization is very much a dynamic credit-scoring metric that is likely to change from one month to another with regular usage. Furthermore, if controlling reported utilization were OP's goal, rather than not using the cards, he could just make sure to pay them off a couple days before the statement close date. That way, he would be pushing through justified spending and still reporting a zero balance to the 3 CRAs. By the way, credit cycling is hardly an issue when it is normal spend on cards with low limits. I believe issuers would expect for $2,000 ran through a $500-limit card in a month to be less suspicious than $30,000 ran through a card with a $5,000 limit, in the same span of time.

This is likely a profile issue. As was stated earlier, time (and in the same vein, consistency) is likely the metric you're dealing with. There is a young profile with several hard inquiries (that, while not counting towards your score, can certainly count when considering CLIs) and exclusively low limits. Perhaps AZEO would help OP out, a bit, if he is eligible, time-wise, for a CLI because I could also see how having all of the cards reporting high utilization at the time of the application could cause the issuers to give pause. Due to variances in information reported, there is often no way for the issuer to know whether the 80% or > utilization rates on cards from the other issuers are being consistently paid in full or are being carried from one month to the next.

@jackhughes Just keep trying. Practicing AZEO cannot hurt you. Do that while maintaining your normal spend and you should eventually be granted a CLI. Also, in the case of Chase, don't be afraid to call in for the CLI and explain that you really just need a workable limit. Having someone individually look at your request on reconsideration can bear fruit.
My advice is proven to work. I've helped numerous people using the exact path I detailed out, and within 4-6 months their profile is strong enough to apply for prime cards with higher limits. My plan is not intended to 10-20x CLI his current cards. A bucketed Cap1 card won't grow to a worthwhile limit so there's no reason to power cycle it throughout the month. The Chase card will grow with time, and organic CLIs will come along the way. The path I laid out will help the OP obtain prime cards with much better SLs.

I think the benefit of obtaining prime cards with healthy SLs is worth the slight risk of using a debit card for 4-6 months. If this is a paralyzing fear then sign up for a secured card by putting up a significant deposit. BofA is one of the better ones for this route.

dfw, I'm kinda with PAP on this one too. I didn't really understand any benefits to your advice. First sentence regarding the tank of gas - are you saying to carry a balance and pay interest? I don't think anyone has to ever pay interest to improve their credit score. And why use a debit card? Unless OP is carrying balances and paying interest and attempting to pay down those balances, there is no reason not to use credit cards for purchases (I'm assuming the OP PIFs, they didn't say otherwise). Why would using his current credit cards "just delay your progress and cause frustration"? Sorry, I just don't get it!

Re: Credit limit way to low

NoMoreE46 — Mon, 05 May 2025 17:50:14 GMT

As you know now yes- Slow your Roll.

Your young profile has 14 inquiries in under 24 months.
On average you're applying for a new card every two months. This is too many even for most aged, thick profiles.
Higher CL and SL will come but they will be fulfilled in years.

@jackhughes wrote:
Hey guys!

I started my credit jouney on a AU chase freedom unlimited in July 2023 so now 1yr and 9months old which had a small credit limit of $500 which allowed to me to open my own freedom unlimited in December 2023 which started with 500$ and now has a $1000 from a credit limit increase and I also have a Capital One Quicksilver One card with only a $500 credit limit which i started from $300 and my most recent card is a PayPal Cashback Mastercard with $1,700 which im really happy with but currently has a disputed transaction on due to a company refusing to refund me. I also have a 730 credit score.

The problem is I max out these credit cards literally every month or close to it because the credit limit is way to low and chase and capital one all say I dont qualify for a credit limit increase which to me is ridiculous considering my income and use and the money i hold in both banks seperately.

I feel like i've hit a deadend and kind of stuck in my situation now and looking for some advice what I should do to proceed in my credit journey!!

Another weird side note my own personal chase freedom unlimited has stopped being reported too all major credit bureaus in July last year but the card still works and is in good standing.

Hard pulls:
Equifax: 7 all expire by Decemeber this year
Transunion: 14 same thing expire by decemeber other than 1 due to paypal hard pull
Experian: 6 all expire by December this year too

I think hard pulls are currently ruining my credit too but obviously i was very unexperienced and was applying to the best cards obviously i didnt qualify for

Re: Credit limit way to low

dfwxjer — Mon, 05 May 2025 17:50:00 GMT

@ptatohed wrote:
@dfwxjer wrote:
@PayAndProsper wrote:
@dfwxjer escribió:
Charge a tank of gas, or something similar, each month and let it report then pay that off.

Don't use the other two cards.

Use your debit card for every single other purchase in the month. Continue this for 4-6 months and your score will jump. Unfortunately, your current cards are not "daily drivers" so trying to run everything through them right now will just delay your progress and cause frustration. The bit of rewards you'll miss out on is insignificant at best.

After you practice the above discipline you should see offers for $5-10k credit limits where you can effectively move all your spend to cards to begin earning rewards.

Good luck!
I'm sorry, but this is not good advice.

Recommending the usage of debit over credit, outside of being in a situation where one is trying to pay down balances that are being carried on cards that are actively accruing interest, would lead to unnecessary exposure in a time where identity theft and hacking methods are becoming increasingly sophisticated.

If the problem is low limits, not using 2 cards at all is not going to be a solution. In fact, lack of usage of current credit lines is an often-issued reason for denial of a CLI. Cycling spend through cards helps to justify the need for a CLI, as well as provides the CC issuer with profit off of the transaction fees. An unused card does nothing for the issuer, which is why they are at risk of being closed after long periods of disuse.

OP's score is not the issue. A 730 is not a troubling FICO score, by any means. While AZEO does help to maximize your FICO score at any given moment, utilization is very much a dynamic credit-scoring metric that is likely to change from one month to another with regular usage. Furthermore, if controlling reported utilization were OP's goal, rather than not using the cards, he could just make sure to pay them off a couple days before the statement close date. That way, he would be pushing through justified spending and still reporting a zero balance to the 3 CRAs. By the way, credit cycling is hardly an issue when it is normal spend on cards with low limits. I believe issuers would expect for $2,000 ran through a $500-limit card in a month to be less suspicious than $30,000 ran through a card with a $5,000 limit, in the same span of time.

This is likely a profile issue. As was stated earlier, time (and in the same vein, consistency) is likely the metric you're dealing with. There is a young profile with several hard inquiries (that, while not counting towards your score, can certainly count when considering CLIs) and exclusively low limits. Perhaps AZEO would help OP out, a bit, if he is eligible, time-wise, for a CLI because I could also see how having all of the cards reporting high utilization at the time of the application could cause the issuers to give pause. Due to variances in information reported, there is often no way for the issuer to know whether the 80% or > utilization rates on cards from the other issuers are being consistently paid in full or are being carried from one month to the next.

@jackhughes Just keep trying. Practicing AZEO cannot hurt you. Do that while maintaining your normal spend and you should eventually be granted a CLI. Also, in the case of Chase, don't be afraid to call in for the CLI and explain that you really just need a workable limit. Having someone individually look at your request on reconsideration can bear fruit.
My advice is proven to work. I've helped numerous people using the exact path I detailed out, and within 4-6 months their profile is strong enough to apply for prime cards with higher limits. My plan is not intended to 10-20x CLI his current cards. A bucketed Cap1 card won't grow to a worthwhile limit so there's no reason to power cycle it throughout the month. The Chase card will grow with time, and organic CLIs will come along the way. The path I laid out will help the OP obtain prime cards with much better SLs.

I think the benefit of obtaining prime cards with healthy SLs is worth the slight risk of using a debit card for 4-6 months. If this is a paralyzing fear then sign up for a secured card by putting up a significant deposit. BofA is one of the better ones for this route.

dfw, I'm kinda with PAP on this one too. I didn't really understand any benefits to your advice. First sentence regarding the tank of gas - are you saying to carry a balance and pay interest? I don't think anyone has to ever pay interest to improve their credit score. And why use a debit card? Unless OP is carrying balances and paying interest and attempting to pay down those balances, there is no reason not to use credit cards for purchases (I'm assuming the OP PIFs, they didn't say otherwise). Why would using his current credit cards "just delay your progress and cause frustration"? Sorry, I just don't get it!

I always use "tank of gas" for the arbitrary charge I'm talking about... but essentially I mean let a small balance report on one of the cards that won't exceed 10% of the current credit limit. Then once the statement cuts, pay off the entire balance in full. I'd never advocate for paying interest in any scenario.

The benefit of my plan is to build the OP's credit profile without putzing around with beginner cards with low limits. Like I said in my initial post here, the cards the OP currently holds are not daily driver cards with limits high enough to run an entire month's worth of expenses through. Credit cycling is a hassle and can even lead to accounts being flagged for this behavior. Banks don't like to see the card maxed out, paid off, and maxed out again in a single billing cycle. The system does not account for the increased swipe fees, and only focuses on the cardholder running more through the card than their underwriting system approved it for.

The Chase card is the only one out of the 3 that will grow and build a relationship with a worthwhile bank. However, the OP is looking for bigger limits sooner than later, so I spelled out a disciplined plan to obtain prime cards, not putzing around with asking for CLIs on low limit starter cards. PayPal/Synchrony and a bucketed Cap1 card aren't worth dealing with at all imo.

in short, my focus is on getting the OP in to a prime card with a high SL in the shortest most efficient way possible. Low limit cards aren't worth the effort most of the time.