topic Re: PayPal CLD for Inactivity in Credit Cards

PayPal CLD for Inactivity

RootDet — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 09:04:06 GMT

Let’s just get this out of the way: I’m stupid. Yup, we’re clear on that.

I’ve had a PayPal Mastercard for ages—started back in the SmartConnect days, maybe around 2010. Over the years, the credit limit crept up to $30k and held steady there for a long while.

Well, this month’s statement brought a surprise: the limit got chopped down to $1,500. (Not even a fun number like $1,524—just $1,500 flat.) I haven’t received the official letter yet, but I called 877-379-8173 to ask for reinstatement. I got shot down instantly—as opposed to the normal "please hold" for 10 minutes while it is manually reviewed. I left a voicemail for a supervisor on Sunday. Still waiting on that callback (shockingly, I know).

I received a digital letter about the cli request (funny how they send that one digitally) which cited the only reason as "inactivity". Sure enough, it had been exactly 12 months since I used the card. Yep... I know.

Since then, I tossed a charge on the card—needed to top off a prepaid account anyway. But now that I’ve only got $1,500 to work with, I’m actually paying attention. A $100 charge is already nearly 7% utilization, which makes me twitch.

Credit has been the same. Scores over 790. My only Auto loan paid off in March. 5 New accounts in last 12 months, all around June-Aug 2024, except Care Credit in March @ $20k. No large CC Balances. Sync has never CLD me in the past, always been paid early, and we generally just left each other alone.

My problem seems to be purely inactivity. So, my questions:

1) Do I need to wait before calling again?

2) Did I even call the right number for a real human review? Did not feel like it

3) Is there a known path to restoring limits after inactivity drops?

I searched but most data points were around xx24, super old, or did not provide a decent resolution.

Re: PayPal CLD for Inactivity

ElvisCaprice — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 09:15:57 GMT

Looks like you got more than enough credit without that big CL on Paypal CC that you never use. Probably won't mean a thing, the CLD. Did you a favor for sock drawering the card and forget about it. Myself, I would have never allowed Synch to take my CL higher from day 1, reduce it if necessary to my needs.

Re: PayPal CLD for Inactivity

RootDet — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 09:17:46 GMT

In fairness, I used the card a way more in the past. I did a lot of ebaying, just not as much now.

Re: PayPal CLD for Inactivity

ElvisCaprice — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 09:28:05 GMT

@RootDet wrote:
In fairness, I used the card a way more in the past. I did a lot of ebaying, just not as much now.

I hear ya. Today there are better cards with rewards bigger than paypal MC, as I'm sure you are aware thus the lack of use anymore.

Re: PayPal CLD for Inactivity

Jnbmom — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 11:23:46 GMT

@RootDet

Sorry to hear that .

My question how did you get that to 30K I thought they hard stopped at 20K?

Re: PayPal CLD for Inactivity

AndySoCal — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 14:19:36 GMT

I can understand why Synchronny CLD'ed the account. Moving forward Synchronny most likely is going to want to see some spend on the card before increasing the limit. Even if you do put some spend on the account no guarantee that the 30k limit will be restored. For me at least I think I am better off with a flat rate two percent card. Yes I lose one percent on my PayPal purchase of 50 to 100 dollars but I make a half of a percent more on all my other purchases on that card. I think the latter more than offsets the PayPal purchase loss. Some creditors want to see the spend be comparable to the credit limit expectations

Re: PayPal CLD for Inactivity

Thomas_Thumb — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 15:25:12 GMT

Thanks for the 12 month no activity CLD data point.

I also experienced a 12 month inactivity CLD on a Fidelity Visa card, $20k => $13k. So, not quite as extreme as your CLD. Started using the card semi regularly. Waited a year before manually requesting a CLI back to $20k. They offered me $18k. Unfortunately, it took a HP.

Re: PayPal CLD for Inactivity

FicoMike0 — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 15:38:54 GMT

Sounds like just inactivity. Got to cycle those sock drawer cards at least twice a year. I put my $30 phone bill on one card, a $2.15 subscription on another. These get paid at month end, with several others which make up my zeros for aze3-4.

Edit. The one with the phone bill has been doing auto cli every six months, $1000 to $2000 to $4000 to $6000 to $8000. $30 is enough for commerce bank.

The $2.15 is amex hilton, just requested cli $3000 to $9000, approved $5900. Not bad for $2.15. I think I'm total exposure limited with amex.

Re: PayPal CLD for Inactivity

UncleB — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 21:49:04 GMT

@RootDet wrote:
Let’s just get this out of the way: I’m stupid. Yup, we’re clear on that.

I’ve had a PayPal Mastercard for ages—started back in the SmartConnect days, maybe around 2010. Over the years, the credit limit crept up to $30k and held steady there for a long while.

Well, this month’s statement brought a surprise: the limit got chopped down to $1,500. (Not even a fun number like $1,524—just $1,500 flat.) I haven’t received the official letter yet, but I called 877-379-8173 to ask for reinstatement. I got shot down instantly—as opposed to the normal "please hold" for 10 minutes while it is manually reviewed. I left a voicemail for a supervisor on Sunday. Still waiting on that callback (shockingly, I know).

I received a digital letter about the cli request (funny how they send that one digitally) which cited the only reason as "inactivity". Sure enough, it had been exactly 12 months since I used the card. Yep... I know.

Since then, I tossed a charge on the card—needed to top off a prepaid account anyway. But now that I’ve only got $1,500 to work with, I’m actually paying attention. A $100 charge is already nearly 7% utilization, which makes me twitch.

Credit has been the same. Scores over 790. My only Auto loan paid off in March. 5 New accounts in last 12 months, all around June-Aug 2024, except Care Credit in March @ $20k. No large CC Balances. Sync has never CLD me in the past, always been paid early, and we generally just left each other alone.

My problem seems to be purely inactivity. So, my questions:
1) Do I need to wait before calling again?
2) Did I even call the right number for a real human review? Did not feel like it
3) Is there a known path to restoring limits after inactivity drops?

I searched but most data points were around xx24, super old, or did not provide a decent resolution.

Sorry to hear about the CLD, those always suck.

Who did you call to request the CLI? If you called regular customer service they might be limited in what they can do.

It's been a while since I've seen much discussion on it, but you might give Credit Solutions a call... back in the day they were the ones with the power to give generous CLIs. There's an 'overseas' number that was especially easy to do business with (that's the one I called a couple of times). I'll add that it's odd for you to get a CLD with a new credit line that doesn't end in '24' so things may have changed, but it still might be worth a try.

Note that the process used to be they'd do a soft pull while you were on hold, and this required TU to be unlocked.

Re: PayPal CLD for Inactivity

RootDet — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 06:54:36 GMT

@UncleB

The number i called -- "Synchrony Credit Solutions: 877-379-8173 (Overseas)". But like I said was not the experience I got. I had TU unlocked being prepared for that.

Re: PayPal CLD for Inactivity

UncleB — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 07:56:04 GMT

@RootDet wrote:
@UncleB
The number i called -- "Synchrony Credit Solutions: 877-379-8173 (Overseas)". But like I said was not the experience I got. I had TU unlocked being prepared for that.

Well rats, I was throwing that out in hopes that it might work.

The only other tidbit I have to offer is that I once had a Synch CLD (Lowe's) down to ~$500. I had a lot going on at the time (including the reason for the CLD) so I didn't bother to cancel it, I just tossed the card into a drawer. I still have the card... it's now my oldest credit account - will be 21 yrs next week - and my limit is $20k. TL;DR: Synch cards can most definitely bounce back with time.

Re: PayPal CLD for Inactivity

RootDet — Tue, 08 Jul 2025 00:46:00 GMT

Update: Last month they kept denying me for "account inactivity". I waited for the statement to cut after using it for roughly 30% of the limit. Now they are denying it for "insufficient experience with limit".

I got frustrated and filed a CFPB and comptroller complaint. I never got the original AA letter required. Will wait and see, but i am leaning towards closing it. Rehabbing a card so low is annoying as just about every charge is high utilization.

Re: PayPal CLD for Inactivity

ElvisCaprice — Tue, 08 Jul 2025 09:42:45 GMT

@RootDet wrote:
Update: Last month they kept denying me for "account inactivity". I waited for the statement to cut after using it for roughly 30% of the limit. Now they are denying it for "insufficient experience with limit".

I got frustrated and filed a CFPB and comptroller complaint. I never got the original AA letter required. Will wait and see, but i am leaning towards closing it. Rehabbing a card so low is annoying as just about every charge is high utilization.

I don't get it, why waste so much energy on this account? What do you think you will gain from it?

You go from not using it for a year, getting an involuntary CLD, then all of a sudden you want to use the card again? I guess mission accomplished on their end.

I would sock drawer the card again, leave the CL the way it is, you will still get the same effect from aging. There is nothing to gain from a CLI if you have enough already for proper total CL utilization. If you don't want them to close the account, just pull it out once a year and put a small charge on it. Myself, I would just close it if you don't need it. It still remains in your age of accounts for 10 years.

But then I'm a minimalist! Good Luck!!!