topic Re: BOA, Chase or Citi - Which bank is better with CLIs? in Credit Cards

BOA, Chase or Citi - Which bank is better with CLIs?

WLRK11 — Sun, 23 Jun 2013 09:06:25 GMT

I'm looking to apply for my first unsecured (prime) card with a major bank. I've already scoped out BOA, Chase, and Citi. I chose a card that I like from each bank. My main goal is to build my credit. I understand that utilization is roughly 30% of one's FICO score, so one would conclude that a higher CL is better than a lower CL.

Which bank is more CLI friendly: BOA, Chase, or Citi?

P.S. I'm intentionally not including Wells Fargo or U.S. Bank.

Re: BOA, Chase or Citi - Which bank is better with CLIs?

SSA_2013 — Sun, 23 Jun 2013 09:37:26 GMT

Well, Bank of America and Chase almost always require a Hard Pull for CLIs and Citi can go either way. Chase and Citi have treated me quite well. I personally don't have any accounts with Bank of America but from what I've read they are usually hard pullers. The three you mention also happen to be some of the most "YMMV" type banks. Have you thought about Discover. I have an account with them (although I think they hate me ) and many people have reported good limits/cli as long as you carry a balance. They are good in warning you about soft/hard pulls before the final request.

Re: BOA, Chase or Citi - Which bank is better with CLIs?

dddewdrop — Sun, 23 Jun 2013 12:41:54 GMT

In my experience BofA is the easiest to be approved for. All 3 are good choices. Don't count out Discover as a choice for first prime card either. Discover is not like years ago where not that many places used to accept it. It is a legitimate choice for a prime card with excellent rewards..

Re: BOA, Chase or Citi - Which bank is better with CLIs?

dddewdrop — Sun, 23 Jun 2013 12:44:01 GMT

As far as CLIs,, if that is your main focus then I would recommend waiting a bit. Sometimes it can be better to wait til you have higher scores. That way when you are approved for a prime card you can start with a big CL right away as opposd to getting a "starter" CL of like 500 and then having to go through the process of asking for increases repeatedly. Better to wait an extra 6 months or a year and receive a CL of like 5k right out of the chute.

Re: BOA, Chase or Citi - Which bank is better with CLIs?

Odiseous — Sun, 23 Jun 2013 15:54:41 GMT

@dddewdrop wrote:
As far as CLIs,, if that is your main focus then I would recommend waiting a bit. Sometimes it can be better to wait til you have higher scores. That way when you are approved for a prime card you can start with a big CL right away as opposd to getting a "starter" CL of like 500 and then having to go through the process of asking for increases repeatedly. Better to wait an extra 6 months or a year and receive a CL of like 5k right out of the chute.

Card issuers tend to match (or at least consider a higher limit) if you show experience with higher limits.

I recommend getting an AmEx revolving card. Use the 3x rule to get the balance around where you would like your starting blance on the Bank's card to be, then app for the Bank card.

AmEx and BofA both started me out at 2k. I used the 3x rule to get my AmEx to 10x (counter offered on the 2nd CLI). After that reported, I asked for a CLI on my BofA to 10k, and was granted the CLI request.

BofA has also been more CL friendly to me, than Chase. My BofA limit is 10k on 1 card, while Chase still has me capped to 8,800 between 2 cards.

Re: BOA, Chase or Citi - Which bank is better with CLIs?

youngandcreditwrthy — Sun, 23 Jun 2013 16:02:31 GMT

If you want high limits fast, those creditors are not known to grow quickly.
AmEx cards grow FAST!
I started at $3500 in Oct 2012 and am now at BCE w a $24,500 limit, so 8-9 months got me almost 10x the initial limit.
And GECRB has Credit Solutions where you can just request whatever limit you want/:-)
Good luck!

Re: BOA, Chase or Citi - Which bank is better with CLIs?

Anonymous — Sun, 23 Jun 2013 17:31:04 GMT

+1 for AmEx. They are probably the best issuer when it comes to CLIs. Chase and Citi are pretty good too, but they often hit you with an HP, while AmEx is almost always SP for CLI.

Re: BOA, Chase or Citi - Which bank is better with CLIs?

WLRK11 — Sun, 23 Jun 2013 18:02:49 GMT

@youngandcreditwrthy wrote:
If you want high limits fast, those creditors are not known to grow quickly.
AmEx cards grow FAST!
I started at $3500 in Oct 2012 and am now at BCE w a $24,500 limit, so 8-9 months got me almost 10x the initial limit.
And GECRB has Credit Solutions where you can just request whatever limit you want/:-)
Good luck!

That's brilliant! I guess I'm in the garden for about 12 months as I work on some paid collection GW letters. Gotta get rid of those baddies!

Re: BOA, Chase or Citi - Which bank is better with CLIs?

09Lexie — Sun, 23 Jun 2013 18:05:57 GMT

Good for you!

Re: BOA, Chase or Citi - Which bank is better with CLIs?

WLRK11 — Sun, 23 Jun 2013 18:08:32 GMT

I've been on an app spree this past week. Should I apply for a student card or a secured card and wait a year to be upgraded or just join the garden and work on my scores?

Re: BOA, Chase or Citi - Which bank is better with CLIs?

navigatethis12 — Sun, 23 Jun 2013 18:23:59 GMT

I have had brilliant success with limits from all three of the issuers. Unlike the others, I have had massive difficulties with American Express cards.

Re: BOA, Chase or Citi - Which bank is better with CLIs?

Open123 — Sun, 23 Jun 2013 18:57:51 GMT

For me, I've found Chase to be extremely generous with CLs, while Citi and BofA less so.

Re: BOA, Chase or Citi - Which bank is better with CLIs?

Anonymous — Sun, 23 Jun 2013 20:23:11 GMT

BoA has been kind to me regarding CLI. I've always had to ask though. The first increase I asked for I called and asked that it be a SP, and not a HP, the CSR made sure it happened. The second time, I did the request online and it was a HP. I think if you call into a CSR and request a SP, they can do a SP.

I haven't had my Citi card long enough to ask for a CLI, and my Chase card limit is at 5k and right now I see no need to ask for a CLI because from what I've heard Chase requires HP for CLI (Citi does as well).

I agree with the others about looking at Discover and AMEX. AMEX I requested a limit increase and received it, Discover gave me an increase randomly, but I had been carrying a balance and paying on the balance biweekly, and I never got close to the limit on the card. So they probably trusted that they would get their money back.

Re: BOA, Chase or Citi - Which bank is better with CLIs?

Cory — Sun, 23 Jun 2013 21:39:20 GMT

I would second Bank of America! Their customer service in my experience has been extremely pleasant!

They have been very generous to me so far. I've gotten a CLI, 4 out of 5 times. And I am just an average consumer, $36K annually salary, live pay check to pay check. No large investement account at BofA, or anythng else. I do manage my credit well enough. I am due another CLI, but will wait for 2014 if I can. By that time, my scores would be higher, and debt paid down significately.

It is interesting to know how/& why some people seem to have success asking for what they want from bank A, but doesn't at bank B. From my Fico forum experience, and I'm stating Fico forum only, BofA is "liked" or "revered", with 30% "liked", and 70% "disliked" I don't know the broader statistics, but this is only my Fico forum observation.

Re: BOA, Chase or Citi - Which bank is better with CLIs?

armbenderc — Sun, 23 Jun 2013 22:05:23 GMT

No experience with BOA

Chase, I got auto cli on my freedom at 4-5 month of opening.

I am sure that I will get the same on my CSP.

Citi, I got 2 cli so far from them, both are SP and initiated online. Both 6 months apart.

Anything less then 6 months apart may get you an HP. If you are cutting it close, let say 2 weeks before 6 months like I did, they will just send email saying that you recently got CLI and not eligible, you still can push it and get an HP.

This is where people got mixed up about YMMV. It's simple, every 6 month SP CLI via online or call them, anything more is an HP.

Re: BOA, Chase or Citi - Which bank is better with CLIs?

WLRK11 — Sun, 23 Jun 2013 22:50:49 GMT

@Cory wrote:
I would second Bank of America! Their customer service in my experience has been extremely pleasant!

They have been very generous to me so far. I've gotten a CLI, 4 out of 5 times. And I am just an average consumer, $36K annually salary, live pay check to pay check. No large investement account at BofA, or anythng else. I do manage my credit well enough. I am due another CLI, but will wait for 2014 if I can. By that time, my scores would be higher, and debt paid down significately.

It is interesting to know how/& why some people seem to have success asking for what they want from bank A, but doesn't at bank B. From my Fico forum experience, and I'm stating Fico forum only, BofA is "liked" or "revered", with 30% "liked", and 70% "disliked" I don't know the broader statistics, but this is only my Fico forum observation.

Thanks for your honesty! Glad to hear that BOA has decent customer service.