High Initial Credit Limits: Seeking Recommendations for Less Mainstream Banks

[Superduper2014]

Hey everyone,

I'm looking for recommendations on less mainstream banks that might offer high initial credit limits for new credit card applications.

My FICO 9 score is 800+ across all bureaus, and I have a 6% overall utilization.

I'm particularly interested in:

1. PNC
2. Citizens Bank
3. FNBO
4. NAvy Federal (can't join, No one around me has ties to armed forces)

Questions:

1. Which of these banks is more likely to issue higher credit limits with my profile?
2. Is it necessary or beneficial to open a checking account before applying for their credit cards?

Any insights or recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

[Superduper2014]

Hey guys,

I'm looking for recommendations on less mainstream banks that might offer high initial credit limits for new credit card applications.

Your suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

My goals:

1. Open at least 2 more cards
2. One with a long 0% APR for balance transfers
3. Another with 0% APR for purchases
4. High credit limits (I keep utilization below 30% on all cards)

My current credit profile:

- 800+ FICO 9 score across all bureaus

- 6% overall utilization

- 3 cards with balances: Discover (28%), US Bank (28%), Truist (27%)

- 1 hard inquiry on Equifax and Experian (Chase, Oct 19, 2023), none on TransUnion

Existing cards:

- 2 Citi, 2 Amex, 2 Discover, 2 Capital One, 3 Wells Fargo, 2 US Bank, 2 Truist, 1 Chase, 1 Synchrony (Lowe's)

- Credit limits range from $2k to $26k, mostly around $15k

- Reached max credit available with most issuers and max number of cards (I know because I have been denied CLIs due to usage history or other explanations etc and from reading the boards. Wonder about Citi and Chase now though)

So I imagine applying for another card with any of these lenders would be a denial. Right?

Questions:

1. Citi: Can I get a third card with a high initial limit with Citi? (Current cards: AA $17k, Diamond $15k, both unused)
2. Can I transfer available credit between Citi cards?
3. Chase: Can I get another card 8 months after my last approved card with them, with 3 new cards opened in the past year? Considering I am currently using the card they approved under 30% CL of 15k
4. PNC, Citizens Bank, and FNBO have been coming to my radar from reading the boards (can't do Navy Cu):
   1. Which is more likely to issue higher credit limits with my profile?
   2. Is it necessary or beneficial to open a checking account before applying for their credit cards?

Thank you so much for reading through this.

Any insights or recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

[gt3Rs]

---

@Superduper2014 wrote:

Hey guys,

I'm looking for recommendations on less mainstream banks that might offer high initial credit limits for new credit card applications.

Your suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

My goals:

1. Open at least 2 more cards
2. One with a long 0% APR for balance transfers
3. Another with 0% APR for purchases
4. High credit limits (I keep utilization below 30% on all cards)

My current credit profile:

- 800+ FICO 9 score across all bureaus

- 6% overall utilization

- 3 cards with balances: Discover (28%), US Bank (28%), Truist (27%)

- 1 hard inquiry on Equifax and Experian (Chase, Oct 19, 2023), none on TransUnion

Existing cards:

- 2 Citi, 2 Amex, 2 Discover, 2 Capital One, 3 Wells Fargo, 2 US Bank, 2 Truist, 1 Chase, 1 Synchrony (Lowe's)

- Credit limits range from $2k to $26k, mostly around $15k

- Reached max credit available with most issuers and max number of cards (I know because I have been denied CLIs due to usage history or other explanations etc and from reading the boards. Wonder about Citi and Chase now though)

So I imagine applying for another card with any of these lenders would be a denial. Right?

Questions:

1. Citi: Can I get a third card with a high initial limit with Citi? (Current cards: AA $17k, Diamond $15k, both unused)
2. Can I transfer available credit between Citi cards?
3. Chase: Can I get another card 8 months after my last approved card with them, with 3 new cards opened in the past year? Considering I am currently using the card they approved under 30% CL of 15k
4. PNC, Citizens Bank, and FNBO have been coming to my radar from reading the boards (can't do Navy Cu):
   1. Which is more likely to issue higher credit limits with my profile?
   2. Is it necessary or beneficial to open a checking account before applying for their credit cards?

Thank you so much for reading through this.

Any insights or recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

---

Can't help much, but I would go the CU route, pick one that suites your needs. I think jovia is the current FOTM lol

[FicoMike0]

Navy and penfed seem to go big. My highest initial was from wf.

[Superduper2014]

Is there are way to get in with Navy if you have no relatives or even a roommate who was in the armed forces? I have been hearing about them for so long. 

Jamaica suggested BECU, Langley and Unify.. 

My brain is fried at this point trying to sort out what with who to apply and which cards and whether I need to open bank accounts with them first etc. ..

[coldfusion]

 What constitutes a "high limit" is subjective - there's no universally accepted threshold that defines it.   One key metric that you did not share is that neither FICO scores not utilization figures account for is income,  and another related to income that NFCU  (and for credit unions in general) overtly factors in is DTI. 

That being said, out of the 4 FIs you list I'd say that NFCU tends to be the most generous and easiest to grow followed by PNC and then FNBO with Citizens at the bottom of the list.   I know that it is possible to get a $30K SL with PNC.

[Horseshoez]

---

@Superduper2014 wrote:

Hey everyone,

I'm looking for recommendations on less mainstream banks that might offer high initial credit limits for new credit card applications.

My FICO 9 score is 800+ across all bureaus, and I have a 6% overall utilization.

I'm particularly interested in:

1. PNC
2. Citizens Bank
3. FNBO
4. NAvy Federal (can't join, No one around me has ties to armed forces)

Questions:

1. Which of these banks is more likely to issue higher credit limits with my profile?
2. Is it necessary or beneficial to open a checking account before applying for their credit cards?

Any insights or recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

---

Answers to your two questions as far as I know:

1. Odds on bet NFCU will give you the highest starting limit of the four financial institutions you listed.
2. As far as I know none of the four require a checking account before applying for a credit card.

From personal experience:

• Dec-2023: I opened up my NFCU account with a savings account (which is a requirement) with an initial deposit of $50
• Feb-2024: I set up a $500 direct deposit into the savings account
• Mar-2024: I opened up an EasyStart Certificate
• May-2024: I applied for the NFCU More Rewards credit card; instantly approved for a $30,000 starting limit with a 14.9% interest rate (which is irrelevant as I don't carry balances)

[xenon3030]

I got around 25k of CL, when I applied for Cash Rewards from Affinity Federal CU. A few years ago, the card had a promising Hi5 rotating category and it was stacking with the other perks. It got nerfed sometime ago. I could never get such a high CL from any bank, right after approval.

If you count this CL as high enough, you may go for Affinity or similar CUs. I worked with only one CU while I guess, CUs should provide a larger CL in comparison to banks. Their rewards program might not be very promising, while it is good to boost the total available CL.

[Superduper2014]

@coldfusion 

Thank you for your replying. 

You are correct high limit is subjective.

I have a Lowe's card with 36k (highest) then a 26k Amex and the rest are mostly between 10 to 17k. 

Thank you for ranking the Fis I asked about. That helps me narrow down my efforts. 

I wonder if there is any way to get in with NFCU without any ties to armed forced?

Or as @Horseshoez  mentions, I don't need to open an account with them and I could just apply for a card with them?

Would you please suggest another credit union that I could consider in place of NFCU that would be at the top of the list above PNC? 

Thanks a lot!

[coldfusion]

NFCU used to have a  back door to membership if you became a member of the San Diego branch of the Navy League (easy) but that door was slammed shut in May of 2017.

I'll throw out several examples of credit unions that will issue at least 1 card with a $25K starting limit for qualified applicants that don't require major hoops to qualify for membership, often simply by joining the American Consumer Council.  These aren't listed in any particular order, nor am I necessarily recommending either the CU or the card - only that they can and do issue cards that have at least a $25K starting limit.

As I mentioned upthread,  credit unions in general take DTI, or debt-to-income ratio, very seriously when evaluating applications for unsecured credit. Outcome is YMMV but if yours is north of somewhere around 35%+/- getting an approval can be tough.

Also, expect to need to provide proof of income for final approval with a CU, providing the last 2 paystubs is a common request.

Boeing Employees CU (BECU)

Affinity FCU

Andrews FCU (the Titanium can have up to a $50K CL)

First Tech FCU (Odyssey Mastercard)

United Nations FCU (can be up to $100K on the Elite)

If you could have qualified for NFCU they would have also made the list.