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

[WLRK11]

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. 

[SSA_2013]

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. 

[dddewdrop]

    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..

[dddewdrop]

    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.

[Odiseous]

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@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.

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+1

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. 

[youngandcreditwrthy]

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!

[bribro]

+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.

[WLRK11]

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@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!

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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!

[09Lexie]

Good for you!

[WLRK11]

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?