Credit Line Increase Confusion

[Girlzilla88]

To get right to it...

I have received CLI without asking (which is amazing) but when asking for CLI I usually get a no go?!?!

I spoke to Amex recently (my CS over 700 on all 3 bureaux) but when asking the rep specifically why the no I was told Amex likes to see 0 balance for a few consecutive months on all cards including business?!? before providing an increase which really confused me.....Is this a new rule?!    Is it better to ask for a CLI via chat now I am confused and cautious before I reach out for a CLI on my other cards.

Is there a new Salary they want to see?!?    I dont want to over put on my income and cause alarm but I don't want to say my income is the same as before when it has increased....

Basically I'm trying to sort out help in being in the best spot to ask for an increase and which way (talk to someone, through the app, or online/chat) to ask for a more likely increase ...I just find it odd they like me enough to offer increases without asking but when I ask they are not so quick lol. 

My current cards (if advice  can be given on each of these to maybe help others possibly in my position as well who does SP, how often can you ask for example)

Thank you!!!

GA's Own CU (Platinum) - 500 limit (I was told is HP)

Navy Fed CU (Cash Rewards) - 1100 limit (I was told is HP)

Amex (Cash Magnet) - 1k limit (I was told SP)

Discover (it) - 5500 limit (I was told SP)

Chase (Freedom Unlimited) - 6300 limit (unsure)

Home Depot - 4900 limit (I was told HP)

Business Cards ( I just got all of these about 2 months ago now, except Amex Business Cash I have had a few years)

Amex (Blue Business Cash) - 1k limit ((Business card I've had the longest apx 2 years))

             (Blue Business Plus) - 2k limit

Citi (AAdvantage Business) - 11k limit (unsure)

Chase (Business Unlimited Ink) - 5k limit

Truist (Business) - 2500 limit (I was told Truist is HP)

             (Business Cash) - 2500 limit

USBank (Business Platinum) - 5k limit (unsure)

My goal is to grow all of these to have 25k limits (or more) or at least half so any questions or advice or dos and don't will be tremendously appreciated!

[pizzadude]

For CLIs, there are numerous factors which are taken into consideration by lenders, including but not limited to, your credit profile, income, balances ( current and recent ), length of time since previous CLIs, other credit limits and available credit, etc...

There isn't always an obvious answer as to why some lenders decline CLIs, but it could be you need a higher income or you have derogatory items on your reports. 

AMEX can be tricky, generally if they give a low CL there is something that they don't like.   NFCU is a SP for CLI requests so I'd for sure keep trying with them

[Snook_on_the_Line]

Sometimes I feel like they pull these canned denial responses out of a hat.   

but on a serious note,

  don't be afraid to update your income if you have had a recent increase in salary.    People get raises all the time.        If you got one let them know.  

that reminds me.   I just got a $4/hr raise last week.          Time to update my income.   

[FicoMike0]

I've done the best with amex, requesting from the app. I got an auto on bce at six months, $6000 to $9000, waited until 12 months, requested and approved 3X, $9000 to $27000. On hilton, I requested and was approved 3X, $1000 to $3000 at 91 days. I always pif both cards, keep util under 25%.

Usb, on the other hand, is a no! Two cards, $2000 and $7000, both no at six months. They quote a low turd score. The turd seems to dislike recent new accounts and inquiries.

For me, all cli are soft pull, I keep my reports frozen.

I would update income, that must be a factor for limits.

[Girlzilla88]

@FicoMike0 Do you only use 25% or less on the amount then just pif each month on the Amex!?   I do pif from time to time but I do use up to and sometimes over the limit but then pay it down so they don't get scared but to show them I can pay it down then off ..

Maybe for Amex they like to see 0 for a few months straight like she said.

I guess I just get scared because I had one card showing 0 for a few months and they closed it and I lost that extra limit upping my utl 

[Girlzilla88]

@pizzadude I have 0 derogatory but I haven't tried doing 0 balance for a few months reporting like the one rep suggested.   I will def try that and I didn't know that about NF that's good to hear maybe I'll ask them soon

[Girlzilla88]

@Snook_on_the_Line For the income I don't know what to put without it being a red flag is under 100k better or do they want to see over for larger limit jumps.   I don't always make over 100k but there are years I do so I don't know what to put 

[NoHardLimits]

---

@Girlzilla88 wrote:

@Snook_on_the_Line For the income I don't know what to put without it being a red flag is under 100k better or do they want to see over for larger limit jumps.   I don't always make over 100k but there are years I do so I don't know what to put 

---

I use my prior year's tax return numbers as the starting point for calculating my income for credit card applications.  If Amex wants proof of income, you often see mention of requests for form 4506-T or bank statements.

[NoHardLimits]

---

@Girlzilla88 wrote:

Maybe for Amex they like to see 0 for a few months straight like she said.

I guess I just get scared because I had one card showing 0 for a few months and they closed it and I lost that extra limit upping my utl 

---

When you say you had a card showing 0 for a few months, do you mean that you paid it in full each month before the statement date?  Or, do you mean that you didn't use it at all?  If you don't use it at all, it's considered to be an "inactive" or "dormant" account which can lead to account closure. 

The Amex CSR probably meant that they prefer to be sure that you aren't carrying balances on a bunch of accounts.  By having accounts often reporting at zero balance on your credit reports, Amex can see that a balance is not being carried.  This strategy is referred to as All Zero Except One (One or some other number which is less than half of your total number of open revolving accounts).

[Girlzilla88]

@NoHardLimits Yes I didn't rather I couldn't use it.   It was a card for a hospital I didn't know would be an actual CC lol.   So when I asked them if I could use the card other places like maybe CVS or hospital shops something doctor related they said no.    Only for bills from visits....and well I was pretty healthy for a long stretch and they ended up closing it less than a year of no use 🙃. 

I will test it out for 3 or 4 months and see if it's just the Amex cards.