I was recently approved for the Citi DoubleCash with a less than ideal limit ($500). As per advice from fellow forum members I requested a CLI when I got the card and ate the HP thinking they might counter my request with a usable limit. I was outright denied without a counter offer.
They probably think I'm a risk and I don't blame them since I have been building credit at a fast pace. However, I want to show them that I can handle higher limits. I was planning on straight off running through the limit and PIF multiple times a month in hopes of getting an auto-CLI, but apparantly they don't let you pay above the statement balance and you can't pay unless you have a statement balance.
The other plan I devised was letting a high balance report, but 90% utilization on a card would probably hurt my score a lot. It's currently at 234/500 from a single transaction. They won't let me pay it until the statement cuts and if I go any higher the utilization % of this card would increase a lot. So how should I proceed? I really want to get a decent limit on this card so I can actually use it.
@kdong1996 wrote:I was recently approved for the Citi DoubleCash with a less than ideal limit ($500). As per advice from fellow forum members I requested a CLI when I got the card and ate the HP thinking they might counter my request with a usable limit. I was outright denied without a counter offer.
They probably think I'm a risk and I don't blame them since I have been building credit at a fast pace. However, I want to show them that I can handle higher limits. I was planning on straight off running through the limit and PIF multiple times a month in hopes of getting an auto-CLI, but apparantly they don't let you pay above the statement balance and you can't pay unless you have a statement balance.
The other plan I devised was letting a high balance report, but 90% utilization on a card would probably hurt my score a lot. It's currently at 234/500 from a single transaction. They won't let me pay it until the statement cuts and if I go any higher the utilization % of this card would increase a lot. So how should I proceed? I really want to get a decent limit on this card so I can actually use it.
I just did a quick search on this for you and I saw several posts from people who couldn't pay their first payment online before the statement cut but had luck by telephone. I wouldn't let 90% report on my first statement but that's just me. You have other creditors looking at your reports, not just Citi
edited: actually just re-read your post again and the "I've been re-building credit at a fast pace" and 90% balances reporting aren't a good combination IMO
@Anonymous wrote:
@kdong1996 wrote:I was recently approved for the Citi DoubleCash with a less than ideal limit ($500). As per advice from fellow forum members I requested a CLI when I got the card and ate the HP thinking they might counter my request with a usable limit. I was outright denied without a counter offer.
They probably think I'm a risk and I don't blame them since I have been building credit at a fast pace. However, I want to show them that I can handle higher limits. I was planning on straight off running through the limit and PIF multiple times a month in hopes of getting an auto-CLI, but apparantly they don't let you pay above the statement balance and you can't pay unless you have a statement balance.
The other plan I devised was letting a high balance report, but 90% utilization on a card would probably hurt my score a lot. It's currently at 234/500 from a single transaction. They won't let me pay it until the statement cuts and if I go any higher the utilization % of this card would increase a lot. So how should I proceed? I really want to get a decent limit on this card so I can actually use it.
I just did a quick search on this for you and I saw several posts from people who couldn't pay their first payment online before the statement cut but had luck by telephone. I wouldn't let 90% report on my first statement but that's just me. You have other creditors looking at your reports, not just Citi
edited: actually just re-read your post again and the "I've been re-building credit at a fast pace" and 90% balances reporting aren't a good combination IMO
Thank you for your input and sorry if I wasn't clear, I turned 18 last year so I've been building credit for a year. My total utilization is currently at 3% and I always pay in full right after my statements cut. The 90% I was referring to is fear of making other creditors worry if I let a high balance report on the Citi DoubleCash. All of my other cards are reporting 0-5%. I think I'll try paying the current balance off using the phone service, if it goes through I'll stick with my original plan to run the limit and PIF a few times a month. Thank you!
@kdong1996 wrote:I was recently approved for the Citi DoubleCash with a less than ideal limit ($500). As per advice from fellow forum members I requested a CLI when I got the card and ate the HP thinking they might counter my request with a usable limit. I was outright denied without a counter offer.
They probably think I'm a risk and I don't blame them since I have been building credit at a fast pace. However, I want to show them that I can handle higher limits. I was planning on straight off running through the limit and PIF multiple times a month in hopes of getting an auto-CLI, but apparantly they don't let you pay above the statement balance and you can't pay unless you have a statement balance.
The other plan I devised was letting a high balance report, but 90% utilization on a card would probably hurt my score a lot. It's currently at 234/500 from a single transaction. They won't let me pay it until the statement cuts and if I go any higher the utilization % of this card would increase a lot. So how should I proceed? I really want to get a decent limit on this card so I can actually use it.
What about sending a payment through your bank's bill pay? I don't have a Citi card, but I doubt they would refuse an outside electronic payment.
@takeshi74 wrote:With any creditor it's not just a matter of usage. Your credit and income matter for CLI's just as they matter for approvals, initial limit, etc. Never focus on one factor while ignoring everything else.
@kdong1996 wrote:I was outright denied without a counter offer.
Reason(s) for denial? Start there instead of relying on generalizations.
@kdong1996 wrote:They probably think I'm a risk and I don't blame them since I have been building credit at a fast pace.
That's a red flag for most creditors. If that is their concern then you can only address it with responsible usage and time. You're not going to overrule that with how you use the card. Again, use the reason(s) for denial as a starting point instead of assuming and attempting to randomly apply fixes that may or may not be relevant. Whenever you're trying to fix anything (not just credit) you need to determine the cause and address it.
@kdong1996 wrote:It's currently at 234/500 from a single transaction.
With that limit I'd guess that you just need to prepare yourself to be in this for the long haul versus looking for quick fixes.
The reason stated was too many recently opened accounts. I know that my credit growth has been rapid which is why I understand their decision. As per the topic, I want to show Citi that they should trust me with more credit through responsible usage. Yes, my tactics may be aggressive, but this is exactly why I'm doing it. If they're only willing to extend a $500 limit while other creditors are willing to extend 5k, 10k, heck even 17k despite looking at the same reports, then I'll just show them that
1. I can be a valueable long term customer
2. I am serious in building a relation with them
This isn't a quick fix. I want them to take a serious look at me. My spending and how I can easily PIF multiple times a month in hopes they'll actually evaluate me as a customer. Not just number or data on a credit report.
justjewel wrote
What about sending a payment through your bank's bill pay? I don't have a Citi card, but I doubt they would refuse an outside electronic payment.
Great idea, I'll try a phone payment and bill pay. Thank you!
@juggalo9er wrote:you will very likely see no aa from letting the citi card report even 95% utilization. i think the only thing you need is time to get a higher credit line....
Yeah, I'm hoping it'll grow with time.
Congratulations, OP, on building up $50,000 (or nearly so) of credit lines that are not AU, in such a short time! That is an accomplishment.
Citi looks at that and says, Hmmmm. Ok, maybe this person is OK. Let's start at $500 and see how it goes....
Time. Showing you can make the payments. You've got other cards, why do you want to cycle through the $500 mutiple times a month? I'm in favor of charging it up to $450, stop using it, let that balance report, PIF (soon if you like, otherwise just let it pay prior to the due date), then charge it up to $450 again. The reason for this is, you give them some swipe fees, then your message is "Well, I can't use the card because the CL is not large enough, so I'll just let it sit unused for the better part of two months, then pay it down so I can use it again". I tend to think this will do the same thing, because you show payment according to terms and light usage. They want swipe fees. If they give you a higher CL, they can get more swipe fees, right? So maybey they should give you a higher CL?
If you do the multiple cycle, charge and pay every week, then you are giving them what they want, swipe fees, with no risk of a CLI. They may still give you a CLI, they may not give you a CLI under my plan, but my plan is a lot less work for you 
Good luck!
p.s. And FWIW, I have charged or BT MANY cards up to nearly the limits over the years and only in cases where the CL is very large does that result in bank action to reduce the CL. On smaller cards, it works to get a CLI.
@NRB525 wrote:Congratulations, OP, on building up $50,000 (or nearly so) of credit lines that are not AU, in such a short time! That is an accomplishment.
Citi looks at that and says, Hmmmm. Ok, maybe this person is OK. Let's start at $500 and see how it goes....
Time. Showing you can make the payments. You've got other cards, why do you want to cycle through the $500 mutiple times a month? I'm in favor of charging it up to $450, stop using it, let that balance report, PIF (soon if you like, otherwise just let it pay prior to the due date), then charge it up to $450 again. The reason for this is, you give them some swipe fees, then your message is "Well, I can't use the card because the CL is not large enough, so I'll just let it sit unused for the better part of two months, then pay it down so I can use it again". I tend to think this will do the same thing, because you show payment according to terms and light usage. They want swipe fees. If they give you a higher CL, they can get more swipe fees, right? So maybey they should give you a higher CL?
If you do the multiple cycle, charge and pay every week, then you are giving them what they want, swipe fees, with no risk of a CLI. They may still give you a CLI, they may not give you a CLI under my plan, but my plan is a lot less work for you
Good luck!
p.s. And FWIW, I have charged or BT MANY cards up to nearly the limits over the years and only in cases where the CL is very large does that result in bank action to reduce the CL. On smaller cards, it works to get a CLI.
Thank you for the valuable information! The main reason for wanting to increase this specific card is because, well.. it's a fun learning process for me.
I was worried that although only $400, other banks might see 90% utilization on it and take action for some stupid reason, but it seems you've had a lot of success with it! I'm kind of fine with cycling since I have some reimbursable fees around that amount each week, but I'll definetely try letting it sit for a month or two in hopes that they miss my swipe fees 