@masscredit wrote:
@ddemari wrote:OP, i like your thread because I have felt that same a lot in the past. I really only ever ponder that now If I were doing a CLI recon with someone like BOA or barclays because they will mention usually when they are telling you what to do for nex time, like use more of the card and pay it off in full and you might qualify for a limit in line with your spending.
Details like that can be very helpful to the consumer. That way we know what needs to be done for next time.
I've learned that usage doesn't matter as much as I thought it does and to shoot for the stars if they ask how much I'm looking for. I do that sometimes. Other times I ask for a modest increase because I think it will be more likely to be approved. They will usually give a counter offer if they can't approve that amount so it doesn't hurt to ask. The answer is usually "no" if you don't try.
You should be a little more specific, regarding which lenders you are asking the CLI from, vs "all lenders" because all lenders are not the same.
Your Capital One cards will reach a ceiling. Then CapOne will start sending you CLI Decline reasons letters like "not enough usage" "payments too small", but they won't give you a CLI after a certain level, full stop.
Barclays likely can get you a SP CLI.
Merrick, Walmart, and JCP, ok, they look like they're about there.
Lowes gets crazy sometimes, but you are almost maxed on that one as well.
Other banks will have slightly different pathways to get to CLI. Usage isn't mandatory, though on a low limit card high utilization percentages are unavoidable. HP are common on several of those other banks, SP CLI are extremely rare. AMEX and Discover SP and relatively easy CLI almost without regard to usage.
The Capital One Ceiling reference is for each particular card. There seems to be a trend where cards issued at a certain score are assigned a possible maximum credit line, and don't go above that. The line is not defined, it is not a specific number everywhere and always, but the cardholder can try many times to get a CLI, get all manner of senseless reason letters, and not get a CLI. Then app a new Capital One card, and get a CL that is multiples of the existing card credit line.
My $10k CapOne, I tried mulitiple times in 2014 and 2015 to get a CLI. Loaded BT on it to try to show balance usage. Made payments to rapidly pay down those BT items. "Usage is not high enough", "Payments are not large enough". Apped the Venture and got a $30k CL instapproval.
@Anonymous wrote:
@masscredit wrote:Many of us want to see our limits keep increasing over time and some credit card companies are known for being generous. But what about when you have a decent limit (say $10K-$15K) but don't use the card that much? You might run a few hundred through it once in awhile. I know they don't ask why you want an increase but is the person on the other end of the line looking at the screen and wondering why someone wants a higher limit when they don't even use 10% of what they have? Or do they just plug in the numbers and give a "yes" or "no" based on your credit?
I think it depends if a computer or a real person is doing the evaluation. If it's a computer analysis program, consistent low utilization is a marker of responsible credit use, which generally would lead to credit limit increases being approved. If it's a real person making the decisions, they're much more likely to ask questions before increasing a limit.
Sometimes this is true, but I have seen computers like cap 1 where I am pretty sure it looks at how much credit I have been using and denys me based on that, but when I am using a lot of credit I get approved.
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@Anonymous wrote:What do you think Capital One's ceiling is? I am at $29,450 with them, but want my QS1 increased still...
If this is relavent:
QS 10k
Venture 15k
QS1 4.25k
To give you a direct answer, IIRC I've seen an approval for a new account with a credit line of $60k. I know for certain I've seen more than one approval for a new account with a SL of $50k... others might have seen larger. Note that these are new account approvals, not a combination of two existing accounts.
Capital One can be very generous if the overall profile supports it. Also note that for the really big approvals it's not unheard of for Capital One to require verification before final approval, although I believe at least one of the $50k approvals might (?) have been an auto-approval, so if you're a 'high-roller' YMMV.
Capital One seems to be one of the few issuers that makes an effort to have something for everybody. 
Edited to add: Disclaimer - I realize not everyone's a fan, I'm just stating that product-wise they cover all markets.