Kohls. Why is it so hard to get a CLI?

[Anonymous]

My husband got a Kohls card back when he was trying to build credit.  The limit was $300.  Seems like they refuse to give CLI.  What is the trick?  We make 40% more now than we did then.  Pay on time, never over the limit, but they always refuse an increase.

[ddemari]

Hi there, welcome to the forums! How long has your husband had his Kohls card? My first increase was 6 months to the day after I applied. I have only had the card now for 7 months. 

Has he tried calling them and seeing what the deal is? They will send you a letter in the mail when they deny your request, have you ever seen one? What does the letter indicate why he can't get a higher limit? 

[adamkingadam]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

My husband got a Kohls card back when he was trying to build credit.  The limit was $300.  Seems like they refuse to give CLI.  What is the trick?  We make 40% more now than we did then.  Pay on time, never over the limit, but they always refuse an increase.

---

Same problem here...  It was my first card I got when rebuilding, over 4 years ago and I  still have the same $300 limit! I got a costco citi with a SL of $3,500 a NFL rewards SL with SL of 3,500 both in the last month but was again denied a CLI from Kohls. I went ahead and paid off my $75 balance and will not be using again until they CLI! I hope they miss my $50 spending every 3 months at Kohls! LoL

[RonM21]

I don't have this card, but I'm pretty sure from the threads I've read related to it, it seems like a lot of people have this issue. It may just be in how their underwriting is.

[Anonymous]

He has had the card over 4 years.

[Anonymous]

This card is underwritten by Captial One. They tend to be a bit more conservative with CLI. I was stuck at 300 for what seemed like an eternity. I've only has one CLI In two years.... I now have a 750 CL

[IllinoisNative]

I got the Kohl's card when I was rebuilding. It was opened in October of 2014 with a credit line of $500.  At the time, I had Capital One Secured Card with a $750 limit, Merrick with a $600 limit, and a Credit One (I know...I know) with a credit limit of $500.  Kohl's increased me to $1,000, then $2000, and now I'm finally at $3,000 - all clis were requested by me.  So it took me two years.  I have since acquired a Chase Freedom with a $3,200 limit, Discover with a $6,500 limit, Amazon Store Card with a $6,000 limit, Overstock with a $7,000 limit, and a Capital One Quicksilver Visa with a limit of $5,000.

As a data point, I very rarely use my Kohl's card.  I use it every few months for a few purchases and pay in full before the statement closes. They only time I've let a balance report is when my credit line was increased for reporting purposes.  I keep my utlization for all my cards combined at around 3%.  My transunion report is clean and I only have a few small medical collections on experian and equifax that are over four years old.