Maximum CitiBank Credit Extended Limit?

[cashorcharge]

I have repeatedly completed as I profess to others all the time...hit Citi up every 6 months for a SP CLI.  Each time I get another $7000 and I have also maxed out Citi Retail with Macy's and Bloomindales to $25K each (I don't need more on those cards or a HP to gamble getting higher) and most recently my latest CLI was declined... 🤯

They told me I had reached their Maximum Limit permitted.  My AA Exec was sitting at $50K so in total I'm at $100K across all Citi accounts and yes that is below any 25% or 50% of income cap.  

I hadn't come across or seen this reported before....anyone else in this same position or have over $100K with Citi extended at this time?  

I'm guess no more soup for me

[CreditCuriosity]

Not many DPs on this I assume one an go higher but don't know as pretty close to you with Citi whether Best buy or Custom Cahes along with my Business and personal AA cards.  Maybe with citi gold or above status it can happen?  I believe they have a few higher tier card like jp morgan reserve as well if I recall?

[cashorcharge]

Thanks @CreditCuriosity   I couldn't find any DP on Citi though we've seen them with other banks and some are income percentage based...other are just risk averse over XX amount so I am guessing Citi is that way.  The AA Exec gives me Admirals Club access so that's my highest grade Citi card and TBH, I don't need any more than the $100K in total exposure with them so if anything, this can be a DP for others.  

[dfwxjer]

Interesting, I'm at exactly $100k exposure with them and my next CLI request date is next month. I wonder if I'll hit my first denial with them... 

Thanks for the data point. 

[JamesS84]

It might just be the maximum permitted with your risk profile.

[mgood]

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@cashorcharge wrote:

They told me I had reached their Maximum Limit permitted.

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They've given me that message multiple times when requesting an increase on my Strata (formerly Rewards+) card. It's still sitting at the SL of 9.9k.
BUT they recently gave me a (requested) CLI on my Custom Cash, raising it from 17.4k to 18.9k. So, maybe it varies by card. I had gotten the Maximim Limit message on the Strata both before and after getting the CLI on the Custom Cash.

[Aim_High]

Thanks for the topic, @cashorcharge, and it's exactly something on which I had considered posting a topic!  

I currently have two CITI cards.  One is the Costco Anywhere Visa, which began as the AMEX True Earnings before Costco switched to CITI in 2016.  Since the card is old and already had a sizable head start with AMEX, it's grown to a high $48K limit.  I also have the CITI American Airlines Executive card and applied in-part because I had seen cases of it climbing to very high limits.  It reached $49.5K and then I was dismayed when I saw further CLIs denied, probably around last summer.  (My last increase to $49.5K was >01/08/2024<.)  Initially, CITI told me I had the maximum amount of credit they would issue without a hard pull, and I had not authorized a hard pull.  I didn't want to take a HP at that time.  After several months of that, the message changed somewhat.  They then said I had the maximum amount of credit they would issue to an individual. 

Oddly enough, they have continued to approve $1K increases on my Costco card while denying increases on my Executive!  Lol   So I'm guessing that the "maximum limit" is probably a PER-CARD limit.  Between my $49.5K and $48K limits, I've got $97.5K TCL with CITI, making them my 3rd most generous lender behind Chase ($156.4K) and BofA ($99.9K.)  I'm interested in seeing if the Costco card will climb to $49K and/or $50K, which would put me at $99.5K TCL.  Like you, my TCL with them is well below typical household income caps.  This reminds me of the BofA $99.9K limit which seems to be the "glass ceiling" except for high net worth Citibank clients or very high usage.   If all of this is correct, new data points might indicate CITI has a $50K per-card and $99.9K per-cardholder TCL.  I've been gardening but considering a call to customer service when I exit to see if a HP authorization might increase my limit. 

I've also been very interested to see what happens in 2026 with the American Airlines consolidation with CITI.  (American has been odd in having more than one bank underwrite their cards, but that is due to legacy AA using Citi and US Airways using Barclays before their merger; they never sorted this out.)  I have a $50K AAviator Red card from Barclay's and from my understanding, those accounts will transfer to CITI.  I can't help but wonder if the change in the wording of my letters and CITI seeming to tighten their overall underwriting might be related to preparations for taking on those new accounts. 

[ptatohed]

Caring about CLs is where I feel like an outcast here at mF.  So long as any one card has enough room for my spend, I couldn't care less what my CLs are.  Once - and only once - did I request a CLI and that was for my AOD because I genuinely needed it ($5k to $10k, Hard Pull).  I can't even tell you what my CLs are for the majority of my cards.  For S's & G's, I checked my citi cards.  DC:  $12,000.  CC:  $11,600.  Strata (old R+):  $7,500.  ThankYou (old SYW):  $10,100.  

[cashorcharge]

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@mgood wrote:

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@cashorcharge wrote:

They told me I had reached their Maximum Limit permitted.

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They've given me that message multiple times when requesting an increase on my Strata (formerly Rewards+) card. It's still sitting at the SL of 9.9k.
BUT they recently gave me a (requested) CLI on my Custom Cash, raising it from 17.4k to 18.9k. So, maybe it varies by card. I had gotten the Maximim Limit message on the Strata both before and after getting the CLI on the Custom Cash.

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Thanks...that could be.  I don't know many others that have over $50K on an AA Exec WEMC

[cashorcharge]

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@ptatohed wrote:

Caring about CLs is where I feel like an outcast here at mF.  So long as any one card has enough room for my spend, I couldn't care less what my CLs are.  Once - and only once - did I request a CLI and that was for my AOD because I genuinely needed it ($5k to $10k, Hard Pull).  I can't even tell you what my CLs are for the majority of my cards.  For S's & G's, I checked my citi cards.  DC:  $12,000.  CC:  $11,600.  Strata (old R+):  $7,500.  ThankYou (old SYW):  $10,100.  

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Thanks for the feedback.  I guess it's a matter of perpsective.  Frankly. Yes, I have entirely more credit than I need and TBH, there aren't any new cards out there that I am intersted in...or haven't already acquired over the years.  Leaving me to play the CLI game for fun.  As I hit these max CL limit thresholds....I find myself relagated to gardening...