What is the best way to get CLI with Citi Custom Cash?

[whirlaway]

Hi,

I am an AU on the Citi Custom Cash card of a newbie, who just started working part-time late last year.   The card was issued in Oct 2021 with a CL of just $1700.   The monthly charge on it is about $500 +/- $100 and is always paid off in full.   An informal CLI request in May 2022 was refused.  Followed by a formal request immediately (which consumed an HP) and was still refused.   

The CL still remains the same as it was 1 1/2 years ago.   What is the best strategy to get them to increase the CL?   Update the income numbers (which are somewhat higher now because of the job)?    Pay off the card once every week, so the util doesn't get to the 25 to 30+ percent levels that it is doing right now?   Something else?   

Please let me know if you have any tried-and-tested strategies.   Thanks!

[coldfusion]

The cardholder is already doing the first, most important thing - regular use of a non-trivial percentage of the CL and regular payment in full of the statement balance.   Changing tactics by paying the current balance each week may result in a slight bump in FICO scores since the card would be reporting < 30% utilization but one shouldn't expect it would have any positive impact on getting a CLI.

What was(were) the reason(s) given for the denials? 

[Drifter73]

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@whirlaway wrote:

Hi,

I am an AU on the Citi Custom Cash card of a newbie, who just started working part-time late last year.   The card was issued in Oct 2021 with a CL of just $1700.   The monthly charge on it is about $500 +/- $100 and is always paid off in full.   An informal CLI request in May 2022 was refused.  Followed by a formal request immediately (which consumed an HP) and was still refused.   

The CL still remains the same as it was 1 1/2 years ago.   What is the best strategy to get them to increase the CL?   Update the income numbers (which are somewhat higher now because of the job)?    Pay off the card once every week, so the util doesn't get to the 25 to 30+ percent levels that it is doing right now?   Something else?   

Please let me know if you have any tried-and-tested strategies.   Thanks!

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With my Citi CC, I leveraged a BT for 90% of my CL at the 0%apy for 12 mo. Promo and then paid it off in 4mos, which triggered an auto CLI of 100% doubling my cl. 

It also triggered another BT promo offer. Which I may take next month and repeat what I did last time to see if it triggers another Auto cli.

[Kforce]

I agree with @coldfusion 

Nothing much more to do but wait.

From your post "newbie, who just started working part-time late last year."

If income is low, and employment short term or part time, CL's can be kept low.

My youngest is in school but got a CC early.

Oldest = 8 yrs, Average = 4.2, Youngest = 1 month

4 cards ( CL's (2000, 3000,3500, 4200))

Income ~9k year, part time, Fico's 830's

[whirlaway]

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@coldfusion wrote:

The cardholder is already doing the first, most important thing - regular use of a non-trivial percentage of the CL and regular payment in full of the statement balance.   Changing tactics by paying the current balance each week may result in a slight bump in FICO scores since the card would be reporting < 30% utilization but one shouldn't expect it would have any positive impact on getting a CLI.

What was(were) the reason(s) given for the denials? 

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As I remember, it had something to do with (a) income and (b) that it had been barely 6 months since the card had been issued.

And recently, when we asked for a CLI with an SP, the reply was that the present limit is the highest they can go without doing a HP.   But we don't want to waste a HP on this if the CLI is going to be denied again!

Thanks!