Do banks or CUs give you a higher SL?

[AlpedHuez]

In your personal experience (your portfolio), which gave you higher SLs: banks or CUs?

I notice for me CUs have given me higher SL (starting from double digits) and big banks have been more stingy (below double digits).

I know now that if I apply to big banks, I try to go with ones that do SPs for CLIs.

[elixerin]

my experience is pretty short but AMEX and CU's 100%, i don't have access to a CU membership but from what ive read they are a leg up on the SL's space over others

Chase gave me a 22.5k SL 

Discover has kept me at my graduated unsecured 2k since July 2019

AMEX decent SL with 3x CLI granted

income and credit history is what will ultimately determine your SL or CL's across CU's or "big banks". Economic factors however may still come to play as of recent even when everything else lines up.. 

nowadays 850 FICO's and six figures sometimes isn't even enough to be approved.. 

[Anonymous]

My highest CU SL was PenFed @ $28.5K

My highest Bank SL was Chase @$19K

My personal experience is that I get larger SLs from CUs. 

[M_Smart007]

Well, Chase, HSBC and American Express have extended some massive CL's.

But generally speaking, I find CU's a lot more generous.

[Anonymous]

Well... Bank of America gave me $85,000 on a Cash Rewards card and my current exposure to them is now $99,900 ($78,000 Cash Rewards, $21,000 Premium Rewards). Chase gave me $35,000 right off the bat on a Sapphire Reserve Card.  By comparison, my NFCU Platinum cards stand at $36,000 and $18,000 respectively.   The $36K is after I combined a Cash Rewards that had a starting limit of $1,000 after Navy reviewed the same credit information that BofA and Chase did.  Simply put you can't draw any real conclusion although credit unions are generally easier to work with but that doesn't mean they will give generous limits.  

[K-in-Boston]

My personal experience is that my starting lines have been larger with credit unions, but overall credit extension has been greater from banks.

My last three CU credit card approvals were $40,000 (BECU), $25,000 (NFCU More Rewards), and $24,000 (NFCU Flagship), so those are my largest approvals, but not my highest limit cards.  

Like MaizeandBlue and a few others, Bank of America has capped me at $99,900 so I have a $90,000 Travel Rewards card and $50,000 Amex Delta Reserve (that $24k Flaship is at $43,500 a few years later making it my 3rd largest although I will likely soon combine the two NFCU cards into a $68,500 Flagship barring any additional CLIs).

So my experience is that CUs have given me larger starting lines but banks are more likely to grow substantially.  Most CUs also have maximum amounts that they will extend for revolving credit, whereas with most bank issued cards the only ceiling is imposed by your own income and assets.

[Kforce]

I have averaged the same for both.

Last CU-(USAlliance) 20k, and last bank-(BofW) 20k

Also tied the previous two cards.

I believe it is more {"CU - A" vs "Bank - C"}  than {Bank vs CU}

A lot of my fico members go to a CU's that is known for large limits

A lot of other CU's are conservative.

Same for banks, some are generous and others not so.. 

[Gmood1]

Been a toss up for me. SLs have been higher with CUs. Overall exposure about the same. 

[M_Smart007]

All I have to do is read this, and I am deeply humbled;

https://imgur.com/a/w8PXNOz

https://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/Credit-Card-Approvals/UBS-Visa-Infinite-20-Years-old-Crazy-Limit/m-...

[Anonymous]

My highest SL since my BK is $10K from both Capital One and Synchrony. 

My highest CU SL was $7200 from NFCU. 

If my income was higher though, NFCU would have very likely blown away my other cards.