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Need a credit limit increase on your Chase credit card, but not sure how to get it? You’re in the right place.
There are a couple of ways to get a credit limit increase, and a few essential things to remember during the process. But don’t let an increased limit go to your head — it’s critical to use your credit wisely and not just for a shopping spree.
1. Consider Why You Want an Increase
Why do you want a credit limit increase? Maybe you’re planning on making a large purchase that you would like to put on your card and pay off. If so, be sure to tell Chase when requesting your increase.
Planning on maxing out your new limit with purchases that you really can’t afford without credit? In that instance, your chances of getting a credit increase are slim (and you should consider re-examining how you use credit).
Using credit wisely is critical, especially when you’re collecting miles and points. You should pay your bill in full every month so that interest charges don’t offset your rewards. If this is difficult for you, you’re probably not ready a credit limit increase.
Bottom Line: No matter what your credit limit or credit score is, you should pay your bills on time and in full each month.
2. Know Your Current Credit Limit
It’s good to know what your current credit limit is before you request a credit limit increase. You can find your credit limit in your online Chase.com account. Once you log on to your account, click on the credit card you would like to check located on the left-hand side of your screen.
You will see your credit card information in the main section of the page once you select your credit card. Look for your current balance and available credit. These 2 numbers combined will give you your total credit limit for that card.
Current Balance: This is the amount charged since your last statement (but might not include your most recent, pending transactions).
Available Credit: This is the remaining amount of credit you have left on your card. Your available credit will update shortly after you make a payment.
Knowing your credit limit is important and easy to find on your Chase account. In this example, the current balance and available credit add up to $18,000, which is this card’s credit limit. Image Credit: Chase
3. Best Practices for Getting an Increase
If you are generally a creditworthy customer, you have a good chance of getting your desired credit limit increase, as long as it’s reasonable. Here are a few things the bank will be looking at:
Have you been a customer for at least 6 months?
Do you pay off your bill in full and on time every month?
Are you using a reasonable amount of your current credit limit, or is it maxed out? (Your credit utilization, meaning the percentage of credit you have that you are using, should be under 30%).
If you are a brand-new customer or habitually have late or partial payments, your chances of getting a credit limit increase are slim.
Bottom Line: Your account should be at least 6 months old and in good standing to request a credit limit increase.
4. Apply for a New Chase Credit Card
The easiest way to increase your Chase credit limit is to open a new credit card. Chase has some of the best points-earning cards available, so as long as you are under “5/24” (5 or fewer new cards in the previous 24 months), opening a new card is a great way to increase your overall credit limit with Chase.
Once you open your new card, you can often transfer some of the credit from the new card to another card if you would prefer your new credit to be on a different card.
Here are some of the best card choices from Chase that can offer high credit limits:
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is a solid choice offering many benefits. If you’re approved for this card, the reported minimum credit limit you can receive is $5,000. The average credit limit on this card is $10,000, and about 10% of cardholders report a credit limit that exceeds $20,000.
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
The Chase Freedom Unlimited card is a great card to keep in your wallet long-term because it has no annual fee. It offers a great way to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points with 1.5% cash-back on all purchases. The minimum credit limit available for this card is $500.
5. Call Chase Directly
If you are in the market for a credit limit increase, you will probably need to contact Chase and ask for it directly. Here are a few things to keep in mind before you pick up the phone.
Be ready to tell them why you should qualify for a credit limit increase. Factors like being a long-term customer, paying your bill on time, or a recent income increase are all good to mention when making your request.
Know what you want. If your current credit limit is $1,000, don’t ask for a $10,000 limit! You are more likely to get the increase you’re looking for if it is a reasonable amount. A good rule of thumb is to ask for a 10% to 25% increase.
Offer to move credit. If you already have a large amount of credit from Chase, you can often move credit around from one card to another to get an increase on a specific card. If you are opening a new account, offering to take credit from one card to put towards the new one can help get you approved.
Be polite. This one is simple, but it still counts. The person on the other end of the line is just doing their job, so it’s never a good idea to be rude if you don’t get what you want.
Bottom Line: Each time you request a credit limit increase, the bank will do a hard pull on your credit report, which could result in a small (but temporary) drop in your credit score.
6. Ask for a Balance Transfer
Balance transfers offer a good way to persuade Chase to increase your credit limit. A balance transfer means you’re moving the balance from one credit card to another. It’s usually done to simplify and consolidate debt and to lower your interest rate.
Banks love balance transfers because they typically charge a transfer fee and will eventually get to collect interest on any balance that you don’t pay off in full by the time the 0% interest period is over.
Chase Slate Edge℠ Credit Card
The Chase Slate Edge card is a great option if you need to build or improve your credit score. With no annual fee and an intro APR offer, this card can be a valuable tool for many cardholders.
7. Wait for the Increase To Occur Naturally
Chase, like most other banks, will automatically increase your credit if you are using your card responsibly and paying your balance in full and on time. These automatic bumps generally happen every 6 to 12 months. If you’re patient, you might get a credit limit increase without doing anything!
Be aware that even if you’re doing everything right, the automatic increase might not happen. In that case, you’ll need to contact Chase to request an increase.
Your request for a higher credit limit was denied — now what?
The first thing to do is call Chase back and ask again. Make your case for why a higher credit limit should be extended (for a large purchase, balance transfer, or higher income), and your request may be approved.
If Chase still denies your request, it’s time to look at your credit score and how you use the credit you have.
Know Your Credit Score
It’s a good idea to know how to monitor your credit score (and hopefully watch it grow). There are lots of places to check your credit score, and many are free. It’s a good idea to do this periodically to make sure everything is correct and up to date.
Here are a few websites to help you understand your credit score and the factors that go into it. Many of these sites allow you to check your score for free.
Chase offers a tool to see your credit score directly from your Chase account.
Log in to your Chase account to get started with Credit Journey. Simply enter your information and your enrollment is complete.
Hot Tip: Checking your credit score on Credit Journey does not result in a hard pull, and it does not impact your score.
From here, you will be able to view your current credit score and some basics including late payments and the number of accounts opened.
Credit Journey is the free credit monitoring tool offered by Chase. Access your information by logging on to your Chase account. You will see your current credit score, basic information about your credit, and the score simulator. Image Credit: Chase
Scroll to the bottom to use the score simulator. This tool allows you to view how certain actions might affect your credit score. You can adjust several parameters with this tool including:
Adding a balance transfer
Adding a credit card
Adding a loan
Adding a public record: foreclosure, child support, or wage garnishment
Adding credit inquiries
Allowing one or more accounts to be delinquent
Canceling your oldest credit card
Eliminating all card balances
Having an account go to collections
Maintaining on-time payments to all accounts
Raising or lowering the balances on your cards
Raising the credit limit on a card
This is a fun and informative way to see how certain actions (both good and bad) can affect your score.
How To Raise Your Credit Score
Raising your credit score is a smart way to set yourself up for a credit limit increase and develop good credit habits.
Boosting your score is simple — it just takes a little discipline. Follow these basic rules to see your number increase:
Pay your bills on time each month (including rent, phone, and utilities)
Pay your bills in full each month
Pay off any outstanding credit card debt you may have
Don’t close your oldest accounts
Don’t open too many new credit cards in a short amount of time
There are many legitimate reasons to request a credit limit increase. If you’ve been a Chase customer for at least 6 months and have shown that you can use your credit responsibly, you’re likely to receive an increased credit limit.
However, if you tend to only pay minimum balances or make late payments, you are unlikely to get an increase. If that’s the case, work on cleaning up your credit first, then go after the credit limit increase you need.
The information regarding the Chase Freedom Unlimited® was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information regarding the Chase Slate Edge℠ Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
Featured Image Credit: Upgraded Points
Frequently Asked Questions
Chase may automatically increase your credit limit about every 12 months, but an increase is never guaranteed.
Yes, asking for a credit limit increase will result in a hard pull on your credit. This may lead to a slight temporary drop in your credit score.
There are a few reasons why Chase might not increase your credit limit. First, if you have been a customer for 6 months or less, your chances of getting an increase are slim to none.
Second, if you have a history of late or partial payments, Chase will not be inclined to extend more credit to you. Once you start using your credit more responsibly (paying your bill in full on time each month), try requesting a credit limit increase again.
Yes, it can happen. However, if you’re using your credit responsibly and paying your bills in full and on time each and every month, this shouldn’t be a problem.
Generally, no, it’s not a good idea to lower your credit limit even if you aren’t using it. Part of your credit score is based on your utilization ratio, meaning the percentage of your available credit that you’re actually using. This number should be lower than 30%.
Let’s say you have a $2,000 balance on a card with a $10,000 credit limit. Your utilization ratio would be 20%, which is good. If you drop your credit limit to $7,000, then the same $2,000 balance would give you a utilization close to 30%, which could negatively affect your credit score.
No, if you request a credit limit increase from Chase, there will be a hard pull on your credit. However, if Chase increases your limit automatically (as they periodically might do) there will not be a hard pull on your credit.
No, if you request a credit limit increase from Chase, there will be a hard pull on your credit.
Katie has been in the points and miles game since 2015 and started her own blog in 2016. She’s been freelance writing since then and her work has been featured in publications like Travel + Leisure and Forbes Advisor.
Disclaimer: Any comments listed below are not from the bank advertiser, nor have they been reviewed or approved by them. No responsibility will be taken by the bank advertiser for these comments.
14 comments
Ron Young
August 01, 2018
I have a question to ask… I have several credit card accounts with Chase. I’m getting a new credit card with a lower credit limit.. I am thinking about transferring a little bit of my credit from one of my cards to my new card. Would Chase still do a hard pull on me for transferring the credit limit?
Hi Ron,
If you are just transferring credit from one card to another, you should only get a soft pull on your credit. However, if you are transferring credit to a card that will end up with over $35,000 in credit, a hard pull could result. If you aren’t sure, just ask the Chase representative and they should be able to tell you if the transfer would require a hard pull.
Thomas
October 10, 2019
Question, I’m signed up with Experian so I get my credit scores free. Experian last week shows my credit score at 764. But when a bank ran my credit, it showed 735? Can you explain the discrepancy? Thank you.
Did the bank also pull your Experian score? If not, then that is likely the reason for the discrepancy. Each person has three separate credit scores, one from Experian, Equifax, and Transunion. It’s likely the pulled either your Transunion or your Equifax, as opposed to your Experian.
Nova Cash Flow Finance
November 13, 2019
This tips are all very helpful for me. I think that I will be able to increase my chase credit limit. I will follow what you said here. Thanks for sharing this article.
Thanks for the insightful article. I am trying to upgrade from Preferred to Reserve ($10k+ Credit Line required). 5-6 months ago, I requested an increase (went from $8,200 > $9,100) but couldn’t get to $10k. Just now, I called back and (after a hard pull, increased income and lower housing costs since last increase), I got denied with no increase offered whatsoever.
My question to you is, in this article, you stated to call back and “ask Chase again”; are you suggesting for them to do another hard pull? It sounds silly (and a bit risky to your credit score), which is why I’d love some clarity on the subject. Thanks again for your help
If you call back and ask for reconsideration you don’t have to authorize another hard pull to your credit, just to have someone else look over your request to see if they will approve you. Do you have any other credit cards with Chase? Since you’re very close to the minimum credit limit, one option could be to ask to move some of the credit from one of your other cards in order to meet the $10k minimum.
Philip
January 20, 2020
Yes, I totally agree with what you said. I think that there are many legitimate reasons to request a credit limit increase. I think that it is very important to be aware on how to increase our credit limit. Thanks for sharing this article.
Li
May 29, 2020
Here’s a scenario. Chase just slashed my available credit in half, citing “under utilization”. (Since I’m approaching retirement I’ve paid down debt.) I have never ever missed a payment, nor made a late payment. So now my FICO score will be lower (through no fault of my own.) They also made a point of stating that asking for an increase in the future will require a credit check – another ding on my credit score. Apparently being a responsible card user and paying on time for years is no guarantee that you’ll be able to maintain that good credit score you worked so hard for.
Li
May 29, 2020
Update: I just got through on the phone and asked that my credit line remain the same. To which they agreed. I still think that this is a poor business model – the initial letter should have stated something to the effect that they were CONSIDERING lowering my available line and that I should contact them to discuss it.
bo
June 18, 2020
try to lock your score before increase your credit limit.
Jessica
May 16, 2021
Can anyone please tell me why is Chase one of the only companies that still do hard pulls to increase your credit limit? I have American Express and Bank of America cards that require no hard pulls to request an increase. AmEx and BofA both offer increases automatically quite regularly. I don’t think my Chase cards have ever gotten an automatic increase (I have an 800 credit score and pay every month the full balance).
Seems a bit silly to me that Chase still damages your credit score just to increase your limits…why can’t they just use ChaseJourney or payment history?
Juan Carlos
July 22, 2021
I have been a Chase Marriott Bonvoy cardmember for over two years, having paid my balances in full every single month with zero late payments, and it irks me that a hard pull on my credit is required in order to receive a limit increase. Citibank offers credit increases every six months at the click of a button via their app without needing to pull your credit. I have a credit score of 829 and I am not hiding anything from Chase (they would know as they keep tabs on my overall credit) but I refuse to let them ding my credit, regardless of how minimal the ding maybe, with an inquiry when I have been an exemplary cardmember since day one. The main reason why I like credit limit increases is because the higher the limit, the smaller your credit utilization is in the long run.
Any thoughts or questions? Comment below!
Email needed if you'd like comment updates. It will NOT be published.
14 comments
Ron Young
August 01, 2018
I have a question to ask… I have several credit card accounts with Chase. I’m getting a new credit card with a lower credit limit.. I am thinking about transferring a little bit of my credit from one of my cards to my new card. Would Chase still do a hard pull on me for transferring the credit limit?
Katie Seemann
August 06, 2018
Hi Ron,
If you are just transferring credit from one card to another, you should only get a soft pull on your credit. However, if you are transferring credit to a card that will end up with over $35,000 in credit, a hard pull could result. If you aren’t sure, just ask the Chase representative and they should be able to tell you if the transfer would require a hard pull.
Thomas
October 10, 2019
Question, I’m signed up with Experian so I get my credit scores free. Experian last week shows my credit score at 764. But when a bank ran my credit, it showed 735? Can you explain the discrepancy? Thank you.
Jarrod West
October 13, 2019
Hi Thomas,
Did the bank also pull your Experian score? If not, then that is likely the reason for the discrepancy. Each person has three separate credit scores, one from Experian, Equifax, and Transunion. It’s likely the pulled either your Transunion or your Equifax, as opposed to your Experian.
Nova Cash Flow Finance
November 13, 2019
This tips are all very helpful for me. I think that I will be able to increase my chase credit limit. I will follow what you said here. Thanks for sharing this article.
Michael McHugh
November 13, 2019
Thanks Nova Cash Flow Finance!
Jon
January 12, 2020
Thanks for the insightful article. I am trying to upgrade from Preferred to Reserve ($10k+ Credit Line required). 5-6 months ago, I requested an increase (went from $8,200 > $9,100) but couldn’t get to $10k. Just now, I called back and (after a hard pull, increased income and lower housing costs since last increase), I got denied with no increase offered whatsoever.
My question to you is, in this article, you stated to call back and “ask Chase again”; are you suggesting for them to do another hard pull? It sounds silly (and a bit risky to your credit score), which is why I’d love some clarity on the subject. Thanks again for your help
Jarrod West
January 13, 2020
Hi Jon,
If you call back and ask for reconsideration you don’t have to authorize another hard pull to your credit, just to have someone else look over your request to see if they will approve you. Do you have any other credit cards with Chase? Since you’re very close to the minimum credit limit, one option could be to ask to move some of the credit from one of your other cards in order to meet the $10k minimum.
Philip
January 20, 2020
Yes, I totally agree with what you said. I think that there are many legitimate reasons to request a credit limit increase. I think that it is very important to be aware on how to increase our credit limit. Thanks for sharing this article.
Li
May 29, 2020
Here’s a scenario. Chase just slashed my available credit in half, citing “under utilization”. (Since I’m approaching retirement I’ve paid down debt.) I have never ever missed a payment, nor made a late payment. So now my FICO score will be lower (through no fault of my own.) They also made a point of stating that asking for an increase in the future will require a credit check – another ding on my credit score. Apparently being a responsible card user and paying on time for years is no guarantee that you’ll be able to maintain that good credit score you worked so hard for.
Li
May 29, 2020
Update: I just got through on the phone and asked that my credit line remain the same. To which they agreed. I still think that this is a poor business model – the initial letter should have stated something to the effect that they were CONSIDERING lowering my available line and that I should contact them to discuss it.
bo
June 18, 2020
try to lock your score before increase your credit limit.
Jessica
May 16, 2021
Can anyone please tell me why is Chase one of the only companies that still do hard pulls to increase your credit limit? I have American Express and Bank of America cards that require no hard pulls to request an increase. AmEx and BofA both offer increases automatically quite regularly. I don’t think my Chase cards have ever gotten an automatic increase (I have an 800 credit score and pay every month the full balance).
Seems a bit silly to me that Chase still damages your credit score just to increase your limits…why can’t they just use ChaseJourney or payment history?
Juan Carlos
July 22, 2021
I have been a Chase Marriott Bonvoy cardmember for over two years, having paid my balances in full every single month with zero late payments, and it irks me that a hard pull on my credit is required in order to receive a limit increase. Citibank offers credit increases every six months at the click of a button via their app without needing to pull your credit. I have a credit score of 829 and I am not hiding anything from Chase (they would know as they keep tabs on my overall credit) but I refuse to let them ding my credit, regardless of how minimal the ding maybe, with an inquiry when I have been an exemplary cardmember since day one. The main reason why I like credit limit increases is because the higher the limit, the smaller your credit utilization is in the long run.
Any thoughts or questions? Comment below!
Email needed if you'd like comment updates. It will NOT be published.
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