Does Increasing Your Credit Limit Affect Your Credit Score?

While hard credit inquiries stay on your credit report for two years, but some credit scoring models only consider inquiries from the last 12 months.

Multiple hard credit checks within a short period of time may have a larger impact on your credit score. That’s because applying for too much credit at once might point to financial instability, making you a greater credit risk. If your card issuer denies your request for a credit line increase, you may want to wait before requesting another.

Soft inquiries, credit checks that aren’t directly related to a new credit application, don’t impact your credit score. That means you may view your credit score before requesting a credit increase without hurting your credit. Some credit card issuers may use a soft inquiry to determine whether you qualify for a higher credit limit.

Before you request a credit limit increase, it’s a good idea to determine the process your card issuer follows.

Change in credit utilization

Your credit utilization ratio is the amount you owe as a percentage of your total credit limit. If you increase your credit limit without increasing your spending and pay off your credit card each month, your utilization ratio for that card will go down. This may help your credit score.

However, increasing your spending too much after increasing your credit card limit may raise your credit utilization ratio That may harm your credit score.

For example, if you have a $1,000 credit card limit and spend $500 before you pay the bill, that’s a 50% credit utilization ratio. But if you get a credit limit increase to $2,000 and then spend $1,500 before you pay the bill, your credit utilization ratio will rise to 75% and may impact your credit score.

When to ask for a credit limit increase

Smart timing and good credit habits may increase your chances of being approved for a credit line increase. For example, you may be likely to receive a higher credit limit in the following situations:

• You got a raise. Reporting an income increase shows credit card issuers you have more full picture of your financial situation.
• You pay your bill on time. Credit card issuers consider your payment history and how reliably you make payments on all your loans.
• You don’t use a lot of credit. Using only a small percentage of your available credit shows you can manage debt responsibly.
• Your credit score is good. Credit card issuers are more likely to issue additional credit if you manage your existing credit well. A good credit score usually indicates responsible credit card use.

When you shouldn’t request a credit limit increase

While access to more credit is often helpful, requesting a credit limit increase at the wrong time may hurt your credit score. You may not want to request a higher credit line in the following circumstances:

• You recently applied for more credit. If you recently applied for a loan or another credit card, requesting a higher credit limit might affect your score even more. Applications for new credit and credit limit increases may both trigger hard inquiries.
• Your income has gone down. If you recently transitioned to a lower-paying job, your credit card issuer may deny your request for a credit limit increase to prevent you from accruing more credit card debt than you can afford to repay.
• Your credit is poor. If changes to your credit history have left you with a less-than-ideal credit score, it may be best to improve your credit score before requesting a credit limit increase.

Automatic credit limit increases

Requesting an increased credit limit isn’t the only way to get one. If you’ve used your credit card responsibly and consistently pay your bill by the due date, your credit card company may automatically increase your credit limit.

Automatic credit limit increases don’t usually require a hard credit inquiry, so they typically don’t impact your credit score. Updating your income with your credit card issuer after a raise may increase your chances of getting an automatic credit limit increase.

Can your credit limit decrease?

Your credit limit may decrease for several reasons. According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, creditors may choose to lower your limit. Typically, card issuers provide an “adverse action notice” that explains why they’ve reduced your limit. Reasons might include changes in your payment history, credit score, or income.

You may also request a lower credit limit. If you want to continue using your credit card but have concerns about overspending, requesting a smaller limit may help you avoid taking on more debt than you can handle. Just remember that if you have outstanding credit card debt, reducing your limit increases your credit utilization ratio.

The bottom line

Increasing your credit limit may affect your credit score, but not always. Depending on your credit card issuer, a credit limit increase request may involve a hard credit check, which might temporarily hurt your credit score. However, a credit increase on one card likewise increases your total available credit, which may help your credit score.

Remember to keep practicing responsible habits after receiving a credit card limit increase, because you may be tempted to overspend. By keeping your balance to a minimum and staying on top of your payments, you may be able to access more credit without compromising your financial well-being.