How to Request a Bank of America Credit Card Limit Increase

You can request a Bank of America credit card limit increase through your online account if you’re eligible or by calling the number on the back of your credit card. The process is relatively simple and could help you improve your credit score or increase your spending power to make a large purchase.

But there’s no guarantee you’ll be approved, and it might make more sense to open a new credit card instead.

Check out our step-by-step instructions on how to request a Bank of America credit card limit increase, what to do if you’re denied, and the pros and cons of requesting a credit limit increase.

How to request a Bank of America credit card limit increase

You can request a B of A credit card limit increase online or over the phone. Here’s how to start.

Through your online account

Follow these steps to request a credit line increase through your online account:

1. Navigate to the Bank of America online banking website and sign into your account.
2. Select the credit card account where you want to request a credit line increase.
3. Click on “Request a credit line increase” under “Card Details” in “Account Summary.”

Over the phone

Follow these steps to request a Bank of America credit card limit increase over the phone:

1. Call the toll-free phone number on the back of your credit card. If you don’t have your Bank of America card handy, the Bank of America credit card customer service phone number is 1-800-732-9194.
2. Tell a Bank of America customer service representative that you want to request a credit limit increase.

What to do if Bank of America denies your request

It’s possible that Bank of America might deny your credit card limit increase. If that’s the case for you, consider these options moving forward:

• Increase your income. Credit card companies typically account for your total income and debt when determining whether to lend you credit. Increasing your income and reporting it to Bank of America could improve your eligibility odds for a credit limit increase.
• Improve your credit score. Lenders often check your credit score to help determine the potential risk of giving you credit. Typically, the higher your credit score, the lower the risk. Improving your credit score through responsible use of different credit products could help qualify you for a credit limit increase.
• Try a different credit card issuer. If you have credit cards with multiple card issuers, it could make sense to request a credit limit increase with a company other than Bank of America. Each card issuer, including Chase, American Express, and Capital One, has its own guidelines and some might be less strict than others.
• Wait to make another request. Wait to make another credit card limit increase request with Bank of America if you’ve just made one. There’s likely little that will change over the course of a few days or weeks, but you might have better chances after six months or more. This is often because you’ll have sufficient time to make positive changes, including improving your credit score or increasing your income.
• Apply for a new credit card. Requesting a credit line increase isn’t the only way to increase your spending power. Consider applying for a new credit card if you want access to more credit. This typically results in a hard inquiry that has a small impact on your credit score, but you could also gain access to valuable rewards and benefits with a new card. Check out our list of Bank of America credit cards to compare top options from Bank of America.

Who may be eligible for a credit line increase with Bank of America?

Bank of America doesn’t publish specific information about who might be eligible for a credit line increase with its credit cards. But generally speaking, Bank of America likely accounts for these factors when determining whether someone is eligible for a credit card limit increase:

• Responsible credit card use: Frequently using your credit card and having an on-time payment history. This could include making more than the minimum payment each month on your credit card bill or not carrying a balance at all.
• Total income: How much money you make per year. Credit card companies typically lend more credit as your income increases. Make sure you report any changes in income information to Bank of America if you want to help improve your chances of receiving a credit limit increase.
• Credit score: Your general creditworthiness depicted as a number. A good credit score often means higher chances of qualifying for additional personal finance opportunities, including credit limit increases.
• Length of account history: The length of time your credit card account has been open. You might not be eligible for a credit limit increase with Bank of America if your credit card account was recently opened within the past six to 12 months.

4 benefits of asking for a Bank of America credit card limit increase

1. Improved credit utilization ratio

Your credit utilization ratio or rate is how much credit you’re using of your total available credit. For example, you might have three credit cards that add up to $20,000 of available credit. If you have $10,000 in balances across these cards, your credit utilization rate is 50% ($10,000 / $20,000 = 0.5).

You typically want to keep your credit utilization under 30% or you might see a negative impact to your FICO score, a type of credit score. Requesting a credit card limit increase could increase your total available credit and potentially improve your credit utilization.

2. No change to your credit history length

Similar to credit utilization, the length of your credit history is another factor that affects your credit score. This is the average length of all your open credit accounts. The longer the average length of your credit history, the better.

Because requesting a credit limit increase isn't opening a new line of credit, it doesn’t affect this credit score factor.

3. More spending power

Requesting a credit limit increase could result in more spending power. This could open up opportunities for you to make large purchases that were previously out of reach.

This isn’t to say it’s time to go on a shopping spree, but a credit card with a higher credit limit could be useful for necessary purchases that cost a lot — paying for car repairs or replacing a water heater, for example.

4. Your account management stays the same

Receiving a credit limit increase doesn’t change anything about managing your credit card account. It’s still the same account that you can access online or through the Bank of America mobile app. This could be simpler for you if you don't want to manage multiple credit cards.

4 drawbacks to requesting a Bank of America credit limit increase

1. Potential hard credit inquiry

Requesting a credit limit increase could result in a hard inquiry or hard pull on your credit report. This is regardless of whether you’re approved or denied. This is the same type of small impact to your credit score that happens if you apply for a new credit card.

Hard pulls aren’t the same as soft pulls, which are inquiries that don’t affect your credit score.

2. Could lead to debt

More credit could lead to more debt. This is a simple fact of having any credit at all and something that should always be considered if deciding whether you need a line of credit or a credit limit increase.

In most cases, having credit is helpful for improving your credit score and qualifying for more financial opportunities. But it’s not worth having credit if it’s going to lead to debt.

3. A new credit card might make more sense

A credit limit increase is a simple process that could provide more spending power. But applying for a new credit card could yield the same results with additional benefits. This could include earning valuable rewards such as cash back, points or miles, qualifying for balance transfer low- or no-interest-rate offers, and taking advantage of other credit card perks.

Consider how applying for a new credit card could help you achieve a new sign-up bonus or earn rewards on everyday purchases. Check out our list of best rewards credit cards for our top credit card offers and recommendations.

4. You might not be approved

At the end of the day, you might not be approved for a credit card limit increase. This likely won’t have too much of a negative impact in itself other than potentially lowering your credit score a few points if there’s a hard inquiry.

FAQs

Bottom line

You can request a Bank of America credit line increase by checking for an available offer in your online account or by calling the number on the back of your card. It might make more sense to wait for an automatic credit line increase if you don’t want any potential impact on your credit score.

It could also make sense to simply open a new credit card. This could provide you with more spending power, but also offer increased opportunities for more cash rewards and benefits. Check out our dedicated page to compare credit cards and find the best credit card for you.