Because many consumers apply for store cards as their first credit card, your first credit limit is generally going to be on the low end. Though Equifax notes these retail cards averaging between $2,000 to $2,500, credit limits can be much less than that — in some cases below $1,000.
According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, experts recommend keeping your credit utilization below 30% of your available credit. So if your only line of credit is a credit card with a $2,000 limit, that would mean keeping your balance below $600.
For example, a gold card might have a maximum credit line of $2,000 while a platinum card might have a $5,000 maximum. Your credit score and monthly income determine whether you qualify and where your line falls within these limits. Some companies set a credit limit according to your credit score.
As a result, they usually have starting credit limits below $1,000. So, if you're assigned a credit limit of $750, that's probably a pretty good limit. If you applied for a regular cash back rewards card, however, that same $750 limit could be considered a low credit limit.
There's no set amount of available credit that's good to have. In general, the more available credit you have, the better, as long as you use it responsibly. During any application process, most lenders will look at your credit utilization ratio instead of your available credit.
Lower the better: 30% rule
In general, a “good” credit utilization ratio is less than 30%. Anything higher than that can actually negatively impact your credit score. But lower is always better. And be aware that both the ratio on each card and your overall ratio matter.
A good credit limit is above $30,000, as that is the average credit card limit, according to Experian. To get a credit limit this high, you typically need an excellent credit score, a high income and little to no existing debt. What qualifies as a good credit limit differs from person to person, though.
What is considered a high credit card limit? Your definition of a high credit limit may vary based on what you want from a credit card, but we consider a $5,000 to $10,000 limit to be a good starting point for the “high” range for rewards credit cards.
A low credit limit is designed to keep you from spending beyond your means, which is a good thing. But a low credit limit also has the potential to drag down your credit scores, depending on how much you spend on your credit cards each month.
Because many consumers apply for store cards as their first credit card, your first credit limit is generally going to be on the low end. Though Equifax notes these retail cards averaging between $2,000 to $2,500, credit limits can be much less than that — in some cases below $1,000.
The credit limit you can get with a 750 credit score is likely in the $1,000-$15,000 range, but a higher limit is possible. The reason for the big range is that credit limits aren't solely determined by your credit score.
The best high limit secured credit card is the U.S. Bank Secured Visa® Card. You can put down a security deposit of up to $5,000 to receive a credit limit of the same amount. The card is available to people with bad credit and it has a $0 annual fee.
A good guideline is the 30% rule: Use no more than 30% of your credit limit to keep your debt-to-credit ratio strong. Staying under 10% is even better. In a real-life budget, the 30% rule works like this: If you have a card with a $1,000 credit limit, it's best not to have more than a $300 balance at any time.
It's Best to Pay Your Credit Card Balance in Full Each Month
Leaving a balance will not help your credit scores—it will just cost you money in the form of interest. Carrying a high balance on your credit cards has a negative impact on scores because it increases your credit utilization ratio.
In general, you could get approved for a credit card with a $20,000 limit if you have excellent credit, a lot of income, and very little debt.
Millionaires use credit cards like the Centurion® Card from American Express, the J.P. Morgan Reserve Credit Card, and The Platinum Card® from American Express. These high-end credit cards are available only to people who receive an invitation to apply, which millionaires have the best chance of getting.
If you have good credit, you should have high odds of getting approved for a credit limit around $5,000. With excellent credit, you may get a limit of more than $10,000. A high credit limit is good because using up most or all of your credit card's limit is bad for your credit standing.
THUMBS UP = A $1,000 credit limit means you're using 30% THUMBS DOWN = A $500 credit limit means you're using 60% It's always a good idea to keep your credit card balance as low as possible in relation to your credit limit. Of course, paying your balance in full each month is the best practice.
If you've avoided credit cards until now, a $500 limit (or something similar) is the perfect way to get your feet wet. Restricting yourself to a lower limit can be a great, low-pressure way to get started with credit cards.
Credit cards are issued with credit limits, or maximums that dictate how much a cardholder can spend on the card before needing to pay the card's balance. According to a recent report by Experian, the 2020 average credit limit for Americans across all credit cards was $30,365.
Increasing your credit limit lowers your credit utilization ratio. If your spending habits stay the same, you could boost your credit score if you continue to make your monthly payments on time. But if you drastically increase your spending with your increased credit limit, you could hurt your credit score.
According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), experts recommend keeping your credit utilization below 30% of your total available credit. If a high utilization rate is hurting your scores, you may see your scores increase once a lower balance or higher credit limit is reported.
Can Too Much Available Credit Hurt Your Score? There's no such thing as too much available credit when it comes to your credit score. As the data suggests, people with exceptional credit use only a small fraction of what they have on their credit cards, and that has helped their credit scores.