In a Nutshell
A high-limit credit card can help you increase spending power or improve your credit by lowering your credit utilization ratio. While you generally won’t know your exact credit limit until after you apply, we’ve compiled a list of the best high-limit credit cards that could offer high limits to qualified cardholders.Getting a high-limit credit card is often a matter of having a positive credit history. But no matter where your credit scores fall, some cards might be more likely to give you a high credit limit.
A high-limit credit card can increase your purchasing power, improve your credit and help bring financial peace of mind. At the same time, they can be hard to come by if you’re not sure where to look.
Read on for our picks for the best high-limit credit cards and tips on how to put yourself in the best position to get one.
- Best high-limit credit cards
- How we picked the best high-limit credit cards
- FAQs about high-limit credit cards
Best high-limit credit cards
| Card | Best for | Minimum credit limit |
|---|---|---|
| Chase Sapphire Reserve® | Premium travel | $10,000 |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card | Entry-level travel | $5,000 |
| Citi Double Cash® Card | Simple cash back | $500 |
| Chase Freedom Unlimited® | Bonus cash back | $500 |
| U.S. Bank Cash+® Secured Visa® Card | Rebuilding credit | $300 ($5,000 maximum) |
| Discover it® Student Cash Back | Students | $500 |
Best high-limit card for premium travel: Chase Sapphire Reserve® — $10,000 minimum limit
Here’s why: The Chase Sapphire Reserve® comes with a high minimum credit limit of $10,000 and plenty of benefits to add value.
New cardholders can earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months after their account opens, and points are worth 50% more when redeemed for travel through the Chase Travel℠ portal. Plus, cardholders get a $300 annual travel credit.
The card comes with a $550 annual fee, but there are numerous other valuable perks that can help cover the cost.
Read more about the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
Best high-limit card for entry-level travel: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card — $5,000 minimum limit
Here’s why: The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card comes with a $5,000 minimum credit line, but we’ve seen claims that the credit limits for this card can be as high as $100,000. Just keep in mind that it’s rare to get a credit limit on the highest end of that spectrum.
Even without that super-high limit, you can get value out of the card’s impressive rewards. New cardholders can earn 60,000 bonus points when they spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months after their account opens.
The card comes with a $95 annual fee.
Read more about the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.
Best high-limit card for simple cash back: Citi Double Cash® Card — $500 minimum limit
Here’s why: This card has a relatively low minimum credit limit of $500, but Credit Karma user reviews and reports elsewhere say you may be able to get limits closer to $10,000, or even $40,000 or higher, after credit limit increases.
No matter your credit limit, the Citi Double Cash® Card offers straightforward rewards with the ability to earn 2% back on all purchases — 1% when you use the card and 1% when you pay your bill. It also has a $0 annual fee.
Read more about the Citi Double Cash® Card.
Best high-limit card for bonus cash back: Chase Freedom Unlimited® — $500 minimum limit
Here’s why: The Chase Freedom Unlimited® offers a $500 minimum credit limit, but the limit is at least $5,000 if you’re approved for the Visa Signature® version of the card.
Beyond those minimum limits, this card offers plenty of opportunities to earn cash back. You can earn 5% back on travel booked through Chase Travel℠, 3% back on dining at restaurants and drugstore purchases, and 1.5% on all other purchases.
Plus, the card comes with a $0 annual fee that won’t cut into your earnings.
Read more about the Chase Freedom Unlimited®.
Best high-limit card for rebuilding credit: U.S. Bank Cash+® Secured Visa® Card — $300 to $5,000 limit
Here’s why: A secured credit card can be a useful way to build credit, but your limit is often determined by the size of your security deposit. With the U.S. Bank Cash+® Secured Visa® Card, that deposit can be anywhere from $300 to $5,000 to set your credit line.
While the higher end of the range might not make sense for everyone, that high limit at least provides flexibility if you’re able to pay the deposit.
This card doesn’t offer many extra features, but it doesn’t charge an annual fee, and you’ll be able to choose your payment due date.
Read our U.S. Bank Cash+® Secured Visa® Card review for more details.
Best high-limit card for students: Discover it® Student Cash Back — $500 minimum limit
Here’s why: Students looking to start their credit journey who qualify for this card can get a minimum credit limit of $500. Student credit cards aren’t known for having the highest credit limits compared to other kinds of cards, but this card’s minimum limit at least gives you some clarity.
Those students who get approved for the Discover it® Student Cash Back can look forward to plenty of great features, too. The card charges a $0 annual fee and offers 5% back on up to $1,500 spent on purchases (then 1%) in quarterly rotating categories that must be activated. All other purchases earn 1% back.
Learn more about Discover it® Student Cash Back.
What is a high-limit credit card?
Cards with limits over $5,000 could be considered high-limit credit cards. But it really depends on the type of card you’re interested in getting and where you are in your financial journey.
- Building credit? A card with a limit of at least $500 is a good starting point.
- Optimizing rewards earning? Premium or luxury credit cards often have higher credit limits of $5,000 or more — but they may also come with strict approval requirements including having good or excellent credit and a high income.
- Transferring a balance? There are multiple factors to consider, but it’s best if you can get a card with a credit limit that matches the balance you currently owe. Look for a balance transfer card with a long intro APR period. Unfortunately, you can’t always know what limit you’ll be offered before you submit a card application.
Pros and cons of high-limit credit cards
High-limit credit cards come with both pros and cons.
Pros of a high-limit credit card
- More spending power
- Potentially lower your credit card utilization rate
- Meet financial goals, like transferring a balance or earning credit card rewards
Cons of a high-limit credit card
- Could tempt you to spend more than you can afford
- A new card adds to the number of bills and due dates you have to track each month
How to choose a high-limit credit card
Choosing the right high-limit credit card for you will depend on what features you’d like to have in a credit card.
- Rewards — Compare the different rewards categories that cards offer to see what aligns best with your spending.
- Credits and benefits — Many high-limit credit cards offer perks beyond rewards, like airport lounge access or hotel status. Weigh these benefits against the annual fee to decide whether they’re worth the cost for you.
- Sign-up bonus — If you’re applying for a card with a sign-up bonus, calculate whether you’ll be able to comfortably meet the spending requirement.
- Intro APR period — If you plan to make a large purchase or transfer a balance using a card’s intro APR period, make sure that the time frame provided to pay off the debt works for you.
How to get a high-limit credit card
Applying for a high-limit credit card is like applying for any other card. Depending on the card you’re applying for, it may have more- or less-rigorous requirements for approval. Premium travel cards with large annual fees will likely require having good credit, and they may have specific income requirements. If you’re applying for a secured credit card, you’ll likely need to put down a deposit equal to the limit you’re applying for — so be prepared to have that cash on hand to set aside until you close the account or are upgraded to an unsecured card.
How we picked the best high-limit credit cards
Most credit card issuers don’t reveal the specific minimum or maximum limits for their cards. When they do, they often only indicate a low minimum credit limit, like $300 to $500.
To help provide some clarity, we tried to pick cards that either shared a clear credit limit range or cards that must have certain credit limits based on network rules, like Visa Signature cards that must offer a minimum $5,000 limit. At the same time, we also wanted to pick cards that have been reported to offer high credit limits to cardholders in at least some cases.
FAQs about high-limit credit cards
On our list, the card with the highest reported limit is the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, which some say offers a $100,000 limit. We’ve also seen an advertised maximum credit limit of $100,000 on the First Tech Odyssey Rewards™ World Elite Mastercard®, a credit union rewards card. But keep in mind that it’s difficult to say exactly which credit card offers the highest possible credit limit — most issuers don’t publicize their maximum credit lines.
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.
But there are some cards that might offer potential maximum credit limits of $100,000, and others with low initial credit limits of $500 could offer $40,000 or more to certain cardholders.
The clearest benefits of a high-limit credit card are found in the increase in overall purchasing power and in potential benefit your credit score could see from an improved credit utilization ratio. Your credit limits don’t directly affect your credit scores, but the amount of available credit you use is one of the most important factors in the calculation of your scores. Credit bureaus will consider your credit utilization ratio, which looks at your total available credit compared to your most recently reported balances on revolving accounts.
That said, there can also be potential downsides to look out for with a high-limit credit card. A higher limit can mean the ability to get further into debt and paying more interest as a result. If you’re considering a high-limit card to make a big purchase, you may want to consider a lower-APR personal loan instead.
Before applying for a credit card, take the time to read the terms and conditions. You likely won’t see a credit limit detailed, but an issuer may note its minimum limit. If you decide to apply and are approved, the issuer will share the card terms — including your limit — with you. Issuers generally consider a range of factors in determining your limit, including your income and credit. If you’re initially approved for a low limit, you may be able to get a higher limit if you improve your credit, earn a higher income or establish a history of on-time card payments.
What credit score is needed to get a high-limit credit card?
Cards with higher credit limits likely require higher credit scores. Here are the average credit limits by VantageScore 3.0 credit score range from Sept. 1, 2022, to Feb. 1, 2023, among Credit Karma members who have at least one of the cards listed in this article (except the U.S. Bank Cash+® Secured Visa® Card).
| VantageScore 3.0 credit score range | Average credit card limit |
|---|---|
| 300–640 | $3,481.02 |
| 640–700 | $4,735.10 |
| 700–750 | $5,968.01 |
| 750+ | $8,954.33 |
Credit card issuers determine your credit limit based on a variety of factors pulled from your application, credit reports and their own internal information. Your exact limit will likely depend on how the issuer weighs these factors.
For example, if you have a high income and low monthly housing payment, the issuer may feel more comfortable giving you a high limit. Similarly, if you have a history of paying your bills on time and have good or excellent credit scores as a result, that may increase your chances of getting a high limit card.
Next steps
A high-limit credit card can allow you to make larger purchases and, in turn, potentially maximize the rewards offered by your card. These cards can also boost your credit scores by lowering your credit utilization (assuming you don’t rack up a lot of new debt on the card).
But if you’re not sure whether a high-limit credit card is right for you — or if you’ll qualify for one — consider asking your current card issuer for a credit limit increase. Just keep in mind that there’s no guarantee you’ll be approved. And depending on the card you have, your issuer may automatically increase your credit line after considering criteria such as how long you’ve had the card or your history of on-time payments.
*Approval Odds are not a guarantee of approval. Credit Karma determines Approval Odds by comparing your credit profile to other Credit Karma members who were approved for the card shown, or whether you meet certain criteria determined by the lender. Of course, there’s no such thing as a sure thing, but knowing your Approval Odds may help you narrow down your choices. For example, you may not be approved because you don’t meet the lender’s “ability to pay standard” after they verify your income and employment; or, you already have the maximum number of accounts with that specific lender.