Your credit limit depends heavily on your credit score — but income and card type also matter. Here’s what to expect based on your score.
Quick answer: Average credit limits range from $500-$1,000 for poor credit scores to $15,000-$30,000+ for excellent scores. The overall average credit limit is about $13,000 per card.
Table of Contents
Average Credit Limit by Credit Score
Credit Score
Average Limit (Single Card)
Typical Range
800-850
$20,000-$30,000+
$15,000-$100,000
740-799
$15,000-$25,000
$10,000-$50,000
670-739
$8,000-$15,000
$5,000-$25,000
580-669
$2,000-$5,000
$500-$10,000
300-579
$500-$1,500
$200-$3,000
Credit Limits by Age and Score
Ages 18-25
Credit Score
Average Limit
750+
$5,000-$10,000
700-749
$3,000-$7,000
650-699
$1,500-$4,000
600-649
$500-$2,000
Below 600
$200-$500 (secured)
Ages 26-35
Credit Score
Average Limit
750+
$12,000-$25,000
700-749
$8,000-$18,000
650-699
$4,000-$10,000
600-649
$1,500-$5,000
Below 600
$500-$1,500
Ages 36-54
Credit Score
Average Limit
750+
$18,000-$35,000+
700-749
$12,000-$25,000
650-699
$6,000-$15,000
600-649
$2,000-$8,000
Below 600
$500-$3,000
Ages 55+
Credit Score
Average Limit
750+
$20,000-$50,000+
700-749
$15,000-$30,000
650-699
$8,000-$20,000
600-649
$3,000-$10,000
Below 600
$500-$5,000
Credit limits are closely tied to your score — see benchmarks in the credit limits hub . Understand how limits affect your score via credit utilization ratio , and track your score progress at the credit score hub .
Credit Limits by Card Type
Card Type
Typical Credit Limit Range
Secured credit cards
$200-$2,500 (deposit-based)
Store credit cards
$500-$3,000
Basic no-fee cards
$1,000-$10,000
Cash back cards
$3,000-$20,000
Travel rewards cards
$5,000-$30,000
Premium cards (Amex Platinum, etc.)
$10,000-$100,000+
Business credit cards
$5,000-$50,000+
Credit Limits by Income
Income matters almost as much as credit score:
Annual Income
Typical Combined Limit
Under $30,000
$2,000-$8,000
$30,000-$50,000
$5,000-$15,000
$50,000-$75,000
$10,000-$25,000
$75,000-$100,000
$15,000-$40,000
$100,000-$150,000
$25,000-$60,000
$150,000-$250,000
$40,000-$100,000
$250,000+
$75,000-$250,000+
Total Credit Limit (All Cards Combined)
Most people have multiple cards:
Credit Score
Avg. Total Credit Limit
800-850
$60,000-$100,000+
740-799
$45,000-$75,000
670-739
$25,000-$50,000
580-669
$8,000-$20,000
300-579
$1,000-$5,000
Average Number of Credit Cards
Age Group
Avg. Number of Cards
Avg. Total Limit
18-25
2
$6,000
26-35
3
$18,000
36-54
4
$35,000
55-64
5
$45,000
65+
4
$40,000
Credit Limit by Card Issuer
Different issuers have different approaches:
Issuer
Starting Limit Tendency
Increase Tendency
American Express
Conservative start, generous increases
Frequent auto-increases
Chase
Moderate start
Manual request needed
Citi
Moderate start
Auto-increases possible
Capital One
Conservative start
Slower increases
Discover
Moderate start
Good auto-increases
Bank of America
Conservative start
Requires strong existing relationship
Wells Fargo
Moderate start
Mixed
How to Get a Higher Credit Limit
Request a Credit Limit Increase
Method
When to Use
Success Rate
Online request
First attempt
50-70%
Phone request
If denied online
60-75%
After income increase
Very good timing
70-85%
After 6+ months
New accounts
60-80%
Automatic Increases
Factor
Impact
On-time payments
Triggers reviews
Low utilization
Very positive signal
Account age
Older = better
Income update
Can prompt increase
Spending increase
Signals need
Best Practices for Higher Limits
Strategy
Reason
Keep utilization below 30%
Shows responsible use
Never miss a payment
Most important factor
Update income annually
Higher income = higher limits
Use the card regularly
Shows it’s valuable to you
Wait 6-12 months between requests
Looks less desperate
Starting Limits for Popular Cards
Cash Back Cards
Card
Typical Starting Limit
Citi Double Cash
$5,000-$15,000
Chase Freedom Unlimited
$5,000-$15,000
Discover it Cash Back
$2,500-$10,000
Capital One Quicksilver
$1,000-$10,000
Blue Cash Everyday
$3,000-$15,000
Travel Rewards Cards
Card
Typical Starting Limit
Chase Sapphire Preferred
$5,000-$20,000
Chase Sapphire Reserve
$10,000-$30,000
Amex Gold
No preset limit
Capital One Venture
$5,000-$20,000
Citi Premier
$5,000-$15,000
Premium Cards
Card
Typical Limit/Spending Power
Amex Platinum
No preset spending limit
Amex Centurion (Black)
No preset spending limit
JP Morgan Reserve
$10,000-$100,000+
Credit Limit Statistics
Statistic
Value
Average credit limit (single card)
$13,000
Average total limit (all cards)
$30,000
Median credit limit (single card)
$6,000
Average limits for excellent credit
$30,000+
Average limits for poor credit
$1,500
Impact of Credit Limit on Your Score
Your credit limit affects your utilization ratio:
Total Limit
$3,000 Balance
Utilization
Score Impact
$5,000
$3,000
60%
Very negative
$10,000
$3,000
30%
Moderate
$15,000
$3,000
20%
Minimal
$30,000
$3,000
10%
Positive
Higher limits = lower utilization = better score (if you don’t increase spending).
When Higher Limits Hurt
Situation
Risk
Temptation to overspend
Debt accumulation
Multiple new applications
Hard inquiries hurt score
Can’t handle the credit
May lead to missed payments
Bottom Line
Average credit limit is $13,000 per card, $30,000 total
Credit score of 750+ typically gets $15,000-$30,000 per card
Score of 650-700 typically gets $5,000-$15,000 per card
Income is almost as important as credit score for limitsRequest increases every 6-12 months with good payment historyHigher limits help your utilization ratio which improves your score
Age and relationship with issuer also affect starting limits
Written by
WealthVieu
WealthVieu researches and writes data-driven personal finance guides using primary sources including the IRS, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Reserve, and Census Bureau.
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