Applying for a credit card and using it responsibly can give you the ability to finance purchases, build a credit history, and earn rewards like cash back and airline miles. The amount of money you're allowed to spend on a credit card is known as your credit limit. If you have a $30,000 salary, what's your credit card limit going to be?
Unfortunately, there isn't one simple answer to this question. Some sources state that most credit card issuers try to keep a consumer's total credit limit between 25% and 100% of their income. However, there are lots of factors that go into calculating your credit limit.
Credit card issuers will look at your income, debt-to-income ratio, employment history, credit score, and more when determining your credit limit.Let's take a closer look at what you need to know about calculating credit limits to give you a better sense of what to expect when you apply for your next card.
While your income is one of the factors that a credit card issuer will look at when determining your credit limit, it is only one piece of the puzzle. For this reason, there is no specific formula you can use to determine the credit card limit you'll be offered based solely on your salary.
When credit card companies are underwriting a line of credit, they want to make sure the income and assets of the borrower will allow them to pay back what they spend while incorporating their existing debt and liabilities.
While all issuers have their own policies and procedures, credit card companies will often base your credit limit based on their calculation of the minimum monthly payment you will be able to make.
According to the Motley Fool, credit card companies typically keep consumers' credit limits somewhere between 25% to 100% of their annual income. Of course, this is a huge range.
Two people that both earn $30,000 a year can have vastly different credit limits. If one has a strong credit history and a low debt-to-income ratio while the other has poor credit and a high debt-to-income ratio, the first person will likely receive a higher credit limit than the second.
Each credit card company uses its own particular formula for determining the credit limit they extend to consumers. However, there are a number of factors that are typically taken into account whenever someone applies for a new credit card account.
When determining your credit limit, most credit card issuers will take a look at your income. They do this to help better understand your ability to repay debt obligations.
Credit card issuers won't be able to find your income on your credit report, so they will typically ask for this information on the application.
When you're applying for loans like home or auto loans, lenders might require that you verify the income you listed. It is possible that a credit card company could ask that you provide verification for your income, but this is incredibly rare.
Credit card applications will also ask how long you've been employed and who your employer is. Your employment status is a relevant factor because credit card companies want to know if you receive regular income that can be used to pay back your debts.
Of course, how much money you bring in every month is only a part of the equation. Credit card companies also want to know how much money you owe monthly in the form of debt obligations.
There are a number of different common types of debt, including:
The precise dollar amount of money you owe each month is looked at in relation to your income. This is known as your DTI ratio (debt-to-income ratio).
Your debt-to-income ratio (DTI) is the sum of all of your monthly debt payment obligations divided by your pre-tax (gross) monthly income. The higher your DTI, the more of your income is going to make debt payments and the riskier you appear to lenders.
The higher your DTI ratio is, the more difficult it will presumably be for you to make regular payments toward a new account. This means that a person with a lower salary and proportionately less debt could, in theory, receive a higher credit limit than a person with a higher salary and proportionately more debt.
Another crucial factor when it comes to determining your credit limit is your credit history and score.
When credit card issuers take a look at your credit file and see that you've consistently made on-time payments for many years, it is an indication to them of financial stability. The better your credit profile is, the less risky you appear as a borrower.
If your credit report has seen better days, credit card companies are going to see you as a riskier applicant. Delinquencies, bankruptcies, or applying to a number of cards at once can all be red flags to credit card issuers.
Credit card companies will also take a look at your credit limits and payment history, specifically for other credit card accounts you have. If you are frequently maxing out your cards, this will be taken into account when determining if you are approved and what credit limit you are offered.
Having more than one card with the same credit card company can also impact the limit extended to you. This is because financial institutions will want to limit their exposure to risk in the event that you aren't able to pay them back.
While your credit score is a factor and can make a difference in the credit limit you're offered, it's only one part of the equation. In general, the higher your credit score, the higher limit you could potentially be offered.
The credit limit you are offered isn't just determined by your own financial situation and credit history. It also has to do with the policies, practices, and financial state of the credit card company itself.
Credit card issuers are in the business of making money, after all, and they will adjust the way they determine credit limits and how much they are willing to extend to consumers based on a wide variety of factors. Economic conditions like a recession, for example, can mean they are much more cautious about extending lines of credit even to the most creditworthy borrowers.
Every credit card company is going to have its own criteria and formula for calculating credit limits. For this reason, you can't ever precisely predict what credit limit you will be extended. This is the case even if you have accurate numbers regarding your income, debt, credit score, and so on.
If you are 21 years old or older, you can include any income on your credit card application that you have "reasonable expectation to access." The standards are different for consumers that are younger than 21.
For those 21 and up, income on an application can include the following:
For those that are younger than 21, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has set different standards. Individuals between the age of 18 and 20 are required to either be able to make minimum payments independently or have a co-signer over the age of 21.
Usually, the income 18-20-year-olds can report includes:
Considering that more than three-quarters of adult American consumers have at least one credit card, you might be wondering if credit card issuers are really pouring over each application and calculating a credit limit for each individual.
Plus, when you see how quickly your credit limit is determined after applying online, it seems clear that this is not typically the case.
There are three general ways that credit limits are calculated.
These are:
Let's explore what each of these means to help you get a sense of how credit limits are determined.
In this method, a credit card issuer will look at your credit score to determine your credit limit.
By using your credit score, they are able to incorporate the factors that go into calculating one's credit score, including:
Along with your credit score, they will most likely look at your household income, monthly expenses, and employment.
Usually, a specific credit card offer will have a set credit limit range. People who have higher credit scores will then be extended the higher extent of the limit, while people with lower scores will be extended the lower extent of the credit limit.
In some cases, particular credit cards come with predetermined limits.
For instance, if you apply for a start credit card you might receive a $500 limit. This might simply be the credit limit that is extended for this particular card rather than a number that was calculated based on your credit score, income, and other factors. Essentially, if you qualify for the card you will receive the same credit limit as everyone else.
On the other hand, a certain premium credit card might offer all new account holders a credit limit of $5,000. If you have what it takes to be approved, you receive the standard credit limit rather than being placed on the higher or lower end of a credit limit range.
Some credit card issuers will actually create a custom credit limit for each applicant. This is a way that credit card companies can reduce their risk while extending credit to consumers.
There are a number of different ways that issuers might determine credit limits in a custom manner. Some, for example, might use a grid system that compares a number of different financial health scores, such as your credit score and bankruptcy score.
There are two different ways that you can increase your credit limit. They are:
A credit card company might offer you additional credit if you have shown, over time, that your financial behaviors and habits are responsible.
If you want to be more proactive and request a credit limit increase from your card issuer, you can improve your chances through the following steps:
Before I sign off, let's look at some of the most common related questions about credit card limits and applications.
There are a lot of different factors that influence your credit limit.
These include:
Credit card companies each have their own systems for determining how likely it is a borrower will pay back what they owe and how much they can afford to pay back on a monthly basis.
According to Experian*, these are the average credit limits in the US based on age:
Older cardholders are more likely to have an established credit history along with a higher income, which means they have a higher average credit limit.
*Source: Experian data from Q2 2019
When you apply for a new credit card and are approved, the issuer will usually clearly communicate the credit line available to you.
However, there are some cards that come with a No Preset Spending Limit (NPSL). While this can make it sound like you basically have unlimited access to cash, this isn't the case.
Almost all credit cards have a preset spending limit. American Express is currently the only major credit card issuer that offers cards with no preset spending limit.
Instead, an NPSL card has fluctuating credit limits from month to month. Both your own spending and payment habits, as well as the overall economic landscape, will influence the limit you are offered on any given month.
One important factor in your credit score is your credit utilization ratio. This is the relationship between how much credit is extended to you and how much credit you are currently using.
A lower credit utilization ratio is always better. Experts frequently suggest keeping your credit utilization ratio below 30%.
If your credit limit goes up, this will reduce your credit utilization ratio, assuming that your spending habits don't change. If your credit limit goes down and your spending habits stay constant, it will increase your credit utilization ratio. The former scenario can raise your credit score, while the latter can drop your credit score.
Your credit limit matters for two primary reasons:
In regards to the first point, having a good credit score is important because it can impact a whole slew of other aspects of your life.
These include your ability to:
As we mentioned earlier, it is possible though quite uncommon, for a credit card company to verify the income you listed on your application. For this reason, you might be wondering whether you can fudge the numbers a bit to receive a higher credit limit.
While this might be a tempting idea, the truth is there are potentially severe consequences for lying on a credit card application. You are technically committing fraud if you knowingly report inaccurate data on a credit card application. The penalty for this type of action can be as severe as decades in prison and/or seven figures' worth of fines.
Even if you feel like the chance of getting caught exaggerating your income on a credit card application is low, it's worth understanding just how extreme the potential penalties are.
In 2012, a man was convicted of bank loan application fraud in Rochester, New York. He reported his income to the IRS as a bit over $12k a year, while he applied for several lines of credit stating his income as $90k-122k. After being extended lines of credit based on the income he reported, he ended up leaving balances on the accounts and filing for bankruptcy.
As you can see, the potential consequences of lying on your credit card application are likely not worth the risk.
There are other legitimate ways to increase your credit limit, including:
Having a salary of $30,000 is only one of the factors that credit card companies will take into account when determining your credit limit. Most will also look at things like your debt-to-income ratio, employment status, and credit score. However, your income is one of the major factors because it is one piece of the puzzle used to determine how much money you can be expected to pay back each month.
The credit system can seem quite complicated at first. Learning about credit cards, credit utilization ratios, debt-to-income ratios, credit scores, and credit limits can feel like trying to pick up a new language.
Though it might not be anyone's idea of a good time, understanding credit is one of the keys to financial health. Borrowing money responsibly can allow you to finance purchases that you otherwise couldn't make with cash. It can also help you build your credit history in a way that can benefit you down the road.
Are you working to gain a deeper understanding of credit and personal finance? If so, make sure you check out our Credit Building Tips blog for more articles and guides!
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