Chase Freedom Unlimited Credit Limit

Many Chase Freedom Unlimited® users receive a credit limit of $1,000 - $3,000. Find out how Chase determines your credit limit and how to get an increase.

Chase Freedom Unlimited is a great everyday cash back card to have in your wallet.

You get an cash back on all purchases, with no rotating categories and no annual fee. Plus, there's a long intro APR so you have time to pay off major purchases.

Maybe you're hoping to buy a new TV with the card. Or even fund a vacation or wedding expenses.

But how much of a credit limit can you expect to get? Will it be enough for what you want to buy?

Let's take a look at what kind of credit limit Chase Freedom Unlimited offers.

Chase Freedom Unlimited Credit Limit

The lowest limit reported by users is $500, while the highest is over $30,000.

Your chances for approval for the Chase Freedom Unlimited card are good with a decent credit score. It also has a pretty good reputation for awarding respectable initial credit limits.

In general, the limits mostly fall in the $500 - $10,000 range, with the majority receiving between $1,000 and $5,000. The average credit limit given seems to be approximately $3,000.

Let's take a look at how Chase determines your credit line.

Factors That Determine Your Credit Limit

Of course, your credit score will be one of the first things Chase look at.

But having a high credit score doesn't automatically mean you'll get a high credit limit. Some people with lower scores have gotten a credit limit even higher than those with an excellent score.

For example, a user with a credit score of 650 was approved for a $3,000 credit limit, while another user with a credit score of 730 was approved with just a $500 credit limit. How come?

It's because there are other factors Chase considers when deciding your credit limit.

• Your length of credit history. If you're still relatively new to credit (less than 6 months), you may not receive a high credit limit even if you have a good score. A lot of users with young credit histories report low credit limits from $500 to $1,000.

• Your payment history. If you've missed or made late payments in the past, or carry a balance, Chase may not be comfortable giving you a higher credit limit.

  If you're lucky to be approved for the card at all, it's most likely that you'll receive a small limit until you prove that you can use the card responsibly.

• Your income. Those with higher incomes are more likely to receive a higher credit limit, since their income can support higher payments. People with 2 sets of income in the family may get a higher credit limit too.

• Credit limit on other cards. If you have other credit cards, Chase may follow the lead of what other banks gave you. If other banks trusted you with high limits and you've been a good user, then Chase will be more likely to trust you too.

How to Get a Credit Limit Increase

If your initial credit limit given is very low, don't worry. There are ways to get it increased over time.

• Automatic credit limit increases. If you have been using your card responsibly for several months, Chase may automatically award you an increase. Using your card responsibly means:
  • You make your payments on time each month
    
  • You pay off your card in full each month
    
  • You keep your credit utilization low, ideally at 30% or below (i.e., you don't max out your card)

  Some users have reported that they got automatic increases within months. Others have waited a year or more with no increase. If you have not gotten an increase after 6 months, you can try our next step.

  Also remember to update any salary increases on your profile. A higher salary may make Chase see that you can afford a higher credit limit.
  

• Ask Chase directly. If you've been using your card responsibly for at least 6 months, you can just call the number on the back of your card and ask for your credit limit to be increased. Most users have reported positive responses when they called in to ask.
  • The best time to ask is when you have paid off your balance.
    
  • Explain why you want the increase (e.g., you want to use this as your primary card).
    
  • Know how much you want. Be reasonable.

  Note that Chase will need to check your credit again. This will trigger a hard pull, which will ding your credit a little.

• Ask to transfer credit limit between cards. If you have more than one Chase card, you can ask to transfer part of the credit limit from one to the other. This way, the total credit Chase extends you remains the same.

  Some people also open up a new Chase card, and then ask to move the credit limit over to the card they want the higher limit on.

• Ask for credit limit increases on your other cards. This is helpful overall, because when your credit limit increases on other cards, your credit utilization ratio goes down. This helps to improve your credit score, which makes it easier to get a credit limit increase from Chase.

Bottom Line

Chase Freedom Unlimited card is not the hardest card to get. Your credit limit will depend on how well you've been handling credit in the past. Even if you receive an initial low limit, you can always ask for a credit line increase after you've proved to be a responsible user.