Best high-limit credit cards of October 2024

Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.

When you open a new credit card account, most issuers will assign you a credit limit. This line of credit can be anywhere from $200 to tens of thousands of dollars, and in most cases, you can’t spend more than your limit. 

You can qualify for a higher limit with almost any credit card as long as you have a good or excellent credit score and a stable income, but some high-limit cards offer a minimum cap of $5,000 or more.

Below, CNBC Select looks at how you can get a high-limit credit card, the best high-limit credit cards as well as options for those who don’t yet qualify.

Visa Signature-branded credit cards, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card typically offer a starting credit limit of $5,000 or more. Credit Karma user data suggests that the average limit for the Chase Sapphire Preferred is around $10,000. However, it may be possible for well-qualified applicants to get a six-figure limit, according to some reports.

Pro tip: You can pair this card with a Chase bank account

When you open a Chase Total Checking® account, you can earn a $300 bonus after you make at least $500 in direct deposits within 90 days of opening the account. You can also waive the monthly maintenance fee with qualifying activities.

To keep the Chase Total Checking account open for free, you’ll need to meet one of the following requirements each statement period:

• Electronic deposits made into this account totaling $500 or more, such as payments from payroll providers or government benefit providers, by using (i) the ACH network, (ii) the Real Time Payment or FedNow℠ network, (iii) third party services that facilitate payments to your debit card using the Visa® or Mastercard® network
• OR a balance at the beginning of each day of $1,500 or more in this account
• OR an average beginning day balance of $5,000 or more in any combination of this account and linked qualifying Chase checking, savings, and other balances.

A tier above Visa Signature is Visa Infinite cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. These cards offer a starting credit limit of $10,000, according to their terms and conditions. Credit limits are not published on Chase’s site for the Sapphire Reserve card, but premium travel cards like this one generally have higher limits. Sapphire Reserve cardholders on sites like myFICO® Forums have reported having a credit limit as high as $80,000.

Several popular Amex cards such as The Platinum Card® from American Express don’t have any preset spending limits at all. Rather, they have ever-changing spending limits based on your behavior and history as a cardholder — and they are constantly in flux. Depending on the cardholder, this could mean a limit that’s double or triple that of a traditional card. However, you’ll need to pay your balance off in full each month to avoid the Pay Over Time feature’s steep APR; see rates and fees. Cardholders can check their spending power via a tool on the Amex website and app or by calling in. Terms apply.

Pro tip: You can pair this card with an Amex bank account

An American Express® Rewards Checking account comes with a 1.00% APY and no monthly maintenance fees. Plus, you’ll earn Membership Rewards points on eligible debit card purchases (one point for every $2 in eligible spending).

Often, two cardholders with the same card can have very different credit limits. For example, with the Chase Freedom Unlimited® approved cardholders will either receive the basic level Visa Platinum card (with a minimum credit limit of $500) or the upgraded Visa Signature card (with a minimum credit limit of $5,000), according to Chase Freedom Unlimited’s pricing and terms. 

If you have less-than-stellar credit and want the opportunity to improve your score, the Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card does the trick and allows you to increase your available credit line. You won’t have a high limit right away, but Capital One automatically considers you for a higher credit limit after six months of on-time payments.

Cardholders on myFICO® Forums report that using your Capital One card consistently and paying your balance off in full each month is the best way to make sure you get access to a higher credit limit. One member said that cardholders may receive a $100 increase after their second or third billing statement. Once your score gets into the good range, you can try applying for one of the cards listed above or upgrading to another Capital One card.

For anyone just beginning their credit journey or working to rebuild their credit, secured credit cards can help you get on track. Secured cards require that you make a deposit, usually around $200, which becomes your line of credit. So it’s rare that secured cards have high limits. But if you do have the cash to put down a substantial deposit, the Platinum Secured Mastercard® from First Tech Federal Credit Union offers credit limits as high as $25,000. For a higher credit limit, you will need to deposit more money.

You may want a high-limit secured credit card if you find yourself with plenty of savings but you don’t yet qualify for a high-limit unsecured card.

A high-limit credit card typically comes with a credit line between $5,000 to $10,000 (and some even go beyond $10,000).

You’re more likely to have a higher credit limit if you have good or excellent credit.

A high-limit credit card can help you improve your credit score since it raises your overall available credit and can lower your credit utilization rate. It can also be helpful to cardholders who have high monthly expenses or are looking to purchase a big-ticket item. If you have a high credit limit, just make sure that you spend within your means and avoid charging more than you can afford. 

Many card issuers don’t publicize their credit limits, but some include a minimum credit limit in their pricing and terms. Be sure to read closely before applying for a credit card so you know what to expect if they do only offer a minimum.

You won’t know your exact credit limit until your application is final, and credit limits vary depending on your specific credit score and income.

If you end up with a card that has a lower credit limit than you wanted, you can always ask for a credit limit increase by speaking to your issuer over the phone or making a request online. Some issuers will automatically increase your credit limit once you’ve made consecutive on-time payments after the first few months.

At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every credit card review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of credit card products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics. See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best high-limit credit cards.

To determine which are the best high-limit credit cards, CNBC Select analyzed over 230 of the most popular credit cards available in the U.S. We compared each card on a range of features, including: spending limits, rewards, welcome bonus, introductory and standard APR, balance transfer fee and foreign transaction fees, as well as factors such as required credit and customer reviews when available. We also considered additional perks, the application process and how easy it is for the consumer to redeem points.

Catch up on CNBC Select’s in-depth coverage of credit cards, banking and money, and follow us on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay up to date.

For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.