Increase or decrease your credit limit

For the moment, it’s not possible to request an increase to the credit limit for your Amazon Barclaycard. We’re hoping to introduce this feature in the near future. You can use our app to ask us to decrease your limit, instead of calling us.

• We won’t send you a letter – instead you’ll receive an email.
• Your new, lower limit will take effect one day after the email is sent.

Your credit limit can increase or decrease from when you first get your card. This can happen either at your request, or because the bank needs to make a change due to a change in circumstances. Here are some of the possibilities.

Occasionally we may have to reduce your credit limit. This usually happens because of how you’re using your Barclaycard or credit from other lenders, and from information we’re sent from Credit Reference Agencies about your credit history. Reasons can include:

• multiple missed payments
• going over your credit limit
• making low repayments to pay off your balance
• making a high number of cash-like transactions
• applying for multiple new types of credit in a short space of time
• being made bankrupt or having a history of County Court Judgements (CCJs)

We’ll think about it carefully before we decide to reduce your limit. We’ll look at how you’ve used your card in the past – and how you’re using it now. We’ll look at other types of credit you’ve got too. And if we do decide to lower your limit, we’ll send you a letter to let you know – your new limit will take effect three days after the date on this letter.

It’s not an easy decision, but we want to make sure you don’t get into more debt than you can manage. A lower credit limit can help you to stay on top of your finances in the long-term. It can even help you build up your credit rating again over time.

Of course, you can also reapply for a credit limit increase – but you should wait several months. You may want to use this time to improve your credit score. This will significantly improve your chance of being approved for your next increase. Here are some tips for how to raise your credit score even further.

Get in touch if you’d like to speak to us about reducing your credit limit.

You can ask for an increase or decrease in your credit limit online. Just tell us what you'd like your credit limit to be and we'll see what we can do for you. If we decide we can change it, we’ll update it. If we can’t change it, we’ll let you know – usually within 24 hours.

You can also ask us to increase or decrease your credit limit in Barclaycard online servicing.

What you need to know before you ask us to change your limit

Quick guide

• Step one – log in to your account and select ‘Manage account’ in the top menu
• Step two – select ‘Change your credit limit’ and tell us the new limit you’d like, then enter your employment and income details
• Step three – submit your request – we’ll usually give you an instant decision.

Not registered? Register now to update your details.

We make decisions on credit limit increases based on information we already hold on you from credit reference agencies and how you’ve used your Barclaycard in the past. As a responsible lender, we may have to decline your request for a credit limit increase to make sure you don’t get into more debt than you can manage. There are a number of reasons why we might decline your request – here are some of the most common ones:

When it comes to credit limits, there are a few things you should avoid doing. Don’t try to increase your credit limit by spending beyond it. Going beyond your overdraft limit is likely to cost you in higher fees or penalties. It may also go on your credit history and harm your chance of being approved for a credit limit increase.

You should also try to avoid asking for a credit limit increase if you’re struggling to meet your expenses and repayment costs. It may seem like a tempting option, but can often lead to even deeper debt.

However, if you need to increase your credit limit for a single purchase, some banks will let you shift your lines of credit between different cards. For example, if you have a £2000 credit limit on one card and a £6,000 credit limit on a different one, you might ask for £1000 to be moved to the other card so you can make purchases without exceeding your credit limit. Not all banks will agree, but it’s worth calling. If you need help managing your spending and borrowing, just call and see if we can help.

If you’re looking for ways to manage debt, you’ll find some answers at Money worries? We can help for additional help.