How to Request a Barclaycard Credit Limit Increase

Hundreds of credit card options exist for those who have a relatively strong credit history and a desire to earn rewards on purchases. Barclaycard is one well-known credit card issuer helping consumers reap valuable credit card rewards through a variety of card options. The card issuer offers credit cards in nearly all categories, including luxury cards, cash-back cards, travel cards, and general, no-frills cards.

If you’re a credit card holder with Barclaycard, you may be well aware of the perks you receive. However, managing service aspects of your credit line, such as how to request a credit limit increase, might not be so straightforward.

The good news is that the process of requesting a credit line increase on your Barclaycard credit card is simple. Here’s how you go about getting your credit limit increased.

How to Request a Credit Limit Increase on Your Barclaycard Credit Card

You can either request a credit line increase with your Barclaycard credit card online or over the phone.

Online Requests

As a Barclaycard credit card holder, you have access to all of your account information through an online platform. If you need to request a credit limit increase, most cardholders opt to do so through their online log-in. The steps to take include:

• Visit the Barclaycard log-in page here
• Enter your username and password
• Once logged in, click the ‘Services’ tab on the upper right-hand side of the page
• Scroll down to the ‘Request Credit Line Increase’ option
• If you are eligible for a credit line increase, you have the opportunity to enter the amount you would like to move up to
• You may also be asked to verify financial information, including housing costs or income
• Once the information is put in, click submit

Over the Phone

If you do not have online access or you prefer to make your request over the phone, you may do so by calling the number on the back of your credit card or the customer service number at 1-877-523-0478. The customer service representative you speak with will ask to verify your account details to ensure you are who you say you are.

Once that process is complete, you can request a credit limit increase in the amount you want. You may be asked to provide financial information over the phone, including income and housing status.

Considerations for Credit Limit Increases

When requesting a Barclaycard credit limit increase, it is important to know that the credit card issuer conducts a hard inquiry on your credit report. This means you will see a new entry on your report that states you applied for new credit, albeit with an existing creditor. While a hard inquiry is not the worst thing in the world (it can ding your credit score by a few points), it is beneficial to limit how many hard inquiries you have on your credit report in a short period of time to minimize the impact.

Also, credit limit increase requests either over the phone or online can take as little as a few minutes to be approved. However, Barclaycard may take up to 10 business days to review your credit report and score, then make a decision on approving or declining your limit increase request. In either case, you will be notified via mail, and in some cases email, about the status of your credit line increase request.

Why Request a Credit Limit Increase?

Requesting a Barclaycard credit line increase can be beneficial to some cardholders, as it provides more purchasing power. This is especially helpful if you are planning to make a major purchase on your credit card, or if you are planning to utilize a balance transfer offer on your Barclaycard credit card. In requesting and getting approval for a credit line increase, you may also boost your credit score. If you do not use the new credit line, your credit utilization ratio may be higher, which in turn increases your score.

However, it is important to balance the benefits of credit line increases against the downsides, including the hard inquiry and the potential to have access to too much credit. The latter can create some trouble if you are not responsible with your spending habits over time.

The Bottom Line

Requesting a credit line increase with Barclaycard is a simple process, either over the phone or through the online platform. Before taking the steps to request the increase, be sure to understand why you are doing it and how it will impact your credit score, both positively and negatively.