Will a secured credit card increase my limit?

You can build credit with a secured credit card in as little as one to two months, but it will take many months or even years to build a consistently good or excellent credit score. The length of time also depends on whether you’re building credit from nothing or rebuilding damaged credit.... read full answer

If you have no credit, you could see a good score after just a few months of paying on time. You’ll have a VantageScore after one month and a FICO Score after 6. With bad credit, though, it will probably take 12-18 months of responsible use for you to move up to the fair credit range. Secured credit cards are great for building credit because they are easy to get and report to the credit bureaus just like unsecured cards.

But it's hard to give you an accurate estimate of how long it will take to build credit with a secured credit card without knowing the details of your situation. That’s where WalletHub can help. Just sign up for a free account, and we’ll give you a personalized credit analysis that will tell you what to improve and give you a better sense of how long it will take.

Here’s how long it takes to build credit with a secured credit card:

• If you have no credit, it will take 1 month to get a VantageScore and 6 to get a FICO score. Depending on how responsibly you use your card, your first score could be anywhere from bad to good.
• If you pay your bill on time and otherwise manage your finances responsibly, you can rebuild from a bad credit score (300-639) to a fair credit score (640-699) in approximately 12-18 months.
• A good credit score based on limited information could easily fall due to an increase in credit utilization or a single missed payment. Building and then keeping a good or excellent credit score requires consistency over time. This is a project measured in years.
• For people rebuilding credit, it will take 7-10 years for some negative information, like bankruptcies and late payments, to disappear from your credit report. But the older they are, the less impact they will have on your score.

If you’re looking to rebuild your credit, secured credit cards are the best way to do it. They’re easy to get and are indistinguishable from unsecured cards aside from the deposit requirement.

Rebuilding credit will take a while, so it’s best to get started as soon as possible. Some good behaviors to practice are always paying on time and using less than 30% of your available credit.

Checking your credit reports regularly for errors and disputing any you find is also important.

The credit limit on a secured credit card is almost always equal to the amount of the refundable security deposit required to open the secured card account. For example, the credit limit on a secured credit card will be $200 if the cardholder puts down a $200 security deposit, and the limit will be $300 with a $300 deposit.... read full answer

There are often minimum and maximum security deposit amounts that will restrict cardholders’ credit limits to a certain range, generally between $200 and $5,000. In some cases, you’ll even need the card issuer’s approval if you want to add to your security deposit to get a higher credit limit than you currently have.

An Exception to the Rule: Partially Secured Cards

Although rare, there are also some partially secured cards. These are secured cards that allow you to get a credit limit that’s higher than your deposit amount. The Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card, for example, offers a starting credit limit of $200 for a deposit of $49, $99 or $200, depending on the applicant’s credit standing.

There are two ways to increase your Capital One secured card's credit limit: deposit more money than required when you open the account or pay your bill on time and hope you get an automatic credit limit increase. If you make on-time payments for the first six months, you will be considered for a higher credit limit on your Capital One secured card.... read full answer

Ways to Increase Your Capital One Secured Card Limit

• Over-deposit before getting your card
  

  If you get approved, Capital One will require you to place a security deposit of $49, $99 or $200 to actually open your account. The deposit amount you’re assigned depends on your overall credit standing, but everyone starts with a $200 credit limit – unless you deposit more than is required, that is.

  
  

  Any amount you deposit above what’s required will boost your spending limit by the same amount. For example, if you’re required to place a $49 deposit and you put down $149, your credit limit will be $300 instead of $200.

• Pay on time for 6+ months
  

  After account opening, the only way to get a Capital One secured card credit limit increase is to pay on time for 6 months. If you do, Capital One will likely raise your credit limit during the 7^th month. By how much, though, is completely up to them. If you pay on time but other aspects of your credit get worse, you might not get an increase.

  
  

  It’s also possible that Capital One will eventually return your deposit and transition you to an unsecured credit card with a higher credit limit. But that depends on how financially responsible you are.

Final Take

Different secured cards have different rules regarding security deposits and spending limit increases. You can usually increase your limit by depositing more money, often at any time. But you generally can’t just call and ask for more spending power without giving the credit card company something in return.

The only absolute chance you have to get yourself more credit is at the very start when you send in extra money on top of your deposit. Otherwise, you’ll have to speak with your actions by paying on time until Capital One raises the limit themselves.