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What Is the Average Credit Card Limit?

6 min read

Published March 6, 2025

Table of contents

Key Takeaways

The average credit card limit is $29,855, but it varies across generations.
Your credit history, income, and fixed monthly payments may determine your credit limit.
The best credit limit for you should help you cover your expenses without straining your income.

A credit limit is the highest balance an individual can carry on a credit card at one time. The average credit card limit in the U.S. has recently gone up, but people across generations haven’t necessarily felt that increase equally. Let’s break down the average credit limit across age groups and discuss the factors that determine your credit limit.

The average credit card limit in the U.S.

The amount of credit people in the U.S. have access to has increased in recent years.

According to Experian, the average credit card limit for a person in the U.S. as of the third quarter of 2023 was $29,855, up from $27,955 in 2022, close to a 7% increase. Keep in mind that this figure refers to the available credit across an individual’s open credit cards, not individual card limits.

Credit limits vary for people across demographics, like age. Those differences offer unique insights into how credit limits work.

Average credit limit by age group

In general, as you enter older generations, you tend to have access to more credit – up to a certain point, that is. Experian offers the following breakdown of average credit card limits by generation:

Generation Z (ages 18-26): $12,899
Millennials (ages 27-42): $27,533
Generation X (ages 43-58): $38,665
Baby Boomers (ages 59-77): $41,906
Silent Generation (ages 78 and older): $32,812

A few factors explain credit limits growing with age.

Older generations often have longer credit histories, which gives them more opportunity to demonstrate their responsible credit habits. A person with 20 years of experience managing credit card balances and making on-time payments may be more qualified, in the eyes of a card issuer, to manage a higher credit limit than someone with only 3 years of similar experience.

Financial capacity also plays a role. Typically, as people become older, they progress in their careers and increase their income. With more income, they can access more credit. That also likely explains why the Silent Generation has lower average credit limits than Gen X or Baby Boomers. Many members of the Silent Generation have likely retired and may rely on a fixed income. They might not qualify for as much credit because they may make less money than they did before retirement.

How are credit limits determined?

Credit card issuers usually want to avoid offering borrowers more credit than they can reasonably repay. They usually evaluate your credit history and monthly cash flow to estimate how much credit you can manage.

Many factors from your credit report may influence your credit card spending limits. For example, a low credit utilization ratio may reassure lenders that you can take on more credit without overextending yourself. Similarly, card issuers often prefer applications with a long, positive credit history. The more your credit report shows your experience properly managing credit, the better.

Did you know?

Credit history plays an important role in determining credit limits. If you’ve just started your credit journey, the Discover it^® Secured Credit Card helps you build your credit history with responsible use.¹

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Credit card applications usually include questions about income and fixed monthly expenses, like a mortgage or rent. That information helps card issuers estimate how much credit you can afford. If you have low housing costs and a relatively high, consistent income, you’re more likely to have extra money to put toward your credit card payments.

Is it good to have more than the average credit card limit?

While a higher-than-average credit limit could give you more spending flexibility, its effect on your financial well-being depends on how you manage it.

If you repay most—or, ideally, all—of your credit card balance in full on time each month, a higher credit limit could have a positive impact. More available credit means a lower credit utilization ratio, which accounts for about 30% of your credit score. However, a higher card limit could also have harmful consequences.

With access to more credit, your risk of overspending may increase. A person who maxes out their $29,855 credit limit may have much more trouble paying down their debts than someone who maxes out a $5,000 credit limit. If your balance becomes difficult to manage, mounting interest could leave you with substantial credit card debt.

Ideally, your credit limit should be high enough to let you buy what you need, but it shouldn’t be higher than you can reasonably afford with your debit card.

If you’ve only just begun building credit history or started your career, a lower credit limit may actually be better for your credit score and spending habits.

On the other hand, if you’re ready to access more credit, a few steps could help you increase your limit.

How to increase your credit limit higher than average

Request an increase. Increasing your credit limit could be as simple as requesting an increase from your credit card issuer. Your credit card issuer may conduct a hard credit check to determine whether you qualify for more credit. Keep in mind that even if you don’t qualify for an increased credit limit, a hard credit check may hurt your credit score. So, it’s usually best to request an increase only when your income or credit has improved.

Update your info. It’s a good practice to update your income information with your credit card issuer whenever your salary increases. Your credit card company may automatically increase your credit limits to reflect your higher income.

Increase your income. If you want to improve your eligibility for a higher credit limit, a few financial changes could give you a boost. Increasing your monthly income, perhaps through a part-time job or side hustle, could improve your chances.

Improve your credit. You could work to improve your credit score by reporting errors on your credit report, paying down your credit card balances, and making sure you never miss a payment. These habits may also make it easier to manage additional credit if your limit does go up.

The Bottom Line

While the average credit limit is $29,855, individual limits vary greatly across demographics and economic situations. The best credit limit for you should ideally meet your spending needs without putting a strain on your income. Responsible credit habits help you manage your current credit lines and increase your limit over time.

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