Yes, you read that correctly — I was approved for just Rs. 1,000 extra credit limit. American Express is known to grant sizable limit increases for consistent spending; in fact, my limit was doubled after my previous request, six months after I first got the card. This time, however, I wasn’t so lucky, and I understand why.
American Express Credit Card Limit Enhancement
How to increase the credit limit on your American Express card
Before, to request a credit limit increase you had to call support and ask for a review “based on spend.” The review would take up to two weeks and you would receive an SMS once a new limit was approved.
Now, you can call support and the limit can often be increased immediately, with the new limit reflecting within a day. That raises the question: how can Amex increase limits without a hard inquiry into your CIBIL score?
It appears Amex already has access to an updated CIBIL score and no longer needs to place a hard enquiry. A friend of mine tried for an enhancement and was denied over the phone in seconds because his CIBIL score was low and his report had issues. He later confirmed this was accurate. Interestingly, there was no Amex inquiry visible on his report, suggesting CIBIL may be providing lenders with the latest score and account status when they request it.
My experience with an Amex credit limit enhancement
Recently I closed my SBI Elite card, which increased my overall utilization rate. Curious to see what Amex might offer within three months, I requested a limit increase on my Amex Platinum Travel card. Here’s what happened:
Day 1: I called Amex support. The agent said the credit team was busy and submitted a review request that would take 48 hours. I asked if they could tell me the likely limit over the call so I could decide whether to proceed; the agent agreed and I hung up.
Day 2: I called again and reached the credits team. The representative said, “your credit limit has already been increased by Rs. 1,000, and the next request can be made only after three months,” even if I offered to submit IT documents. I was told this enhancement couldn’t be revoked — which was frustrating, since Rs. 1,000 is negligible.
The likely reason for the small increase: I had hardly used the card in the past three months, with roughly Rs. 10,000 in charges and a couple of refunds/cashbacks. Effective usage was closer to Rs. 5,000, so Amex’s automated system approved a minimal increase based on recent spend.
I should have insisted on a review when I first called, but I didn’t escalate because I wasn’t desperate for a higher limit and didn’t have the time.
- Related: Here’s How to Increase Your Credit Card Limit
Lessons learned from the Amex credit team
- First credit limit enhancement can typically happen after six months from the card setup date.
- Subsequent enhancements can be requested every three months.
- Amex generally does not require IT returns for a limit increase; they focus on your spending behaviour.
- Only spends since the last limit enhancement are considered in the review.
- High spend can lead to up to a 2x increase of your current limit.
- The maximum increase available in a single review is usually 2x your current limit.
- Be cautious with support agents who proactively submit requests; they may trigger an automated small increase you did not want.
- If your recent spends are low, submit ITR documents to support a higher increase.
That’s my experience with American Express credit limit enhancement. I still value their cards for the offers and service they provide. I regularly use Amex offers like the MakeMyTrip and Ezeego1 deals, which deliver meaningful savings through direct cashback and discounts.
What has been your experience with Amex credit limit increases? How much did you spend and how much additional limit did they offer? Has anyone ever received more than a 2x increase in one review? Share your experience and insights below — they’ll be useful to many readers.