How to transfer your credit limit on Chase cards

There are many reasons you may be considering a credit line transfer. For example, you may want to take a big trip this summer and your best bet for earning top rewards is to book your flight and hotel accommodations on your Chase Freedom Flex℠.

Unfortunately, your limit on your Chase Freedom Flex is not sufficient to cover all the trip expenses.

What do you do?

If you have another Chase card you don’t use very often, you may want to consider transferring its credit line to the Chase Freedom Flex. You’ll have more room to spend on your Freedom Flex and you can take advantage of the 5X cash back you can earn by booking your travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards.

There are a few key caveats to a credit line transfer, the first and most obvious being that you have to own more than one Chase credit card.

If this sounds like your scenario, we’ll break down what a credit limit transfer is and how it may impact your credit score.

See related: How to earn and use Ultimate Rewards points

What is a credit line transfer?

A credit line transfer is aptly named as it’s simply the process of transferring a line of credit from one card to another. Credit line transfers occur between two cards that are backed by the same issuer.

It’s important to note a request for a credit line transfer is typically granted but it’s not a guarantee. All credit line transfers are approved and facilitated at the discretion of the issuer.

Transferring a credit line vs. balance transfer

A credit line transfer may sound similar to another credit management tool: the balance transfer. The key difference between the two is that a credit line transfer is moving your available credit from one card to another within the same issuer.

A balance transfer, on the other hand, transfers your credit card debt to a new card (typically with a new issuer) in order to take advantage of a low APR to pay down debt.

Put simply, a credit line transfer is moving around credit that is available to you but that you haven’t spent, while doing a balance transfer is moving existing credit card debt to a new card.

Benefits of a credit limit transfer

A credit line transfer can be beneficial when the rewards multipliers of one card outweigh the benefits of another card.

In some cases, transferring your credit line allows you to spend more on the card that earns a higher rewards rate, without impacting your credit score by closing an account or changing your utilization ratio.

See related: The factors of a FICO credit score

Things to consider before transferring

Credit line transfers are typically a low-risk financial decision since you aren’t taking on a new line of credit. Shifting credit from one line to another also shouldn’t impact your credit score because you won’t be closing an account or changing your overall utilization.

One potential pitfall of a credit line transfer is that it could tempt you to overspend.

Take the case of transferring credit to spend more on a travel rewards card. While you aren’t increasing your overall credit limit, transferring more to one card over another could change the way you spend your money.

Consider your overall budget carefully before transferring a line of credit and making big purchases.

How to transfer a line of credit with Chase

Chase is known to have great customer service. Your first option for transferring your credit limit from one card to another is to call and speak to a customer representative. You can formally request the transfer over the phone and get your credit line transferred almost instantly.

Alternatively, you can message Chase online or through its mobile app to make the request. If you are sending a message rather than speaking to a customer representative, strive to be as clear as possible in your message.

This means including your name, the last four digits of your card that you are transferring from and the last four digits of the card you wish to transfer your credit to. Note: It can sometimes take 24 to 48 hours to get a response via messenger.

Bottom line

When it comes to transferring your credit limit between Chase cards, the process is a fairly simple one. As long as you are careful with your spending and stick to a predetermined budget, a credit line transfer should have little to no impact on your financial health and overall credit score.