Can you transfer your credit limit from one Capital One card to another? Unfortunately, the answer is no. While Capital One credit limit transfers were possible a few years ago, Capital One no longer lets you combine credit limits.

This means that if you were thinking about combining Capital One credit card accounts in order to take advantage of a higher credit limit – or close an old Capital One account without hurting your credit score – you're going to have to come up with another way to solve your problem.

If you were considering a credit limit transfer in order to give yourself a higher credit limit on one of your Capital One credit cards, you might want to request a credit card limit increase instead. If you have a history of responsible credit use, your request might be granted right away.

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If you want to combine Capital One cards before closing out an old credit account, look for ways to keep the old account active instead, such as using your old Capital One credit card for a single recurring monthly payment (like Netflix or your gym membership) and setting up autopay to ensure that the credit card bill always gets paid on time.

You can also apply for a new Capital One credit card. This way, you'll get a new line of credit and the opportunity to earn some of Capital One's best rewards and sign-up bonuses. It won't be the same thing as transferring a credit limit to another card on Capital One, but it will get you a new card with a fresh credit limit.

What is a credit limit transfer?

A credit limit transfer is exactly what it sounds like: Taking some (or all) of the credit limit allocated to one credit card and transferring it to another credit card.

If you have a card with a $3,000 credit limit and another card with a $5,000 credit limit, for example, you could combine those two credit limits onto a single card, giving you a credit account with an $8,000 credit limit. Then, you could close the other account without worrying about losing the available credit associated with that account. Since you transferred that line of credit to another card, your total credit limit will remain unchanged, and you won't have to worry about the loss of available credit hurting your credit score.

You could also transfer a portion of one credit limit to another credit card. If you had a credit card with a $3,000 credit limit and a card with a $5,000 credit limit, you could transfer $2,000 of credit from the card with the $3,000 limit, giving you a card with a $1,000 credit limit and a card with a $7,000 credit limit. Some people choose to request this kind of credit limit transfer in order to take advantage of a top rewards credit card. Others transfer a portion of their credit limit so they can increase the purchasing power of their primary spending card.

It's important to note that a credit card limit transfer is not the same thing as a balance transfer. When you transfer a balance from one card to another, you transfer the amount of money you owe – not the credit limit associated with the card. Balance transfer credit cards are designed to help you pay down old debt, and the best balance transfer credit cards offer at least a year of 0% intro APR to help you pay off your balances before they start to accrue interest.

(If you want to transfer a balance to a Capital One credit card, we've got a guide to help you get started.)

Why should I transfer a credit limit to another card?

Here are some of the reasons why people choose to transfer a credit limit to another credit card:

  • To increase the purchasing power of their everyday spending card
  • To transfer more credit to a card that earns better rewards
  • To combine two lines of credit before canceling a credit card

It's worth noting that there are other ways to achieve these goals that don't involve transferring a credit limit from one card to another. If you want to increase the purchasing power of your favorite credit card, you can always request a higher credit limit directly from your card issuer. If you want to earn more credit card rewards, you can request a higher credit limit or use the right credit cards for the right purchases (travel rewards cards for travel expenses, grocery rewards cards for grocery shopping and so on). If you want to cancel a credit card, consider the pros and cons of closing your credit account and decide whether you're better off closing the old card or keeping it active.

How do I combine Capital One credit limits?

Capital One no longer lets you combine credit limits. However, just because you can't combine credit limits doesn't mean you can't increase your Capital One credit limit. If you want to request a higher credit limit with Capital One, all you have to do is log in to your online account or open the Capital One mobile app.

If you're using the mobile app, the option to increase your credit limit is listed in the "Profile" section, under "Account and Feature Settings." If you're visiting your online Capital One account in a web browser, look for the option "I Want To" and then select "Request Credit Line Increase."

Requesting a higher credit limit online is fairly simple – all you have to do is provide some basic personal information, including your income and your monthly mortgage or rent payment. From there, Capital One will use your credit card payment and balance history to determine whether you're eligible for a credit line increase. Requesting a higher credit limit won't have any effect on your credit score, and, in many cases, you'll get your answer immediately.

You can also request a credit line increase over the phone. Simply contact Capital One customer service at 1-800-227-4825 or call the number on the back of your credit card.

Bottom line

While Capital One previously allowed cardholders to combine credit limits on Capital One cards, current cardholders are not able to combine or transfer their credit limits.

Want to increase your credit limit on a Capital One credit card? It's easy to request a credit line increase online or through the Capital One app – just log into your Capital One account and fill out a quick form or call customer service.

Source: creditcards.com