UK credit card limit calculator
Enter one applicant’s or cardholder’s details to see a credit limit for the United Kingdom. The limit is the lowest of what card behaviour allows, what income carries after other debts and what the rules allow, and the page identifies which one sets it.
Credit limit
The limit is £12,500, set by rules in United Kingdom (FCA). Behaviour gives £15,000, income carries £16,667, and the market’s rules allow £12,744, which reflects an income cap in some markets and a repayment test in others.
High utilisation with enough statements paid in full earns the large increase.
Candidate limits
The lowest candidate is the limit, and a candidate with no cap has no bar.
Market rules for this person
| Rule | Cap for person | Applies |
|---|---|---|
| There is no cap on the limit, and the full limit, drawn at once and repaid in equal monthly instalments over 36 months at 24% a year, has to fit in what income leaves after other debt payments. | £12,744 | Yes |
These summaries cover each regulator’s rule for this tool and do not reproduce the full text. The issuer checks the current text. The lowest applicable cap is the market’s cap.
Behaviour decision table
| Months on book | Missed payments | Utilisation | Paid in full | Limit action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| <6 | ANY | ANY | ANY | Hold limit |
| >=6 | >=2 | ANY | ANY | Cut by 50% |
| >=6 | 1 | ANY | ANY | Hold limit |
| >=6 | 0 | >=70% | >=50% | Raise by 50% |
| >=6 | 0 | >=70% | <50% | Hold limit |
| >=6 | 0 | >=30% | ANY | Raise by 25% |
| >=6 | 0 | <30% | ANY | Hold limit |
Rows paste as decision table cells, and the first matching row wins.
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Run these limit rules inside the credit decision for every application and cardholder, read limits held elsewhere from the bureau at that moment, and test threshold changes on past decisions before they go live. Start free
Show formulas
Behaviour limit, New applicant = Starting income multiple × Monthly net income Behaviour limit, Cardholder = Today’s limit × (1 + Large increase | Small increase) or × (1 − Cut after missed payments) Affordability limit = (Income share for all debt payments × Monthly net income − Other debt payments) ÷ Card payment share of limit Own income cap = Own income cap × Monthly net income Market = Lowest applicable market cap Credit limit = min(Behaviour limit, Affordability limit, Own income cap, Market), Rounded down Rounding step
The affordability limit assumes the card is fully drawn, and the behaviour rules are an example policy to edit, not a standard. Regulatory caps are summaries for this tool and are not legal advice.
How UK credit card limits are set
The UK rules require an assessment of whether the cardholder could repay the whole limit if it were drawn at once in equal instalments over a reasonable period. The FCA does not set a cap or specify the period in months, so the calculator uses the period you set and the card’s interest rate to show a figure alongside the affordability limit.
The limit is the lowest of the behaviour limit, affordability limit, the lender’s own income cap and the figure from the UK rules. Which one sets the limit depends on the applicant or cardholder, so use the result to review their case and edit the example behaviour policy.
UK credit card limit questions
How are credit card limits decided in the UK?
The UK has no cap on the credit limit. The calculator compares card behaviour, what income can carry after other debt payments and the figure from its reading of the FCA rules.
How long should a UK credit limit take to repay?
The FCA says to assess the full limit as drawn at once and repaid in equal instalments over a reasonable period. The rule does not fix that period in months, so the calculator uses the period you set.
Does the UK set a maximum credit card limit?
The UK rules do not set a cap on the credit limit. They require a creditworthiness assessment based on repayment of the whole limit over a reasonable period.
Can a UK credit card limit be based on income?
The UK rules set no income cap on the credit limit. The calculator uses income after other debt payments to work out the amount that fits the repayment test.
How are UK credit card limit increases assessed?
The UK rules set no cap on an increase. The calculator compares the behaviour limit with what income can carry and the figure from its reading of the FCA rules.