(Last reviewed by RinggitPlus: September 2026)
To increase your credit card limit, apply through your bank and submit your latest income documents. You can request a permanent increase or, for certain short-term needs, a temporary one. Approval depends on your income, repayment record and the bank’s assessment.
If you earn RM36,000 a year or less, Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) rules also limit how much credit you can receive. And even above that threshold, your bank still makes its decision based on your income and repayment history.
How To Apply For A Permanent Credit Limit Increase
RinggitPlus reviewed BNM’s current rules and the credit limit increase instructions published by Maybank and CIMB. While the exact process varies by bank, you will generally need to apply and submit your latest income documents.
The process is broadly similar across banks:
- Log in to your bank's app or online banking portal, or download the credit limit increase form from its website.
- Fill in your requested new limit and attach your latest income documents – a payslip, EPF statement, EA form, or Borang BE with the official tax receipt, depending on your employment type.
- Submit the form online, by email, or at a branch, along with the supporting documents.
- Wait for the bank's decision. Processing time varies by bank and application method.
Before approving an increase, your bank will assess whether you can afford the higher limit. It will also check CCRIS, which shows your existing credit facilities and recent repayment history.
BNM rules prevent banks from increasing the limits of cardholders with a poor repayment history or difficulty keeping up with repayments. Therefore, you should not rely on a higher limit to cover an existing cash-flow shortfall.
Keeping your income details updated with your bank can help even if you're not actively applying for an increase, since some issuers use your latest declared income when they periodically review existing cardholders' limits.
Applying For A Temporary Credit Limit Increase
A temporary limit increase may be an option if you only need extra spending room for a short period.
Some banks only offer temporary increases for specific purposes, such as overseas travel, weddings, medical expenses or funeral costs. You'll typically need to state your reason, and for travel, your destination and dates.
How long the increase lasts depends on the bank and the purpose you've given. CIMB, for example, caps its temporary increase at 60 calendar days, while other issuers set the period around your specific request, such as the length of your trip.
Once the period ends, your limit returns to its previous amount. You must still repay any amount spent using the temporary increase.
BNM Limits For Cardholders Earning RM36,000 Or Less
Under BNM's Policy Document on Credit Card and Credit Card-i, a principal cardholder must be at least 21 years old and earn a minimum of RM24,000 a year to qualify for a card. If your annual income is RM36,000 or less, two additional restrictions apply:
- You can hold credit cards from up to two issuers.
- Each issuer can extend you a credit limit of up to two times your monthly income.
These restrictions apply whether you're a new applicant or an existing cardholder, and your bank cannot approve a higher limit than this even if you ask for more.
Retirees are exempt from both the minimum income requirement and the restrictions. Instead, issuers assess a retiree's creditworthiness using their own criteria and a formal affordability check.
If you earn more than RM36,000 a year, the two-issuer and two-times-monthly-income restrictions do not apply. Your bank will set your credit limit based on its own assessment.
| Annual Income | Maximum Card Issuers | Credit Limit Per Issuer |
| RM36,000 or less | Two issuers | Twice your monthly income |
| Above RM36,000 | Not subject to the two-issuer restriction | Set by the bank based on its assessment |
| Retirees | Not subject to this restriction | Set by the bank following an affordability assessment |
For example, someone earning RM2,500 a month (RM30,000 a year) can be extended a maximum limit of RM5,000 by each of their two issuers. They cannot hold a card from a third issuer unless they first give up their cards from one of the existing issuers or their annual income rises above RM36,000.
Your Bank Needs Your Consent To Increase Your Limit
Banks sometimes send unrequested offers to increase your credit limit. Under BNM's rules, an issuer cannot activate this kind of increase until you've accepted it, in writing or verbally.
If you do not accept the offer, the higher limit will not take effect. Your bank is also required to tell you how to request a reduction if you'd rather your limit stayed where it is.
When Should You Increase Your Credit Card Limit?
A higher limit isn't automatically useful. It's worth considering against how you use your card.
It might make sense if:
- Your income has increased since your last limit review.
- You consistently pay your balance in full and on time.
- Your current limit is too low for planned purchases that you can afford to repay.
- You want additional spending room for travel or other temporary needs.
Think twice if:
- You're currently only managing the minimum monthly repayment.
- You tend to spend up to whatever limit you're given.
- You're requesting the increase specifically to cover an existing shortfall.
- Your income hasn't changed, and the bank would be assessing you on outdated information.
Should You Increase Your Credit Limit Or Apply For Another Card?
If you want more available credit, you can ask your current bank to raise your limit or apply for another card. If you choose another card, whether it comes from the same bank or a different bank affects how your total credit limit works.
Keeping one card may be simpler if it already offers benefits you use, such as cashback, a low interest rate or rewards. Another card may make more sense if it offers a different benefit. For example, you could pair a travel card with a cashback card for daily spending.
Applying For Another Card From The Same Bank
Some banks apply one combined credit limit across all the cards you hold with them. Maybank and CIMB, for example, use this approach.
This means getting another card from either bank may not increase your total available credit. Both cards will draw from the same combined limit unless the bank also agrees to raise it.
Applying For A Card From A Different Bank
A different bank will assess your application based on your income, CCRIS record and its own approval criteria. The credit limit it offers may not match your existing limit or the amount you requested.
If you earn RM36,000 or less, you can only apply with another issuer if you currently hold cards from fewer than two issuers. The maximum credit limit from each issuer is also capped at two times your monthly income.
Whichever option you choose, make sure the limit remains manageable and that you can repay what you spend. RinggitPlus lets you compare credit cards by eligibility, fees, interest rates and rewards, so you can find one that suits your income and spending habits.
