Building a $300K Credit Line: From Zero to Arbitrage-Ready
How to build credit history and maximize limits for credit card arbitrage
Introduction
This post continues from the Credit Card Arbitrage Guide, addressing the second part of Evan’s question:
Can you talk a little more about how to get started doing credit card arbitrage, like the basics? How does one go about getting all these credit cards without tanking your credit score and then getting denied by any more cards in the future? I have 2 credit cards with low limits, each around $2,500. Those won’t work.
Rather than rephrasing existing resources on credit basics, I’ll show you how to systematically build toward a $300,000+ cashable credit limit from major banks. This is the threshold where credit card arbitrage becomes truly profitable.
Part 1: Understanding Credit Fundamentals
There are numerous excellent online resources to learn about credit scoring. The fundamentals of the credit scoring system remain constant even as specific products change. I maintained a blog called SoCal Credit Card from 2009 to 2015, tracking the credit journeys of four individuals:
Here is their credit card limits as of April 2015. Review these resources and develop your own strategy based on your starting point.
Part 2: Two Factors That Determine Credit Limits
Getting approved for a credit card depends on your credit score and recent activity. But your credit limit depends on two different factors:
Factor 1: Total Revolving Credit Limit
Banks consider your existing total credit when assigning new limits. Some banks make it easy to obtain credit limit increases, while others do not. American Express and Citi are the two banks that help boost your total revolving credit the fastest.
Factor 2: Annual Income
Your stated annual income significantly impacts your credit limit. A household income of $200,000-$250,000 positions you for premium limits. Banks typically do not verify income and employment information for credit card applications, though they reserve the right to request documentation.
Important: Be consistent. Establish your profile information and use the same details for all future credit card applications and limit increase requests. Inconsistencies raise flags.
Part 3: Bank-by-Bank Strategy
Not all banks are equal for credit card arbitrage. Here’s how to approach each major issuer:
Tier 1: Primary Banks for Arbitrage
These four banks should form the core of your arbitrage strategy:
Bank of America
Strategy: Apply for new cards rather than requesting credit line increases. This approach also earns you sign-up bonuses. Bank of America focuses on your total credit allocation rather than individual limits.
Target: ~$20,000 per card, ~$80,000 total across 4 cards
Rules to follow: Be mindful of the 2/3/4 rule when applying.
Recommended cards:
- BankAmericard — zero fee balance transfer
- Bank of America Cash Rewards — $200 after $500 spend
- Susan G. Komen Cash Rewards Visa — $200 after $500 spend
- MLB Card — $200 after $500 spend
- World Wildlife Fund Card — $200 after $500 spend
- U.S. Pride Card — $200 after $500 spend
Avoid:
- Bank of America Travel Rewards — points less valuable than cash
- Bank of America Premium Rewards — $95 annual fee not worth it for arbitrage
Chase
Strategy: Apply for new cards rather than requesting credit line increases. Request a product change before applying for the same card again, or you will not receive the sign-up bonus.
Target: ~$20,000 per card, ~$80,000 total across 4 cards
Rules to follow: Be mindful of the 2/30 Rule and the 5/24 Rule.
Recommended cards:
- Chase Slate — zero fee balance transfer
- Chase Freedom Unlimited — $150 after $500 spend
- Chase Freedom — $150 after $500 spend
- Chase Sapphire Preferred — 50,000 bonus points after $4,000 spend; $95 annual fee
Pro tip: For Chase Slate and Chase Sapphire Preferred, request a product change to Chase Freedom after completing sign-up bonus requirements. This frees up the product slot for future applications.
Citi
Strategy: Request credit increases aggressively. Citi makes it very easy to increase limits. Request an increase as soon as you receive a new card.
Target: $25,000 per card (increased from $7,000 starting limit), ~$100,000 total across 4 cards
Rules to follow: Be mindful of the 8/65 rule.
Recommended cards:
- Citi Double Cash — 2% cash back on everything
- Citi ThankYou Preferred — flexible points
Discover
Strategy: Easy to reach $25,000 limit per card. You can have a maximum of 2 Discover cards.
Target: $25,000 per card, $50,000 total across 2 cards
Recommended cards:
- Discover it — rotating 5% categories
- Discover it Miles — 1.5x on everything
Tier 2: Supporting Banks (Credit Building Only)
These banks help increase your total revolving credit but are not suitable for balance transfer arbitrage:
American Express
Why not for arbitrage: You can only transfer 50% of your assigned credit limit, up to a maximum of $7,500, whichever is less.
Why still useful: Amex limits are easy to increase (up to 3x your current limit). Use Amex to boost total revolving credit, which lowers your utilization ratio when you have substantial balance transfers elsewhere. Very easy to reach $30,000 limit per card.
Recommended cards:
- Amex EveryDay Credit Card — 25,000 points after $2,000 spend
- Blue Cash Everyday Card — $150 after $1,000 spend
Barclaycard
Limitation: Maximum balance transfer amount is $20,000 per account (not per card).
Strategy: Request credit increase immediately upon receiving a new card. I increased my limit from $5,000 to $20,000 using this method.
Capital One
Difficult to obtain $20,000+ limits if your initial limit is low. Not recommended for this strategy.
U.S. Bank
Not useful for arbitrage—balance transfer terms are unfavorable. Keep only to increase total revolving credit.
Wells Fargo
Not useful for arbitrage. Limited to 1 card per person.
Part 4: The $300K Target Breakdown
Here is how to reach $300,000+ in cashable credit from the four primary banks:
| Bank | Cards | Per Card | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank of America | 4 | $20,000 | $80,000 |
| Chase | 4 | $20,000 | $80,000 |
| Citi | 4 | $25,000 | $100,000 |
| Discover | 2 | $25,000 | $50,000 |
| Total Cashable Credit | 14 | — | $310,000 |
Note: Do not rely on American Express, Barclaycard, Capital One, U.S. Bank, or Wells Fargo for cashable credit. Use them only to build total revolving credit and lower your utilization ratio.
Summary
| Action | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Target cashable limit | $300,000+ from 4 primary banks |
| Primary banks | Bank of America, Chase, Citi, Discover |
| Supporting banks | Amex, Barclaycard (for utilization ratio only) |
| Limit increase strategy | Citi/Barclaycard: request increases; BofA/Chase: apply for new cards |
| Key rules | Chase 5/24, Citi 8/65, BofA 2/3/4 |
Last updated: January 2026
