Won’t raise my credit limit briefly? Ok bye

I had completely forgotten this until a credit card story reminded me.

Back in the 1990s I was a student and had a credit card with a limit of £100 which was absurd. I used it every other month or so and laid it off immediately. I didn’t even want it, it came with the account.

So I had had it for about 8-10 years by now and my friends all said their credit limit went up automatically to embarrassing levels. Not mine: it stayed at 100.

There came a day I wanted to buy something (CD player) for the massive price of 110. In those days we had cheque guarantee cards that went to 100 max. You were not allowed to split payment so it was cash or card.

So I rang up and asked if my limit could go up by the crazy amount of 10. I had years of paying off the card on my record so thought it would be simple.

Ah no. They asked about my income. I had a student stipend and a couple of gardening jobs that paid 5 a week.

“Could you provide proof of those please?”

‘These are me mowing someone’s lawn. I really don’t want to ask them to provide proof’ (don’t forget printers were rare-ish. This would have been a formal handwritten letter and then further proof for them)

“We need proof”

‘I can send you proof of my stipend. Could you raise the limit for one week? It’s ten pounds over my current limit which hasn’t gone up ever, in almost ten years’.

“We need proof of all income I’m afraid”

‘Does my history of paying off my credit reliably count for anything?’

“No, we need proof of this all income to raise your limit”.

faced with this obnoxious bureaucracy I said ‘ok well my friends complain about their credit limit going stratospheric, but apparently i can’t be trusted with an extra ten pounds, I’m cutting the card up, please close the account’

“Wait please I’ll get a supervisor”

At this point I’m thinking my reaction has won the day, and then the supervisor comes on.

I explain I want to make one purchase and only need an extra ten pounds, even temporarily. And that I can prove my student stipend but these two five-quid gardening jobs are real money but I’m not going to ask them for formal letters asserting I cut their grass every week.

“I’m afraid we need proof of-“

‘Ah I thought you could help. Never mind, I’m cutting the card up. Please close the account’

“No don’t do that”

‘Can you give me an extra ten pounds on my credit limit ‘

“Well we need-“

SNIP NOISE DOWN PHONE

‘That was me cutting the card in half.’ <hang up>

I currently use less than 20% of my Amex limit but am no longer with that bank…

(Please don’t repost this or use it on your podcast, I will remove it. Just enjoy the subreddit).

ETA I bought that CD player with cash and it lasted for years.