Best High Limit Credit Cards

Chase Sapphire Preferred® offers the highest credit limit of the offers on this list with its $100,000 credit line. This offer may be tantalizing, but keep your expectations in check, whether applying for this card or any other just to secure a high limit. Just because a card offers a high credit limit doesn't mean you'll secure the full amount. For example, cardholders with high credit scores can be approved for the limits nearing $100,000, but only a small proportion of cardholders actually have credit limits above $20,000. In most cases, cardholders will receive limits considerably lower than the high potential limits noted.

Here are our picks by potential credit limit:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred® (up to $100,000)
• Discover it® Cash Back
• Discover it® Balance Transfer (up to $25,000)
• Chase Freedom Unlimited® (up to $24,000)
• Chase Freedom® (up to $24,000)
• Discover it® Student Cash Back (up to $3,500)

Other factors than your credit score -- such as income and debt -- determine your credit line and here's how to ensure you are approved for the biggest credit card limit:

1.) Keep your credit utilization low -- The less debt you have the better. Card issuers want to minimize their risk when lending you money. Your debt divided by available credit (known as credit utilization) is one factor that can help improve your chances of securing a higher limit.

2.) Pay bills on time -- Paying bills on time signals to issuers that you can be trusted to manage debt balances smartly. Again, the less you are perceived as a lending risk to issuers the better your chances to get a high credit limit.

3.) Increase your income -- The higher your income the greater your potential credit limit.

If you're not happy with your current credit cards' limits, you have some options. You might, obviously, apply for a card with a higher limit right now. You might also plan to do that, but wait for some months or a year, while you increase your credit score. That's because you often need a high credit score in order to qualify for the best credit cards. And the higher your score, the higher your credit limit will tend to be, too.

According to data from the credit reporting bureau Experian, for example, the national average U.S. credit card limit was $8,071 a year ago. But limits varied widely by credit score. Here are the limits by score category:

*VantageScore model. Data source: Experian data as of December 2016.

Clearly, having a steep score will net you higher credit limits -- because lenders don't want to be extending more credit than they're likely to be repaid, and a high credit score reflects someone who is a good risk, pays bills on time, and keeps debt levels under control.

It's also common for credit limits to be increased over time, as you prove yourself to be a dependable account holder. If you are a good customer and would like a higher limit, you might try just calling your credit card company and asking for an increased limit.

It can be good to have high credit limits -- not only for buying that big refrigerator but also because high limits can help boost your credit score and qualify you for lower interest rates when borrowing. But don't just go after the biggest credit limits you can find. Be sure to evaluate all of the features of any cards you're considering, such as the fees they charge and their interest rates. For example, if there's any chance you'll be carrying a balance, avoid any cards that have "penalty APR" rates -- those can suddenly raise your interest rate to 25% or 30% if you pay a bill late. Favor the cards with the best features.

Finally, remember that if you have an extra high credit limit, you'll be able to get even deeper in debt than you otherwise could have. Be sure to use your cards responsibly, only charging what you can afford to pay off that month.

To recap, here are the best high limit credit cards today