A credit limit is the maximum amount of

credit Credit (from Latin verb ''credit'', meaning "one believes") is the trust which allows one party to provide money or resources to another party wherein the second party does not reimburse the first party immediately (thereby generating a debt), ...

that a

financial institution Financial institutions, sometimes called banking institutions, are business entities that provide services as intermediaries for different types of financial monetary transactions. Broadly speaking, there are three major types of financial insti ...

or other

lender A creditor or lender is a party (e.g., person, organization, company, or government) that has a claim on the services of a second party. It is a person or institution to whom money is owed. The first party, in general, has provided some property ...

will extend to a

debtor A debtor or debitor is a legal entity (legal person) that owes a debt to another entity. The entity may be an individual, a firm, a government, a company or other legal person. The counterparty is called a creditor. When the counterpart of this ...

for a particular

line of credit A line of credit is a credit facility extended by a bank or other financial institution to a government, business or individual customer that enables the customer to draw on the facility when the customer needs funds. A line of credit takes se ...

(sometimes called a credit line, line of credit, or a tradeline). This limit is based on a variety of factors ranging from an individual's ability to make interest payments, an organization's cashflow or ability to repay the credit card debt and is an obligation of the consumer to pay just like all other parts of the

balance Balance or balancing may refer to: Common meanings * Balance (ability) in biomechanics * Balance (accounting) * Balance or weighing scale * Balance as in equality or equilibrium Arts and entertainment Film * ''Balance'' (1983 film), a Bulgarian ...

. These factors are often summarized by institutions into a credit score which they use to determine credit eligibility. A

that has reached or exceeded its limit is said to be maxed out. While the

is maxed out, it cannot be used for any further activity unless the

consumer A consumer is a person or a group who intends to order, or uses purchased goods, products, or services primarily for personal, social, family, household and similar needs, who is not directly related to entrepreneurial or business activities. T ...

pays off at least some of the debt to enable it to fall below the limit, the

creditor A creditor or lender is a party (e.g., person, organization, company, or government) that has a claim on the services of a second party. It is a person or institution to whom money is owed. The first party, in general, has provided some property ...

agrees to extend the limit, or the

allows one or more additional purchases with the charging of an over-the-limit fee.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Credit Limit Credit card terminology