Your credit card can be your best friend or your worst enemy! Learn how and when to increase your Santander credit card limit.

We've talked quite a bit here about credit cards and how they can help you in certain situations: whether it's an unexpected situation where you don't have cash on hand or paying for a course in installments (interest-free), for example.

Everything is fine, as long as you have good financial planning and know the maximum you can spend on your card per month without compromising other essential items.

Increasing your Santander credit card limit can be a good option when you're sure the new amount fits within your monthly budget. Here we'll teach you how to do it and give you some more tips on the subject!

Santander app

Santander is one of the largest banks in the country and the world – and, for that very reason, it is always keeping an eye on technological innovations, bringing more convenience to its customers.

Now, in addition to ordering food, scheduling dates, and shopping through apps, you can also learn how to increase your Santander credit card limit ! To do this, simply download the Way app and manage all your credit card information from your smartphone.

Within the app, to increase your card limit, simply click on the "+" symbol. The app will then ask you what limit you would like to have on your card, and you can enter the desired amount.

As with all banks, there is a credit check, and your request may or may not be approved. Logically, remember to use common sense and always request a change that is compatible with your income .

Through the app, you can also reduce your credit card limit at any time, either temporarily or permanently – and this reduction takes effect immediately after confirmation. Have you considered this option? It can be a great solution when your bill is higher than you can handle! 

If your credit increase request is denied, you can submit a new request after 30 days.

How to increase your Santander credit card limit 

Now that you've seen how to increase your Santander credit card limit, you might be wondering, "Okay, but what will make the bank approve or deny this credit to me? "

In reality, what Santander and all banks analyze when increasing customer credit card limits is their ability to pay and how reliable they are.

Imagine you're going to lend money to your brother-in-law, but he has a terrible reputation for being a bad payer, taking the money and disappearing, not paying anyone or giving any explanation. In that case, the chances of you lending money to him would be almost zero, right? The same thing happens with banks.

But how do you show Santander that you are a trustworthy person? By paying your bills on time!

So, here are some essential tips to "look good" and get attractive credit limits at Santander:

• Always pay your credit card bill on time , without delay or failure to pay any month;
• Pay your bills in the fewest possible installments , since a high number of installments also reduces the banks' trust in you;
• Send proof of income to the financial institution , especially if your income has increased;
• Maintain a good score in the positive credit registry . If you are not yet registered, it is important to activate it and then pay your bills on time, avoiding restrictions on your CPF (Brazilian taxpayer ID number).
• Avoid making too many requests for a credit limit increase . Have you already submitted a request through the app and been denied? Wait the required period and, if possible, wait beyond the minimum time before trying again.

In other words, if you want to understand how to increase your Santander credit card limit, you need to take care of your finances, making financial institutions see you as a good payer and someone trustworthy – and, in this way, grant you more credit.

What you need to know about credit cards

Are you familiar with the main precautions to take when dealing with credit cards? We'll show you some of them:

Minimum payment

When you run out of money to pay the full amount of your bill, the minimum payment option seems like a good one, doesn't it? However, this can be a trap. Therefore, before choosing it, it's good to consider a few points.

The minimum payment on a credit card typically occurs in the situation described above. So, when you pay the minimum amount, the remaining balance goes into revolving credit and is charged on the next month's bill with interest and taxes (and there's a lot of interest involved!).

According to the Central Bank's most recent law, if you don't have enough money to pay the full bill, you can remain in revolving credit for a maximum of 30 days. Then, in the following month, you cannot make the minimum payment again and must choose between two options: either you pay the full amount or your bill is automatically divided into installments with lower interest rates than the revolving credit.

Installment purchases

Did you make a purchase and pay in 2, 3, 4, or 5 installments?

Let's imagine you have a credit limit of R$1,000. If you make a purchase of R$500 and pay in 5 installments, what is your available credit limit? The first logical answer that comes to mind is R$900, since only the first installment will be paid this month, but it doesn't quite work that way.

Actually, in this case, your current limit is R$ 500, because when you pay in installments, you use your entire credit card limit. But be aware! Some stores charge interest for this service.

You should also consider how many times you will divide your purchase: the more installments, the longer your credit limit will be committed.

Planning your credit card expenses

Did you notice that the two issues we presented require financial planning before they can be implemented?

Here are some tips for keeping your money organized:

• Download apps specifically designed for your financial planning;
• Try to maintain a savings fund;
• Rethink your habits and how they may be influencing your consumption;
• Use a spreadsheet to track expenses.

This way, you can understand whether or not it's worthwhile to make installment purchases or pay the minimum amount on your credit card bill, as well as think about other daily issues, such as how much you spend at the supermarket or plan a trip with more confidence.

Now that you know how to increase your Santander credit card limit, are you worried because your payments aren't up to date and you might not be able to get that extra limit?

In addition to these tips, all other financial planning advice remains valid. Regardless of the time of year, it's important to have a monthly budget , with all your income and expenses, and to adjust your spending to your financial reality, avoiding debt and becoming a reliable payer for banks.