Credit Boost adds up to 5% of your on-time MAJORITY Visa® Secured Credit Card payments to your credit limit each statement cycle, automatically.
Quick answer
Credit Boost is the feature that lets a secured-card credit limit grow without you adding to your security deposit. After each statement cycle in which you pay at least the minimum payment by the due date, up to 5% of your on-time payments is added to your credit limit as unsecured credit. The Boost is capped at 5% of your security deposit per cycle, is subject to an ability-to-pay check and a monthly cap set in your credit card agreement, and is applied automatically with no enrollment required.
What you need to know
- Credit Boost is built into the MAJORITY Visa® Secured Credit Card and applies automatically once your statement closes.
- The Boost amount is up to 5% of the on-time payments you made during the statement cycle.
- The maximum Boost in any single cycle is capped at 5% of your security deposit.
- The increase is unsecured credit, so your total credit limit becomes secured credit (your deposit) plus unsecured credit (your earned Boost).
- You must make at least your minimum payment, on time, for that cycle's payments to count.
- Earned Boost is permanent. Even if you miss a payment in a later month, you keep what you have already earned.
How a secured-card credit limit can grow
A secured credit card starts with a security deposit that becomes your initial credit limit. Most secured cards keep the limit fixed at the deposit amount until you put more money in. Credit Boost takes a different path: each statement cycle you pay on time, a small slice of unsecured credit is added on top of the secured line, so the total limit climbs without you adding to the deposit.
The result is two stacked credit lines on the same card. One is backed by your deposit (secured), one is earned through payment behavior (unsecured). Together they form your total credit limit.
| Type | Backed by | How it appears on your account | How you earn it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Secured credit | Your security deposit | Initial credit limit equal to your deposit | Funded at account opening; can be increased by adding to the deposit, up to your approved limit |
| Unsecured credit (Credit Boost) | On-time payment behavior | Added to your credit limit each statement cycle | Earned automatically by paying at least the minimum on time, capped per cycle |
| Total credit limit | Both combined | Your full available credit on the card | Secured credit + earned Credit Boost |
How Credit Boost is calculated, step by step
The mechanic runs once per statement cycle. The calculation is the same every cycle:
- Your statement cycle closes. A statement cycle is roughly 30 days.
- The card issuer adds up every payment you made during the cycle that fully cleared and posted on or before the due date. Late or unposted payments do not count.
- If your total on-time payments meet at least your minimum payment due, you qualify for that cycle.
- The issuer calculates 5% of those total on-time payments.
- That amount is then capped at 5% of your security deposit for the cycle.
- The Boost is also subject to an ability-to-pay check and a monthly cap in your credit card agreement, so the final amount may be lower than the 5% calculation.
- The resulting amount is added to your credit limit as unsecured credit, generally within about 7 business days of the statement closing.
Once the Boost lands, it is part of your available credit and you can use it just like the secured credit line backed by your deposit.
A worked example
Numbers help, so here is a realistic walk-through with a $500 security deposit, which gives a $500 starting credit limit. Assume the cardholder pays the full statement balance on time each cycle.
| Cycle | On-time payments | 5% of payments | 5% of deposit cap | Boost added (lower of the two, before checks) | New total credit limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $200 | $10 | $25 | $10 | $510 |
| 2 | $250 | $12.50 | $25 | $12.50 | $522.50 |
| 3 | $400 | $20 | $25 | $20 | $542.50 |
| 4 | $600 | $30 | $25 | $25 (cap applies) | $567.50 |
| 5 | $0 (missed minimum) | not eligible | not eligible | $0 | $567.50 (Boost stays) |
| 6 | $300 | $15 | $25 | $15 | $582.50 |
Two things to notice. In cycle 4, the payments were large enough that the 5% calculation hit the cap of 5% of the deposit, so the Boost was limited to $25. In cycle 5, a missed payment paused new Boost for that cycle, but the $67.50 of Boost earned in cycles 1 through 4 stayed on the account.
The final Boost may be lower than the table shows in any cycle, because the credit card agreement applies an ability-to-pay check and a monthly cap. The 5% calculation is the ceiling, not a guarantee.
What counts as an "on-time payment" for Credit Boost
Three conditions must all be true for a payment to count toward Boost in a given cycle:
- The payment was made during that statement cycle.
- The payment fully cleared and posted to your credit card account on or by the due date.
- The total of your payments for the cycle was at least the minimum payment due for that cycle.
Pending payments and late payments do not count. Your statement close date, due date, and minimum payment are visible in your card account.
How big can the Boost get, and what limits it
The MAJORITY Visa® Secured Credit Card supports a security deposit of any amount between $200 and your approved credit limit, up to a maximum of $3,000. Because the per-cycle cap is 5% of your security deposit, a bigger deposit raises the Boost ceiling and a smaller deposit lowers it.
Three constraints to keep in mind:
- The cap is 5% of your security deposit per cycle, regardless of how much you paid that month.
- The Boost is subject to an ability-to-pay check and a monthly cap in the credit card agreement, so not every cycle pays out the full 5%.
- A missed minimum payment pauses new Boost for that cycle. You keep what you have already earned, and you can resume earning the next cycle once you are current again.
If you want a faster jump in your total credit limit, you can also increase your security deposit at any time, up to your approved credit limit (maximum $3,000).
How MAJORITY can help
The Credit Boost feature ships with every MAJORITY Visa® Secured Credit Card, with no application or enrollment step. You can read more about the card and the membership it comes with on the MAJORITY Visa® Secured Credit Card page or the main membership page.
What to do next
- Confirm your statement close date and due date in your card account.
- Set a payment reminder a few days before the due date so your payment fully clears in time.
- If you want a higher Boost ceiling, plan whether to add to your security deposit, up to your approved credit limit.
- Review your account after each statement closes to see the new Boost amount applied to your credit limit.
Frequently asked questions
How does Credit Boost work on a secured credit card?
Each statement cycle, the card issuer calculates 5% of the on-time payments you made and adds that amount to your credit limit as unsecured credit, capped at 5% of your security deposit for the cycle. On the secured credit card from MAJORITY, this happens automatically once your statement closes, generally within about 7 business days.
Do I need to apply or enroll to get Credit Boost?
No. As long as you make at least your minimum payment on time each cycle, Credit Boost is calculated and applied automatically after your statement closes. There is no enrollment, no application, and no separate activation step.
Can my credit limit go above my security deposit?
Yes. Your initial credit limit equals your security deposit, and Credit Boost adds unsecured credit on top each cycle you qualify. Your total credit limit becomes your deposit plus the Boost you have earned over time.
What happens to my Boost if I miss a payment?
You will not earn new Credit Boost for that statement cycle, but every dollar of Boost you have already earned stays on your account. Once you are current again, you can resume earning Boost in future cycles.
Does paying my full balance earn more Boost?
Paying your full balance is the strategy that earns the most Boost in any cycle, because the calculation runs against your total on-time payments. The amount is still capped at 5% of your security deposit per cycle and subject to the ability-to-pay check and monthly cap in the credit card agreement.
How long until I see my Boost on my credit limit?
Once your statement cycle closes and your on-time payments fully clear, the issuer calculates your Boost and adds it to your available credit. This generally takes about 7 business days.
Disclosures
The MAJORITY Visa® Secured Credit Card is issued by WebBank, a member of the FDIC, pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc.
The MAJORITY app facilitates banking services through Axiom Bank, N.A. ("Axiom"), Member FDIC. The funds deposited in the account held at Axiom, Member FDIC, are FDIC-insured on a pass-through basis up to $250,000 per depositor in the event Axiom fails and subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions.
Boost amount (i.e., the amount of the credit line increase) is up to 5% of the monthly on-time payment of at least the minimum payment due and is subject to other terms and conditions, including but not limited to an ability to repay check and a monthly cap in the credit card agreement.
Credit limits are set based on a creditworthiness review. Not all applicants will qualify for the maximum limit.
Qualification for the MAJORITY Visa® Secured Credit Card is based on meeting eligibility requirements, including income and expense requirements, having a Majority account in good standing, and establishment of a security interest. Criteria are subject to change.
Since your credit history is reported to major credit bureaus, it can help build/rebuild your credit if used responsibly. Other factors, such as late payments or delinquencies with your other accounts or loans, may adversely impact your credit. There is no guarantee regarding any impact on your credit score.