Your credit card rights in Canada: consent, limit increases and the summary box
Quick summary
The FCAC says a bank must get your express consent before it raises your credit card limit, and if you agree by phone it must confirm in writing no later than your next statement. Banks must also show key terms such as interest rates and annual fees in one summary box. If you get a card you did not ask for, raise it with the issuer first, then the FCAC. For the opposite case, see what happens when a limit is cut.
Checked November 4, 2026. Main source: FCAC: Getting a credit card, know your rights (modified Oct. 15, 2025). See all 1 source.
Key facts
- Credit limit increase
- The bank must get your express consent first
- Source: FCAC, modified Oct. 15, 2025
- Verbal consent
- The bank must confirm the change in writing no later than your next statement
- Source: FCAC, modified Oct. 15, 2025
- Application summary box
- One prominent box lists key features such as interest rates and annual fees
- Source: FCAC, modified Oct. 15, 2025
Credit limit increases
The FCAC says the bank must get your express consent before it increases your limit. If you agree verbally, it must confirm the change in writing no later than your next statement.
Agreeing to a card by phone
If you agree verbally to a card, the bank must confirm in writing without delay. Joint borrowers can waive getting copies of agreements and statements, verbally or in writing.
The application summary box
A prominent box at the start of the application form, or in a separate document, lists key features such as interest rates and charges like annual fees. Banks must use a single box. Read it before you apply, and compare it across cards.
A card you did not ask for
The FCAC page says to raise a card you did not consent to with the issuer first, then with the FCAC if it is not solved.
What we could not confirm
- A cancellation period. The page does not mention one.
- Whether these rules cover non-bank issuers. The page is about banks.
- Whether a card can be issued only after consent. The page does not say so.
Questions people ask
Can a bank raise my credit limit without asking?
The FCAC says the bank must get your express consent first. If you agree verbally, it must confirm in writing no later than your next statement.
What is the summary box?
A box at the start of the application that lists key features, such as interest rates and annual fees. Banks must use a single box.
What if I got a card I did not request?
Raise it with the issuer first, then with the FCAC if it is not solved.