Understanding your Afterpay spending limit
Your Afterpay spending limit determines how much you can spend on new purchases. Here is how it works, what affects it, and what to do if it changes.
What is "available to spend"?
Your available to spend amount is the maximum you can use for a new Afterpay purchase right now. This is not a credit limit. It changes based on your account activity.
To check: Open Afterpay → tap your profile. Your available to spend amount is displayed at the top.
How your limit is calculated
Afterpay considers several factors when setting your limit:
How long you have had your account
Your payment history (on-time payments help)
How many active orders you currently have
The total amount you currently owe
General account activity and usage patterns
Your limit is reassessed regularly. It can go up or down based on these factors.
Available to spend vs. total limit
These are different:
Available to spend | What you can use for a new purchase right now. Decreases when you make a purchase and increases as you pay off orders. |
Total limit | The maximum Afterpay would extend to you if you had no active orders. This is the ceiling, not what is always available. |
Example: If your total limit is $600 and you have $200 in active orders, your available to spend might be around $400 (minus any holds or pending transactions).
Why did my limit decrease?
Your limit can decrease even if you have been making on-time payments. Common reasons:
You have more active orders than before (more of your limit is in use).
Afterpay's periodic reassessment adjusted your limit based on overall account factors.
You recently missed a payment or paid late (even once can affect your limit).
You have not used Afterpay in a while (inactive accounts may see lower limits).
A refund was recently processed and the limit has not yet updated.
Important: On-time payments are one factor among many. A limit decrease does not necessarily mean you did something wrong.
How to increase your limit
There is no way to manually request a limit increase. The best ways to build your limit over time:
Make all payments on time.
Pay off existing orders before taking on new ones.
Use Afterpay regularly (consistent, responsible use helps).
Keep your payment method up to date so payments are not declined.
Can I reduce my limit?
Yes. If you want a lower limit to manage your spending:
Open Afterpay.
Go to Account → Settings.
Look for spending limit controls.
Set your preferred maximum.
You can reduce your limit at any time, but increasing it again is subject to Afterpay's reassessment. It will not automatically return to the previous amount.
When your limit updates
Event | Timeline |
After a payment is made | Available to spend increases within minutes |
After a purchase | Available to spend decreases immediately |
After a refund | May take 24–48 hours to reflect |
Periodic reassessment | Happens automatically; no notification for small changes |