Orchard allows card holders to "buy" limit increase???

I've had an Orchard Bank MasterCard for about 8 months now and have been relatively pleased with it until today. Yesterday I sent an email to customer service asking when I would be eligible for an increase to my $300 credit limit. Here is their reply:
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"All qualified accounts are reviewed regularly for credit line
increases. If your account is approved for a credit line increase,
your new credit line will appear on your billing statement the
following month. At this time, there is no specific date in which
your account will qualify for a credit line increase. We have also implemented a program where qualified members may purchase credit line increases.
If you would like to find out if your account qualifies for a credit
line increase, contact one of our Customer Service representatives at the phone number indicated on the back of your credit card."
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Excuse me?? An ELIGIBLE card holder may PURCHASE a credit line increase? I suppose I've gotten used to the idea of credit cards charging you annual fees and membership fees and fees for breathing and eating and sleeping... but making an ELIGIBLE card holder PURCHASE a credit increase???? My co-worker says I'm over-reacting, but I'm totally outraged by this.

Secondly, shouldn't the consumer request a credit limit increase rather than just discover they've been granted an increase on their next billing cycle?

What do you, the wisened readers/contributors to this invaluable forum, think of this?

This is not uncommon. I have a Cross Country Bank and First Premier card that it would cost me something like $100 to increase the limits $200-$300.

They will never tell you when you'll get and increase, if you ever get one. I have had my cards for almost 2 years without missing a payment, and have never received a "periodic increase".

My limits on these cards are only $500/$300.

By "purchasing" an increase, do they mean increasing the deposit?

My understanding is if you agree to an increase of $300, they charge your credit card $100, in essence, you get a $300 increase on your credit limit, but $100 is already used; $200 increase is available.

These lenders know they've got you - when people encounter misfortune, they are there to capitalize on it because when you want to try to re-build your credit, they are the only ones that will extend credit and you have to play by their rules.

First of all, this is an unsecured card... no deposit was made, there's no annual fee ... all I was charged was a one time processing fee of something like $39.

I just called Orchard Banks customer service number (which by the way is NOT a toll free number and you have to listen to a 4 minute recording to get to a live person).

Amanda tells me I am eligible for the periodic manual credit limit review. She asked me to hold for a moment and then came back to tell me I'm eligible for a $100 increase with a processing charge of $25. When I asked her what the processing charge was for she told me that all accounts are periodically reviewed for credit limit increases, which I would see on my statement. I asked her how often those reviews happened since one of the reasons I chose to go with this card is because they said I would be ELIGIBLE for a credit limit increase after only six months. Amanda tells me all the accounts are cycled through in what is in effect a "great big circle" and when my account comes up for review then I'll see the increase. She couldn't/wouldn't give a ballpark idea of how often this usually happens.

All in all I'm pleased with the card... as far as subprime offers go this is by far the best I've been offered since there is no annual fee and it is unsecured. Things like no toll free customer service number and a $25 charge to increase my limit $100 to $400 just irk me.

I would gladly pay a couple thousand for a $50,000 increase on any of my cards!