Does Amex only let you pay once per month? I tend to PIF as I go on my cards. I made one payment with Amex and now I don't have an option to pay a second time. I really don't want a balance reported.
Thanks! 
@Firehorse wrote:Does Amex only let you pay once per month? I tend to PIF as I go on my cards. I made one payment with Amex and now I don't have an option to pay a second time. I really don't want a balance reported.
Thanks!
For the first month, you can only pay once. If you need to pay it down, you may have to push the payment from your bank.
Anecdotally, AMEX prefers one big payment to many smaller payments, but I'm not sure how true that is.
That's just silly. I've used debit cards for so long I'm not used to having a balance on my CC. I treat them like debit cards too. Keeps me disiplined. Boo! 
I have certainly paid more than once during a cycle but don't recall if I tried that the first month out.
You would have to do a push payment. There are lots of stories of lenders taking AA action against people for making multiple payments per month. My view of this is that the AA is not a result of the multiple payments, but because the people that are running up their cards and paying down suddenly may be spending at a rate that looks to be beyond their means. Also, it is considered suspicious due to money laundering etc. I try to limit myself to two payments a cycle if possible. I've had cards with lower limits where I had to make multiple payments each month and it did not cause a problem. I just wouldn't be doing so with high overal credit util across all cards. Obviously Amex is going to be more wary of new accounts with no history vs accounts that have been with them for awhile.
;Force push from Billpay it is then... Set up. Ready to go just before the statement close. 
@red259 wrote:You would have to do a push payment. There are lots of stories of lenders taking AA action against people for making multiple payments per month. My view of this is that the AA is not a result of the multiple payments, but because the people that are running up their cards and paying down suddenly may be spending at a rate that looks to be beyond their means. Also, it is considered suspicious due to money laundering etc. I try to limit myself to two payments a cycle if possible. I've had cards with lower limits where I had to make multiple payments each month and it did not cause a problem. I just wouldn't be doing so with high overal credit util across all cards. Obviously Amex is going to be more wary of new accounts with no history vs accounts that have been with them for awhile.
This perspective just seems crazy to me and makes no sense. Paying it down looks like you are beyond your means? Who are these people? LOL! What difference is it if I PIF at once or do it in increments? I get the laundering perspective though but jeez...
I usually limit to two as well. But I'm getting used to using it in place of debit to get my bonus. So ironic, I was worried to NOT keep paying it because I didn't want to look like I was about to max it out in the first month.
** edit your vs. you're (makes me crazy if it's wrong)
@Firehorse wrote:That's just silly. I've used debit cards for so long I'm not used to having a balance on my CC. I treat them like debit cards too. Keeps me disiplined. Boo!
It's a switch, I agree. I was debit/checkcard only for a while too. Someimes I have to switch CCs, just to make sure I don't let (too much of) a balance post.
@Firehorse wrote:
@red259 wrote:You would have to do a push payment. There are lots of stories of lenders taking AA action against people for making multiple payments per month. My view of this is that the AA is not a result of the multiple payments, but because the people that are running up their cards and paying down suddenly may be spending at a rate that looks to be beyond their means. Also, it is considered suspicious due to money laundering etc. I try to limit myself to two payments a cycle if possible. I've had cards with lower limits where I had to make multiple payments each month and it did not cause a problem. I just wouldn't be doing so with high overal credit util across all cards. Obviously Amex is going to be more wary of new accounts with no history vs accounts that have been with them for awhile.
This perspective just seems crazy to me and makes no sense. Paying it down looks like you are beyond your means? Who are these people? LOL! What difference is it if I PIF at once or do it in increments? I get the laundering perspective though but jeez...
I usually limit to two as well. But I'm getting used to using it in place of debit to get my bonus. So ironic, I was worried to NOT keep paying it because I didn't want to look like I was about to max it out in the first month.
** edit your vs. you're (makes me crazy if it's wrong)
Well they don't know you and here is one of the things lenders worry about. They worry about someone opening a credit card account, spending lots and lots of money and then paying it off right away. Showing heavy use and full payments in close proximity. Then that person seeks a CLI given their stellar history. Then that person maxes out the card and takes off leaving the lender holding the bag. I was just reading an article about this a few days ago where some lender was asked why thye get concerned about people who PIF frequently and that was one of the answers given. Also, someone maxing their card then PIF the following week could be seen as someone who is really living paycheck to paycheck and a lender will be worried what happens if that next paycheck is not there one day. In the end the people on this board who are focused on credit scores and rewards are not the norm and therefore lenders can get a bit spooked by our patterns sometimes if we have thin files. I'm not saying its fair I am just trying to show why they respond the way they do sometimes.
