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Okay so this is kinda a dumb question and I am sorta wondering why I am even going to ask it as I feel this is hugely a long shot but here it goes.
Since it's the end of the year a lot of people are advising other people that recently got Amex cards to wait until Jan to app for another to get optimal backdating. For example you just got approved for you first Amex in Nov. and app for another and get approved in Jan. you get the Jan. card backdated and it backdates 12 mos to Jan of 12 so your getting 1 year of account history when in reality you've only been with Amex for 2 months.
So my question is... I just got my first Amex in Nov. and I got my second in Dec. is it possible, as unreal as I think it may be, to get optimal backdate to Jan of 12 even though the cards are mere days apart?
I feel this is extremely a long shot and if I called a CSR I feel they would be inclined to tell me to screw off for the hassle. And I would rather not hit the hornet's nest. But if this seems plausable (which I don't think it is) I may attempt it for the 12 mos of history. Neither card is reporting yet so I also feel this could add some issues to this theroy.
No. Amex will report the month that the acct was opened and the year that you first became a member. They don't even use the term, "backdating." It's your member since date, and that would be like asking them to change your member since date to 11 mos before you became a member.
If I app for an Amex in January 2013 I get backdated to January 2012? Do you really get the extra 12 month of history on your report? O.o
From what everyone is explaining yeah that's how it works. I'll find some threads.
Here's one that talks about max backdate:
http://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/Credit-Cards/Preparing-for-BCE-App-UPDATED/td-p/1746486
@eviLution wrote:If I app for an Amex in January 2013 I get backdated to January 2012? Do you really get the extra 12 month of history on your report? O.o
Yes and no. If you got an Amex in 2012 and get another Amex in 1/13, then it will show that it was opened in 1/12 (instead of 1/13). But that extra year of payment history doesn't appear on your CR. So, it helps with your AAoA but doesn't necessarily give you the payment history you would have had with a card over that time.
Oh I see - so it's kinda like a delusion? And after thinking about this further I realize the way I was thinking about it was wrong..
If your first card is member since Nov 2012 and you get your second Jan of 2013 you can backdate it and it will backdate to the month you were approved for the second card and the year of your first card thus getting backdate to Jan of 2012.
So since both my dates are 2012 it won't work for me. Oh well, I would rather not call Amex anyway - just wanna lay low for about 6 mos.
@CotySinz wrote:Oh I see - so it's kinda like a delusion? And after thinking about this further I realize the way I was thinking about it was wrong..
If your first card is member since Nov 2012 and you get your second Jan of 2013 you can backdate it and it will backdate to the month you were approved for the second card and the year of your first card thus getting backdate to Jan of 2012.
So since both my dates are 2012 it won't work for me. Oh well, I would rather not call Amex anyway - just wanna lay low for about 6 mos.
That's always a good idea with Amex, IMO.
online application will see the new account, opened a year ago.
A MR by a CSR will be able to spot the Amex benefit from a mile away, and may choose not to honor those "extra" 12 mo.