Amex member since question

[Anonymous]

In 2009 I defaulted on 2 Amex cards. I paid them in full since then. Recently I was Approved for the Delta Amex. I noticed after having set my account up online that it has me listed as a "Member Since '04". Did they back date my account? If this is true will this positively impact my AAoA.

[Anonymous]

AMEX stopped back dating sometime last year I think. I wish they still do. My first AMEX was in 1996. No credit cards from AMEX till 2016. My account says Member Since 1996. No value to my credit. Only 8 months of average age for me. Oh well. Sorry to bust your bubble.

[UncleB]

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@Anonymous wrote:
AMEX stopped back dating sometime last year I think. I wish they still do. My first AMEX was in 1996. No credit cards from AMEX till 2016. My account says Member Since 1996. No value to my credit. Only 8 months of average age for me. Oh well. Sorry to bust your bubble.

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+1

They actually stopped backdating in late March 2015.  I know this since I got my BCP and a now-closed Green card three weeks after the change. 

If I had only been three weeks earlier I would have had each backdated to 1995. 

[Anonymous]

Can we clear some information please.. when y'all are referring to backdating, there are 3 places I think of:

1. Date shown on their website when you log in to your account.

2. Date shown on your credit report.

3. Date shown on your actual credit card.

Are all three the same or will there be different dates?

[SouthJamaica]

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@Anonymous wrote:
In 2009 I defaulted on 2 Amex cards. I paid them in full since then. Recently I was Approved for the Delta Amex. I noticed after having set my account up online that it has me listed as a "Member Since '04". Did they back date my account? If this is true will this positively impact my AAoA.

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No they didn't, but it feels good doesn't it?

[kdm31091]

They still "backdate" the year on the actual card but it's purely cosmetic. The credit bureau is now given the actual opening date for the account.

[Anonymous]

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@kdm31091 wrote:
They still "backdate" the year on the actual card but it's purely cosmetic. The credit bureau is now given the actual opening date for the account.

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Thanks for that

My BCE was opened in 2011 (first Amex account). I plan on getting the PRG. Does that mean my PRG will display 2011 on the physical card? If so, that's pretty cool! 

[UncleB]

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@Anonymous wrote:
Can we clear some information please.. when y'all are referring to backdating, there are 3 places I think of:

1. Date shown on their website when you log in to your account.

2. Date shown on your credit report.

3. Date shown on your actual credit card.

Are all three the same or will there be different dates?

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When folks on here speak of Amex backdating, they are referring to the date on the credit report.

Prior to late March 2015, all new Amex accounts would report to the bureaus with the month they were actually opened but the year of the member's very first Amex account.  That stopped, though... any accounts opened after the cutoff - such as my own - will report the actual (i.e. correct) opening date to the credit bureaus.  Those lucky enough to be opened before the cutoff are grandfathered into continued 'backdating'.

The 'member since' date on the card and the date you see on the website is basically meaningless (to most people, anyway).  If you're really OCD you can call and they will have cards sent out with your 'correct' member since date if it's wrong (for example, you used an incognito browser to get a better bonus offer), but it's only good for your own ego... otherwise it's meaningless.

Side note:  my own Amex cards each have a different "member since" date: my BCP shows 2015, my PRG shows 2016 and my Delta Gold shows 1995 (I was logged into the Amex website when I apped for the Delta, which is why it has the 'correct' date.)  For the folks who care, it's been reported that when new cards are sent out (for any reason) this date is usually updated to match the website date; I'll get to see in a few years when my own cards expire.

[longtimelurker]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@kdm31091 wrote:
They still "backdate" the year on the actual card but it's purely cosmetic. The credit bureau is now given the actual opening date for the account.

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Thanks for that

My BCE was opened in 2011 (first Amex account). I plan on getting the PRG. Does that mean my PRG will display 2011 on the physical card? If so, that's pretty cool! 

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Each to their own (unfortunately) but I can't really think of a situation where having 2011 on a card could justify the phrase "cool"!    Or even a much earlier date, unless you a) point it out, and b) to someone who is impressed by such things.   Miine say 1987 and AFAIK, no-one has ever noticed (or at least commented)

[Anonymous]

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@longtimelurker wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@kdm31091 wrote:
They still "backdate" the year on the actual card but it's purely cosmetic. The credit bureau is now given the actual opening date for the account.

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Thanks for that

My BCE was opened in 2011 (first Amex account). I plan on getting the PRG. Does that mean my PRG will display 2011 on the physical card? If so, that's pretty cool! 

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Each to their own (unfortunately) but I can't really think of a situation where having 2011 on a card could justify the phrase "cool"!    Or even a much earlier date, unless you a) point it out, and b) to someone who is impressed by such things.   Miine say 1987 and AFAIK, no-one has ever noticed (or at least commented)

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Come on now.  Isnt the reason your wife married you was because she was overwhelmed seeing 1987 on your Gold card?