Amex phone rep mentioned being "pre-approved" for a couple of cards. What exactly does this mean?

[sjt]

My friend called Amex regarding their account and the representative mentioned they were pre-approved for the Blue Cash back Card and the PRG. What exactly does this mean? Is this an automatic approval if they accept the offer.

[Anonymous]

nothing is an automatic approval. income and any new credit info play a roll as well

[OmarGB9]

Just means your friend meets the preliminary criteria, but my no means does it guarantee an approval.

[Anonymous]

What does it mean?  It will be a difficult question to answer because was the Amex customer service rep. saying that just to have your friend get another card?  What questions did your friend ask for the Amex rep. to say he/she was pre-approved?  Did your friend give his /her social to the Amex rep?

To answer your question of if it is an automatic approval, it will all come down to his/her credit profile.  Some people have pre-qualified and yet denied when they apply.  So it all comes down to his/her profile.

So there isn't a definitive asnwer to your question asked.

[sjt]

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@Anonymous wrote:

What does it mean?  It will be a difficult question to answer because was the Amex customer service rep. saying that just to have your friend get another card?  What questions did your friend ask for the Amex rep. to say he/she was pre-approved?  Did your friend give his /her social to the Amex rep?

To answer your question of if it is an automatic approval, it will all come down to his/her credit profile.  Some people have pre-qualified and yet denied when they apply.  So it all comes down to his/her profile.

So there isn't a definitive asnwer to your question asked.

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When my friend called Customer Service to inquire about product changing their current card, the rep mentioned they would ahve to wait a year to request a priduct change. She then mentioned he was pre-approved for a cash-back card and the PRG. She used the term pre-approved and also confirmed that it was a pre-approved offer. I know it wouldnt be an automatic offer, but wondering if means not having to go through the traditional card application process.

[Anonymous]

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@sjt wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

What does it mean?  It will be a difficult question to answer because was the Amex customer service rep. saying that just to have your friend get another card?  What questions did your friend ask for the Amex rep. to say he/she was pre-approved?  Did your friend give his /her social to the Amex rep?

To answer your question of if it is an automatic approval, it will all come down to his/her credit profile.  Some people have pre-qualified and yet denied when they apply.  So it all comes down to his/her profile.

So there isn't a definitive asnwer to your question asked.

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When my friend called Customer Service to inquire about product changing their current card, the rep mentioned they would ahve to wait a year to request a priduct change. She then mentioned he was pre-approved for a cash-back card and the PRG. She used the term pre-approved and also confirmed that it was a pre-approved offer. I know it wouldnt be an automatic offer, but wondering if means not having to go through the traditional card application process.

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Your friend would still have to do a normal application regardless of any preapprovals.

[SouthJamaica]

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@sjt wrote:

My friend called Amex regarding their account and the representative mentioned they were pre-approved for the Blue Cash back Card and the PRG. What exactly does this mean? Is this an automatic approval if they accept the offer.

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1. I would be wary, because Amex CSR's are incentivized to induce people to apply for cards.

2. If it is a genuine preapproval it would show up here: https://www304.americanexpress.com/credit-card/compare?sj_tabToOpen=3

3. A preapproval just means that in a preliminary screening undertaken by them for marketing purposes, this person would meet the qualifications. But the applicant

would have to file an application, and could still be denied, which is very often the case, sometimes because their scores may have changed, sometimes because things outside the preliminary screening criteria caused the denial.

So bottom line, disregard.

[bada_bing]

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SouthJamaica wrote: 

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1. I would be wary, because Amex CSR's are incentivized to induce people to apply for cards.

2. If it is a genuine preapproval it would show up here: https://www304.americanexpress.com/credit-card/compare?sj_tabToOpen=3

3. A preapproval just means that in a preliminary screening undertaken by them for marketing purposes, this person would meet the qualifications. But the applicant

would have to file an application, and could still be denied, which is very often the case, sometimes because their scores may have changed, sometimes because things outside the preliminary screening criteria caused the denial.

So bottom line, disregard.

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+1

I only call AMEX csr maybe once a year with some issue on my only AMEX card, a BCP. I *never* get off the

phone without being offered some new card or two. It isn't evil, it's just business, but it is rather obvious that AMEX

csr's are strongly incentivized to push whatever card-of-the-month to anyone they think could get approved. Be

ready for a sales pitch whenever you talk to any issuer's CSR's on any issue. The best rule of thumb is the best cards for any

individual are the ones they selected by careful research. Almost invariably, something that is cold offered/pushed

is not the best product for the customer.

[Anonymous]

I've always learned and heard that there is a difference between prequalified and preapproved.