Anyone approved for AMEX with Collections?? Do Tell

[NPE]

I was approved for the Zync in 2012 with 3 paid COs reporting, all about 2.2 years old. Not sure about my EX, but EQ was 660 and TU 709 before applying, according to MyFico.

[LipzyDaizy]

I was approved for the amex gold charge card on Sunday with two collections I'm trying to pfd. They did send me an invitation to apply. Apped for the True Earnings right after and got a big fat No! Didn't surprise me considering my Ex score is so low. I'm still in shock over the gold approval though.

[injustifiiable]

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@LipzyDaizy wrote:
I was approved for the amex gold charge card on Sunday with two collections I'm trying to pfd. They did send me an invitation to apply. Apped for the True Earnings right after and got a big fat No! Didn't surprise me considering my Ex score is so low. I'm still in shock over the gold approval though.

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Your experience is similar to mine. I apped for BCE right after getting approved for the PRG and got NO!...then tried for the EveryDay 30 days later and still no. EX FICO is around 660 tho.

[creditFiend]

1pd med coll from 2/2012. 1unpaid judgement from 1/2009. Wanted to app for BCE. But app'd for green just to get foot in the door. Instant approval.
Hopefully, by 2016 I can app for whatever I want.

[Legen_dary]

This is basically my profile when I applied for my first AmEx (Green) last year:

Baddies:

5 charged-off/collection accounts (from ~2009, all settled)

1 paid off student loan account (shows multiple lates)

1 utility in collections (paid)

Good Stuff:

1 secured card (600 CL)

2 unsecured cards (2250 CL combined)

Small Student Loan (clean pmt history)

AAoA: 2 years

They did send me an invitation to apply (if that makes a difference). Also, a few months ago I apped and got approved for the AmEx Blue (and 3x CLI 61 days later). I am very confident in AmEx and plan on upgrading my Green to PRG at 13 months, and applying for the TrueEarnings card during my next spree.

My guess for AmEx liking me is because I've never burned them before, I currently have no significant debt, and my income is very good for my age range (25-29), so they probably want me as a customer in the long term haha. So far it's working because I like them a lot more than any other CC company right now!

[Brax]

I was instantly approved for an Amex Green when I applied in 2012 with 2 UNPAID medical collections of almost $2,500 from 2007.

Looking back, I was very fortunate to have ZERO inquiries on Experian in the last two years when I applied with a relatively thick file for a 20-something. A few days after this, I applied for a Chase card and it gave my EX FICO of 694.

6 months later, I got approved for 4K with Amex Delta Gold . The collections still being unpaid no doubt caused my 61 day 3x CLI to be denied. When I tried again after another 90+ days, I was approved for the full 3x CLI.

.

In my opinion, Amex is the most viable way to claw your way into 5-digit limits if you have collections.

[DELSOL2020]

Approved with 2 charge offs and 3 collections paid.  All over 5 yrs old.  It was the Zync with hard limit.  I was also a former customer back in 1987.  Account was backdated to 1987!  

[mum4519]

1 public record, 2010

3 collections

May 15, 2013 - Approved AMEX BCE 5k, now 17k

[eagle2013]

1 paid [settled less than full balance] CO, 2009