Getting an AmEx Blue Cash Everyday Card with no credit history

[Anonymous]

I was wondering if anybody knows someone that got an AmEx Blue Cash Everyday Card or any AmEx card for that matter with no credit history at all. I'm honestly perplexed as to why why my younger brother got an AmEx Blue Cash card with no prior credit history whatsover. He was only 22 when he got it last year and never paid for anything that could affect his credit score and his name was not on any of my family members credit cards so it wasn't that either. At the time, he only worked part-time at Whole Foods making less than 20k a year and he actually got the pre-approval invite and got accepted with a $2000 CL and that was his first credit card invitation of all lenders, believe it or not. The only conclusion I can come up with is that when I looked up on google "Whole Foods American Express", apparently there are rewards you can get from Whole Foods when using your AmEx card so maybe him working there could've possibly gave him an advantage in getting the card. Has anybody heard of similar experiences? I hope so cause I'd like to be enlightened on this.

[RonM21]

I'm sure it has happened before, and there are probably some examples here buried within the threads. I've determined that sometimes there seems to be djfferent ressoning from one person to the next on credit decisions. In other words ymmv on almost everything lol.

[takeshi74]

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@Anonymous wrote:
He was only 22 when he got it last year and never paid for anything that could affect his credit score and his name was not on any of my family members credit cards so it wasn't that either. At the time, he only worked part-time at Whole Foods making less than 20k a year and he actually got the pre-approval invite and got accepted with a $2000 CL and that was his first credit card invitation of all lenders, believe it or not. 

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Sounds like you're overlooking something as he had to have something on his reports as a basis for the preapp.  You can't rely on "didn't pay".  Did you review his reports at the time?

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@Anonymous wrote:
The only conclusion I can come up with is that when I looked up on google "Whole Foods American Express", apparently there are rewards you can get from Whole Foods when using your AmEx card so maybe him working there could've possibly gave him an advantage in getting the card. 

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Does not work that way.  Decisions are made based on credit profile, not based on employer.  Be very careful assuming causality like that on any topic.

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@Anonymous wrote:
I was wondering if anybody knows someone that got an AmEx Blue Cash Everyday Card or any AmEx card for that matter with no credit history at all.

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You also cannot simply rely on the anecdotal evidence of others.  Again, decisions are made based on one's credit profile.  You can certainly try but don't count on getting one with no history.  Why are you interested in the BCE?  If you're looking for a rewards card then make sure you're starting with your biggest spend category and finding cards that maximize rewards on that spend.  Don't just avoid AF but certainly consider it when looking into total cost/benefit.  If you have a lot of grocery spend then the BCP may be a better fit.  If groceries aren't your biggest spend categories then you may want to look at other cards.

[Anonymous]

I personally have never heard of someone getting an Amex card with no credit history.  Short credit history < 1 year sure, but not none.  That doesn't mean that it hasn't happened, though.

[longtimelurker]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I personally have never heard of someone getting an Amex card with no credit history.  Short credit history < 1 year sure, but not none.  That doesn't mean that it hasn't happened, though.

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Right, but as takeshi says, we don't know that he had no credit history, just none his brother was aware of.

Re WholeFoods, Amex does from time to time run special promotions, where you get 2% extra rewards at wholefoods on BC/BCE/BCP, but I don't see that as any reason why they would give special treatment to an employee.

[Anonymous]

Actually I don't discount that your brother may have had an in with the Whole Foods and Amex partnership on that card, that was around the time the original promo was going full on...When I worked for National City years ago before it became PNC...one of the perks was a credit card...I was trying to think of another company I worked for years ago where during the application process they mentioned that it was optional to take a credit card they offered but it was supposedly an instant approval if you opted in....It's been known at least in the past that some companies did have credit card alliances as a perk to employment...with my background in HR I've seen it enough to say it could happen....Now for your brother ask him...was he told anything to that affect....then look at it too..although he may not have had a past credit history you were aware of it...lots of parents used to and still do add their kids as AU and that starts a history

[Anonymous]

my borother got approved for both an amex green card and gold delta skymiles card one day apart from each other, with no credit history. But, I must say he did have a secured credit card with a limit of $200 and as soon as the balance posted to his credit reports after one month, he applied for both these cards and was approved. That is literally the only thing that was on his credit report. delta skymiles card had a limit of $5000, and his income was $52000. I dont know why american express is so generous.

[mitchblue]

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@Anonymous wrote:

my borother got approved for both an amex green card and gold delta skymiles card one day apart from each other, with no credit history. But, I must say he did have a secured credit card with a limit of $200 and as soon as the balance posted to his credit reports after one month, he applied for both these cards and was approved. That is literally the only thing that was on his credit report. delta skymiles card had a limit of $5000, and his income was $52000. I dont know why american express is so generous.

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A secured card is history..

[Anonymous]

Okay, well what history was there to go off? He got the card on May 25, statement ended June 9. His balance of $89 / $200 posted on June 12. On June 15th he applied for amex green and gold delta and was approved. He hadnt made a payment to his discover secured card yet; since it was his very first statement. So, I don't know what 'history' amex went off of.