I'm getting frustrated because I've been reading about the ease with which some folks have been getting large CLI's from Amex, while I can't beg, borrow, or steal even a small one.
Got a charge card and 2 credit cards from them 10 months ago.
One of the credit cards is a Delta Gold Skymiles card with a $2k limit.
My EX FICO score has gone up around 50 points since then, as have my other FICO scores, and my whole record has been perfect for the past 8 1/2 years, my utilization is very low, even my income has gone up.
And yet: no auto CLI's, and every CLI request I make gets denied.
Would appreciate it if someone knowledgeable about Amex would outline a strategy for me going forward.
Thanks.
It might help if you listed the reasons Amex has given for your denials. 
@Anonymous wrote:I believe they treat your whole profile as a whole, so you could be sabotaging yourself by requesting at the wrong times. My understanding is you have to wait 90 days from last denial on ANY AmEx before requesting again. Have you kept track of when you've tried?
No I haven't been keeping track. But I'm pretty sure it's been at closer than 90 day intervals.
So you think it's as simple as that... I just need to wait 91 days???
@kdm31091 wrote:While anyone can speculate about how to get a CLI, the bottom line is no one can tell you what you need to do because Amex is making the decision based on your file.
I would suggest making sure you are using the cards regularly and PIF. If you show very little usage for example, there's no reason for Amex to want to increase your credit line.
Nothing is guaranteed. You need to give it time and keep using them. If you really want a better shot at a CLI on a given card, I suggest using it as your main card. Put most if not all of your spending on it, and then pay it down. Showing heavy usage is more likely to get you a CLI; again, nothing is guaranteed. I'm sorry for your experience, but I am in a way glad you posted because some people think Amex is just going to get them a CLI no matter what, and this helps dispel that myth.
And yes I believe if denied there is no point in trying again before 90 days. It will be auto denied.
It's funny, it's kind of counterintuitive, because the small credit limit makes me want to use the card less not more.
And the 90-day thing seems so robotic; hard to imagine a major institution making decisions on such a basis.
But I guess you're 100% right on both counts: (a) I need to wait 91 days, and (b) I need to start using the card more.
@Anonymous wrote:
It might help if you listed the reasons Amex has given for your denials.
The reasons are all over the place and make no sense. Usually they give me 1 reason. These have included:
1. Because I was recently turned down.
2. Because of my Experian score (which is 50 points higher than when they granted the card)
3. Because of negatives from 8 1/2 years ago (which were of course on my record when they granted the card)
@thebeckerman wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
It might help if you listed the reasons Amex has given for your denials.The reasons are all over the place and make no sense. Usually they give me 1 reason. These have included:
1. Because I was recently turned down.
2. Because of my Experian score (which is 50 points higher than when they granted the card)
3. Because of negatives from 8 1/2 years ago (which were of course on my record when they granted the card)
So a little thought might help here: Amex is listing their reasons for denial, which is much more important than what anyone in the forum thinks, so I would have asked Amex first!
But 1) as others have said, clearly states the reason. Did it not mention 3 months or something? (When I applied for a CLI early, it stated that you must wait 6 months between increases)
As for 2 and 3: Amex took the negatives and score into account when granting the card and setting the initial CL. It makes perfect sense for them to say that given those negatives we are happy to give you $1K but our risk algorithms advise against giving more. And the score increase isn't enough to offset this.
I know its hard when everyone seems to get CLI effortlessly (but you have to skip over all the CLI denied posts to get that impression) but the bottom line is that CLIs aren't automatic, and you have to read the reasons and decide what can be done. 3) might be the major problem.
@longtimelurker wrote:
@thebeckerman wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
It might help if you listed the reasons Amex has given for your denials.The reasons are all over the place and make no sense. Usually they give me 1 reason. These have included:
1. Because I was recently turned down.
2. Because of my Experian score (which is 50 points higher than when they granted the card)
3. Because of negatives from 8 1/2 years ago (which were of course on my record when they granted the card)
So a little thought might help here: Amex is listing their reasons for denial, which is much more important than what anyone in the forum thinks, so I would have asked Amex first!
But 1) as others have said, clearly states the reason. Did it not mention 3 months or something? (When I applied for a CLI early, it stated that you must wait 6 months between increases)
As for 2 and 3: Amex took the negatives and score into account when granting the card and setting the initial CL. It makes perfect sense for them to say that given those negatives we are happy to give you $1K but our risk algorithms advise against giving more. And the score increase isn't enough to offset this.
I know its hard when everyone seems to get CLI effortlessly (but you have to skip over all the CLI denied posts to get that impression) but the bottom line is that CLIs aren't automatic, and you have to read the reasons and decide what can be done. 3) might be the major problem.
I agree..