Let's be real, is it that easy to get an Amex charge card?

[Anonymous]

Credit guy, your last sentence sums it up perfectly.

[SouthJamaica]

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@creditguy wrote:

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@NattyPButter wrote:

I still don't understand why ppl want to get in with Amex so bad. IMO there's so many cards out there that offer better rewards. Amex needs to step their game up. 

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Because they think of Amex as it was back in the old days, prestigious. You were really someone if you had an Amex, you know the good old days when all they had was the don't leave home without it charge cards. Those days are long over and they now give out SL's as low as $500, real prestige there. To me they are just a card issuer no different than any other major card issuer. I'll never understand the "I don't care what Amex card I get, I just want to get my foot in the door" mentality. 

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I haven't found that they've showed me any special kindness once I got an Amex card. For a period of 1 year and 10 months, I wasn't able to get a CLI or a new card from them, even though my scores had increased substantially and my handling of the accounts (and all my accounts) had been exemplary. Eventually, after 1 year and 10 months, and 80-point increases in my scores, I was able to get a CLI and a couple of new cards. But I certainly have never felt that I was part of their "family" or had gotten my "foot in the door".

[SouthJamaica]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Okay long story short, I recommended two of my friends who wanted to get their foot in the door with Amex and also discipline themselves to PIF to get a charge card. Without given much detail into their credit profile. I do know both of them had a score of 650-680 range with a couple of years of established credit, no baddies whatsoever and already a couple of okay limit cards. Sounds fair and okay right? Well....I was hyping them up on how they will likely for sure be approved as "Amex charge cards are easier than their revolvers" and how a lot of people get approved for Amex charge cards easily etc etc

Results were they both got denied and I looked stupid predicting it was an easy approval for both lol.

So let's be real, how hard is it to get a charge card for Amex? I have one already and I always thought their requirements weren't that tough from the general consensus and from what I've read etc. I know every person credit profile varies, but has anyone else been denied an Amex charge card before? I rarely hear people do lol. Maybe Amex prestigious standards are back! Jk

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My scores were around 650 when I got my Amex Bus Platinum card. They were glad to accept $450 a year from me.

[UncleB]

I don't think this has been mentioned here yet (if it was I overlooked it) but there is an 'ulterior motive' to getting your foot in the door... any denied apps after that for their other products will only be a SP. 

I'm not saying this is the ideal method of getting the card you really want, but once "in the door" you can then apply for the card you actually want as often as they allow without having to worry about collecting inquiries (usually).  Note that while this is usually the case, some folks occasionally report a HP anyway, so as with most things credit YMMV (but it generally works this way).

[Anonymous]

Applicants don't come away from disapprovals confused, not knowing why they weren't approved. The creditor sends out a notification, listing in big bold letters, all caps too; multiple reasons why your application was disapproved. So there's no need to act like you don't know why you weren't approved.

When I talk about the numbers, I'm just talking about looking around you. There's a website I know of but can't remember the name of, that basically shows your approval odds by having people review whether they had gotten approved or not and what their credit score was. But extenuating factors based on a particular applicants credit profile also come into play.

It's probably useless trying to research your approval
odds based on Internet reviews, that's probably a difficult thing to pull off, but what I'm saying is that I don't think that American Express caters to a certain type of credit applicant. And we know they don't because of what is reported on American Express, and through historical data. I don't agree that American Express is the same as any other creditor.

In fact, I haven't even applied for an American Express and certainly haven't thought of applying for one any time soon because I know those particular cards are out of reach.

[Anonymous]

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@UncleB wrote:

I don't think this has been mentioned here yet (if it was I overlooked it) but there is an 'ulterior motive' to getting your foot in the door... any denied apps after that for their other products will only be a SP. 

I'm not saying this is the ideal method of getting the card you really want, but once "in the door" you can then apply for the card you actually want as often as they allow without having to worry about collecting inquiries (usually).  Note that while this is usually the case, some folks occasionally report a HP anyway, so as with most things credit YMMV (but it generally works this way).

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There used to be an even bigger ulterior motive: Back dating. Infortunately, that went away.

[Anonymous]

@ captool ~ you nailed it. People loved Amex then because of the backdating. Once Amex went away with that, they are just another CCC imho and we have a handful out there to choose from. 

[Anonymous]

I know this threads a few weeks old, but I was just approved for an amex charge card, the PRG, after being denied for a amex hilton hhonors credit card a few months back with basically the same scores and util.

[Anonymous]

When it comes to card approvals there are a few things that are consistent.

1)denials sometimes dont make sense
2)approvals sometimes dont make sense
3) someone with a 750 may get declined while a 650 gets approval
4)there are too many factors involved to really know how hard or easy a card will be. Exceptions can be The really easy ones that are geared for no,low,or really bad credit. Another exception could be the centurion and how certain things need to be present in order to get approved.

5) one credit report at 680 could look different than another with the same score

My guess is approval criteria are tweaked as needed especially since they never seem cut and dry or overly consistent