I doubt I'm there yet, but I was recently thinking about getting in with AMEX to take advantage of earlier backdating if, further down the road, I decide I'm in a position to apply for a better rewards card with AMEX, such as BCE or BCP.
My card history extends back only to Oct 2012, with the other card accounts as new as December '12 and January '13, and my oldest tradelines are student loans, of <1 year to 3 years. AAOA is around 1.5 years. Also, I have 5 inqs on TU, a bit less on the others. But no baddies.
Given my limited history, should I wait--even to apply for the Green card by AMEX? I know I should probably wait rather than throw away another inquiry, but I was thinking in terms of having an earlier backdated "date."
Thoughts? Thanks!
For your first time, apping for AMEX as close to the beginning of the new year (aka Jan, Feb) to increase the AAoA when you app for your second AMEX down the road.
Depending on your scores, if you can stomach the $95 Annual Fee, go for the Green Card. Otherwise you might want to app for the AMEX Blue Card (not BCE/BCP or Blue Skymiles). I was approved for the Blue card and then I got a PC to the BCE with a quick call to CS.
"And may the odds be EVER in your favor..."
Oh ya, sorry forgot to add... My Discover TU pull from January listed a score of 711. My Feb Walmart TU is down to 703 with Discover now reporting... Not sure of the others, but CK FAKO is 679. I feel like these are too low for AMEX, That's why I asked here first. Thanks for the response!
@GaTech wrote:For your first time, apping for AMEX as close to the beginning of the new year (aka Jan, Feb) to increase the AAoA when you app for your second AMEX down the road.
Depending on your scores, if you can stomach the $95 Annual Fee, go for the Green Card. Otherwise you might want to app for the AMEX Blue Card (not BCE/BCP or Blue Skymiles). I was approved for the Blue card and then I got a PC to the BCE with a quick call to CS.
"And may the odds be EVER in your favor..."
Actually it's only the year that matters for your first Amex; to wit, get it anytime during the first possible year if you care about the backdating which can be obtained with future Amex cards.
Month of future application only sort of matters either honestly, can find plenty of debate on that on the forum. 
OP: I'd wait till April or later. From a backdating perspective it doesn't matter when you get it this year and really you want 6ish months on a revolving tradeline before a charge card, and possibly longer than that for a revolver.
Your scores are fine, just your revolving history is thin. Personally if I wanted the BCE/BCP in your situation, I'd wait till that 10/12-opened card ticked over a year, and make the application then. That gives me the backup shot of taking a charge card 31 days later if I absolutely had to and was doing it for purposes of backdating later. FWIW other than most likely income, by October your application data will be better than mine when I was approved for a BCP at least.
Thanks for the advice... Do you mean wait til Oct to apply for the Green to start with them, or to apply for the AMEX rewards card? I feel like one year history would still be thin for the BCE/BCP, though I could be wrong. thanks again!
I would wait until at least Oct. and go for the Green. Hold it for 6 months and get the revolver you really want.
@dhon55 wrote:
Thanks for the advice... Do you mean wait til Oct to apply for the Green to start with them, or to apply for the AMEX rewards card? I feel like one year history would still be thin for the BCE/BCP, though I could be wrong. thanks again!
Charge card: six months revolving history (you have 3-4 now)
Credit card: twelve months revolving history
This is all YMMV; however, it holds true with Amex at least at a SWAG anecdotally. On the assumption your goal card is the rewards one, you have two possible choices:
1) What I suggested previously, wait till Oct/Nov (whenever that October tradeline reports it's twelth payment), and take the shot. If denied for whatever reason, take the Green 31 days later and set the backdate year since that appears to be your primary goal, though please correct me if I'm mistaken in that.
2) If you plan to be using the card and you don't care about the possible AF, you can do the two-step: pickup the charge card in April post-sixth reported payment, and assuming you obtain it, take the shot at the BCE/P in 1/14. This is likely a better route if you can demonstrate your payment history with Amex, traditionally it appears Amex approves more marginal credit files (like me) for revolvers if there's demonstrated history on a charge card; however, Amex historically likes high spenders, which as a student you may or may not qualify for.
Personally if I were a student without a lot of disposable income, I'd probably take the first route personally. If you make a non-trivial amount though, then I think option 2 works better.
Ah you posted here too; responding here too for others if interested:
@myjourney wrote:Charge card: six months revolving history (you have 3-4 now)
Credit card: twelve months revolving history
This is all YMMV; however, it holds true with Amex at least at a SWAG anecdotally. On the assumption your goal card is the rewards one, you have two possible choices:
1) What I suggested previously, wait till Oct/Nov (whenever that October tradeline reports it's twelth payment), and take the shot. If denied for whatever reason, take the Green 31 days later and set the backdate year since that appears to be your primary goal, though please correct me if I'm mistaken in that.
2) If you plan to be using the card and you don't care about the possible AF, you can do the two-step: pickup the charge card in April post-sixth reported payment, and assuming you obtain it, take the shot at the BCE/P in 1/14. This is likely a better route if you can demonstrate your payment history with Amex, traditionally it appears Amex approves more marginal credit files (like me) for revolvers if there's demonstrated history on a charge card; however, Amex historically likes high spenders, which as a student you may or may not qualify for.
Personally if I were a student without a lot of disposable income, I'd probably take the first route personally. If you make a non-trivial amount though, then I think option 2 works better.
Thanks, you answered a lot of questions i had as well on this matter, of which route to go when i app in june(Revelate) where were your scores when you apped My route is get green 6-8 months later app CC
I obtained my Zync (basically same requirements as a Green) in October with the EQ FICO here of 643; I was approved for the BCP in January with a score here of 652.
That said, I also picked up a Walmart CC and the TU08 model they use had me at a 677 (somehow); Amex likely uses an '08 model, and possibly Bankcard enhanced as well, so I wouldn't use my approval criteria as gospel as I seemed to be a much more marginal approval than anyone else I've seen on this forum. It was shocking that I was approved, but depending where your scores are and your income (I listed 125K which is easy for me to prove from my primary job) it's entirely possible to achieve.