To app or not to app: amex charge or credit? Both?

[RyVision]

Generally if one can get Green, they can get Gold, Zync is easiest (being able to get Zync, will not grant Gold). Zync is their entry level card (so to speak).  However, depending on ones file and score, they can all give the same internal CL.  The big difference are AFs and perks. Zync was developed to help replace client base.  It's also the only charge they often offer a hard limit on to allow someone just on the edge to get the card (those people would not be able to get the Green or higher).

I always recommend to younger people to get an AMEX very early so they have the membership date forever and it applies to all accounts they get later with AMEX.

[logan_720]

I would app for a charge card first, since those are somewhat easier to get, then go ahead and app for a revolver, since those are generally harder to get....Amex Zync is by far one of the easier charge cards from Amex to aquire also.

[Mailak]

Okay, kinda scared, but Gold and then, BCP tomorrow. I hope they approve the Gold charge even if with a lower limit. I believe I have the score, untarnished history, and the income. It's just my pesky existing CL that's small. 

[RyVision]

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@Mailak wrote:

Okay, kinda scared, but Gold and then, BCP tomorrow. I hope they approve the Gold charge even if with a lower limit. I believe I have the score, untarnished history, and the income. It's just my pesky existing CL that's small. 

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Gold is a charge, it has no pre-set spending limit. You pay it in full every month (like Zync, Green etc).  Yes, the charge first. Also, unless the rewards of the Gold are worth it for you (the fee may be higher than you'd like to spend on it, Green is less).   You have the score and clean report, I don't know your income etc but I'm guessing it's good enough for AMEX if you have 30k in the bank   BCE has no AF btw but lower percentage rewards, just a heads up (IIRC).

Remember to print out your report with your old AMEX showing it's opening date, sometimes AMEX quits reporting the old acct after  you get back in with them. They did that with me, until then, it reported for over 20 years on at least 1 report (different reports at different times, usually on EX).

[Mailak]

Argh! I went to the brink and canceled. I filled it out for Green. One question I stumbled on was Employer#. I always wonder if I should give them something that leads to HR or to my department/boss. But the real reason I didn't hit submit was that it doesn't have room on the first page to enter apartment#. So, I put it on Address Line 2. That's fine. On the screen after that, it refuses to let me edit major details (for my security). So, can't edit name, address, etc. Okay, that's fine. But when it shows me the final summary, it doesn't show my apartment number listed in address line 2. It just shows a blank. So, I didn't pull the trigger. Don't know what to do now.

I went back and now it has all that info saved (!) but still can't see apartment number after you enter it initially on the first page (when you check offers).

Also, if I apply for BCP straight after, do I say yes to existing member? (assuming I get approved).

Should I try to apply without looking at offer page? Should I call and apply? Is it okay if they don't display my apartment number? (I don't like that).

[Mailak]

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@RyVision wrote:

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@Mailak wrote:

Okay, kinda scared, but Gold and then, BCP tomorrow. I hope they approve the Gold charge even if with a lower limit. I believe I have the score, untarnished history, and the income. It's just my pesky existing CL that's small. 

---

Gold is a charge, it has no pre-set spending limit. You pay it in full every month (like Zync, Green etc).  Yes, the charge first. Also, unless the rewards of the Gold are worth it for you (the fee may be higher than you'd like to spend on it, Green is less).   You have the score and clean report, I don't know your income etc but I'm guessing it's good enough for AMEX if you have 30k in the bank   BCE has no AF btw but lower percentage rewards, just a heads up (IIRC).

Remember to print out your report with your old AMEX showing it's opening date, sometimes AMEX quits reporting the old acct after  you get back in with them. They did that with me, until then, it reported for over 20 years on at least 1 report (different reports at different times, usually on EX).

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When you say it was reporting for 20 years, do you mean to say it was just listed or they continually reported data? Say, data for Jan 2011 even when the account closed in 2000? The last month I show on mine is from 2002. There's about 2 or so years of individual monthly history for all cards... for my Cap1 its, 2010 and 2011 but for AMEX it shows only months from 2000-2002.

Is that what you would call reporting it? I would have thought that mean that AMEX reported it till 2002 and then after that EX has simply archived that information. Or does that mean that AMEX did stop reporting it and otherwise it might have said "OK" or something like that for 2011-2012? I'm a little unclear here. Could you please explain this to me, again?

[RyVision]

Oddly, AMEX probably just didn't notice it was even being reported to any CB LOL, after I told them about it, they probably stopped it (my account was long before the new laws and the 10 year thing, not sure if that's why or not).

This is one of the old ways it was reported on EX last year. After a few months with the new acct, this fell off all reports:

[Mailak]

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@RyVision wrote:

Oddly, AMEX probably just didn't notice it was even being reported to any CB LOL, after I told them about it, they probably stopped it (my account was long before the new laws and the 10 year thing, not sure if that's why or not).

This is one of the old ways it was reported on EX last year. After a few months with the new acct, this fell off all reports:

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Oh wow, thanks for showing me that. Yes, this is exactly how I see my old accounts. They're there but the months stop when I closed the account. So, yes, they are still reporting it. I can send them a copy of that when I get the card and I know the last 5 digits of the card.

Any idea on my earlier problem (http://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/Credit-Cards/To-app-or-not-to-app-amex-charge-or-credit-Both/m-p/138... Should I apply on the phone or is it fine if I don't see my apartment number listed on their page even though I put it in address line 2 on the first page?

[RyVision]

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@Mailak wrote:

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@RyVision wrote:

Oddly, AMEX probably just didn't notice it was even being reported to any CB LOL, after I told them about it, they probably stopped it (my account was long before the new laws and the 10 year thing, not sure if that's why or not).

This is one of the old ways it was reported on EX last year. After a few months with the new acct, this fell off all reports:

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Oh wow, thanks for showing me that. Yes, this is exactly how I see my old accounts. They're there but the months stop when I closed the account. So, yes, they are still reporting it. I can send them a copy of that when I get the card and I know the last 5 digits of the card.

Any idea on my earlier problem (http://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/Credit-Cards/To-app-or-not-to-app-amex-charge-or-credit-Both/m-p/138... Should I apply on the phone or is it fine if I don't see my apartment number listed on their page even though I put it in address line 2 on the first page?

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I don't quite get what you're saying there.

[FrugalRican]

When I apped for the BCE, I didn't even list the apartment number.

Then again, my apartment complex has our mailboxes labeled by apartment number and name.

And I gave just a general number for my employer.

I don't think that it matters what number you put on there, to be honest. They never called my employer, specially since it was online and the approval was immediate.