Apparently AMEX has its own internal scoring system when evaluating someone's creditworthiness-but does it mean that once you have been approved you definitley have GOOD or GREAT Credit?-Does it make it easier to be approved for, say Discover or other 'DIFFICULT' cards-does it look better if ur applying for a Mortgage/Loan,buying a car, etc. to have those certain cards/accounts-Also, how many accounts can one have w/Amex at one time? Sorry for all the questions-but after slowly rebuilding my credit, it seems that AMEX has opened its' gates and allowed me in-lol-I have been reading /studying this Forum for over a year and a half now,ever since I started over from scratch after paying off all my debt,began w/ the rebuilder cards(Premier-HSBC)-then on to some great CU's(NFCU-ADDISON-ALLIANT-NASA)-DENIED TWICE for AMEX, 3rd time was approved for Delta Skymiles Gold Amex-5k
-danced around my apartment for a couple of days-lol. And in speaking w/ a CSR one day, mentioned that I once had a Delta Skymiles Gold CC about 18yrs ago but closed it after 6/8 mnths in good standing because I wasn't using it. She looked it up for me w/ an old charge that I had found in my junk desk drawer(!!!) and voila I then had an 18 year history w/ AMEX!!!! Fast forward to 2 weeks ago(6 mnths later) - received a pre-approval for Gold Amex Premiere Rewards-called in and BAM-APPROVED!!! And they even backdated this one as well So now 2 AMEX Cards w/ 18yrs of history- head is still spinning on this one. I'm very GRATEFUL for everyone's help w/ all the great info provided/ and all that u guys continue to provide!!!
lol at the dancing
Like any other bank/ CCC, American Express has cards that are easier to get than others. Being approved for an AmEx doesn't automatically mean that you're in a credit elite and that all other cards will leap into your lap, I'm afraid. 
Or mortgages either, for that matter. Mortgage lenders look at how long an account has been open and whether you've behaved yourself with it, and that's pretty much it.
I've always read that the AE Costco True Earnings and another one, maybe the Clear? are a lot harder to get.
It doesn't particularly matter anyway. All that counts is where you are and the progress you've made. Congrats on your cards, especially the drool-worthy 18 years on both!
@anderl wrote:Apparently AMEX has its own internal scoring system when evaluating someone's creditworthiness-but does it mean that once you have been approved you definitley have GOOD or GREAT Credit?-Does it make it easier to be approved for, say Discover or other 'DIFFICULT' cards-does it look better if ur applying for a Mortgage/Loan,buying a car, etc. to have those certain cards/accounts-Also, how many accounts can one have w/Amex at one time? Sorry for all the questions-but after slowly rebuilding my credit, it seems that AMEX has opened its' gates and allowed me in-lol-I have been reading /studying this Forum for over a year and a half now,ever since I started over from scratch after paying off all my debt,began w/ the rebuilder cards(Premier-HSBC)-then on to some great CU's(NFCU-ADDISON-ALLIANT-NASA)-DENIED TWICE for AMEX, 3rd time was approved for Delta Skymiles Gold Amex-5k
I just recently was approved for an Amex Delta Skymiles card (I unfortunately have to use Delta frequently). I've been a Platinum business customer for 10 years or so, and had an American Express Green dating back to 1986 that I closed around 1990. This old green card still shows up on my EX report as a closed account. If I am reading this correctly, my new Amex Delta Skymiles card will back dated to 1986? Is this something American Express does automatically or do you have to ask someone to make it happen?
@haulingthescoreup wrote:lol at the dancing
Like any other bank/ CCC, American Express has cards that are easier to get than others. Being approved for an AmEx doesn't automatically mean that you're in a credit elite and that all other cards will leap into your lap, I'm afraid.
I've always read that the AE Costco True Earnings and another one, maybe the Clear? are a lot harder to get.
It doesn't particularly matter anyway. All that counts is where you are and the progress you've made. Congrats on your cards, especially the drool-worthy 18 years on both!
Does that means if you have AE Costco True Earnings, then you have good to great credit?
@joestay wrote:
@haulingthescoreup wrote:lol at the dancing
Like any other bank/ CCC, American Express has cards that are easier to get than others. Being approved for an AmEx doesn't automatically mean that you're in a credit elite and that all other cards will leap into your lap, I'm afraid.
I've always read that the AE Costco True Earnings and another one, maybe the Clear? are a lot harder to get.
It doesn't particularly matter anyway. All that counts is where you are and the progress you've made. Congrats on your cards, especially the drool-worthy 18 years on both!
Does that means if you have AE Costco True Earnings, then you have good to great credit?
Define "good to great credit." I mean, seriously --this sort of thing is in the mind of the beholder, especially the mind (if there is one) of a lender. Some lenders think that a score right at 700 with no negatives in the last two years is good, even if everything before that looks like a credit minefield. Others rear up in horror at a couple-three 30 days from 5 years back. Very different credit, so which lender is right? Is either good credit?
I suppose that if you have a Costco TE card, you must have had pretty good credit, at least at the time that you applied. Although AE is funny in terms of approvals, especially with existing customers who've been good customers. I've seen plenty of posts by long-term AE customers with scores in the 600's due to high util and some other scary things going on, but they've always been happy users of their AmEx plastic, and they were approved for all sorts of things.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Seriously, everyone (not addressing this to joestay), I don't get all the anxiety about prestige cards and all. I don't mean to sound critical, but honestly, in my three years on the forums, I have never seen such an ongoing doo-dah about which card is better or more impressive or more prestigious or whatever. (Well, other than the thread two years ago about which card was prettiest. I didn't think that thing would ever die out.)
CC's are just tools to be used. If someone is impressed by seeing that you have a certain card, that person doesn't particularly impress me. 
It's getting to be a bit too much like the first day of school in fourth grade, when everyone's comparing binders, competing to see whose is "best." Heck, if it holds all my paper and doesn't fall apart in the first month, it's a good binder!
Anyway, just IMO. I'm feeling old and cranky today.
@ArisGreek wrote:It would date back to 1986, it may not automatically; but you can call them and ask. If they cannot find a record you just need to show them a statement or find your original card.
Wow. They will actually report it to the CRA's that way? I don't have the statements or the card, but My Experian report shows the full account number from back then. My AAoA is 11 years, but adding a 25 year old line to my credit report doesn't hurt. I guess sometimes being old isn't such a bad thing! 
