That works if instant approval. If there is any processing of app then OP may be in trouble of waits too late.

I'm going to have 6 months in November 17, but I was wondering if increasing my limit with Wells Fargo would get me more chances to get approved for a charge card with AMEX should I apply in November or December ?

Ok, I went and looked at your older thread. Here's what you have now:

 

1) Wells Fargo $300 secured card

2) Walmart $400 store card

3) Capital 1 $500 unsecured card

 

Amex's scoring is a black box, of course, but if you're going for a charge card I don't think you need to worry nearly as much about boosting your secured limit on the WF as you would need to if you were going for an AmEx revolver.

 

Case in point: my highest open limit when I got approved for the Zync was $2000, and my next highest was $500. I checked my spending ability for the Zync within the first month of having it for $4000 and it was approved. So unlike revolvers, where the lender often tries to gauge where they set your limit by the other limits you have, AmEx apparently uses other methods to determine where the hidden limit on your NPSL lies.

 

That being said, I might, just to be cautious, try to boost the WF card up to slightly over $1000. If you can do that right now before WF does their November report, then apply after it shows on the report, I think you'd be well enough positioned to get a green or gold card as long as utilization and scores are in line for it. You'll have 3 tradelines with 6 months of perfect history, which is the baseline of what they are looking for.

 

Even if you can't do that immediate CL boost, I'd probably go ahead and apply after the November report just to be sure you get in well before the end of 2012. Even if it means a lower hidden limit, the long-term value of an extra year of age on every AmEx account you will ever have has to be worth the hassle of a lower spending ceiling in the short term. AmEx will definitely revise those ceilings as your good history with them accumulates, but you can never change the date of your first AmEx card.

I don't want to bother but could you be so gentle to provide us with the opening dates of your CCs?

The date of approval is your date of membership. The
only variable would be the 7-10 day message. Seems to me you would have enough time for a 12 member since date.

+1 on the date. 

 

apped for my card at about 9pm aug 30th 2012 and website and card say member since aug 2012

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pat0812 wrote:

I'm going to have 6 months in November 17, but I was wondering if increasing my limit

with Wells Fargo would get me more chances to get approved for a charge card with AMEX

should I apply in November or December ?

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Your historical limits are pretty irrelevant for Amex charge approvals, it's more a factor of income.  I wouldn't sweat this.

 

Honestly though, I'd take the shot twice: November, and then December if not approved; however, I'm firmly of the opinion that a '12 backdate is much better than a '13 backdate over the next 3-4 years, and as such an extra inquiry to me if needed is utterly trivial in comparison (since it's minimal damage and that's gone score-wise in a year anyway).

 

Good info from others posted about the date; however, with the 7-10 day possibility, earlier is better.  I don't think that limits or a 7th reported month will make more than a marginal difference, so I'd simply take the shot after the sixth reported month on my tradeline.

ok i agree, but if i get denied on november 18th, i will only be able to file the next application in december 19th, that will be very close to the end of the year lol

Just as a datapoint, I went back and looked at some old emails from when I app'd to Amex in 2007.  I applied Dec 18th, 2007....instantly approved.  That was a Tuesday, same setup as this year actually.  Mine says 2007.

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shadow2k wrote:

Just as a datapoint, I went back and looked at some old emails from when I app'd to Amex in 2007.  I applied Dec 18th, 2007....instantly approved.  That was a Tuesday, same setup as this year actually.  Mine says 2007.

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You piqued my curiosity, so I went and took a look at the date of the inq for my Amex. I apped on May 18, 2011 and was approved the same day. The account was backdated to May 1987.

 

I applied for my Amex Zync on 12/30/2011. I was able to use the card to purchase something that day, because they immediately give you your card # online after approval. 

 

When the card came, it said "member since 2012". My online account said the same thing. I called Amex and they changed it to 2011. Now when I log on to the Amex site, it says "member since 2011".