topic Re: Amex ... pending ... boom! ... approved ... HUH? in Credit Card Approvals

Amex ... pending ... boom! ... approved ... HUH?

Gunnar419 — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 00:22:12 GMT

I was going to garden for six months before applying for my first Amex -- a BCE. But I threw myself into the path of temptation for the one and only card I still hanker for (didn't even seriously resist).

Applied for the BCE online ...

Got the dreaded "pending" message (telling me they'd notify me in writing within 14 days) ...

Then, minutes later, in the time it took me to find their application status page ...

Boom! Approved.

Happy, happy, happy! Don't get me wrong, I'm happy. I have arrived.

But really. Tell me. Please. What could they possibly have learned about me in those couple of minutes between "pending" and "congratulations"?

I know it's like trying to read tea leaves or whatever, but I figure you veterans of the credit wars probably have some insight into what's going on in those minutes. Are they pulling more bureaus? Handing the app off to a smarter computer? Casting the I Ching? What? It seemed far too fast for any human review.

Thoughts? Guesses? Insider dope?

Re: Amex ... pending ... boom! ... approved ... HUH?

09Lexie — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 00:22:52 GMT

Congrats

Re: Amex ... pending ... boom! ... approved ... HUH?

Gunnar419 — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 00:24:16 GMT

Thank you, Lexie! I admit, this was a pretty big deal. It's nice not to have to celebrate it alone.

Re: Amex ... pending ... boom! ... approved ... HUH?

xiownthisplacex — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 00:27:21 GMT

Congrats! Don't forget to ask for the 3x CLI in 61 days time!

Re: Amex ... pending ... boom! ... approved ... HUH?

Anonymous — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 00:28:19 GMT

Congrats, what are your stats in terms of Fico Score, number of inquires on your file and current utilization?

Re: Amex ... pending ... boom! ... approved ... HUH?

RSCo — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 00:29:19 GMT

Its a system error on their status site..... I also got the same "pending" response, and then went to their status page where it says I too was approved... Must be a bug in their system.... LOL Congrats to ya...

BTW - my Fico is..

EQ - 708

EX - 695

TU - 665

Prob even lower as I just applied for 4 new cards in the past 2 days and got them all, PLUS a 2,200.00 CL bump from Citi...

Date Received

Card

Status of Application

Next Step

02/12/13

DELTA SKYMILES CREDIT CARD FROM AMERICAN EXPRESS

Approved

Congratulations! Your application has been approved and you should receive your new card within 7-10 days.
If you requested a balance transfer to this card, click here to view the status of that transfer

Re: Amex ... pending ... boom! ... approved ... HUH?

Gunnar419 — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 00:31:58 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Congrats, what are your stats in terms of Fico Score, number of inquires on your file and current utilization?

Eq (MyFico) 766, TU (CK FAKO) 758, Ex ?

Inquiries on TU: 3, on Eq and Ex, 1 each (all within last three months)

Utilization 19%

AAoA: 5 years

Most recent credit opened this month

No baddies

Very modest income, though.

Re: Amex ... pending ... boom! ... approved ... HUH?

Gunnar419 — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 00:35:48 GMT

Ohhh. A bug in the system. Yeah, that makes sense. My best guess would have been that they initially pulled from one bureau but because my income is so unimpressive it triggered automatic pulls from the others before approval. (I aways think of Amex as being for the big guys.) But a bug in the system makes even more sense.

BTW, I'll report back once I learn which bureau(s) they pulled.

And oh yes, those 61 day CLIs. I've never had one of those before. I expect I'll be nervous as a cat when I ask.

Re: Amex ... pending ... boom! ... approved ... HUH?

Gunnar419 — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 00:45:26 GMT

@RSCo wrote:

Prob even lower as I just applied for 4 new cards in the past 2 days and got them all, PLUS a 2,200.00 CL bump from Citi...

Date Received Card Status of Application Next Step
02/12/13
DELTA SKYMILES CREDIT CARD FROM AMERICAN EXPRESS
Approved
Congratulations! Your application has been approved and you should receive your new card within 7-10 days.
If you requested a balance transfer to this card, click here to view the status of that transfer

Congrats to you, too, RSCo! That's quite a haul. I thought Amex hated seeing recent pulls, which is why I was afraid of jumping in now. But you got a lot of love in a short time from everybody.

Re: Amex ... pending ... boom! ... approved ... HUH?

Epcot — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 01:13:01 GMT

Nice going, Congrats on the approval!

Re: Amex ... pending ... boom! ... approved ... HUH?

myjourney — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 02:34:37 GMT

@RSCo wrote:
Its a system error on their status site..... I also got the same "pending" response, and then went to their status page where it says I too was approved... Must be a bug in their system.... LOL Congrats to ya...

BTW - my Fico is..

EQ - 708
EX - 695
TU - 665

Prob even lower as I just applied for 4 new cards in the past 2 days and got them all, PLUS a 2,200.00 CL bump from Citi...

Date Received Card Status of Application Next Step
02/12/13
DELTA SKYMILES CREDIT CARD FROM AMERICAN EXPRESS
Approved
Congratulations! Your application has been approved and you should receive your new card within 7-10 days.
If you requested a balance transfer to this card, click here to view the status of that transfer

Congrats thats the one im gardening for

Re: Amex ... pending ... boom! ... approved ... HUH?

Revelate — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 05:05:52 GMT

I had the same experience, Pending, check App Status site a bit later, and approved.

There wasn't any additional pulls on any other bureau (I actually checked with how absurd I thought the approval was), but there may be another level of computer review done on accounts don't pass the initial sniff test for whatever reason. Likewise it could be some strange bug, but it's a common enough occurrence and mentioned so often on various forums including ours, one would think they'd be aware of it if it were indeed unintentional.

Regardless, congrats!

Re: Amex ... pending ... boom! ... approved ... HUH?

Swapmeet — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 05:57:24 GMT

Congrats! I just got both Amex cards in the mail today. I got the Delta Skymiles and the BCE. When I applied for the Delta card I got the 7-10 day message, immediately checked the status site and it was approved. I also only got Ex pulled. Five days later I applied for the BCE and got a message that in order to be approved, I had to call customer service and talk to them. Unfortunately it was a Friday night, so I could not talk to them until Monday. When I talked to them they said that they were able to approve me and just needed me to verify my ss # and address, and they needed to read me a disclosure -- then they overnighted me the BCE. What a great day.... Congrats recent approvees! Enjoy!

Re: Amex ... pending ... boom! ... approved ... HUH?

Anonymous — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 06:39:22 GMT

I doubt its a bug in their system, prolly garden variety latency in data processing.

I had to wait 24 hours for approval. Just got a mailer today saying my score was 729 via Experian with a long list of things that make me a risk. But still, I have a BCE en route standard mail for $2000 which I plan to spend on Valentine's flowers for my high maintance girlfriend! LOL j/k

Re: Amex ... pending ... boom! ... approved ... HUH?

Anonymous — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 06:44:19 GMT

Is there another Amex card u desire?..now is the time to get it and only take one HP...Congrats!

Re: Amex ... pending ... boom! ... approved ... HUH?

chnceit — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 07:18:38 GMT

Congrats on your approval!

Re: Amex ... pending ... boom! ... approved ... HUH?

SwiftTone — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 16:05:37 GMT

When I applied for BCE the momentary delay happened to me also. I checked the status page maybe a minute after apping and it was approved. Called in and got my CL which was $5400. When I got my paperwork in the mail my EX FICO was stated at 712.

I think its a glitch in their system and not a case of "borderline applicant". I wouldn't consider myself as an borderline applicant since my initial CL was $5400, and although my EX FICO was "only" 712, I've seen lower FICO applicants get approved for this card.

Re: Amex ... pending ... boom! ... approved ... HUH?

HindSight_20_20 — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 16:26:27 GMT

".. (didn't even seriously resist)..." Loll I hear ya' Congrats on that AMEX Gunnar419!

Re: Amex ... pending ... boom! ... approved ... HUH?

Gunnar419 — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 18:44:00 GMT

@HindSight_20_20 wrote:
".. (didn't even seriously resist)..." Loll I hear ya' Congrats on that AMEX Gunnar419!

It's really funny; I never felt a lot of temptation to apply for credit before I came here. Had one card, and only one card, for nearly 15 years. Got one other low-limit card a few years ago. Never once asked for a CLI on either. Then I come to the MyFico forums and I read about instant approvals and backdoor numbers and which card is best for what and ... I'm ruined.

Or improved, as the case may be. But hooked, definitely.

Thanks all for the congratulations and all the good advice.

Now I really am returning to the garden.

Re: Amex ... pending ... boom! ... approved ... HUH?

Swapmeet — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 19:29:40 GMT

lol, +1