topic Re: Amex PRG Approved-Have Questions in Credit Card Approvals

Amex PRG Approved-Have Questions

Anonymous — Tue, 02 May 2017 11:03:36 GMT

Hey guys.... approved for Amex PRG. I wanted a card to help with some travel benefits. I am going to be flying about 5-6 times this next year, and I currently don't have any travel reward cards. This one, tho not specifically for travel, will benefit my now with the upcoming travel and also when that is over be a nice card to have in the future.

I have some questions.

First.... it says one of the benefits is purchasing things on Amex Travel and you get double membership points. But you get triple if you buy directly on the airlines site. Why would I buy on Amex Travel? Am I missing something?

Second, I know it is a NPSL card, but do you not even get a estimate limit... or whatever you want to call it. How do I even know if I can get a purchase approved? Do I need to check online first before every purchase? This is odd. Lol.

Finally, seperate card question. Can I PC my BCE to Amex EDP? This way I can combine my MR Points.

Thx in advance.

Oh... for those who want them. DPs:
Current Amex account holder.
No HP yet. Assuming an EX is coming.
EX fico is 761. No baddies-20 INQs
0-1% Utilization
Income approx $100k

Re: Amex PRG Approved-Have Questions

Anonymous — Tue, 02 May 2017 11:18:17 GMT

Sorry... 1 more.
Is there a way to get my Account number early? I want to add my card to my Auto-Pay accounts. Want to get a jump start on spending that $2k in 90 days.

Re: Amex PRG Approved-Have Questions

Anonymous — Tue, 02 May 2017 11:20:07 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Hey guys.... approved for Amex PRG. I wanted a card to help with some travel benefits. I am going to be flying about 5-6 times this next year, and I currently don't have any travel reward cards. This one, tho not specifically for travel, will benefit my now with the upcoming travel and also when that is over be a nice card to have in the future.

I have some questions.

First.... it says one of the benefits is purchasing things on Amex Travel and you get double membership points. But you get triple if you buy directly on the airlines site. Why would I buy on Amex Travel? Am I missing something? - compare prices on Amex travel to other places and see how the prices compare. If they're close then getting the extra MR points would be worth it. Also if it's for a hotel stay and the hotel is one of the Fine Hotels and Resorts then there are benefits like guaranteed late checkout time and dining credits. It's just another venue for looking at travel options.

Second, I know it is a NPSL card, but do you not even get a estimate limit... or whatever you want to call it. How do I even know if I can get a purchase approved? Do I need to check online first before every purchase? This is odd. Lol. - It is the nature of Amex charge cards, no preset limit with a limit. You can look at the online option for checking to see if a purchase would be approved but even that is no guarantee that a charge will go thru. It does give you some idea of a maximum that they'll approve. In short, the longer you have the card and use it, then the amount you'll be approved for will rise

Finally, seperate card question. Can I PC my BCE to Amex EDP? This way I can combine my MR Points. - no you can not PC a cashback card to a MR earning card.

Thx in advance.

Oh... for those who want them. DPs:
Current Amex account holder.
No HP yet. Assuming an EX is coming.
EX fico is 761. No baddies-20 INQs
0-1% Utilization
Income approx $100k

Congrats on the approval.

Re: Amex PRG Approved-Have Questions

Anonymous — Tue, 02 May 2017 13:55:31 GMT

Thanks Irish.
The limit thing is very ..... not cool.
Like my US Bank cash +'is a NPSL card but they give you a limit as a guaranteed amount you can spend but might let you go over.
So I tried the limit thing in $1k increments.... I was approved for $5k but not $6k. I'm guessing I have a $5000 safe zone maybe? Kind of a pain since I only carry one card with me usually... if it gets denied I'll feel dumb. (And hopefully hey take Apple Pay since I'll have my phone at least)

All in all tho I like the card benefits. It's one I have thought of since last December when I got my BCE.

Good to know on the PC-I didn't not realize that's. I thought you could PC any card to any card as long as it was credit to credit. Just asked cuz I thought there was a time frame on when you could pC.

Again; thx for the answers Irish.

Re: Amex PRG Approved-Have Questions

Anonymous — Tue, 02 May 2017 15:39:32 GMT

First off, whatever you do, DO NOT use the Check Spending Power button online, that will most definitely trigger a Financial Review since AMEX looks at this as risky behavior. Next, you can't product change unlike cards like BCE and EDP, I've already asked before.

Also, best advice I can offer regarding the NPSL is to use the card just like you would any other card and don't even think about the limit. I personally make 2-5 payments per month before statement close to keep the balance low and they adore that responsible behavior. It really depends on your spending patterns which they monitor 24/7, just be careful.

AMEX Travel is weird, really the only difference is the fact that you can use Membership Rewards points towards the fare and earn some points back for the purchase. With the PRG, you do have access to The Hotel Collection which does give some reasonable benefits towards stays. No reason to really book flights on there though. Let me know if you have any other questions, I have the Platinum and PRG.

P.S. No way to get account number early.

Re: Amex PRG Approved-Have Questions

Anonymous — Tue, 02 May 2017 15:46:41 GMT

I've used the 'Check Spending Power' a few times before and have never had any issue with Amex. It will give a clear picture of what they will approve you for, and does seem to fluctuate a little through time and use

Re: Amex PRG Approved-Have Questions

Anonymous — Tue, 02 May 2017 15:52:34 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
First off, whatever you do, DO NOT use the Check Spending Power button online, that will most definitely trigger a Financial Review since AMEX looks at this as risky behavior. Next, you can't product change unlike cards like BCE and EDP, I've already asked before.

Also, best advice I can offer regarding the NPSL is to use the card just like you would any other card and don't even think about the limit. I personally make 2-5 payments per month before statement close to keep the balance low and they adore that responsible behavior. It really depends on your spending patterns which they monitor 24/7, just be careful.

AMEX Travel is weird, really the only difference is the fact that you can use Membership Rewards points towards the fare and earn some points back for the purchase. With the PRG, you do have access to The Hotel Collection which does give some reasonable benefits towards stays. No reason to really book flights on there though. Let me know if you have any other questions, I have the Platinum and PRG.

P.S. No way to get account number early.

Completely untrue and as a community we need to stop spreading this and other myths about American Express and other creditors . Using the check spending button does not, and I will repeat, does not lead to a FR.

Re: Amex PRG Approved-Have Questions

Blackswizz750 — Tue, 02 May 2017 15:55:39 GMT

I am am a new green card holder and used it card for most of April. I will pay the bill when it cuts after Sat. I put in a few approvals but heard they watch it like a hawk. I didnt charge more than 125 at a time to be cautious. I will have to get use to NPSL. Congrats on the Gold card and the travel bennies should help with the Annual fee.

Re: Amex PRG Approved-Have Questions

Anonymous — Tue, 02 May 2017 15:57:56 GMT

@Blackswizz750 wrote:
I am am a new green card holder and used it card for most of April. I will pay the bill when it cuts after Sat. I put in a few approvals but heard they watch it like a hawk. I didnt charge more than 125 at a time to be cautious. I will have to get use to NPSL. Congrats on the Gold card and the travel bennies should help with the Annual fee.

As I said above, that's just not true. If it lead to a FR or any other AA, I and others would have been FRed a hundred times by now.

Re: Amex PRG Approved-Have Questions

Blackswizz750 — Tue, 02 May 2017 16:01:30 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@Blackswizz750 wrote:
I am am a new green card holder and used it card for most of April. I will pay the bill when it cuts after Sat. I put in a few approvals but heard they watch it like a hawk. I didnt charge more than 125 at a time to be cautious. I will have to get use to NPSL. Congrats on the Gold card and the travel bennies should help with the Annual fee.
As I said above, that's just not true. If it lead to a FR or any other AA, I and others would have been FRed a hundred times by now.

gotcha, I did not mean to spread anything. I am getting used to Amex. Hopefully my card works out. I need to try out the travel stuff compared to hilton directly and my flights. I noticed they have been increasing in cost this year.

Re: Amex PRG Approved-Have Questions

Anonymous — Wed, 03 May 2017 09:17:00 GMT

@Blackswizz750 wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@Blackswizz750 wrote:
I am am a new green card holder and used it card for most of April. I will pay the bill when it cuts after Sat. I put in a few approvals but heard they watch it like a hawk. I didnt charge more than 125 at a time to be cautious. I will have to get use to NPSL. Congrats on the Gold card and the travel bennies should help with the Annual fee.
As I said above, that's just not true. If it lead to a FR or any other AA, I and others would have been FRed a hundred times by now.
gotcha, I did not mean to spread anything. I am getting used to Amex. Hopefully my card works out. I need to try out the travel stuff compared to hilton directly and my flights. I noticed they have been increasing in cost this year.

No harm. I know you didn't mean to spread a rumor but given the other post that sorta definitively stated that it did I want to make sure that others understand that this is a complete myth. Sorta like Amex not liking balances except in this case it makes people believe some type of AA will be the result. I've seen it stated here and elsewhere before and like any internet driven rumor, it's hard to dispel. Good luck with your card. If you ever have any questions, just ask.

Re: Amex PRG Approved-Have Questions

AverageJoesCredit — Tue, 02 May 2017 18:01:16 GMT

Dj congrats on your new pickup. Maybe a good idea to carry 2 different cards just in case something happens with one. Just a thought

Re: Amex PRG Approved-Have Questions

Anonymous — Tue, 02 May 2017 18:08:21 GMT

Congrats! Great card! I have put alot of spend on mine and have never had any issues with the NPSL.

Re: Amex PRG Approved-Have Questions

Anonymous — Tue, 02 May 2017 19:02:10 GMT

Thx for all the replies and congrats everyone. I'm pretty excited about this once since I will be flying a lot this next year. With no AF and the travel benefits it will really pay off this year. The next year I may downgrade to either gold or green but we will see.

I agree he NPsL will take some getting used to.

I read that older versions of fico used to use the max balance as the limit reporting so it looked like you were heavily utilized all the time. It also said fico 8 and 9 don't do this.
Any truth to this?

Appreciate the replies.

Re: Amex PRG Approved-Have Questions

Anonymous — Tue, 02 May 2017 19:03:15 GMT

And thx Irish for clearing that up. I freaked when I read that cuz I had already checked my spending limit 3-4 times. Lol. I wanted to see what my approx limit was.

Re: Amex PRG Approved-Have Questions

Jerry45 — Tue, 02 May 2017 21:25:36 GMT

Congrats on the AMEX.

Re: Amex PRG Approved-Have Questions

Anonymous — Tue, 02 May 2017 23:46:07 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Hey guys.... approved for Amex PRG. I wanted a card to help with some travel benefits. I am going to be flying about 5-6 times this next year, and I currently don't have any travel reward cards. This one, tho not specifically for travel, will benefit my now with the upcoming travel and also when that is over be a nice card to have in the future.

I have some questions.

First.... it says one of the benefits is purchasing things on Amex Travel and you get double membership points. But you get triple if you buy directly on the airlines site. Why would I buy on Amex Travel? Am I missing something?

Second, I know it is a NPSL card, but do you not even get a estimate limit... or whatever you want to call it. How do I even know if I can get a purchase approved? Do I need to check online first before every purchase? This is odd. Lol.

Finally, seperate card question. Can I PC my BCE to Amex EDP? This way I can combine my MR Points.

Thx in advance.

Oh... for those who want them. DPs:
Current Amex account holder.
No HP yet. Assuming an EX is coming.
EX fico is 761. No baddies-20 INQs
0-1% Utilization
Income approx $100k

On the AMEX website, under the "Check Spending Power" button, they do have a disclaimer that if you use the feature too many times (how many is too many? no clue) in a 24hr period, they will lock that particular feature for a day or longer. The "CSP" button is for singular purchases only, not as a loose guide as to what your existing limit will be. As another poster opined, use the card like any other card for a spell and you'll notice that you're able to charge more and more over a period of time.

On my PRG, I get 3x points for airline travel period, regardless of whether it's through AMEXtravel or with the airlines themselves. I will say that it doesn't cover things like orbitz though...

Re: Amex PRG Approved-Have Questions

MyLoFICO — Wed, 03 May 2017 01:36:45 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
Hey guys.... approved for Amex PRG. I wanted a card to help with some travel benefits. I am going to be flying about 5-6 times this next year, and I currently don't have any travel reward cards. This one, tho not specifically for travel, will benefit my now with the upcoming travel and also when that is over be a nice card to have in the future.

I have some questions.

First.... it says one of the benefits is purchasing things on Amex Travel and you get double membership points. But you get triple if you buy directly on the airlines site. Why would I buy on Amex Travel? Am I missing something?

Second, I know it is a NPSL card, but do you not even get a estimate limit... or whatever you want to call it. How do I even know if I can get a purchase approved? Do I need to check online first before every purchase? This is odd. Lol.

Finally, seperate card question. Can I PC my BCE to Amex EDP? This way I can combine my MR Points.

Thx in advance.

Oh... for those who want them. DPs:
Current Amex account holder.
No HP yet. Assuming an EX is coming.
EX fico is 761. No baddies-20 INQs
0-1% Utilization
Income approx $100k
On the AMEX website, under the "Check Spending Power" button, they do have a disclaimer that if you use the feature too many times (how many is too many? no clue) in a 24hr period, they will lock that particular feature for a day or longer. The "CSP" button is for singular purchases only, not as a loose guide as to what your existing limit will be. As another poster opined, use the card like any other card for a spell and you'll notice that you're able to charge more and more over a period of time.

On my PRG, I get 3x points for airline travel period, regardless of whether it's through AMEXtravel or with the airlines themselves. I will say that it doesn't cover things like orbitz though...

2 times. I did it. I own it.

Re: Amex PRG Approved-Have Questions

Anonymous — Sat, 06 May 2017 13:10:23 GMT

Well, I made a $1800 charge last night online with no issues so that's a good sign. I already had $300 on there so I'm happy with it so far. Got my spend bonus already and it's rare I make a purchase that big.... maybe 6-10X a year. Even then I would tend to use my lowest APR credit or highest reward credit just in case I needed to divide the payments up.

I read through all he benefits to this card that came with the envelope it came in.... nice presentation. Not as good as Disco but still nice.... and I can't believe all the little benefits you get. Admittedly this is my first card that has an AF so I assumed you pay a fee you get some perks for this but I was happy with what you get. This is turning into a favorite card for me.

Thx again all.

Re: Amex PRG Approved-Have Questions

Anonymous — Sun, 07 May 2017 12:36:40 GMT

If you get close to the "limit" they will send you an email letting you know. At that point you can either 1)ignore the email and make a payment, 2) call and talk to a credit specialist. I recommend you call in. In my case this happened in the first month I had my card. They were very good about explaing how the NPSL works. They also told me what my limit was at that moment, and that it grows every month. Basically they need time to establish an average spend and your limit will be 1.5-3X that average. If you need more for an unusual purchase just call and ask. In the begining its important to spend on the card, however make sure you have the cash on hand to cover all charges in case they call and want a payment. This won't happen after a couple months, but if you are charging a lot in the first month or so and you get that email and PIF it looks great for your profile going forward.

Irish is 100% correct. Use the CSP tool. That's what its there for! Lots of conspiracy theories on this board. Its not a trap set by AMEX so they can close your card. If they didn't want your business you wouldn't have that pretty new gold card!

Congrats and enjoy!!