topic Re: Amex Low SL CLI schedule with 2 cards? in Credit Card Applications

Amex Low SL CLI schedule with 2 cards?

jedifrogman2 — Tue, 19 Mar 2019 16:35:55 GMT

So I know about the bit where one should wait until 181 days to request CLI on Amex when given a low SL. I got a plain Hilton on September 18 and a plain SPG (now Bonvoy) on September 20, both with 1000 SL. Here is how I have fared so far with CLI:

December: Attempted to CLI both, denied for both (FICO score, time a customer too short)
January 19: Attempted to CLI Hilton, denied (same reasons) <-- Learned about the 90-day wait after denials here, as well as waiting 181 days on low SL cards

How does the whole 181 day thing work with multiple cards? My EX is above 700 now and so I want to try on SPG this week since tomorrow's 181 days since that one was opened. Is it 181 days after first being a customer, or is it 181 days from when the card in question was opened?

Either way, I'm pretty sure Hilton has to wait until April 20 now, since I jumped the gun on that one in January.

Re: Amex Low SL CLI schedule with 2 cards?

Priory_Man — Tue, 19 Mar 2019 18:44:39 GMT

As long as it has been more than 90 days since your first denial on the Bonvoy you could try for a CLI now.

To answer your question though, 181 days after the application was approved, your problem will be you have two cards, if your CLI is approved on the Bonvoy (SPG) you will have to wait another 181 days before you can apply for a CLI on your Hilton card. One CLI on any card in a 181 day period.

Re: Amex Low SL CLI schedule with 2 cards?

pinkandgrey — Tue, 19 Mar 2019 19:10:23 GMT

From what I understand, it’s 61 days from opening the card. Also, you can get only one CLI per 181 days regardless of what card

Re: Amex Low SL CLI schedule with 2 cards?

jedifrogman2 — Tue, 19 Mar 2019 19:09:05 GMT

So I just tried to CLI Bonvoy from 1000 to 3000 and got this message:

Our systems are updating.
Your request for a line of credit increase cannot be processed at this time.
We apologize for the inconvenience, please try again in 24 hours.

That's weird...at least it wasn't a 7-10 day message, though.

Re: Amex Low SL CLI schedule with 2 cards?

CreditInspired — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 00:24:38 GMT

Not weird. Their system is updating. You can try again in 24 hours.

Re: Amex Low SL CLI schedule with 2 cards?

jedifrogman2 — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 14:17:12 GMT

I tried again this morning and got the 7-10 day message. *Sigh*...Amex hates me right now. I'm just gonna move the auto-pay transactions that Hilton and Bonvoy are being used for to another card and stash them away for now, and then *maybe* I'll try again a year from now, if I'm feeling ambitious enough.

Re: Amex Low SL CLI schedule with 2 cards?

Priory_Man — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 14:40:46 GMT

Are you carrying balances on both cards? What about your other non Amex cards are you also carrying balances on them.
I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Amex does not hate you, but, something in your current profile is causing them concern.

Re: Amex Low SL CLI schedule with 2 cards?

jedifrogman2 — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 14:54:37 GMT

I have a couple cards up there but total utilization is around 14% right now. I always make it a point to PIF on the Amex ones though since I know they don't like balances. I have this Google sheet that I use to track everything.

Re: Amex Low SL CLI schedule with 2 cards?

Anonymous — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 15:56:58 GMT

87.72% would be the problem.

Amex doesn't just not like balances on their cards, they don't like to see high balances on any of your cards. I would get that CU card down and see what Amex has to say.

Your overall utilization looks good on paper but in order to pay off all of your current debt load in 12 months, you would be looking at $674 a month in payments assuming you had no interest assessed and your preferred payment schedule has you paying $664 when including the minimums for your three cards that aren't in that column as well. That doesn't look good to Amex regardless of what your actual financial situation is.

Re: Amex Low SL CLI schedule with 2 cards?

jedifrogman2 — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 16:57:49 GMT

That makes sense. I did not know that about them. I will see what the letter says, I'll bet it will say "proportion of balances too high" in that case. I just met Minimum Spend on Citi AAdvantage, so I really don't have a reason to be using any cards right now anyway, other than to keep them open so that my overall utilization stays down.

Re: Amex Low SL CLI schedule with 2 cards?

CreditInspired — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 17:11:17 GMT

@jedifrogman2 wrote:
I have a couple cards up there but total utilization is around 14% right now. I always make it a point to PIF on the Amex ones though since I know they don't like balances. I have this Google sheet that I use to track everything.

Whoa, 11 new accounts opened in less than a year! That’s a huge no-no for a CLI. IMHO, you should garden so the accounts can age, the inquiries stop having an impact on your scores, and reduce the high UT card to less than 28.9%.

Nope AmX does not hate you. They see you as high risk at this moment in time.

Re: Amex Low SL CLI schedule with 2 cards?

Anonymous — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 17:19:44 GMT

@jedifrogman2 wrote:
That makes sense. I did not know that about them. I will see what the letter says, I'll bet it will say "proportion of balances too high" in that case. I just met Minimum Spend on Citi AAdvantage, so I really don't have a reason to be using any cards right now anyway, other than to keep them open so that my overall utilization stays down.

I mean nobody really knows what goes into their algorithms but looking at the debt load someone is carrying definitely goes into it with Amex, they have sent denial letters something to the effect of balances being too relative to ability to pay or some such. I don't remember the exact verbiage.

Re: Amex Low SL CLI schedule with 2 cards?

jedifrogman2 — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 16:35:21 GMT

So I got the letter. The top reason? Inquiries. "The number of creditors who have reviewed your credit report"

Second reason: The length of time a customer too short.

Third reason: "The number of credit card accounts on which, in our estimation, you have not paid a majority of the balance in recent months as indicated in your credit report."

Yup, it's that darn CU Visa. Unless I get a decent hand-pay on a slot machine, that's not coming down below 30% any time soon. And yet, it says I'm pre-approved for Platinum. Ha ha, nice April Fools joke, Amex...I'm not convinced, though...I'm not touching it.

Re: Amex Low SL CLI schedule with 2 cards?

joltdude — Tue, 02 Apr 2019 14:35:39 GMT

I like the Google Spreadsheet btw..

Think of putting a link to an unpopulated copy on here?

-J

Re: Amex Low SL CLI schedule with 2 cards?

jedifrogman2 — Tue, 02 Apr 2019 21:52:10 GMT

Hmm...never thought of that...*goes and punches a few keys*...here ya go! I put a sample card in there to illustrate what each column expects. There's room for 17 cards, which is what I have, but it's fairly easy to add or remove rows.

Re: Amex Low SL CLI schedule with 2 cards?

Anonymous — Wed, 03 Apr 2019 12:53:28 GMT

@jedifrogman2 wrote:
Hmm...never thought of that...*goes and punches a few keys*...here ya go! I put a sample card in there to illustrate what each column expects. There's room for 17 cards, which is what I have, but it's fairly easy to add or remove rows.

thanks a bunch, love the spreadsheet, very very handy.