topic Re: Amex denying SUBs in Credit Cards

Amex denying SUBs

red259 — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 05:28:42 GMT

Reading some of the travel blogs and comments there seems to be a large number of people being denied SUBs by Amex. A much larger number than in the recent past so I was interested in any datapoints. I am not talking about people trying to get a SUB on a card they had in the past. There are reports of people with only 1 or 2 amex cards being denied SUBs on new apps with Amex via the popup. There is some speculation that amex denys people who either do not use their cards or has recently closed amex cards.

1. Have you recently applied for an amex card you had not held before and been told you would not get the SUB (not interested in people who were flat out denied only those who could get the card but only without SUB)?

If yes to above:

2. How many amex cards do you currently have open?

3. How many amex cards have you had in the past?

4. If you have amex cards open do you use them at all?

5. If you closed amex cards when did you close them?

6. How many cards have you opened in the past two years across all lenders? (not including non-business amex cards that do not report to credit bureau)

7. The offer you received was it a prequalified offer?

Re: Amex denying SUBs

fittiger — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 12:57:20 GMT

Good questions. To get a better picture of what's happening though, should you include those that weren't denied the SUB as well?

I have a question of my own. Is there any data or consensus on whether applying "incognito" affects whether the pop-up will appear? Like, if AMEX doesn't have a cookie on the application page to know that its a current member appying, do they still provide the pop-up if you wouldn't have been elligible for the SUB or do you just find out later?

@red259

Re: Amex denying SUBs

Anonymous — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 13:00:14 GMT

@fittiger wrote:
Good questions. To get a better picture of what's happening though, should you include those that weren't denied the SUB as well?

I have a question of my own. Is there any data or consensus on whether applying "incognito" affects whether the pop-up will appear? Like, if AMEX doesn't have a cookie on the application page to know that its a current member appying, do they still provide the pop-up if you wouldn't have been elligible for the SUB or do you just find out later?
@red259

Actually I have read it is the opposite. People getting denied when they apply in incognito but apply out of incognito and approved.

From what I have read their doesn't seem to be a pattern and you can get denied one day and approved the next. I think putting some spend on the card after getting the sign-up bonus helps and not closing a card before 12 month anniversary.

Re: Amex denying SUBs

Queen_Etherea — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 13:41:24 GMT

@red259 wrote:
Reading some of the travel blogs and comments there seems to be a large number of people being denied SUBs by Amex. A much larger number than in the recent past so I was interested in any datapoints. I am not talking about people trying to get a SUB on a card they had in the past. There are reports of people with only 1 or 2 amex cards being denied SUBs on new apps with Amex via the popup. There is some speculation that amex denys people who either do not use their cards or has recently closed amex cards.

1. Have you recently applied for an amex card you had not held before and been told you would not get the SUB (not interested in people who were flat out denied only those who could get the card but only without SUB)?
If yes to above:
2. How many amex cards do you currently have open?
3. How many amex cards have you had in the past?
4. If you have amex cards open do you use them at all?
5. If you closed amex cards when did you close them?
6. How many cards have you opened in the past two years across all lenders? (not including non-business amex cards that do not report to credit bureau)
7. The offer you received was it a prequalified offer?

What exactly is a SUB?

Re: Amex denying SUBs

Anonymous — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 13:45:46 GMT

@Queen_Etherea wrote:
@red259
What exactly is a SUB?

Re: Amex denying SUBs

DrZoidberg — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 14:42:55 GMT

I was able to get around this issue with my wife.

I had the PRG in the past and it gave me the warning so I cancelled. Which is fine, I figured. But she only has 3 CC's in her life. 2 Chase and an Amex that are all 6+ years old. I did an incognito web browser for the 50k offer and she got the "We can't give you the SUB because of past APR offers, past Amex offers, etc." It was a total BS line. She has only ever had the BCP, we PIF every month and we hardly use the AMEX monthly offers. She doesn't churn, makes twice what I do, has 3 INQ, and a 10 year AAoA. Epitome of perfect credit profile.

So whatever no big deal. But then I read success with mobile browsing. So I gave it a show and opened a private mobile browser and found the 50k offer and applied. No warning message and approved instantly.

Waited about 4-5 days and did AMEX chat on her account and confirmed the 50k for $2k spend is on her profile. We have until Jan 6 to complete.

So it is possible to get around it but keep in mind that the mobile browser may not just have the warning message and will let you apply. I bet if I tried on mobile it would allow me but I prob wouldn't get the SUB being a past card holder of the PRG. Also note, I only did incognito to get the 50k offer. I could never get it to show up on a normal browser, only the 25k offer did. Incognito/ private has no bearing (IMO) on the SUB denial message.

Re: Amex denying SUBs

Anonymous — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 16:47:46 GMT

@DrZoidberg wrote:
I was able to get around this issue with my wife.

I had the PRG in the past and it gave me the warning so I cancelled. Which is fine, I figured. But she only has 3 CC's in her life. 2 Chase and an Amex that are all 6+ years old. I did an incognito web browser for the 50k offer and she got the "We can't give you the SUB because of past APR offers, past Amex offers, etc." It was a total BS line. She has only ever had the BCP, we PIF every month and we hardly use the AMEX monthly offers. She doesn't churn, makes twice what I do, has 3 INQ, and a 10 year AAoA. Epitome of perfect credit profile.

So whatever no big deal. But then I read success with mobile browsing. So I gave it a show and opened a private mobile browser and found the 50k offer and applied. No warning message and approved instantly.

Waited about 4-5 days and did AMEX chat on her account and confirmed the 50k for $2k spend is on her profile. We have until Jan 6 to complete.

So it is possible to get around it but keep in mind that the mobile browser may not just have the warning message and will let you apply. I bet if I tried on mobile it would allow me but I prob wouldn't get the SUB being a past card holder of the PRG. Also note, I only did incognito to get the 50k offer. I could never get it to show up on a normal browser, only the 25k offer did. Incognito/ private has no bearing (IMO) on the SUB denial message.

Maybe they are denying for applying for icognito when you already have Amex accounts. Because the Incognito offer is better than the public offer. But there is a work around that because the referral offer is better than the incognito offer. You could have referred your wife and gotten an additional 10k points and $100 credit for her in addition to the 50k points.

Re: Amex denying SUBs

DrZoidberg — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 18:24:45 GMT

I don't currently have the card so I can't refer the Gold card.

Re: Amex denying SUBs

Anonymous — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 18:32:31 GMT

@DrZoidberg wrote:
I don't currently have the card so I can't refer the Gold card.

Youd don't have any Amex credit cards?

Re: Amex denying SUBs

DrZoidberg — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 19:47:37 GMT

I currently do not, no. I did. Amex burned me for a Platinum SUB and perks a few years back. Had to sue them to get my points and I closed all cards after the settlement.

My wife still has her BCP, which we use a lot. But she did the Gold for a SUB. Will prob close when the AF hits for the next year.

Re: Amex denying SUBs

Anonymous — Sat, 22 Dec 2018 14:13:33 GMT

now i am waiting on gold card, i begin to wonder about this:

any "early sign" to look for so you don't spend 2k then find out there is no SUB?

Re: Amex denying SUBs

Anonymous — Sat, 22 Dec 2018 14:43:17 GMT

@red259 wrote:
Reading some of the travel blogs and comments there seems to be a large number of people being denied SUBs by Amex. A much larger number than in the recent past so I was interested in any datapoints. I am not talking about people trying to get a SUB on a card they had in the past. There are reports of people with only 1 or 2 amex cards being denied SUBs on new apps with Amex via the popup. There is some speculation that amex denys people who either do not use their cards or has recently closed amex cards.

1. Have you recently applied for an amex card you had not held before and been told you would not get the SUB (not interested in people who were flat out denied only those who could get the card but only without SUB)?
If yes to above:
2. How many amex cards do you currently have open?
3. How many amex cards have you had in the past?
4. If you have amex cards open do you use them at all?
5. If you closed amex cards when did you close them?
6. How many cards have you opened in the past two years across all lenders? (not including non-business amex cards that do not report to credit bureau)
7. The offer you received was it a prequalified offer?

1. Yes but I was denied the SUB despite never even receiving the popup.

2. 4

3. 0

4. I currently only use the Gold card which ironically was the card I was denied the SUB for. My ED card has a BT on it.

5. Never closed any

6. 15. I’ve opened 11 this year and 4 last year.

7. No

Re: Amex denying SUBs

Anonymous — Sat, 22 Dec 2018 14:45:24 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
now i am waiting on gold card, i begin to wonder about this:

any "early sign" to look for so you don't spend 2k then find out there is no SUB?

If you aren’t receiving the 20% statement credit after each dining transaction there is a good chance you have been denied the SUB.

Re: Amex denying SUBs

Anonymous — Sat, 22 Dec 2018 15:05:13 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
now i am waiting on gold card, i begin to wonder about this:

any "early sign" to look for so you don't spend 2k then find out there is no SUB?
If you aren’t receiving the 20% statement credit after each dining transaction there is a good chance you have been denied the SUB.

Thanks, does 20% dining credit apply to spending at places like subway, mcdonald, taco bell (USA's best mexican restaurant)?

Because I do have virtual card loaded in my google pay, I can go local MCD and give it a try.

Re: Amex denying SUBs

redpat — Sat, 22 Dec 2018 15:13:34 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
now i am waiting on gold card, i begin to wonder about this:

any "early sign" to look for so you don't spend 2k then find out there is no SUB?
If you aren’t receiving the 20% statement credit after each dining transaction there is a good chance you have been denied the SUB.
Thanks, does 20% dining credit apply to spending at places like subway, mcdonald, taco bell (USA's best mexican restaurant)?

Because I do have virtual card loaded in my google pay, I can go local MCD and give it a try.

Yes, at all those fine dining establishments. Up to $500 for a max of $100 credit. Remember to use your $10 monthly credit, Shake Shack, Cheesecake Factory and Ruth's Chis.

Re: Amex denying SUBs

Anonymous — Sat, 22 Dec 2018 15:48:57 GMT

Kool Kool.

Re: Amex denying SUBs

Anonymous — Sat, 22 Dec 2018 15:57:34 GMT

2. How many amex cards do you currently have open?

3. How many amex cards have you had in the past?

4. If you have amex cards open do you use them at all?

3 get used regularly, the rest I quit using once bonus hit.

5. If you closed amex cards when did you close them?

closed 2 this year, they were open over a year

6. How many cards have you opened in the past two years across all lenders? (not including non-business amex cards that do not report to credit bureau)

Approx 25 cards in past 2 years, 15 this year, 8 Amex cards this year

7. The offer you received was it a prequalified offer?

Re: Amex denying SUBs

NRB525 — Sat, 22 Dec 2018 16:24:55 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
now i am waiting on gold card, i begin to wonder about this:

any "early sign" to look for so you don't spend 2k then find out there is no SUB?
If you aren’t receiving the 20% statement credit after each dining transaction there is a good chance you have been denied the SUB.
Thanks, does 20% dining credit apply to spending at places like subway, mcdonald, taco bell (USA's best mexican restaurant)?

Because I do have virtual card loaded in my google pay, I can go local MCD and give it a try.

If you don't make the $2,000 spend I can assure you, you won't get the SUB

Don't get too far out in front of possible denied bonuses if you haven't even received the card. Best of luck, and it's not fun for those who were denied the SUB, but it seems most had some combination of issues that leads to AMEX denying the SUB. I'm not saying it is fair that the SUB gets denied, just saying I can see how, in many of these cases, AMEX's computers pulled the plug on the cardholder.

Re: Amex denying SUBs

mongstradamus — Sat, 29 Dec 2018 17:51:21 GMT

I will add a data point here for others who have applied for Gold. I wasn’t sure i would be getting the sub since i did have PRG a few years ago , but when i used referral to sign up for the card I didn’t get any message “are you sure you want to apply for card since you won’t get SUB”. When I activated my card one of the Amex CSR said i would be getting the SUB so I thought maybe there is a good chance I would be getting the SUB. I wasn’t 100% sure since when i received my card I didn’t get any documentation about receiving 50k after 2k spend like it said on my application.

Fast forward to today I messaged Amex via my phone about how close i am to reaching my SUB, and they said i didn’t qualify for it, and nothing can be done about that so i am pretty SOL. I guess the moral of the story is that Amex CSR sometimes don’t know what they are talking about .

Re: Amex denying SUBs

Anonymous — Sat, 29 Dec 2018 18:58:18 GMT

Did they say why you are not "qualified"? Because of prg?