topic Re: AMEX won't take my payment - new account! in Credit Cards

AMEX won't take my payment - new account!

turninganewleaf — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 14:32:37 GMT

I opened an AMEX account on 9/12 - converted to Blue Cash upon receipt of Delta Gold card on 10/3.

My first statement had a balance of $83.27 which I paid in full when it was due. My statement closing date this time around is Nov 4 and I currently owe $335.00. I was planning on making a payment of $245.00 today before the statement cut to get my utilization at 9%. I didn't have an option to make a payment online because it says I do not owe anything at this time (new statement has not processed). So, I called CS and was told I can't make an additional payment to bring my util down until Nov 5, which is when the statement cuts but I could make another payment of $83.27 as a pay by phone option. So, now I'm looking at my account being reported at 25% util! My CL is $1000.00.

I'm planning on applying for a home in a couple of weeks and although my AMEX hasn't shown up on my CR's yet, my luck, it will and this account with a 25% util this month might drop my FICO score. Does anyone have any suggestions for me?

Who knew a CCC wouldn't take a payment! Ha!

Re: AMEX won't take my payment - new account!

Anonymous — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 14:47:38 GMT

For me AMEX reported my First statement balance when they cut my 2nd statement.

I have used my Banks online bill pay to get around this myself- Amex did not complain too much.

@turninganewleaf wrote:
I opened an AMEX account on 9/12 - converted to Blue Cash upon receipt of Delta Gold card on 10/3.
My first statement had a balance of $83.27 which I paid in full when it was due. My statement closing date this time around is Nov 4 and I currently owe $335.00. I was planning on making a payment of $245.00 today before the statement cut to get my utilization at 9%. I didn't have an option to make a payment online because it says I do not owe anything at this time (new statement has not processed). So, I called CS and was told I can't make an additional payment to bring my util down until Nov 5, which is when the statement cuts but I could make another payment of $83.27 as a pay by phone option. So, now I'm looking at my account being reported at 25% util! My CL is $1000.00.
I'm planning on applying for a home in a couple of weeks and although my AMEX hasn't shown up on my CR's yet, my luck, it will and this account with a 25% util this month might drop my FICO score. Does anyone have any suggestions for me?
Who knew a CCC wouldn't take a payment! Ha!

Re: AMEX won't take my payment - new account!

turninganewleaf — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 15:01:46 GMT

So, there's a chance then that my first statement balance will be the one to show up when the mortage lender looks at my CR? If so, then that's good.

Should I try to use my checking account's online bill pay to make the additional payment that I want to make before my next statement cuts? What do you mean AMEX didn't complain "too much".

Timothy wrote:
For me AMEX reported my First statement balance when they cut my 2nd statement.

I have used my Banks online bill pay to get around this myself- Amex did not complain too much.

Re: AMEX won't take my payment - new account!

Anonymous — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 15:06:56 GMT

I am not going to elaborate on this- YMMV

The worse thing that could happen is they refuse your payment and the $ is in limbo a few days.

@turninganewleaf wrote:
So, there's a chance then that my first statement balance will be the one to show up when the mortage lender looks at my CR? If so, then that's good.
Should I try to use my checking account's online bill pay to make the additional payment that I want to make before my next statement cuts? What do you mean AMEX didn't complain "too much".
@Anonymous wrote:
For me AMEX reported my First statement balance when they cut my 2nd statement.

I have used my Banks online bill pay to get around this myself- Amex did not complain too much.

Re: AMEX won't take my payment - new account!

turninganewleaf — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 15:13:58 GMT

What is YMMV? What part will you not elaborate on? The part about what the mortage lender sees or the part about what AMEX will report?

Timothy wrote:
I am not going to elaborate on this- YMMV

The worse thing that could happen is they refuse your payment and the $ is in limbo a few days.

Re: AMEX won't take my payment - new account!

Anonymous — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 15:23:27 GMT

YMMV- Your millage may very
The part about Amex taking the payment.

Message Edited by Timothy on 10-30-2007 08:23 AM

Re: AMEX won't take my payment - new account!

turninganewleaf — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 15:47:44 GMT

I'm confused, but...

Will I not EVER be able to make a payment in between statements? If not, then I'll only charge one small payment and continue to PIF each month to keep my 1-9% util.

Timothy wrote:
YMMV- Your millage may very
The part about Amex taking the payment.

Message Edited by Timothy on 10-30-2007 08:23 AM

Re: AMEX won't take my payment - new account!

Anonymous — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 16:13:34 GMT

Of course you'll be able to make interim payments to them!

I do online banking, too. And I have 3 brand new cc's. When I received them, I immediately registered with them, to see the activity going on. I could see the charges mounting, and WANTED to make an interim payment, even before the first statement arrived in the mail, or e-mail.

But I wanted to be absolutely, certain, for sure, without a shadow of a doubt, that when I set up the ccc in my
'new payee section' of my online banking, that I have the CORRECT information. I'm not about to call someone, and asking them the address, etc to send the check to. I wanted to see it in writing. After all, people can and DO make errors when talking to them on the phone.

And the only way to see that, is to simply wait for first statement. THEN, I set up all contact info. Fully realizing I would have 34% utils on the first statement.

Just a comfort level I insist on. Now I can make several interim payments, with confidence and peace of mind.

Just my thoughts.

Re: AMEX won't take my payment - new account!

turninganewleaf — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 17:33:48 GMT

Well, AMEX confirmed that I currently cannot make another payment because they allow 30 days for banking information to process. Meaning: I set up my checking account information when I paid my first statement which was 10/6 and 30 days would be 11/5. So, it looks like I"m going to be hit with a 25% util when it reports to the CRA's.

However, after 11/5, I will be able to make interim payments (only one per 24 hours allowed). So, I'm screwed for a month. Once I make that PIF and start keeping my util b/n 1-9% util and, if necessary, make intermim payments, will I see my FICO go back up the following month?

Another question, I have an $11.00 balance on a Target CC that the statement also closes on 11/4. Should I go ahead and PIF now although I don't think that $11.00 will affect my FICO that much and may hurt it more if it doesn't carry a balance this month. What do you think?

Sylviatob wrote:
Of course you'll be able to make interim payments to them!

I do online banking, too. And I have 3 brand new cc's. When I received them, I immediately registered with them, to see the activity going on. I could see the charges mounting, and WANTED to make an interim payment, even before the first statement arrived in the mail, or e-mail.

But I wanted to be absolutely, certain, for sure, without a shadow of a doubt, that when I set up the ccc in my
'new payee section' of my online banking, that I have the CORRECT information. I'm not about to call someone, and asking them the address, etc to send the check to. I wanted to see it in writing. After all, people can and DO make errors when talking to them on the phone.

And the only way to see that, is to simply wait for first statement. THEN, I set up all contact info. Fully realizing I would have 34% utils on the first statement.

Just a comfort level I insist on. Now I can make several interim payments, with confidence and peace of mind.

Just my thoughts.

Re: AMEX won't take my payment - new account!

MidnightVoice — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 17:46:28 GMT

Sylviatob wrote:
Of course you'll be able to make interim payments to them!

I do online banking, too. And I have 3 brand new cc's. When I received them, I immediately registered with them, to see the activity going on. I could see the charges mounting, and WANTED to make an interim payment, even before the first statement arrived in the mail, or e-mail.

But I wanted to be absolutely, certain, for sure, without a shadow of a doubt, that when I set up the ccc in my
'new payee section' of my online banking, that I have the CORRECT information. I'm not about to call someone, and asking them the address, etc to send the check to. I wanted to see it in writing. After all, people can and DO make errors when talking to them on the phone.

And the only way to see that, is to simply wait for first statement. THEN, I set up all contact info. Fully realizing I would have 34% utils on the first statement.

Just a comfort level I insist on. Now I can make several interim payments, with confidence and peace of mind.

Just my thoughts.

With a new card I wait for the first statement, send twice the minimum via snail mail at once (to be safe), and set up on line payment from my account and send twice the minium that way. I then wait to see when the electronic payment hits, and to make sure it does, and send the rest electronically from that point on.

Re: AMEX won't take my payment - new account!

kiki2 — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 17:56:43 GMT

Why don't you ask for a CLI? I converted the Delta to the Blue and I went online and requested a CLI from $1k to $5k. No problem.

Good Luck!

Re: AMEX won't take my payment - new account!

turninganewleaf — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 18:11:06 GMT

I was really wanting to wait 6 mos to ask for a CLI, esp since I'm apping for a mortage in about 2 weeks, didn't want the soft hit. But, what do you all think? Should I hit the luv button for an extra 2000 to make the $250 balance within a 1-9% util? If I did, would the CLI hit at the same time the new balance was reported?

Re: AMEX won't take my payment - new account!

Anonymous — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 18:16:11 GMT

Turning, to answer the question on the Target card and payment, I think you first have to find out when they will report your activity to the CRA's.

If it were me, I'd just wait until I got the statement to pay. Keeps down on me having to remember what I did, or did not do.

Midnight, I like your way too. If it works for you to your best satisfaction and peace of mind, then that's the perfect way for you to do it.

Re: AMEX won't take my payment - new account!

MidnightVoice — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 18:28:25 GMT

Sylviatob wrote:

Midnight, I like your way too. If it works for you to your best satisfaction and peace of mind, then that's the perfect way for you to do it.

I'm old enough not to trust computers all the time

Re: AMEX won't take my payment - new account!

turninganewleaf — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 20:20:10 GMT

So, should I try asking for a CLI or just take it for what it is this month and keep my fingers crossed?

Re: AMEX won't take my payment - new account!

Anonymous — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 22:20:16 GMT

turninganewleaf wrote:
So, should I try asking for a CLI or just take it for what it is this month and keep my fingers crossed?

Turning.. (a little off topic now) you can absolutely pay Amex before your statement is issued. You just need to set it up to push from your account to them. Believe me, they will not turn it away. I too find it annoying that they do not allow you to arrange to pay them from their site or via phone until THEY say you owe them money - even though there is a balance on your card, but that's how it has always been as long as I've had accounts with them.

I don't think there is anything underhanded in this because it works that way for their charge cards as well as their credit cards - just how they set their systems up I guess. I have a brand new Amex Blue account and sent in a payment 2 weeks prior to my first statement. It processed within 2 days and when the statement finally did issue it did not reflect the amount I paid.

Re: AMEX won't take my payment - new account!

haulingthescoreup — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 23:29:11 GMT

Turning, I did much the same as Cooleyca when I resurrected my J.Crew card from the dead. I couldn't get them to get my online account showing anything for forever. I paid from my banking account to them, and that way, they got the money before the statement ever appeared.

Try going at it that way--shove the money at them from your bank site, instead of sucking it out of your bank from the AmEx site. J.Crew was bewildered when I did this, but believe me, they took the money, and it was the lower balance that posted, not the initial big one. hope that helps

Re: AMEX won't take my payment - new account!

turninganewleaf — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 13:44:49 GMT

Cooney, I'll try to schedule a pymt from my bank acct to AMEX today. But, you said you did this and it processed in 2 days but did NOT reflect the amount you paid. Did you mean to say it did reflect the amount you paid?

I won't innocently anger AMEX if I do this, will I? I dont' want to do anything to upset my new account with AMEX. I'm still going to leave a balance to report (<9%) but I want to pay some extra now to get it to the <9%.

Cooneyca wrote:

turninganewleaf wrote:
So, should I try asking for a CLI or just take it for what it is this month and keep my fingers crossed?

Turning.. (a little off topic now) you can absolutely pay Amex before your statement is issued. You just need to set it up to push from your account to them. Believe me, they will not turn it away. I too find it annoying that they do not allow you to arrange to pay them from their site or via phone until THEY say you owe them money - even though there is a balance on your card, but that's how it has always been as long as I've had accounts with them.

I don't think there is anything underhanded in this because it works that way for their charge cards as well as their credit cards - just how they set their systems up I guess. I have a brand new Amex Blue account and sent in a payment 2 weeks prior to my first statement. It processed within 2 days and when the statement finally did issue it did not reflect the amount I paid.

Re: AMEX won't take my payment - new account!

turninganewleaf — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 15:50:27 GMT

Okay, my new AMEX acct showed up on my CR's today (for TU and EXP anyway). It reported $83.27 which was my balance due on my first statement.

So, does that mean that the 30th or 31st is my credit reporting date? If that is my reporting date and I make a payment to get my util down to <9% on Nov 5th, will it report as being <9% next month if I owe $236.00 on a $1K CL?

Someone please explain as I'm very confused,

thanks!

Re: AMEX won't take my payment - new account!

notmyname — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 16:22:51 GMT

good luck

Message Edited by notmyname on 10-31-2007 11:22 AM