topic Re: Strange message from Amex in Credit Cards

Strange message from Amex

NYC_Fella — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 01:24:43 GMT

I make heavy use of my Amex Platinum, charging close to $100K annually and PIFing before the due date. My POT limit (never used) is $15K but I've frequently carried a $20K+ balance between statement dates. Currently my balance is at $8K including a $4K "statement balance" and the due date is tomorrow when the statement balance is set up to be auto-paid. I made a charge of $1500 this morning and got this email:

Future Transactions May Be Declined

We recently approved a transaction, but your balance is high relative to your payment history with us.

Merchant: XXXXXX

Transaction Amount: $1,499.00

Suggested Payment Amount: $2,657.00

To help us provide uninterrupted use of your Card, consider making a payment for the Suggested Payment Amount above.

I called customer service and they seemed mystified about why I would get this email.

For the record, my payment history for the last 12 months is:

Oct 29, 2023 Paid $4,329.72

Sep 27, 2023 Paid $5,233.10

Sep 03, 2023 Paid $6,882.72

Jul 26, 2023 Paid $15,625.67

Jun 23, 2023 Paid $6,738.59

May 27, 2023 Paid $8,606.81

Apr 23, 2023 Paid $5,625.00

Mar 28, 2023 Paid $3,362.77

Feb 23, 2023 Paid $5,015.31

Jan 27, 2023 Paid $8,119.06

Dec 25, 2022 Paid $12,440.99

Nov 25, 2022 Paid $10,527.52

Any thoughts? Should I be concerned? Is there anyone at Amex I should talk to? The CSRs didn't have a clue. Never, ever received any kind of warning in 2 years of using the card.

Re: Strange message from Amex

GZG — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 01:37:06 GMT

@NYC_Fella wrote:
I make heavy use of my Amex Platinum, charging close to $100K annually and PIFing before the due date. My POT limit (never used) is $15K but I've frequently carried a $20K+ balance between statement dates. Currently my balance is at $8K including a $4K "statement balance" and the due date is tomorrow when the statement balance is set up to be auto-paid. I made a charge of $1500 this morning and got this email:

Future Transactions May Be Declined
We recently approved a transaction, but your balance is high relative to your payment history with us.
Merchant: XXXXXX
Transaction Amount: $1,499.00
Suggested Payment Amount: $2,657.00
To help us provide uninterrupted use of your Card, consider making a payment for the Suggested Payment Amount above.

I called customer service and they seemed mystified about why I would get this email.

For the record, my payment history for the last 12 months is:

Oct 29, 2023   Paid     $4,329.72
Sep 27, 2023   Paid     $5,233.10
Sep 03, 2023   Paid     $6,882.72
Jul 26, 2023     Paid     $15,625.67
Jun 23, 2023    Paid     $6,738.59
May 27, 2023 Paid     $8,606.81
Apr 23, 2023   Paid     $5,625.00
Mar 28, 2023 Paid     $3,362.77
Feb 23, 2023   Paid     $5,015.31
Jan 27, 2023    Paid     $8,119.06
Dec 25, 2022   Paid     $12,440.99
Nov 25, 2022   Paid     $10,527.52

Any thoughts? Should I be concerned? Is there anyone at Amex I should talk to? The CSRs didn't have a clue. Never, ever received any kind of warning in 2 years of using the card.

the giant amex computer in the sky got concerned for some reason (reasonable or not), no human or csr has the capability to tell you why

I would imagine that the best way to teach the giant amex computer in the sky that you're good would be to submit a payment in full, so the next time the bot looks, it sees how you responded to this with a payment in full, so hopefully you don't get prompted with that again

perhaps the large purchase + being on the statement date triggered it, but nobody will know what triggered it or why because based on your data there's no otherwise reason for amex to be spooked

do you have POT disabled?

Re: Strange message from Amex

NYC_Fella — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 03:29:27 GMT

@GZG wrote:
the giant amex computer in the sky got concerned for some reason (reasonable or not), no human or csr has the capability to tell you why

do you have POT disabled?

Best explanation ever. 😀

No, I do not have POT disabled.

Re: Strange message from Amex

GZG — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 03:39:41 GMT

@NYC_Fella wrote:
@GZG wrote:
the giant amex computer in the sky got concerned for some reason (reasonable or not), no human or csr has the capability to tell you why

do you have POT disabled?
Best explanation ever. 😀

No, I do not have POT disabled.

I turned it off on mine because I heard there used to be bonuses for turning it on

maybe turning it off will give you more points with the amex computer in the sky that you aren't ~~a risky borrower~~ intending to carry balances, but no idea if that even helps given you can just turn it back on at any point

I imagine amex computer looks back on big batches of those emails they send out and looks to see which emails were accurate and amex was correct to be concerned, and when those emails were sent to good customers who paid in full and never defaulted on anything at all. They'll do that over and over again to refine when to send those emails to protect their money.

If your statement date wasn't tomorrow, paying in full now would hopefully send a datapoint to that bot that they were wrong to send you that email and hopefully prevent future emails. It's what I would do if they sent me that email.

Re: Strange message from Amex

Anonymous — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 04:14:05 GMT

@GZG wrote:

I imagine amex computer looks back on big batches of those emails they send out and looks to see which emails were accurate and amex was correct to be concerned, and when those emails were sent to good customers who paid in full and never defaulted on anything at all. They'll do that over and over again to refine when to send those emails to protect their money.

There is the complication that someone might think that good behavior was encouraged by the email (so lets send more). I would think their first refinement is to look again at any bad (defaulting say) who didn't get an email "in time"

Re: Strange message from Amex

SouthJamaica — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 04:21:31 GMT

@NYC_Fella wrote:
I make heavy use of my Amex Platinum, charging close to $100K annually and PIFing before the due date. My POT limit (never used) is $15K but I've frequently carried a $20K+ balance between statement dates. Currently my balance is at $8K including a $4K "statement balance" and the due date is tomorrow when the statement balance is set up to be auto-paid. I made a charge of $1500 this morning and got this email:

Future Transactions May Be Declined
We recently approved a transaction, but your balance is high relative to your payment history with us.
Merchant: XXXXXX
Transaction Amount: $1,499.00
Suggested Payment Amount: $2,657.00
To help us provide uninterrupted use of your Card, consider making a payment for the Suggested Payment Amount above.

I called customer service and they seemed mystified about why I would get this email.

For the record, my payment history for the last 12 months is:

Oct 29, 2023   Paid     $4,329.72
Sep 27, 2023   Paid     $5,233.10
Sep 03, 2023   Paid     $6,882.72
Jul 26, 2023     Paid     $15,625.67
Jun 23, 2023    Paid     $6,738.59
May 27, 2023 Paid     $8,606.81
Apr 23, 2023   Paid     $5,625.00
Mar 28, 2023 Paid     $3,362.77
Feb 23, 2023   Paid     $5,015.31
Jan 27, 2023    Paid     $8,119.06
Dec 25, 2022   Paid     $12,440.99
Nov 25, 2022   Paid     $10,527.52

Any thoughts? Should I be concerned? Is there anyone at Amex I should talk to? The CSRs didn't have a clue. Never, ever received any kind of warning in 2 years of using the card.

This happens all the time with Amex charge cards. They're just pressuring you for money. It's one of the reasons I don't have any Amex charge cards.

Re: Strange message from Amex

redpat — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 14:30:58 GMT

OP, could it be because your Ch 7 BK is still on your report. Amex looks at this stuff in you profile and it just doesn't go away just by charging and pay the balances. Your POT in your sig is 15k which is more than half of the 35k POT, so you do have some kind of Amex leash.

Personally I never had a problem w/ Amex for biz and personal having large transactions and statment balances.

We are in a different lending environment with consumer credit is at an all time high.

Re: Strange message from Amex

Kforce — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 16:53:31 GMT

@SouthJamaica
This happens all the time with Amex charge cards. They're just pressuring you for money. It's one of the reasons I don't have any Amex charge cards.

^^^^^ This

Yes pay us $700 AF, for our wonderfull card and feed us money 3 times a month.

Re: Strange message from Amex

NYC_Fella — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 16:53:09 GMT

@redpat wrote:
Your POT in your sig is 15k which is more than half of the 35k POT, so you do have some kind of Amex leash.

Is $35K the standard POT for the card? I'm not sure I understand.

Re: Strange message from Amex

GZG — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 16:53:48 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
There is the complication that someone might think that good behavior was encouraged by the email (so lets send more). I would think their first refinement is to look again at any bad (defaulting say) who didn't get an email "in time"

@SouthJamaica wrote:

This happens all the time with Amex charge cards. They're just pressuring you for money. It's one of the reasons I don't have any Amex charge cards.

I assumed a negative cost to Amex to send emails like this when they weren't warranted, (people spend less w/amex in the future after getting these emails), y'all could very well be right.

regardless, if given the chance, I'm going to try to make the bot like me by paying in full if I ever get an email like this.

Re: Strange message from Amex

Kforce — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 18:18:22 GMT

@GZG wrote:
I assumed a negative cost to Amex to send emails like this when they weren't warranted, (people spend less w/amex in the future after getting these emails), y'all could very well be right.

I closed all my cards so they lost a lot of spend from me.

Re: Strange message from Amex

Anonymous — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 18:31:05 GMT

@GZG wrote:

regardless, if given the chance, I'm going to try to make the bot like me by paying in full if I ever get an email like this.

Dear @GZG

Suggested Payment: All available liquid cash

To help us provide uninterrupted use of your Card(s), consider making a payment for the Suggested Payment

Please note that as a courtesy, we provide servicing for all your credit and charge cards for all issuers. So please send the total amount due, and then some more, to

LTL Bank

Attn: Pay-in-Full Now Department

P.O. 43535

Sioux Falls, SD 57101

Your prompt attention is appreciated

Re: Strange message from Amex

TRC_WA — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 19:01:07 GMT

@NYC_Fella wrote:

Any thoughts? Should I be concerned? Is there anyone at Amex I should talk to? The CSRs didn't have a clue. Never, ever received any kind of warning in 2 years of using the card.

My limit on my Delta Gold is $10k... and every time I get close to a $6k balance I get the same message... despite my history of PIF.

Perhaps AmEx will quit their 60% paranoia once my Ch 13 falls off my reports in January.

@redpat wrote:
OP, could it be because your Ch 7 BK is still on your report. Amex looks at this stuff in you profile and it just doesn't go away just by charging and pay the balances.

That could very well be it.

Re: Strange message from Amex

SouthJamaica — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 18:55:56 GMT

@Kforce wrote:
@GZG wrote:
I assumed a negative cost to Amex to send emails like this when they weren't warranted, (people spend less w/amex in the future after getting these emails), y'all could very well be right.
I closed all my cards so they lost a lot of spend from me.

I don't have a problem with their credit cards, just their charge cards. The charge cards are so weird, with secret internal credit limits that go up and down unpredictably, sky high annual fees, piecemeal "coupon" credits to try to earn your annual fee back, and not particularly valuable MR's as the only form of reward. What would be so terrible about customers knowing what their internal credit limit is at any given moment?

Re: Strange message from Amex

redpat — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 20:18:23 GMT

@NYC_Fella wrote:
@redpat wrote:
Your POT in your sig is 15k which is more than half of the 35k POT, so you do have some kind of Amex leash.
Is $35K the standard POT for the card? I'm not sure I understand.

Charge cards standard is $35k. Sorry about that, I meant to say, $15k is less than half that amount. Never used it though, just a different bucket on the statement.

Re: Strange message from Amex

Guyatthebeach — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 20:50:08 GMT

@NYC_Fella ,

This is a standard practice for Amex. When I had my Gold Card, Amex would either call or email asking for a payment whenever my balance got over $10,000. This was back in the early 2000's. Now I get an email asking for a payment on my Business Amazon Amex when the balance gets over $7500 to 10,000. It makes no difference to me because I always pay in full when the statement cycle or pay what is needed if I'm using a promo APR offer.

Amex is the only company I have encountered that does this.

Guyatthebeach

Re: Strange message from Amex

NYC_Fella — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 20:54:00 GMT

The weird thing is that I'm well below my never-used POT limit. Just seems strange.

Re: Strange message from Amex

TRC_WA — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 21:48:20 GMT

@Guyatthebeach wrote:

Amex is the only company I have encountered that does this.

Guyatthebeach

Yeah I forgot to add to my comment above about AmEx emailing me when I reach 60% of my limit.

My due date is the 12th of every month... and 3 times in the last year I've gotten the email despite my PIF history... and the most recent email said they may do a CLD if I didn't make a payment within 3 days...despite my payment not being actually due for another week or so after.

A bit annoying honestly but I paid it. I've since switched from my AmEx being my go to card to my NFCU card now having that distinction. I'd rather have the cashback anyway. I've gotten 4 free cross country flights in the last year and currently have 52k miles in my account so will get at least one more. The card has served it's purpose no doubt.

I am curious though if AmEx will continue this when my Ch 13 falls off soon. We'll see.

Re: Strange message from Amex

7774x — Wed, 29 Nov 2023 00:04:58 GMT

@TRC_WA wrote:
@NYC_Fella wrote:

Any thoughts? Should I be concerned? Is there anyone at Amex I should talk to? The CSRs didn't have a clue. Never, ever received any kind of warning in 2 years of using the card.
My limit on my Delta Gold is $10k... and every time I get close to a $6k balance I get the same message... despite my history of PIF.

Perhaps AmEx will quit their 60% paranoia once my Ch 13 falls off my reports in January.

@redpat wrote:
OP, could it be because your Ch 7 BK is still on your report. Amex looks at this stuff in you profile and it just doesn't go away just by charging and pay the balances.
That could very well be it.

Not always....Relative is a options trader ..making 6 figures a month ..pristine credit .. Took whole family to Hawaii .. Ran up $14,000 hotel bill.. Got message when he came home.. it was a suggestion from amex to pay some of what was charged on his vacation trip..

Re: Strange message from Amex

Alephbet — Wed, 29 Nov 2023 06:43:33 GMT

I get those email messages all the time and I have eight AMEX Charge cards. I also sometimes get them for revolvers as well of which I have five. I have noticed that I tend to get the messages when I am charging more than normal for that particular time of the month. For example, if I typically go to the grocery store and buy $500 of food once a week on my AMEX Gold Card, I never get a message. If I go to the store twice in one week and spend $800 each time, I get an email. Even if I have just paid my AMEX Gold entire balance as I always do, I get an email because that is out of the ordinary. As has been mentioned, I rarely get the emails on revolvers but still occasionally do when I charge up to a large percentage of my credit line but the charge cards are fairly often and I have had PoT off for most of the life of the accounts. I just turned it on incidentally to see if those messages stop but apparently from all of your experiences that makes no difference.