topic Re: Amex Check Your Spending Ability...Calling all guinea pigs in Credit Cards

Amex Check Your Spending Ability...Calling all guinea pigs

jaysdad2k — Sat, 08 May 2010 16:34:15 GMT

Has anybody seen this link on the Amex account website?

Select your card, enter the amount and it will tell you if it will be APPROVED.

I tried a couple of amounts that were approved, then I wimped out.

Who wants to be the guinea pig?

Apologies to all guinea pigs in the world.

Re: Amex Check Your Spending Ability...Calling all guinea pigs

smallfry — Sat, 08 May 2010 16:46:08 GMT

I would stop doing it actually.

Re: Amex Check Your Spending Ability...Calling all guinea pigs

fused — Sat, 08 May 2010 18:13:59 GMT

@smallfry wrote:

I would stop doing it actually.

Do you know something that we don't know?

Re: Amex Check Your Spending Ability...Calling all guinea pigs

joestay — Sat, 08 May 2010 18:19:25 GMT

I don't have the charge card but just a credit card. When I clicked on "check your spending ability" a couple of time in one day, my status changed from "this transaction will be approved" to "this transaction will not be approved". But after a while of not clicking on it, it changed back to normal.

Re: Amex Check Your Spending Ability...Calling all guinea pigs

smallfry — Sat, 08 May 2010 19:14:45 GMT

@fused wrote:

@smallfry wrote:
I would stop doing it actually.
Do you know something that we don't know?

Unless you have a charge card it is senseless. If you have a charge card and want to get a idea whether a charge would clear then that's fine. I wouldn't play with it like a kid with a car window though. They keep track of everything.

Re: Amex Check Your Spending Ability...Calling all guinea pigs

tray — Sun, 09 May 2010 01:33:57 GMT

I have the gold premier charge card, today went on line and saw a link check your spending ability, in which you could put a dollar amount in, I never seen this before, so I put the amount of $3,000.00 ? if I should have put a higher amount but it stated that spending limit would be approved. Has anyone else tried this link. It is much better than having to call Amex.

Re: Amex Check Your Spending Ability...Calling all guinea pigs

Anonymous — Sun, 09 May 2010 01:48:32 GMT

Does any other bank besides American Express offer this online feature for their charge or signature cards?

Re: Amex Check Your Spending Ability...Calling all guinea pigs

Anonymous — Sun, 09 May 2010 03:33:59 GMT

@smallfry wrote:

I wouldn't play with it like a kid with a car window though. They keep track of everything.

Yea i agree. I did try it myself. I only put in $1000.

Re: Amex Check Your Spending Ability...Calling all guinea pigs

Anonymous — Mon, 10 May 2010 16:30:04 GMT

I used this a few days ago. I'd never seen it before and after putting in 10K it said that charge would be approved on my charge card. I've been with AMEX for several years with an excellent payment history though.

Re: Amex Check Your Spending Ability...Calling all guinea pigs

Anonymous — Tue, 11 May 2010 02:23:32 GMT

It is the exact same program that the CCP uses when you call Customer Service to ask the question.

It does keep track of recent requests (think 3 days or so), so checking multiple times may get the "not approved" message based upon the TOTAL that was requested, not the individual request.

But, it is a nice tool to use and I'm not aware of anyone else who offers it.

Re: Amex Check Your Spending Ability...Calling all guinea pigs

Anonymous — Tue, 11 May 2010 03:29:06 GMT

@smallfry wrote:

@fused wrote:

@smallfry wrote:
I would stop doing it actually.
Do you know something that we don't know?

Unless you have a charge card it is senseless. If you have a charge card and want to get a idea whether a charge would clear then that's fine. I wouldn't play with it like a kid with a car window though. They keep track of everything.

I'm picturing getting a phone call from Amex: "Mr. Nimble! Would you PLEASE stop PLAYING with that button THIS INSTANT!"

Re: Amex Check Your Spending Ability...Calling all guinea pigs

fused — Wed, 12 May 2010 21:57:58 GMT

I had some fun playing with that button. Assuming its accurate, I was surprised that Amex would approve such large purchases.

Re: Amex Check Your Spending Ability...Calling all guinea pigs

Anonymous — Wed, 12 May 2010 22:39:28 GMT

I don't have a charge card but I have the Amex Clear Credit card. My credit limit is $3,200.

So I put in $4,300 and it said it would be approved. I think this thing is broke.

Re: Amex Check Your Spending Ability...Calling all guinea pigs

fused — Wed, 12 May 2010 23:02:25 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:

I don't have a charge card but I have the Amex Clear Credit card. My credit limit is $3,200.

So I put in $4,300 and it said it would be approved. I think this thing is broke.

Welcome to the forums!

Whoa!!!!!!!! Yes, about as broken as the FICO score simulator.

Re: Amex Check Your Spending Ability...Calling all guinea pigs

Anonymous — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 21:48:43 GMT

To resurrect this thread I played with that function within 2 days of setting up my online account lol.

I put 10k to see what would happen. Rejected.

A week later I put in 2500 and it was approved.

I didn't really know the significance of what I was doing, I was just messing around

Re: Amex Check Your Spending Ability...Calling all guinea pigs

JRomulus — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 22:59:57 GMT

Fits with what we know about Amex's approach to charge card spending limits-- you really don't have one with them until you generate some history. Then, the amount they'll approve would seem to be a function of your history with Amex, your current credit situation as discerned by their monthly soft pulls on your Experian and the income information provided on your application.

If you list bank account information on their site for auto-pay, etc., I believe that gives them the ability to see what your current bank account balance is, which along with your payment history may or may not help increase what they are willing to approve.

Re: Amex Check Your Spending Ability...Calling all guinea pigs

Anonymous — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 23:02:49 GMT

I don't have a charge card but I have the Amex Clear Credit card. My credit limit is $3,200.

So I put in $4,300 and it said it would be approved. I think this thing is broke.

How do think this card (CLear) is? I am planning to get this next month.

Re: Amex Check Your Spending Ability...Calling all guinea pigs

Anonymous — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 00:29:06 GMT

I just checked it and put in $30,000, which was a number that I was sure would get denied and it said it would be approved. Either Amex loves me or that thing is broken!

Re: Amex Check Your Spending Ability...Calling all guinea pigs

ArisGreek — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 03:16:34 GMT

JRomulus: Do you think AMEX has access to look into our accounts? I don't think they do...

Re: Amex Check Your Spending Ability...Calling all guinea pigs

Anonymous — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 03:49:02 GMT

I doubt they can see banking info but I've also heard of them pulling all manner of reports to check up on people (beyond major bureaus), chek
systems perhaps being the most common. They can also get a good idea of certain tangible assets. But you have to get yourself flagged by a computer before anyone goes hog wild. I've heard that playing with a certain button can help to expedite such an occurrence