topic Re: Question about AMEX backdating in Credit Cards

Question about AMEX backdating

tattooedhusker — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 16:51:55 GMT

First off, let me just state, I am in the garden still and intend to stay there for 6 months! I recently asked my aunt who is an AMEX cardholder about adding me as an AU. She said that she likely will. So, my question is this, I hear alot about AMEX backdating accounts. If she were to add me as an AU, and they backdate a future card, does that backdating disappear as soon as she removes me as an AU? I'm just curious, because I am planning for the future and it's better to know now, than later. Thanks!

Re: Question about AMEX backdating

Anonymous — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 17:14:05 GMT

It is my understanding that will work, that is what they said when I called customer service after adding someone to my card as an au

Re: Question about AMEX backdating

navigatethis12 — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 17:19:37 GMT

You will have no backdating because that is not how American Express works anymore. If you look around, people were getting added onto a 30 year old account for a few months to establish the member since date. They would then apply for their own card and have it backdated to the date of the card they were an authorised user on and then be removed from that card. So someone who was in their 20s or 30s would have an account as old or older than them.

Anyway, American Express stopped it and now the date will be when you first became an authorised user.

Re: Question about AMEX backdating

Anonymous — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 17:22:01 GMT

And by that works, I mean, when you are added as a au it will say member since 13, but new cards you get on your own will also say 13, even if you aren't an au anymore, sorry my other post wasn't clear

Re: Question about AMEX backdating

daybreakgonesXe — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 17:24:19 GMT

@navigatethis12 wrote:
You will have no backdating because that is not how American Express works anymore. If you look around, people were getting added onto a 30 year old account for a few months to establish the member since date. They would then apply for their own card and have it backdated to the date of the card they were an authorised user on and then be removed from that card. So someone who was in their 20s or 30s would have an account as old or older than them.

Anyway, American Express stopped it and now the date will be when you first became an authorised user.

I think that's what he/she means, though. If he/she got added as an authorized user now (4/13), but applied for a card of his/her own, in say, 4/14, would the card backdate to 4/13 for her (which is a yes!). However, they also posed the question of if their aunt removed them as an authorized user, would their cards revert back to original opening date of their first own AMEX. OP, I highly doubt they'll revert back, but then again, I am not an AMEX holder nor have I seen any posts to confirm or contradict this question!

Re: Question about AMEX backdating

tattooedhusker — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 17:31:53 GMT

@daybreakgonesXe wrote:
@navigatethis12 wrote:
You will have no backdating because that is not how American Express works anymore. If you look around, people were getting added onto a 30 year old account for a few months to establish the member since date. They would then apply for their own card and have it backdated to the date of the card they were an authorised user on and then be removed from that card. So someone who was in their 20s or 30s would have an account as old or older than them.

Anyway, American Express stopped it and now the date will be when you first became an authorised user.
I think that's what he/she means, though. If he/she got added as an authorized user now (4/13), but applied for a card of his/her own, in say, 4/14, would the card backdate to 4/13 for her (which is a yes!). However, they also posed the question of if their aunt removed them as an authorized user, would their cards revert back to original opening date of their first own AMEX. OP, I highly doubt they'll revert back, but then again, I am not an AMEX holder nor have I seen any posts to confirm or contradict this question!

This is what I meant, no worries, I wasn't clear in my questioning either! I was going to have her add me as an AU this month, and apply next spring.

Re: Question about AMEX backdating

Anonymous — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 17:34:39 GMT

My understanding is that you will be backdated only to the point where you became an AU on someone's Amex account.

Then if you are removed as an AU, if for example you become a member on your own standing, the date you were added as an AU will still be your member since date.

So if my wife adds me in 2011 as an AU on her account.

I remain an AU until I apply for my own amex in 2013

My member since date will be 2011 when she added me as an AU

If she then removes me as an AU, my member since date will remain 2011.

Re: Question about AMEX backdating

tattooedhusker — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 17:38:05 GMT

Thank you! This is exactly the answer I was looking for!

Re: Question about AMEX backdating

Lambo23 — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 18:21:40 GMT

Now how about this,

I add an AU to my account
A year later I close my account.
Down the road the AU applies and gets an Amex, will they be backdated even though they are not an AU any longer?

Re: Question about AMEX backdating

Anonymous — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 18:36:10 GMT

@Lambo23 wrote:
Now how about this,

I add an AU to my account
A year later I close my account.
Down the road the AU applies and gets an Amex, will they be backdated even though they are not an AU any longer?

The "Member Since" date sticks with you, so I would guess in this case, the AU will be backdated to the date they were an AU on the closed card. It works that way for the main cardholder

(e.g. I got a card in 87, cancelled in 89, got a new one in 2007. When I eventually asked, that card gets backdated to 87) so the same (il)logic should work for the AU.

Re: Question about AMEX backdating

RyVision — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 19:47:43 GMT

@Lambo23 wrote:
Now how about this,

I add an AU to my account
A year later I close my account.
Down the road the AU applies and gets an Amex, will they be backdated even though they are not an AU any longer?

Predicting what AMEX will do in the future, esp with AUs and ACMs is like trying to predict the weather while sitting on another planet. A lot depends on who you get on the phone.

90% of the CSRs are going by the no BD rule for AUs to the original card holders date, which was added in Nov 2011.

About 60% of them are going by the new rule of AUs get issued a MSD for when they're added but it does not carry over if they get their own individual card (added 2012).

They're trying to keep the BDing for members on their own accounts, but the new laws are freaking out their legal dept.

Best rule of thumb is to understand being added doesn't guarantee a person that MSD for their own account later, just cards they're added to under the original member. The history will show on their reports however.

Best bet is to be added young and keep the card to use as proof of membership later, even if the original member closes it, be sure to ask them to be allowed to keep the card. If you want to try to lock in someone's MSD for them later, like a young relative, they only have to be 15 or older, just save the card for them.

Lucky are the few that get the old fashioned BD magic that has slowly been reduced over the last couple of years. Sometimes it happens and knowing AMEX reps, it will continue in lessening amounts as time goes on.