topic Re: AMEX Question in Credit Cards

AMEX Question

hautemama — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 11:18:31 GMT

I have been reading re: AMEX cards and wanted to know how I should treat my card. I know they get picky, so what do I need to do? PIF every month? Not max out the card? Can someone give me tips on how to use this card?

Re: AMEX Question

Anonymous — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 12:59:05 GMT

Just PIF-

That is all you have to do to keep AMEX happy-

If you did end up revolving a balance- no more than 3 months

I have put some major $'s (to me) though my AMEX cards- I am not sure if this makes a difference or not.

hautemama wrote:

I have been reading re: AMEX cards and wanted to know how I should treat my card. I know they get picky, so what do I need to do? PIF every month? Not max out the card? Can someone give me tips on how to use this card?

Re: AMEX Question

Anonymous — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 06:53:35 GMT

Have either of you had any problems using your AMEX? I just received my Delta Gold with a cl of $6000. Does AMEX like to see a lot of usage? I know to PIF and that cash advances are a no-no. I don't plan on converting the card. Is there anything else that would ruffle their feathers?

Re: AMEX Question

haulingthescoreup — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 11:57:52 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:

Have either of you had any problems using your AMEX? I just received my Delta Gold with a cl of $6000. Does AMEX like to see a lot of usage? I know to PIF and that cash advances are a no-no. I don't plan on converting the card. Is there anything else that would ruffle their feathers?

Keep your non-AmEx balances under control. They will soft you frequently for the first however long, until they're comfortable with you.

Don't bug them with requests for CLI's. After reading several other threads, I think that they might have decided to put an end to the big CL's, at least for new-ish members.

Re: AMEX Question

Anonymous — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 20:54:56 GMT

I appreciate your response, haulingthescoreup!

The $6000 cl that they gave me is just fine! It's my second highest cl, after Citi ($7070). Are there charge entries that AMEX doesn't like to see on their card? Do they frown on paying utilities bills or your mortgage with their card or anything like that?

Re: AMEX Question

Anonymous — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 21:10:15 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
I appreciate your response, haulingthescoreup!
The $6000 cl that they gave me is just fine! It's my second highest cl, after Citi ($7070). Are there charge entries that AMEX doesn't like to see on their card? Do they frown on paying utilities bills or your mortgage with their card or anything like that?

There has been all sorts of speculation as to whether or not they look at certain charges as riskier than others.

I am of the opinion that certain charges could be a trigger for the FR, but I'm not sure about whether they care or not. I've cash advanced off my Amex at Dover Downs Casino, and in Vegas, as well as bought expensive whiskey, and they haven't seemed to care so far.

Then again, I've already done the FR.

Re: AMEX Question

Anonymous — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 21:12:35 GMT

honeybrook1 wrote:

I appreciate your response, haulingthescoreup!

The $6000 cl that they gave me is just fine! It's my second highest cl, after Citi ($7070). Are there charge entries that AMEX doesn't like to see on their card? Do they frown on paying utilities bills or your mortgage with their card or anything like that?

They won't frown on those types of purchases. (Are you sure your mortgage lender takes Amex, though? Most won't let you pay with a CC at all.) They actually encourage cardholders to use their cards for their everyday expenses, as long as you PIF every month.

The only thing you want to avoid is cash advances, but that is true of any CCC.

Re: AMEX Question

MidnightVoice — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 21:13:26 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
I appreciate your response, haulingthescoreup!

The $6000 cl that they gave me is just fine! It's my second highest cl, after Citi ($7070). Are there charge entries that AMEX doesn't like to see on their card? Do they frown on paying utilities bills or your mortgage with their card or anything like that?

Mu utilities are paid on it and they don't seem to mind.

And when you find a card that you can pay your mortgage on, let me know!! Think of all those points!!

Re: AMEX Question

Anonymous — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 21:13:49 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:

@Anonymous wrote:

I appreciate your response, haulingthescoreup!

The $6000 cl that they gave me is just fine! It's my second highest cl, after Citi ($7070). Are there charge entries that AMEX doesn't like to see on their card? Do they frown on paying utilities bills or your mortgage with their card or anything like that?

There has been all sorts of speculation as to whether or not they look at certain charges as riskier than others.

I am of the opinion that certain charges could be a trigger for the FR, but I'm not sure about whether they care or not. I've cash advanced off my Amex at Dover Downs Casino, and in Vegas, as well as bought expensive whiskey, and they haven't seemed to care so far.

Then again, I've already done the FR.

I firmly believe that your cash advance story is the exception that proves the rule.

Re: AMEX Question

haulingthescoreup — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 21:14:54 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:

I appreciate your response, haulingthescoreup!

The $6000 cl that they gave me is just fine! It's my second highest cl, after Citi ($7070). Are there charge entries that AMEX doesn't like to see on their card? Do they frown on paying utilities bills or your mortgage with their card or anything like that?

No, they love it when you run recurring bills through them, because they get a cut. I have my Verizon account on the Gold card, and I'm trying to get the Comcast on as well. And wow, if I could run the mortgage.....

There's a thread floating around that if you use a card for booze, gambling, and so forth, it can hurt you in CCC's internal scoring, but there are enough other people who've posted otherwise that I don't know that it's worth worrying about. Maybe if you have daily charges from the corner liquor store, that might raise some eyebrows.

I did try to reserve my Gold card for big-ticket, travel-related items, but we don't do much traveling or big-ticket purchases, so I decided not to worry about it. Life's too short to try to read their minds, IMO.

I think the main thing is that for the first year, at any rate, don't do anything to startle them, with this card or any other.

Nice starting limit!

Re: AMEX Question

Watchmann — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 21:29:11 GMT

haulingthescoreup wrote:

Keep your non-AmEx balances under control. They will soft you frequently for the first however long, until they're comfortable with you.

Don't bug them with requests for CLI's. After reading several other threads, I think that they might have decided to put an end to the big CL's, at least for new-ish members.

I've got 28 years with AMEX (3 different cards) and they have softed me 55 times in the last two years. That works out to each account getting looked at every 3 weeks. That's pretty frequent for a long term account holder who has never missed a payment. I think it is purely an automated process, and it really doesn't matter how long you have been with them, or your CL. I think the best advice is to use the credit responsibly and pay it off in a diligent manner. That's true for AMEX as well as any other card. And don't push for CLI's so often, I think that will increasingly be looked upon as a sign of trouble as the economy continues to struggle. The era of easy, cheap money is over!

Message Edited by Watchmann on 07-13-2008 04:29 PM

Re: AMEX Question

haulingthescoreup — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 23:14:12 GMT

Wow, interesting to know that Big Brother is still watching after 28 years! Guess I'll go make up the bed in the spare room.

Re: AMEX Question

MidnightVoice — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 01:16:35 GMT

Computers never forget elephants.........

Re: AMEX Question

Anonymous — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 01:11:52 GMT

Wow-a lot of great advice here-thanks. I thought I had read somewhere on here about AMEX accepting mortgage payments. What a great way to rack up reward points if they did. But, I soon found out that neither AMEX or my mortgage company do this. I'm just so anxious to use the card! I can handle the f/r if they ask for it, I just don't want the hassle-or the embarrassment of being declined when I'm out for dinner or something. I would love to set up my cable and water bill with them. Maybe I'll do this and just charge a little here and there, then just PIF the next day.

Re: AMEX Question

Anonymous — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 02:10:51 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
I firmly believe that your cash advance story is the exception that proves the rule.

Wait...I don't get it. Wouldn't an exception prove that something isn't a rule?

I cash advanced in Dover before the FR and didn't have any issues until I got Green and Clear. After the FR I cash advanced in Vegas and they didn't seem to care.

However, both times I did notify them of my intention to do so on the phone, and made sure they would approve it.

I've also cash advanced off my Freedom Visa a couple times also.

I don't mean to sound like I cash advance all the time. It's just that both times I've done it involved me going out of town and my debit card refusing to work.

Message Edited by FretlessMayhem on 07-14-2008 10:10 PM

Message Edited by FretlessMayhem on 07-14-2008 10:10 PM

Re: AMEX Question

Anonymous — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 23:50:01 GMT

So, is the standard to call AMEX ahead of time to inform them of a big purchase, like a washer/dryer, a PS3, or airline tickets for the fam to go to DisneyLand in October? Why did I want this card again?

Re: AMEX Question

MidnightVoice — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:31:00 GMT

FretlessMayhem wrote:

Wait...I don't get it. Wouldn't an exception prove that something isn't a rule?

To be technical and pedantic (), "proves" in this case originally had the meaning of "tests", as in adding gunpowder to alcohol and igniting it - if it didn't burn it had too much water, if it did burn if was proof it was OK - hence we still measure alcohol content as proof.

Here endeth the lesson for today

Re: AMEX Question

Anonymous — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:57:09 GMT

honeybrook1 wrote:
So, is the standard to call AMEX ahead of time to inform them of a big purchase, like a washer/dryer, a PS3, or airline tickets for the fam to go to DisneyLand in October? Why did I want this card again?

Well, I think it depends what your CL is and what % of your CL you intend to use. My Delta Gold has a $9000 limit and I don't see anything wrong with charging $1500 in airfare and paying it off right away.

I probably wouldn't bother calling unless it was over 50%, but some of the more experienced AMEX users may correct me.

Re: AMEX Question

MidnightVoice — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 18:20:43 GMT

I just call when the expenditure is "out of pattern"

Re: AMEX Question

Anonymous — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 18:51:26 GMT

I have two charge cards with them... I've never called them before I've made a purchase and they've never turned me down. I've made many out of the ordinary purchases and made purchases outside of the country when they didn't know I was travelling.

Once they randomly shut off my ability to pay over time when I had a random high balance, but turned it back on when I paid, and I didn't care because I don't use that feature. That's all.

Maybe I'm an exception, but I've never had to call about anything purchase related.