Sorry to hear, @Jnbmom. I think you made the right call, though. I think most consumers will run into this at some point if they are asking for more AMEX credit. Exactly where varies. I had heard of the $35K CL threshold where POI was requested but in my case/profile, I blew right through that and got $75K CL on my Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant within a little over four months of opening it, no questions asked. (It was my only AMEX revolver at the time.) Then they asked for the bank record access and I've gotten it on every request since then on both business and personal cards. In that first scenario, I granted access. Eventually, they responded with insufficient spend on the account, which they could have determined without invading my privacy. I was livid and complained to customer service. I had hesitated to grant them access once; after that, I'll never do it again. I'll close all my AMEX cards and walk away before they get that from me again. So the access to accounts showing your balances and cash flows may have nothing to do with getting a higher limit anyway. This is just another one of the ridiculous games that they play. They aren't worth it.
Oh, and expect them to call too. I've done this dance probably six or eight times in the past year on my accounts and besides the email, they've called me trying to follow-up. I've gotten to where I don't answer or call them back at all. Eventually, the request expires. But if you don't provide it, they may ask again if you request another CLI.
Amex is known for asking for POI
