AMEX Pre-Qualified Tool After BK

[Divaofsongs]

I have filed BK7 twice in the past 25 years, the first time was 1996, I included AMEX for about $10k. I filed again in May 2013 and have since really worked hard to get my credit rebuilt. I am currently 740+ on all 3 FICO scores and the only neg on my reports is the BK7. I have several high limit cards ranging from $10K - $40K and I use them for my business, charging and paying off up to $100K a month and keep them all PIF every month. Mind you, all these cards started with $300 and $500 limits back in 2013, I grew them to these limits in 5 years time.

I never thought I would EVER get an AMEX again, since I IIB them in 1996. I tried their prequal site several times over the years but it always came back that I was not prequaled for anything. I really want one though. Yesterday I had to take off the freeze on my credit reports so I could apply for a Verizon acct., so I decided to see if I was prequaled for any AMEX cards. Well, to my surprise, this time, it came back that I was prequalified for 3 cards! The Everyday Cash, the BCE, and the Gold card. After reading on here that a HP would only occur if I was not blacklisted, I decided I would go for it and applied for the BCE card.......I was floored when it came back APPROVED for $10K SL! 

Then the next screen said I was preapproved for the Gold AMEX card and asked if I needed a business credit card. I applied with all my business info, and was also approved for that! I did not see a limit, so I think it is a NPSL.

Afterwards it asked if I wanted to set up an online account for managing my cards,  so I did, and at the top it said, "WELCOME "My Real Name" Member since 1994!" So they definitely still have me in the system, but if I was blacklisted, I am not any longer. 

I wanted to share this because I read where people were wondering if the prequal was even possible for someone who IIB Amex in the past or had a BK on their credit reports. My BK was filed May 2013, so it is a little over 5 years ago. I was not expecting to be approved, so I am very happy about this. 

Right now, I have over $175K in major credit limits on 5 cards. All of those cards were starter cards in 2013, but have since been upgraded to World Elite cards and other prestigious cards and limits raised to $10K + on all of them.........Cap One QS, Cap One Venture, Barclay's Rewards, Barclay's UPromise, and the Discover IT cards are all I have now. I have combined and closed all the others and just have these with high limits. I am absolute proof that there is life and great credit limits after BK....and now AMEX after BK. :-)  

[Anonymous]

Im pretty much fortunate in the same boat like you. Since your Experian clear from BK. Go ahead OP, apply one of the AMEX card...  Please update for the result for our data points. Fingers crossed

[Anonymous]

@pcrensha16

Congratulations on your rapid recovery from BK7!

Your FICO scores are very impressive after such a short time period.

The direct answer to your Amex question is that their prequalification

software approved you b/c your BK didn't appear on your report. But it

is possible that if you move forward and apply anyway that a real person

at Amex will spot your past record and deny you on the back end. If that

happens, then as others have suggested, you'll only suffer a soft pull.

However, I do have a suggestion that will allow you to bypass this altogether

and still be approved for an Amex: apply for membership at Pen Fed. You don't

have to be military/government civilian to qualify, and Pen Fed pays a fee to offer

Amex products. So you would be approved/denied based on Pen Fed's criteria,

not on Amex's. In this way, you'll be able to get an Amex (Pathfinder) and start fresh without

running the risk of being rejected by the "real" Amex (Centurion Bank). Hope this helps.

P.S. Pen Fed hard pulls Equifax. The EQ pull is good for membership

and any Pen Fed products you'd like to apply for up to 90 days. Then

they would pull again...

[Divaofsongs]

Hello Alohawinn. I don't know if you had a chance to read it or not, but I just wanted to let you know that I made a post on this thread about my recent experience with AMEX. A little background.......I included them in BK7 about 25 years ago, and subsequently filed for BK7 again 5 years ago, so I have a current BK on all 3 of my credit reports. So basically, IIB from 25 years ago, and currently have BK on all 3 reports.

I used the prequal tool on their site a couple days ago and it said I was prequalified for 3 different cards. I went on to apply for 2 of them and was approved for both. When I created an online account to manage my account, it said, "Welcome Real Name, Member Since 1994" at the top, so they are apparently backdating my cards to 1994. So, with BK7 showing on all 3 of my reports and I also IIB them 25 years ago and I was able to get new cards with them. I had tried the prequal tool several times over the past few years with no luck, until a couple nights ago, then all of a sudden, it said I was prequaled for 3 cards. 

Another thing.....my wife has also been using the prequal tool every few months and it always said she was not prequalifed for any cards, but the same night it said I was prequalified for 3 cards, it said the same thing for her, but it prequalifed her for the BCE, the Everyday Cash, and the Platinum NPSL cards. She did not apply, but it was the first time it ever showed her anything. She has never had an AMEX acct before, so if/when she does apply, it will be her first time with AMEX. 

I never would have taken the chance to see if I would be approved, had I not read on here that they only do a HP if you are not blacklisted, so I decided I had nothing to lose. I am glad I went for it. I was approved for $10K on the BCE, so that will be my lowest limit card now, hoping they will give me increases soon, and the Gold NPSL. 

I hope this info helps with your research. I can give screenshots of anything you think will help. 

[egghead88]

That has been the trend with Amex. They typically let you back in 5 years after bk. Congrats on getting back in with AMEX. Sounds like you’re on your way to 30,000 AMEX.

Well done!!

[Anonymous]

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@egghead88 wrote:
That has been the trend with Amex. They typically let you back in 5 years after bk. Congrats on getting back in with AMEX. Sounds like you’re on your way to 30,000 AMEX.

Well done!!

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OK, so I posted earlier in this thread that I hadn't been able to get a prequal with Amex due to my 2014 BK, and that I expected to be able to get something from them in late 2019 or early 2020. I need some clarification, though, because the discussion here has all been from people who did have Amex accounts that they included in their BK's, and were having issues getting prequals or new accounts with them due to that. I've never had an Amex account of any kind, so I'm now wondering if that will change my situation or if Amex will still insist on making me wait 5 years like the rest of you?

[Divaofsongs]

I posted about this a few days ago, but my wife has never had an AMEX acct. before and she was not getting anything on the prequal page when she checked, up until this past week, when she did get the prequal on 3 different cards. She actually went ahead and applied last night and was approved for the BCE with $10K limit.

Our BK just hit the 5 year mark from filing date a few weeks ago, and we have tried the prequal feature numerous times over the past few years with no luck, that is, until we passed the 5 year mark. Not sure if that is a coincidence or not. Both our FICO scores are in the mid 700's, ranging from 720ish - 780ish, depending on the bureau. Her scores are higher than mine, ranging from 760ish-780ish, while mine are 720ish - 740ish. They offered me the Gold card and her the Platinum card, so I do think that has something to do with the credit score as well. 

Not sure if any of this helps at all, but wanted to just add it, just in case. 

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