Amex 3X CLI strategy - Need your suggestions, please.

[DeeBee78]

I'm coming up on day 61 since my Amex ED account was opened ($500). I know that lower limit Amex cards usually stay at that limit for a while and might not receive a 61 day CLI.  I've been working this little $500 limit over the past month or so, running over $2,000 through it. I'm thinking that my heavy usage and PIF behavior will result in a little breathing room if I do ask for a 61 day CLI.

About a month after my ED approval, I app'd the BCE and was approved for $1,000. Now I have to juggle CLI's because of the 6 month rule. So I wonder what you guys would do? Do you think it's better to:

A) Take the 61 day CLI on my ED (to hopefully $1500), then another 3X CLI in 6 months (to hopefully $4,500)?  

B) Wait another month until the BCE is eliglble for the 61 day CLI (to hopefully $3,000) then another 3X CLI in 6 months (to hopefully $9,000)?

I just don't like the idea of the ED sitting there with a $500 credit limit for the next year. I guess I could eventually move some of the BCE limit over to it to create some parity between the credit lines, but that's still 12 statements away.

[austinguy907]

Well, would you like a $1500 limit on one and $1000 on the other or $500 on one and $3000 on the other.  $1000 difference.  Personally I would go with the higher multiple on BCE and just keep pumping through swiped on the ED to see if they just give you more for the high use on it.  It's been done before and they might do it for you as well.  

When you get the ball rolling with them and hit 12 months or so you can rebalance the limits online between them.  As you start hitting 20K+ then it's a good time to move things around since 3X 10K is an easy goal of 30K on a single card.

[Anonymous]

If you can move limits between Amex cards (I don't know if you can as I never had 2) wouldn't you always want to take the 3X CLI on the card with the higher limit and then just move some of that limit to the lower limit card?  3X a higher number is always going to be greater than 3X a smaller number, so why not just follow that technique if you can transfer limits between cards with Amex?

[AllCredit]

I'm am in the same situation, I have 2 ccs approved the same day, already know I am making my first request 61 day on the highest SL.  But after that (if I get it) I don't know if I would want to to the same card again at day 181 or the other card with (that in theory may not have had any CLI yet).

But its nice to know at the beginning of next year I could possibly move balances around....

Let us know which one you decide on!

[medicgrrl]

---

@AllCredit wrote:

I'm am in the same situation, I have 2 ccs approved the same day, already know I am making my first request 61 day on the highest SL.  But after that (if I get it) I don't know if I would want to to the same card again at day 181 or the other card with (that in theory may not have had any CLI yet).

But its nice to know at the beginning of next year I could possibly move balances around....

Let us know which one you decide on!

---

I was approved for 2 recently also.  My personal theory is go big or go home   I'm going to app for a CLI on my biggest card first.  I may app on it the second time also and then move funds around for the third app.  I guess it will all depend on what my first CLI approval is for.  It may not be as good as I'm hoping 

[Anonymous]

+1 on growing the BCE first. This improves your overall utilization and your credit profile; which will help with auto cli's from amex. Treat the ED well and it may grow by itself.

Have had my BCP for about 20 months and with responsible use have gotten auto cli's every six months from opening (+1000, +3000, +6000). No they weren't 3x cli's, but I haven't had to request cli's either. Just my experience. Good luck.

[roxy72]

I also had a question on the 3X CLI.  I was approved for the BCP back in February of this year with a $2000 SL.  When I recvd the card I then requested a cli and was approved for an additional $2000.  So my limit now is $4000.  Does the 61 day still apply to me or do I have to wait 6 months for another cli?

[AverageJoesCredit]

All great suggestions but sometimes we need to go with our gut or first instinct and your last paragraph seems to sum up how you really feel about the little guy. Even though in credit time, Amex can grow quite quickly, every 6 months, why not let your little guy Ed! get his big boy underwear so he can feel properly dressed when its his time to flourish in his next growth spurt ?

[austinguy907]

---

@roxy72 wrote:

I also had a question on the 3X CLI.  I was approved for the BCP back in February of this year with a $2000 SL.  When I recvd the card I then requested a cli and was approved for an additional $2000.  So my limit now is $4000.  Does the 61 day still apply to me or do I have to wait 6 months for another cli?

---

Hope you wrote down when you got the $2K extra added because it's 180 days from that date now