Amex Denial/Reconsideration Help

[Anonymous]

So I need the expertise of the folks here to help me understand my recent experience with Amex.

I opened the Amex Platinum card in July of this year. I’ve had a great experience so far. I received a pre approval in the mail this month to apply for the Delta SkyMiles card with an elevated sign up bonus. I was super excited because I was already looking into getting an airline loyalty card. My credit score is the same as it was when I applied for Amex platinum, give or take 10 points (experian 730, Equifax 748, Trans 728) So I applied and was denied! Stupid me, I didn’t check my credit report and immediately requested a reconsideration, which was denied as well.

I looked at the denial reasons: 1. Relationship with Amex too short 2. Revolving balance too high. Now I NEVER carry credit card balances, so I looked at my report and saw that stupid comenity bank total rewards card. I opened the card on a whim when my husband and I were at the casino. Two weeks later Comenity closed my account and would not tell me why. Whatever, I’m over it, they suck. I paid off the balance on it immediately. My credit report does not reflect that! I guess since the account is closed I have no credit limit and it shows me at 100% utilization on that account with a balance of $800.

SO. I call American Express back and offer to show proof that account has been paid off. The rep said don’t bother, the primary reason I was turned down was my short relationship with Amex and she recommended I wait A YEAR to apply for any other Amex cards.

A year?? Is this normal for that company? If I’m supposed to wait a year, why did they send me a pre selected special offer??

[Brian_Earl_Spilner]

It's not uncommon to have to wait a year if you were a borderline approval with Amex. I'm currently in that boat. The mailers usually don't come from amex, they come from a 3rd party. I received an invite to apply for the Delta Gold with elevated SUB about a month after getting my Delta Gold card. Very few banks send their own mailers and they'll usually be pre-approved in those cases.

[CreditInspired]

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@Anonymous wrote:
So I need the expertise of the folks here to help me understand my recent experience with Amex.

I opened the Amex Platinum card in July of this year. I’ve had a great experience so far. I received a pre approval in the mail this month to apply for the Delta SkyMiles card with an elevated sign up bonus. I was super excited because I was already looking into getting an airline loyalty card. My credit score is the same as it was when I applied for Amex platinum, give or take 10 points (experian 730, Equifax 748, Trans 728) So I applied and was denied! Stupid me, I didn’t check my credit report and immediately requested a reconsideration, which was denied as well.

I looked at the denial reasons: 1. Relationship with Amex too short 2. Revolving balance too high. Now I NEVER carry credit card balances, so I looked at my report and saw that stupid comenity bank total rewards card. I opened the card on a whim when my husband and I were at the casino. Two weeks later Comenity closed my account and would not tell me why. Whatever, I’m over it, they suck. I paid off the balance on it immediately. My credit report does not reflect that! I guess since the account is closed I have no credit limit and it shows me at 100% utilization on that account with a balance of $800.

SO. I call American Express back and offer to show proof that account has been paid off. The rep said don’t bother, the primary reason I was turned down was my short relationship with Amex and she recommended I wait A YEAR to apply for any other Amex cards.

A year?? Is this normal for that company? If I’m supposed to wait a year, why did they send me a pre selected special offer??

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@Anonymous wrote:
So I need the expertise of the folks here to help me understand my recent experience with Amex.

I opened the Amex Platinum card in July of this year. I’ve had a great experience so far. I received a pre approval in the mail this month to apply for the Delta SkyMiles card with an elevated sign up bonus. I was super excited because I was already looking into getting an airline loyalty card. My credit score is the same as it was when I applied for Amex platinum, give or take 10 points (experian 730, Equifax 748, Trans 728) So I applied and was denied! Stupid me, I didn’t check my credit report and immediately requested a reconsideration, which was denied as well.

I looked at the denial reasons: 1. Relationship with Amex too short 2. Revolving balance too high. Now I NEVER carry credit card balances, so I looked at my report and saw that stupid comenity bank total rewards card. I opened the card on a whim when my husband and I were at the casino. Two weeks later Comenity closed my account and would not tell me why. Whatever, I’m over it, they suck. I paid off the balance on it immediately. My credit report does not reflect that! I guess since the account is closed I have no credit limit and it shows me at 100% utilization on that account with a balance of $800.

SO. I call American Express back and offer to show proof that account has been paid off. The rep said don’t bother, the primary reason I was turned down was my short relationship with Amex and she recommended I wait A YEAR to apply for any other Amex cards.

A year?? Is this normal for that company? If I’m supposed to wait a year, why did they send me a pre selected special offer??

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Hi and welcome to MyFICO

Please understand that scores alone is not the be all, end all. It’s the entire credit profile that’s taken into account. So yes, you just opened an AmX account last month (July). AmX needs time to understand your spend/ payment history. When applying for new credit, it’s always best to keep 6 months between applications. And IMHO the closure of another CC is a sign that something’s a brewing. So wait until the AoYA reaches 6-12 mos and try again. 

[Anonymous]

It's much easier to apply for an Amex credit card and charge card on the same day using the same HP. If you don't, they'll want to see a year of responsible use before extending anymore credit to you.