Amex pop-up due to too many closed accounts

[JackBeNimble1]

Hi everyone. I recently received the dreaded Amex pop-up message. As it turns out, because I have closed too many credit cards recently, Amex will not extend me any of its wonderful welcome offers. Does anyone know how long it takes for the pop-up messages to go away? I closed several credit cards this year, including three from Amex (two of them business cards). I actually plan to close my Amex gold charge card in a few more weeks, as well. But I'm hoping after a few months pass, I'll be back in their good graces. Does anyone here have any prior experiences with the pop-up messages, specifically for having closed too many cards? I'd love to hear your stories. Thanks in advance!  

[FinStar]

You mentioned in your other post that you had closed 3 AmEx CCs in less than a year, and if you plan on closing your Gold Card in the next few weeks or so, it's definitely not going to help your case, at least from an internal AmEx profile perspective.

DPs are all over the place, especially on DoC as far as the timeframe.  Even so, if you were to apply in the future, a pop-up may not necessarily display.  It would just mean you wouldn't be eligible for the SUB.  There's a few reports on churning abuse on Reddit and DoC.

[JackBeNimble1]

Thanks, Finstar. Unfortunately, the message boards are full of stories about people who increased the spend on their existing cards to get the pop-up message to go away. But I am obviously in a different boat. I hold my Amex cards for a long time and consistently spend large amounts of money on them. If you know where I can read anecdotes about people who are not receiving welcome offers because they closed too many cards, please let me know. My guess is it could take 12+ months from the time I closed the cards. 

[FinStar]

I've read anywhere from 12 months onward.  Perhaps others can chime in if their situation may be similar to yours.  

That said, ever since AmEx's RAT started clamping down (as evidenced by clawbacks and SUB forfeitures, etc.), it's become more a challenge for a lot of folks to be eligible for those juicy SUBs.  Are the AmEx CCs listed in your signature still open?  Amex Gold, Amex Bonvoy, Amex Hilton Honors Surpass, Amex Every Day, Amex Hilton Biz, Amex Delta Biz

Which 3 did you close?

[JackBeNimble1]

Good to know. Thanks, Finstar. I closed the Amex Hilton Business card in February, the Delta Business card in April, and the Bonvoy in September. (That last card closure was only to appease Chase, which had previously turned me down for having too many accounts open. Haha.) I had held the Bonvoy for nearly three years and the other two for two years. I still own the Gold, which I've had for one year; the Every Day card, which I've had for five years; and the Surpass card, which I've had for nearly four years.  

[FinStar]

Ok gotcha.  It's interesting you mentioned the Chase side of things as far as having to close your AmEx Bonvoy.  If it makes you feel any better, I'm not eligible for any AmEx Bonvoy CC SUBs, unless I close all my Chase Bonvoy-related CCs, which includes Ritz Carlton, and both personal/business Bonvoy CCs.  And, since I'm LOL/24, that's not going to happen in the foreseeable future 😜.   I'll just have to skip those AmEx CCs.

[JackBeNimble1]

Fortunately, I'm only 3/24 so I'll focus on Chase going forward and try Amex again in six to 12 months.

[Anonymous]

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@JackBeNimble1 wrote:

Hi everyone. I recently received the dreaded Amex pop-up message. As it turns out, because I have closed too many credit cards recently, Amex will not extend me any of its wonderful welcome offers. 

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How do you know for sure this is the reason? I was once placed on the no SUB pop up list, yet I only ever closed one non Amex card in a two year span. It seems that Amex doesn't like closure of accounts under 12 months, so in your instance of having them open for longer appears to be more to it then just that.

As for Chase, how many open accounts is too many? I have a lot yet they still approve me for new cards without having to close one.

[JackBeNimble1]

Janus, I know this is the reason because I called a backdoor number and spoke to an American Express analyst who researched my situation and explicitly told me this. I believe him. As for Chase, an analyst in July told me over the phone I had too much credit available and Chase sent me a letter where they committed the same explanation to writing. After I shut down a few cards, Chase approved me for the Sapphire Preferred in September. You had a different experience because we are different people.

[JackBeNimble1]

Update: After repeatedly receiving pop-up messages from Amex saying I was ineligible for the Blue Cash Preferred bonus, no such message popped up and I was approved. I confirmed I will receive the $300 bonus if I spend $3,000 in six months, and there will be no annual fee for the first year. What is especially interesting is I was given these terms today, even though that particular offer publicly expired two days ago.