Amex two questions for a friend

[SoCalGardener]

No, really, it *is* for a friend!

When she logged in to view her Amex account, she got a pop-up (or something) about the Platinum card; she followed its link and the first thing she saw was "[name], you are pre-approved!" in big letters, followed immediately by "Get a decision in as little as 30 seconds." It went on with an 'apply' button, and requested income, non-taxable income, and assets.

I'm not sure which card(s) she has, Gold for sure, which she's had since the '80s, but I don't recall what else.

How solid is this "pre-approved" offer? Would it involve a HP?

[Remedios]

Fairly solid, typically no HP (however, regardless of how unlikely, it's always a possibility)

[Jnbmom]

Amex preapprovals are pretty solid . And since she is an existing customer it "should" be a SP.

[SoCalGardener]

Thanks. I told her that I was pretty sure it's a soft pull, but I couldn't carve that in stone. Also, she takes rejection badly, which is why we need to know ahead of time if this "pre-approval" really is.

I know she can just call Amex and ask, but with this forum and its plethora of knowledgeable members available, I figured I'd ask here!

[SouthJamaica]

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@SoCalGardener wrote:

Thanks. I told her that I was pretty sure it's a soft pull, but I couldn't carve that in stone. Also, she takes rejection badly, which is why we need to know ahead of time if this "pre-approval" really is.

I know she can just call Amex and ask, but with this forum and its plethora of knowledgeable members available, I figured I'd ask here!

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Amex isn't going to tell her ahead of time whether she'll get rejected or not.

[W261w261]

If she's concerned about the <unlikely> chance of a HP, tell her to lock her credit files before she responds. She can always unlock them later. 

[SoCalGardener]

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@SouthJamaica wrote:

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@SoCalGardener wrote:

Thanks. I told her that I was pretty sure it's a soft pull, but I couldn't carve that in stone. Also, she takes rejection badly, which is why we need to know ahead of time if this "pre-approval" really is.

I know she can just call Amex and ask, but with this forum and its plethora of knowledgeable members available, I figured I'd ask here!

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Amex isn't going to tell her ahead of time whether she'll get rejected or not.

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Yeah, we're aware of that! That's why we want to know if this so-called "pre-approved" offer actually is.

You see, back in the day, pre-approved REALLY meant that. It meant all you had to do was sign the acceptance form they'd sent you (in the mail, as there was no Internet), mail it back, and receive your card. It was totally, distinctly separate from APPLYING for a card, which you knew would involve a credit check.

In today's world, "pre-approved" frequently means just "pre-selected" and actually involves a hard pull. I liked the old way a lot better!

[s_haliz]

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@SoCalGardener wrote:

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@SouthJamaica wrote:

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@SoCalGardener wrote:

Thanks. I told her that I was pretty sure it's a soft pull, but I couldn't carve that in stone. Also, she takes rejection badly, which is why we need to know ahead of time if this "pre-approval" really is.

I know she can just call Amex and ask, but with this forum and its plethora of knowledgeable members available, I figured I'd ask here!

---

Amex isn't going to tell her ahead of time whether she'll get rejected or not.

---

Yeah, we're aware of that! That's why we want to know if this so-called "pre-approved" offer actually is.

You see, back in the day, pre-approved REALLY meant that. It meant all you had to do was sign the acceptance form they'd sent you (in the mail, as there was no Internet), mail it back, and receive your card. It was totally, distinctly separate from APPLYING for a card, which you knew would involve a credit check.

In today's world, "pre-approved" frequently means just "pre-selected" and actually involves a hard pull. I liked the old way a lot better!

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I liked your use of "pre-selected" :-) 

[TryingtoBeLifeGoals]

Did she apply? What was the result? 

[FishingGuy]

Before doing anything she should decide whether or not she really wants the Platinum card with it's hefty annual fee. 

Will she use the perks associated with it to warrant paying such a high annual fee.   I have received the same "pop ups" and have the Gold, and several other Amex cards (4 in total) ... but have opted not to apply for the Platinum.... it just doesn't make sense for me.