Okay please excuse the rant but I'm annoyed and preturbed after trying to get SPECIFIC answers from Amex regarding offers and I just go round and round with no actual answers. I know a lot of you on here have more epxerience and I'm requesting some sharing of that knowledge...don't flame me 
There are offers out there (and have been) for Amex gold @ 50k and Amex Plat @ 75k. I've not been able to get the 75 and 100 offers to come up at all, but the first two are still good enough. I got these offers through the cardmatch tool but only by using my first initial and last name instead of using my first name and last name together. (I know this means I'm probably not targeted by this offer). I have actually GOTTEN this offer before in the mail last summer but I would just throw them away. I had no interest in Amex's regular charge cards because the whole idea of having to pay them off every month did't interest me. I finally now know (Thanks to all of you) that these cards are actually quite good..
When I am logged into the Amex site, it says I'm already pre-approved by for the Gold. (and Platinum). I KNOW that this means I simply request one and they use the soft-pull info to get the account up and going and that they will honor any public offer for points etc with these accounts.
my problem is this -- if I click that offer link ..it appears to want to run it as a HARD-pull app. I also have this same problem if I click a referral link . Again, I'm making sure that I'm logged into the Amex site when trying to interact with either of these offers--but I'm not happy with the possiblity that it would pull it as a hard application when I know I'm already pre-approved for these card.
I've already tried the following work arounds
1) Calling and asking if I just take advantage of my pre-approval (with the public offer)--if they will match the other offer. - I either get "probably not," or "I don't know," or "most likely not"
2) Calling and asking if I go ahead with the application as presented if it will hard or soft pull my credit -- "Most likely," "I can't tell you that," "it's a possibility.." (c'mon really??)
What're people's experiences with this?
1) Do all referals or otherwise outside offers trigger HARD pulls -- even if they are done through a logged-in Amex website?
2) Will Amex honor offers if you don't click the links if you can provide some sort of evidence that you rec'd the offer?
I have a Corporate card with them (guaranteed by my company so it does nothing with my credit) and I have the Bonvoy Brilliant that I opened in February, have met the SUB, and now only use for Marriott stays and nothing else.
@Anonymous wrote:If it says "expand your membership" = HP
if it says "you're pre-approved" = SP 99.9999% of the time
I don't believe that is entirely accurate. The "expand your membership" message did not translate to a HP for me. It just means you have not been preapproved. Either way, it was still a SP.
@Anonymous wrote:If it says "expand your membership" = HP
if it says "you're pre-approved" = SP 99.9999% of the time
If you have a higher SUB option through referral or incognito open that first and then hit apply. Then open another tab in the same window and login to your account. Refresh the other tab asking for all of your info and it should go to a 3-4 box option and have the language above.
Decide from there.
hey thanks for that tip! however, i think b/c my first name on the offer is just my first initial and not my full name, it thinks i'm a differnet person so it refereshes to still be that full app.
@Anonymous wrote:
@jwa77 wrote:hey thanks for that tip! however, i think b/c my first name on the offer is just my first initial and not my full name, it thinks i'm a differnet person so it refereshes to still be that full app.
Are you using your PERSONAL login or your CORPORATE login?
Since you have 2 logins you have to use incognito mode to get the correct info to populate.
My personal and coprorate logins are the same -- both cards show up when i log in. I've never had separate logins for that.