I too want to get in with Amex eventually. Also by December hopefully. I've read on these forums that Amex doesn't like seeing balances, but seeing as you keep your UTIL low, I think you have that going for you. I don't know about AAoA though. I'll let other members comment because I'm curious and I'd like to know what to address as well.
With no baddies and the way you're handling your credit now, you should be good to open the door wide for AmEx
They let me stick my toe in the door at least... even with the 9 collections and various tons of deliquent marks I have. Only drawback is that I have a $500 credit line, but that's fine. Just wanted to get in the door to get a better card with them in the future. My AAoA is 4 years and some months and my oldest is 10 years. Also, I didn't carry balances on anything before I applied. Got that and the Apple Barclay card in the same day and I only had 2 or 3 Inquries on Experian (what they pulled for me [Ohio]) at the time.
Good luck on getting it!! 
@Anonymous wrote:Hi Guys,
I wanted to ask for some advice on the best gameplan for me to get in the door with Amex, which I'd like to accomplish by the end of 2015. I'm very new to credit, AAoA is 5 months with my oldest at 9 months (BoA in sig) and newest 2 accounts at 3 months old. So far I've been able to PIF on all 3 cards every month since I got them, maintaining below 10% usage when the statement cut on all. I have been attempting to use them all as much as possible, I make less than $35k/year at the moment so I obviously can't be running up crazy charges and expect to PIF.
-The BofA card is the $99/500 secured card, opened September 2014.
-Cap1 QS1 was originally a $500 limit, requested a CLI this week after the third statement cut and got it to $1,500.
-Discover it was $1,000 limit, requested CLI after third statement cut and went to $1,500 as well.
I was thinking the best course of action would be to keep up what I'm doing with the cards I have and hope the BofA card graduates soon. The 1 year with the BofA card will coincide with 6 months from opening the other two, will that help with the inquiries? I have no loans of any kind, so my only credit experience is with the three cards I have.
Knowing all of this, what should I go for? What does Amex look for? I'm mostly concerned that my lack of credit experience will mean an instant denial from them. Thank you all in advanced for your help, these forums have given me the confidence to do what I've accomplished so far.
1. I don't think it's really so great to "get in with Amex". I don't see anything special about Amex, and haven't found that having Amex cards has gotten me "in" with them. Basically they wouldn't give me the sweat off their nose, despite my perfect handling of their cards. In the same time that they haven't given me a single CLI, Capital One has rewarded me with CLI's and new cards totalling around $50,000, so I think it's more valuable to be "in with" Capital One.
2. The easiest thing to get is one of their charge cards but it's worthless in terms of building credit because it doesn't report to CRA's like a credit card.
3. Historically the easiest card to get has been the Delta Gold but I find it virtually useless, and can't get a CLI.
4. I find the Jet Blue Amex more useful. At the end of this year JetBlue will be switching to Barclays, but that might mean you get offers from Barclay of the new Jet Blue card plus an offer of an alternative from Amex. So I think the JetBlue card is a decent option.
5. At this point I'm guessing their Plenti card is the easiest to get, but I would find the blue cash more useful. I get the impression the everyday card is a little easier to get than the blue cash card.
I think your scores are good enough to give it a go now. My scores were lower when I 'got in with Amex' a year ago. Unfortunately my rising credit scores haven't earned me a CLI in their eyes.
@SouthJamaica wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:Hi Guys,
I wanted to ask for some advice on the best gameplan for me to get in the door with Amex, which I'd like to accomplish by the end of 2015. I'm very new to credit, AAoA is 5 months with my oldest at 9 months (BoA in sig) and newest 2 accounts at 3 months old. So far I've been able to PIF on all 3 cards every month since I got them, maintaining below 10% usage when the statement cut on all. I have been attempting to use them all as much as possible, I make less than $35k/year at the moment so I obviously can't be running up crazy charges and expect to PIF.
-The BofA card is the $99/500 secured card, opened September 2014.
-Cap1 QS1 was originally a $500 limit, requested a CLI this week after the third statement cut and got it to $1,500.
-Discover it was $1,000 limit, requested CLI after third statement cut and went to $1,500 as well.
I was thinking the best course of action would be to keep up what I'm doing with the cards I have and hope the BofA card graduates soon. The 1 year with the BofA card will coincide with 6 months from opening the other two, will that help with the inquiries? I have no loans of any kind, so my only credit experience is with the three cards I have.
Knowing all of this, what should I go for? What does Amex look for? I'm mostly concerned that my lack of credit experience will mean an instant denial from them. Thank you all in advanced for your help, these forums have given me the confidence to do what I've accomplished so far.
1. I don't think it's really so great to "get in with Amex". I don't see anything special about Amex, and haven't found that having Amex cards has gotten me "in" with them. Basically they wouldn't give me the sweat off their nose, despite my perfect handling of their cards. In the same time that they haven't given me a single CLI, Capital One has rewarded me with CLI's and new cards totalling around $50,000, so I think it's more valuable to be "in with" Capital One.
2. The easiest thing to get is one of their charge cards but it's worthless in terms of building credit because it doesn't report to CRA's like a credit card.
3. Historically the easiest card to get has been the Delta Gold but I find it virtually useless, and can't get a CLI.
4. I find the Jet Blue Amex more useful. At the end of this year JetBlue will be switching to Barclays, but that might mean you get offers from Barclay of the new Jet Blue card plus an offer of an alternative from Amex. So I think the JetBlue card is a decent option.
5. At this point I'm guessing their Plenti card is the easiest to get, but I would find the blue cash more useful. I get the impression the everyday card is a little easier to get than the blue cash card.
I think your scores are good enough to give it a go now. My scores were lower when I 'got in with Amex' a year ago. Unfortunately my rising credit scores haven't earned me a CLI in their eyes.
Comparing Amex to Capital One is like comparing apples and tow trucks. They're extremely different in how they operate. Amex and Capital One both accept thin profiles but only Cap1 is lenient with baddies in the not-so-distant past. Amex likes about 1 year of (AAOA) CLEAN history as the above poster mentioned, Cap1 will take just about anybody that hasn't burned them and even sometimes people that have burned them (eventually). Amex is one of the most giving as far as CLI are concerned. If they like how you manage your cards, you can easily make your Amex cards your highest limit cards within 2 years time. I hit max exposure with them with my BCE in 1.5 years of having the card.
Must garden until 2/1/2022 to hit my goal AAOA. 
@Anonymous wrote:
I'm on my phone can't see your scores. What are they?
BoA Cash Rewards: $500 CL | QS1: $1,500 CL | Discover it: $1,500 CL
FICO Score 8: EQ - 695, TU - 705, EX - 708
These are his/her scores and sig ^^
