Need Some Amex Advise

[Anonymous]

Thank you for the insight. I figured that is the case. Is it safe to assume that heavy use and excellent payment history of the co-branded cards comes in handy when they consider you for their core product?

Assuming you've also done your part to have a decent profile but don't have perfect credit.

[Anonymous]

Absolutely. I’m not familiar with your other cards, but if you want to be AMEX’s friend, put it in the front of your wallet. I never use my Delta Gold and solely use my Gold card. Delta still gave me a CLI on my Delta. Just be a good cardholder and your options will start to open up.

[wasCB14]

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@Anonymous wrote:
AMEX will open the gates very quickly. I was the opposite way. I was approved for a AMEX Gold around 635 EXP and then I obtained a Delta Gold a couple months later with an SP at the 1K limit. I just recently was able to make it a 6K CL. Now, almost a year later of a similar strategy (pay balance every week), I’m preapproved across the board for AMEX. Reserve, Aspire, Platinum, Brilliant.

AMEX don’t care how you pay, just swipe and make it your go to card and they will open the world to you. Now let’s see if they will give me a BBP in a month...

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@Anonymous wrote:
Absolutely. I’m not familiar with your other cards, but if you want to be AMEX’s friend, put it in the front of your wallet. I never use my Delta Gold and solely use my Gold card. Delta still gave me a CLI on my Delta. Just be a good cardholder and your options will start to open up.

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Presumably your scores and history have improved a lot over the last year. They might be as much responsible for the CLIs as your spend.

[Anonymous]

After my Platinum denial through CAP, I decided to go for the Delta Reserve and Amex Blue Cash Preferred to see which one I could get (both of which I was "pre approved" for). Both applications for denied and infact, cancelled.

When I called Amex to find out what cancelled meant, the lady told me that because I had been denied already for a Platinum, the other applications were automatically cancelled because of the original denial. Even through they are different products.

She said that's why they recommend you wait a few days to a week to apply for other cards and then at the end said wait 30 days.

I guess this was an amateur mistake on my part. But who knew. I guess this is for those are thinking of doing the same.

Anyone have experience with this? Looks like I killed my pre-approval changes with the Platinum denial, which was a stretch to begin with.

[KJinNC]

You didn't really hurt anything. At most, you can wait 30 days to apply again. I recommend only applying when you are preapproved. I misread earlier and thought you were preapproved for Platinum, but then read again and saw that you were preapproved for Delta Platinum. Just wait until you are preapproved for a card you want, and then apply (via CAP if possible).

It doesn't hurt credit because it's all SP, and in my experience, Amex does not even hold an internal grudge over stuff like this. My list of Amex applications, approvals, denials would be mind-bending for some.

A factoid I'll mention is that I applied via CAP for Platinum without a preapproval on Jan. 10, got denied, noticed on Jan. 17 that I now had a preapproval, applied via CAP for Platinum on Jan. 18, approved. I think there is a specific reason for this (I ticked just over 6 months since opening Gold in the meantime), but I mention just to demonstrate that my application on Jan. 10 didn't hurt anything, or even start a 30-day clock.

Generally speaking, I think Amex core revolvers (such as Blue Cash Everyday) are their hardest cards to get; the charge cards (Green, Gold, Platinum) in the middle; cobrand revolvers (Amex, Hilton, Marriott) the easiest. There is usually little or no difference in "families" in terms of approval odds. That is, for example, Delta Blue = Delta Gold = Delta Platinum for approval. If you were preapproved for Delta cards, that's a positive sign but isn't quite to your goal cards (Gold and maybe Platinum) yet.

Overall message, it's all ok! Just try again when you get preapprovals for the cards you want. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Ah. Thanks for the insight and personal experience. That helps. You're right. Instead of testing the waters, I should just wait till I get pre approval for a card I want (the Gold).

Glad that Amex dosent hold an internal grudge. In my mind, every denial means I'm exponentially being pushed out to an approval and hurting my chances more and more (like picking at a scab constantly versus just letting it heal).

I'll just hang tight for a few months. Some inquiries are about to fall off anyway and I guess that can't hurt.

Thanks so much!

[Anonymous]

man..sucks that you got the denial.

good luck in the in future and keep us updated on when you get it 

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:
After my Platinum denial through CAP, I decided to go for the Delta Reserve and Amex Blue Cash Preferred to see which one I could get (both of which I was "pre approved" for). Both applications for denied and infact, cancelled.

When I called Amex to find out what cancelled meant, the lady told me that because I had been denied already for a Platinum, the other applications were automatically cancelled because of the original denial. Even through they are different products.

She said that's why they recommend you wait a few days to a week to apply for other cards and then at the end said wait 30 days.

I guess this was an amateur mistake on my part. But who knew. I guess this is for those are thinking of doing the same.

Anyone have experience with this? Looks like I killed my pre-approval changes with the Platinum denial, which was a stretch to begin with.

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@Anonymous Go to the American Express Application Status page at https://www262.americanexpress.com/eaol/welcome.do and enter the requested information.  You will see a listing of all the applications you made and their status.  Check the date of the Platinum application; you need to wait at least 30 days from that date before you can reapply for any other Amex card.  Their system will automatically block any other application until that time elapses.  The good thing is that the representative told you 30 days which means that your latest app was denied for "timing" reasons.  If it were for credit-related reasons the wait would have been 90 days (I alluded to different wait times in an earlier comment).

BTW, did you check to see that you had 18 cards showing when logged in to your account?

[Anonymous]

The rep told me 30 days and said the reason was as you mentioned. Once you get denied for one, the system automatically cancelles out all other applications. Which is what happens here since my next two applications where showing "cancelled".

I now only see 16 cards. Did a cookie refresh and also used an incognito window. Amex Gold and Blue Cash Preferred are gone.

I'll just wait a few months.

[Anonymous]

So if I'm following the details correctly:

You were denied twice for the Amex Gold

Denied for the Amex Platinum

Denied today for Delta Reserve and Amex BCP

The key here is reason for the original denial for the Amex Gold card.  Most likely it was for a credit-related reason so you should wait at least 90 days from the date of the second denial for the Amex Gold before making any other applications.  The Delta card you currently have appears to be barely 3 months old so it seems you've been applying quite aggressively.  Slow down a bit and wiat for your credit scores to improve and you'll get much more positive results.