No AMEX prequalfied offers due to credit lock???

Anonymous · ‎06-17-2019

So my EX FICO 8 score recently went up in the past few days to 690 my current util is 27% which will go down to about 13% in the next 2 weeks.

I went to check to see if I was prequalified for anything, and once again I see the "unfortunately..."

I'm wondering does a credit lock prevent them from giving me prequalified offers? On Credit Karma & Experian website they always match me with almost all the Amex cards(Gold, Green, Delta, Blue Cash, etc) except the platinum card so I'm confused.

I'll go ahead and check again in 2 weeks when my score jumps but what do you guys think my odds are with the Gold card & BCE card?

Anonymous · ‎06-17-2019

Why do you think you can peak or even apply if your credit is locked? Isn't that the point?

Regarless of the pre-app results your EX score is borderline for approval. Wait until it updates w/ the lower utilization and maybe it will pop high enough to get a decent result.

Remedios · ‎06-17-2019

@Anonymous wrote:
So my EX FICO 8 score recently went up in the past few days to 690 my current util is 27% which will go down to about 13% in the next 2 weeks.
I went to check to see if I was prequalified for anything, and once again I see the "unfortunately..."

I'm wondering does a credit lock prevent them from giving me prequalified offers? On Credit Karma & Experian website they always match me with almost all the Amex cards(Gold, Green, Delta, Blue Cash, etc) except the platinum card so I'm confused.

I'll go ahead and check again in 2 weeks when my score jumps but what do you guys think my odds are with the Gold card & BCE card?

Any credit monitoring service is not doing "pre-approvals", they simply match the basic criteria provided by issuer, then mail them the list. Disregard those recommendations, it's nothing but peddling cards.

If you have a lock or freeze, you cannot get preapprovals or prequals as lenders cannot SP your CR.

Also, prequal or preapproval is not a guarantee of an approval, so wait till your utilization is down, CR updated, make sure everything is unlocked (if you're only interested in Amex, EX only will do), then try prequal again.

Good luck

Jnbmom · ‎06-17-2019

If you want to apply for a card, you need to unlock your report/reports.

I understand locking/freezing reports for ID theft etc, but if you apply you are going to have to unfrezze them.

EXP 780 EQ 791TU 795

Brian_Earl_Spilner · ‎06-17-2019

@Remedios wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
So my EX FICO 8 score recently went up in the past few days to 690 my current util is 27% which will go down to about 13% in the next 2 weeks.
I went to check to see if I was prequalified for anything, and once again I see the "unfortunately..."

I'm wondering does a credit lock prevent them from giving me prequalified offers? On Credit Karma & Experian website they always match me with almost all the Amex cards(Gold, Green, Delta, Blue Cash, etc) except the platinum card so I'm confused.

I'll go ahead and check again in 2 weeks when my score jumps but what do you guys think my odds are with the Gold card & BCE card?

Any credit monitoring service is not doing "pre-approvals", they simply match the basic criteria provided by issuer, then mail them the list. Disregard those recommendations, it's nothing but peddling cards.

If you have a lock or freeze, you cannot get preapprovals or prequals as lenders cannot SP your CR.

Also, prequal or preapproval is not a guarantee of an approval, so wait till your utilization is down, CR updated, make sure everything is unlocked (if you're only interested in Amex, EX only will do), then try prequal again.

Good luck

Not entirely true. I was double pulled for EX and TU. They appear to do that with people that would be borderline, like the OP for the core cards.

Anonymous · ‎06-17-2019

So I unlocked it and still have no prequalified offers. I guess I'll try again next month

DaveInAZ · ‎06-18-2019

@Remedios wrote:

Any credit monitoring service is not doing "pre-approvals", they simply match the basic criteria provided by issuer, then mail them the list. Disregard those recommendations, it's nothing but peddling cards.

If you have a lock or freeze, you cannot get preapprovals or prequals as lenders cannot SP your CR.

Also, prequal or preapproval is not a guarantee of an approval, so wait till your utilization is down, CR updated, make sure everything is unlocked (if you're only interested in Amex, EX only will do), then try prequal again.

Good luck

True if you don't have any credit accounts with that lender, but once you have an account with them they can SP your CR as they have an existing relationship, the same way they can provide you with monthly credit scores. I keep all 3 CRAs locked and Amex gives me pre-approvals, as does Cap One, and all CCs that offer it can give me monthly scores. One exception I've found is Synchrony, while they provide me with monthly scores if I request a CLI TU has to be unlocked even though it's a SP, apparently just the way their system is set up.

Anonymous · ‎06-18-2019

@DaveInAZ wrote:
@Remedios wrote:

Any credit monitoring service is not doing "pre-approvals", they simply match the basic criteria provided by issuer, then mail them the list. Disregard those recommendations, it's nothing but peddling cards.

If you have a lock or freeze, you cannot get preapprovals or prequals as lenders cannot SP your CR.

Also, prequal or preapproval is not a guarantee of an approval, so wait till your utilization is down, CR updated, make sure everything is unlocked (if you're only interested in Amex, EX only will do), then try prequal again.

Good luck
True if you don't have any credit accounts with that lender, but once you have an account with them they can SP your CR as they have an existing relationship, the same way they can provide you with monthly credit scores. I keep all 3 CRAs locked and Amex gives me pre-approvals, as does Cap One, and all CCs that offer it can give me monthly scores.

Capital One gives me no prequals if Equifax is frozen. The second I thaw it, I have offers. I've been a customer over 5 years so its not that.

It seems to be YMMV with regard to existing lenders and HPs with locked/frozen reports unless there is a difference in enforcement between locks and freezes (I don't use locks).

Remedios · ‎06-18-2019

@Anonymous wrote:
So I unlocked it and still have no prequalified offers. I guess I'll try again next month

@Anonymous When a lender pulls CR, it costs them money, even if your CR is locked. Amex already pulled, they wont repeat the process on the same day. Wait a week and try again.

I know when I tried prequals (out of curiosity) they would give me the same results but no additional SP unless certain period of time passed.

Just try again later

DaveInAZ · ‎06-18-2019

Strange no Cap one prequal with EX frozen, I Jan all three locked when they prequalified me for Savor last year. When Cap one couldn’t prequal was when I was on prescreen opt out, they even asked if I was on opt out