Should I request a CLI on an existing Amex BEFORE applying to a new one?

[Superduper2014]

I am considering applying to a 2nd Amex card to take advantage of a balance transfer offer with zero fee. 

Since I know Amex allows you to move available credit to another card and I need a big line on the new card,  I was wondering if I would mess it up by requesting a CLI on the one I currently have and then immediately applying to the new card. 

It has been more than 181 days since I last requested a CLI on this card. 

If I am granted a CLI and then apply for a 2nd card right away, would they give me a small initial credit line because of CLI on the existing card?  

I am trying to be cautious. What do you guys say, request the CLI or what else would you do to make sure I get a big initial credit line? Idea is to have a big enough line so I don't get close to maxing it out after doing the transfer and have room in it to let it sit at just below 50% util.

Thanks for any insight. I would like to get this going by tomorrow. 

[Superduper2014]

Also, my Fico 8 with experian is 754 and wonder if doing the Boost thing they offer is good or not for Amex. 

[Anonymous]

I am no expert with AMEX, but I recently applied for the Everyday Card with the 0% and $0 fee BT offer. They started my limit off on the lower side, because they wanted me to move some of my credit line from my larger card to it. So with that said, I would probably do a CLI before applying. Hopefully someone can chime in with a bit more experience with AMEX's workings...best of luck.

[Anonymous]

I don't think a CLI is a bad thing.  If they feel you're close to where you need to be with them they'll reallocate to approve the 2nd card.  When I added the CM to my list they took from my BCP to open the new account and a few months later I hit the CLI option and got another 5K out of them w/o having to do the 4506-T two step again.

[Superduper2014]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I don't think a CLI is a bad thing.  If they feel you're close to where you need to be with them they'll reallocate to approve the 2nd card.  When I added the CM to my list they took from my BCP to open the new account and a few months later I hit the CLI option and got another 5K out of them w/o having to do the 4506-T two step again.

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Thanks for sharing. Never heard of the 4506-t two steps. When did you have to do this, when you applied for a card or when requesting a CLI?

[Anonymous]

CLI's over a certain amount e.g. 35K often prompt the 4506-T for POI.  I did the form to jump from 25 -> 50K within I think it was the first 18 months.  Others have proven you can hit 50K w/o it though if you just move slower up to and past 50K.

Recently there have been a couple of cases where people have been asked to supply a 4506 when applying for their first card though.  It's very rare to get prompted for one upon opening your first or even subsequent cards.

I figured having been locked into a ceiling of 50K for awhile they would prompt a 4506 to open the CM but, they just stole from the BCP and opened it anyway w/o providing additional documentation i.e. two-step as in the dance.  I found it intriguing though that at 2-3 months of having the new card hitting the CLI button actually produced a 5K CLI even with the previous "cap".

AMEX is well mapped around here but, sometimes there's a curve ball every once in awhile.

[Superduper2014]

I tried applying to my 2nd Amex card, but hit a snag. 

Before I applied, I requested a CLI on my existing Cash everyday card and got it approved from 13k to 25k. (I requested 25k)

I did this thinking if they approved me for the new card with a low credit line, I could move the available credit from the exisiting card. 

Then I applied to the Amex Everyday card (the one with the $0 Bal Transfer for 15 months offer) , but receive the following message:

"based on your history with credit card balance transfers, American express welcome offers, intro apr offers, OR the number of Cards you have opened and closed, you are NOT eligible to receive the welcome offer, intro APRs, and intro plan fees. 

We have not yet performed a credit check. Would you still like to proceed? " 

Continue and submit option and Cancel application option given. 

I chose cancel application. 

What should I make of this and is there any way to still get this card with the offer maybe by choosing continue and submit and then calling them?

Did I blow it when requesting the CLI on the existing card?

My Experian fico 8 is 754

I'd really like this card with the $0 bal transfer offer. So any help appreciated. 

Thanks

[Superduper2014]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I am no expert with AMEX, but I recently applied for the Everyday Card with the 0% and $0 fee BT offer. They started my limit off on the lower side, because they wanted me to move some of my credit line from my larger card to it. So with that said, I would probably do a CLI before applying. Hopefully someone can chime in with a bit more experience with AMEX's workings...best of luck.

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I did the CLI and got it approved from 13k to 25k, but then I applied to the Everyday card with the $0 fee and they showed me this:

"based on your history with credit card balance transfers, American express welcome offers, intro apr offers, OR the number of Cards you have opened and closed, you are NOT eligible to receive the welcome offer, intro APRs, and intro plan fees. 

We have not yet performed a credit check. Would you still like to proceed? " 

Continue and submit option and Cancel application option given. 

I chose cancel application. 

I find it odd that they would tell me this since I don't have any history of balance transfers with Amex or of any kind since I only have one card and used it for purchases and paid it off. 

Anyone know if there's still a way to get this card with the $0 offer for transfers? Did I mess it up by requesting the CLI? 

What a bummer. 

[Anonymous]

I think that response ties into another discussion we're having over here https://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/Credit-Cards/UPDATE-Amex-questions-moving-limits-and-CLI-s/td-p/568...

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I think that response ties into another discussion we're having over here https://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/Credit-Cards/UPDATE-Amex-questions-moving-limits-and-CLI-s/td-p/5680818

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Ok, so this is interesting.  This thread was a CLI + new APP w/ a popup and the other thread was just a new SP APP with popup.

So, I guess the distinguishing factors need to be hashed out as both OP's have existing accounts and this is a SP ADD

Neither OP had recent apps with Amex from my understanding

I guess that leaves the "add/delete of other cards"... I'm starting to sense Amex is pulling a Chase with external accounts to deny the bonus terms and offers.  I wasn't reading into it that way before with my own experiences with them recently with the popup due to having taken plenty of bonuses from them in the last 12-18 months or so.  It seems more iikely now they're counting external accounts when making the decision.  A CLI shouldn't trigger the pop-up to appear as it's just a boost in CL and not a new account.

I need some more info from you two (@Superduper2014 & @Poppa) on what other recent changes might have been made in the last 12-24 months regarding new accounts.