The Long Backstory (Feel free to skip to DP Paradise below this drivel!)
So, I wasn't expecting this at all.
I'd been planning to request a 3X CLI on my ~5 month old $1K SL Delta Gold for some time, and though the CLI request option became available months ago, I've been languishing waiting, hoping that waiting 6+ months would help with a better outcome. However, I'm now needing to travel later this year, and blah blah I decided to apply for the Hilton Honors Surpass card and its SUB.
Was crossing my fingers to hopefully coax a second 1K limit out of AMEX—or even... could they be ready to trust me with a $2K limit?
I hadn't even had my 5th statement cut for my Delta Gold at the time of the app. If it weren't for the need to travel, timing-wise I would never have attempted to app for a 2nd card right now. However, I knew it would most likely be a SP, and I was willing to risk an HP in case I hadn't been a cardmember long enough.
Was unexpectedly hit with the infamous "No SUB" pop up at the final stage of the application. I have to admit, that really killed my spirits, and made me feel like there was a good chance they wouldn't approve me, and made me feel like I had been naive to think AMEX would commit to me so soon when we had only been dating for 5 months. So I walked away for a while, dejected.
After regrouping and researching a few hours later, I was ultimately able to apply without getting the pop up by applying for the card from the Hilton site. And after waiting several incredibly long seconds for the application to process, and seeing the unexpected "approved!" I smiled, opened the Cardmember Agreement... and it said:
Hilton Honors Surpass® Card
Credit Limit: $15,000 (Cash Advance Limit: $3,000)
No joking—my mouth fell open and my eyes were wide open for like 20 minutes after this. I had just shredded some more offers for a "Best Egg credit card" and a OneMain Brightway credit card that afternoon. $15,000? That's like... a whole lot of responsibility.
I know this is no big deal for tons of people, but, for me, I thought I was years out from this kind of limit with any card that didn't have Macy's in the name—let alone a starting limit. Heck, I was scared to ask them for a 3X CLI on my $1K card until the planets were aligned. For some reason, it seems like they trust me now. And all I can do is try to prove them right...
DPs:
- No HP (SP Experian)
- Score at time of approval: 715
- Amex used their most recent SP score (pulled only 7 days earlier) instead of the previous month's score. Weird!
- Util: 1%
- Income: ~$70K
- Baddies: Tons. Many lates, several chargeoffs (all settled), and 1 repo all from around ~2017-2019
- Highest CL card before approval: $10,500 Macy's Amex (by Citi) I am an AU on a $25K BoA card.
- Existing relationship: A little under 5 months at time of approval. My 1st and only other Amex card is a Delta Skymiles Gold with $1K SL. (I posted about the approval here back in March.) 4 statements had cut on that card at the time of this approval.
- Have not requested a CLI from Amex (yet).
- I did open AMEX checking and savings accounts at the earliest opportunity. I have mainly just been transferring monthly cashback from credit cards into the savings account.
- Parked a little over $1000 in the AMEX savings account about 2 weeks prior to approval. Wanted to do everything I could to move the needle. (I know it doesn't make a difference, left hand/right hand... but hey, couldn't hoit.)
- AMEX site had showed "You're pre-approved!" for all credit & charge cards. This went away for exactly 5 days after approval for the Hilton Surpass (replaced by the "It's easy to expand" message) then the site began showing preapproval for every card again.
- Between my 1st & 2nd Amex cards, I settled the one remaining unpaid chargeoff on my account with Discover a couple months ago, and my FICO 8s and 9s all skyrocketed ~50-70 points.
- Card came with temporary $10K limit, which I did not attempt to use before the card arrived because I've read horror stories of cards being closed due to fraud protection and to me, being approved for this card was like being handed a faberge egg.
- After card activation and refreshing the webpage it immediately showed the higher $15K limit, though the app took a little longer to reflect the change for some reason.
I did wait to make this post for a bit, mainly until after I received and activated the card because I kind of still didn't believe I was really going to receive it. But anyway, I just wanted to share my story and DP, not just as a personal victory lap, but in case any parts vaguely overlap with anyone else's situation/scorecard/strategies.
Thank you for all the help and information I've received on these forums.
Congrats on the approval!
@cellymoon wrote:The Long Backstory (Feel free to skip to DP Paradise below this drivel!)
So, I wasn't expecting this at all.
I'd been planning to request a 3X CLI on my ~5 month old $1K SL Delta Gold for some time, and though the CLI request option became available months ago, I've been
languishingwaiting, hoping that waiting 6+ months would help with a better outcome. However, I'm now needing to travel later this year, and blah blah I decided to apply for the Hilton Honors Surpass card and its SUB.
Was crossing my fingers to hopefully coax a second 1K limit out of AMEX—or even... could they be ready to trust me with a $2K limit?
I hadn't even had my 5th statement cut for my Delta Gold at the time of the app. If it weren't for the need to travel, timing-wise I would never have attempted to app for a 2nd card right now. However, I knew it would most likely be a SP, and I was willing to risk an HP in case I hadn't been a cardmember long enough.
Was unexpectedly hit with the infamous "No SUB" pop up at the final stage of the application. I have to admit, that really killed my spirits, and made me feel like there was a good chance they wouldn't approve me, and made me feel like I had been naive to think AMEX would commit to me so soon when we had only been dating for 5 months. So I walked away for a while, dejected.
After regrouping and researching a few hours later, I was ultimately able to apply without getting the pop up by applying for the card from the Hilton site. And after waiting several incredibly long seconds for the application to process, and seeing the unexpected "approved!" I smiled, opened the Cardmember Agreement... and it said:
Hilton Honors Surpass® Card
Credit Limit: $15,000 (Cash Advance Limit: $3,000)
No joking—my mouth fell open and my eyes were wide open for like 20 minutes after this. I had just shredded some more offers for a "Best Egg credit card" and a OneMain Brightway credit card that afternoon. $15,000? That's like... a whole lot of responsibility.
I know this is no big deal for tons of people, but, for me, I thought I was years out from this kind of limit with any card that didn't have Macy's in the name—let alone a starting limit. Heck, I was scared to ask them for a 3X CLI on my $1K card until the planets were aligned. For some reason, it seems like they trust me now. And all I can do is try to prove them right...
DPs:
- No HP (SP Experian)
- Score at time of approval: 715
- Amex used their most recent SP score (pulled only 7 days earlier) instead of the previous month's score. Weird!
- Util: 1%
- Income: ~$70K
- Baddies: Tons. Many lates, several chargeoffs (all settled), and 1 repo all from around ~2017-2019
- Highest CL card before approval: $10,500 Macy's Amex (by Citi) I am an AU on a $25K BoA card.
- Existing relationship: A little under 5 months at time of approval. My 1st and only other Amex card is a Delta Skymiles Gold with $1K SL. (I posted about the approval here back in March.) 4 statements had cut on that card at the time of this approval.
- Have not requested a CLI from Amex (yet).
- I did open AMEX checking and savings accounts at the earliest opportunity. I have mainly just been transferring monthly cashback from credit cards into the savings account.
- Parked a little over $1000 in the AMEX savings account about 2 weeks prior to approval. Wanted to do everything I could to move the needle. (I know it doesn't make a difference, left hand/right hand... but hey, couldn't hoit.)
- AMEX site had showed "You're pre-approved!" for all credit & charge cards. This went away for exactly 5 days after approval for the Hilton Surpass (replaced by the "It's easy to expand" message) then the site began showing preapproval for every card again.
- Between my 1st & 2nd Amex cards, I settled the one remaining unpaid chargeoff on my account with Discover a couple months ago, and my FICO 8s and 9s all skyrocketed ~50-70 points.
- Card came with temporary $10K limit, which I did not attempt to use before the card arrived because I've read horror stories of cards being closed due to fraud protection and to me, being approved for this card was like being handed a faberge egg.
- After card activation and refreshing the webpage it immediately showed the higher $15K limit, though the app took a little longer to reflect the change for some reason.
I did wait to make this post for a bit, mainly until after I received and activated the card because I kind of still didn't believe I was really going to receive it. But anyway, I just wanted to share my story and DP, not
justas a personal victory lap, but in case any parts vaguely overlap with anyone else's situation/scorecard/strategies.
Thank you for all the help and information I've received on these forums.
Congrats!
Congrats on your AMEX Hilton Honors Surpass approval
