AMEX Financial Review Time Frame

[Anonymous]

What are the chances of AMEX giving FR to card members after 1 year? or it's all based on the individual's spending habits?

For the most part, I hear people get FR'ed during the first few months of being a card member. 

[Anonymous]

Not true. They'll FR you when you least expect it.

Veteran FR'd members can chime-in on this....

[vish1]

I am just wondering if there is any other way to know if you are still good instead of knowing you have been F/Red only after an embarrassing decline.

[cdtotten]

You can always give them a call to see the status of your spending ability, or check their website if that is a concern.

FR can come at anytime, and usually isn't that quick after opening account. It can be triggered by irregular spending outside your normal pattern, or spending at locations they would consider riskier (think gambling).

Personally, I was FRd after opening my first amex card about 3 years later. Although they didn't say, it was a result of purchasing  2 big ticket items. I had a $10k limit at the time and bought  furniture totalling $8k (paid off the next day - wanted the points), and then turned around 3 days later and bought another $5k worth of stuff (and paid it off 3 days later). This high spending worried them despite paying it off immediately.

The FR process was fairly painless - sent them what they wanted to see, I didn't lie or anything on my application so no worries there, and at the end they bumped my CL.

[smc733]

I don't think anyone has a rhyme or reason to it, I've heard of 20+ year cardmembers getting it, though it seems to happen on risky spending.

[Red1Blue]

It is usually triggered by computer. Lot of new accounts, lot of new inquiries, change in spending habits and many other causes can trigger. I went through it once and it is not that bad at all. After the FR they came back with limits that are lot higher than I normally spend on their cards.