AMEX usage for CLI

[nada9188]

I recently got my BCP card. My first statement was 10 days long before closing and the statement balance was $540/$3000. I immediately paid in full and continued to use the card. Since Dec 20th, my new balance is $1400. Seeing as I am almost at 50% UTI I am getting nervous as to if I should pay it down to 0. I don't know if this would look like risky behavior. 

Do they like heavy usage, then pay it down to under 9% before the statement closes? How high up should I run it? 

I really want to get my 3X CLI after 61 days. 

My income is 26K if that adds any background knowledge. 

[CS800]

When it comes to CLI, there is no logic as to what can give you one. YOu will see many opinons from:

- Companies like to see heavy usage

- They like PIF

I'm using my BCE the way that fits my budget so in 61 days I will ask for for a 3X and hope that they see i have used the card well and paid well ahead of time (another factor that i assume helps).  If they give it to me, I'm happy.

I won't even try to start guessing what they are looking for. Use your card responsibly; thats all you can do and hope they reward you for being responsible

[jpnelly]

i ran roughly 3k through my BCP during the first 60 days and made payments every other week. I never carried a balance and received a cli to 10k after 60 days.

[Creditaddict]

Actual $ figures or Util who knows but I do know Amex loves to be PIF and they don't care how many times you pay to make that happen... My experience with Amex Revolving accounts is they don't usually raise a peep about anything as long as it's paid...

Some people do carry small balances for 2-3 months and "most" of the time I would say Amex will not frown totally on such practices as long as you are making "Large Payments" (say you charged 15k on a 20k line, If you make $5k purchases and don't charge 8k during that month then they will probably think you are okay, balance paid down in a couple months... but been a few posts about people maxing out a new Amex $3-$5k line and letting it sit because it was 0% for 6 months and at 6 months they make the payment to PIF and Amex strikes them with a nice CLD down to $500.

Either pay in full or I would say make at least 25% of balance payments and I suggest that after you have 6-12 months of history with amex or a couple cards with amex so they can see PIF on this account and cycle a little balance on this card and then nothing for a bit and then cycle a new purchase for a bit...

but again Amex checks your credit probably at least 1 a month and they run it through a system that many of us just scratch our head on what that computer is doing so you still have "other" factors outside of amex... but don't get to worried about it like the other response, you use it so it works for you... if you are to afraid of upsetting amex and not getting a CLI or having a CLD or account closed it's not a good fit!

[chnceit]

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@Creditaddict wrote:

Actual $ figures or Util who knows but I do know Amex loves to be PIF and they don't care how many times you pay to make that happen... My experience with Amex Revolving accounts is they don't usually raise a peep about anything as long as it's paid...

Some people do carry small balances for 2-3 months and "most" of the time I would say Amex will not frown totally on such practices as long as you are making "Large Payments" (say you charged 15k on a 20k line, If you make $5k purchases and don't charge 8k during that month then they will probably think you are okay, balance paid down in a couple months... but been a few posts about people maxing out a new Amex $3-$5k line and letting it sit because it was 0% for 6 months and at 6 months they make the payment to PIF and Amex strikes them with a nice CLD down to $500.

Either pay in full or I would say make at least 25% of balance payments and I suggest that after you have 6-12 months of history with amex or a couple cards with amex so they can see PIF on this account and cycle a little balance on this card and then nothing for a bit and then cycle a new purchase for a bit...

but again Amex checks your credit probably at least 1 a month and they run it through a system that many of us just scratch our head on what that computer is doing so you still have "other" factors outside of amex... but don't get to worried about it like the other response, you use it so it works for you... if you are to afraid of upsetting amex and not getting a CLI or having a CLD or account closed it's not a good fit!

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Agreed, but hearing everyone's stories about 3X CLI is a good way to keep being excited about being with AMEX.

[Anonymous]

Any payment frequency (whether onece a month or once a day) is acceptable to most of the credit issuers so don't worry about it. And as mentioned earlier there is no fixed logic in CLI.

[Jazzzy]

Agreed....I have gotten 2 CLIs on our Delta AmEx in the last couple of years. One I requested, the other was a surprise.

We make several payments per month.

[CS800]

I'm just hoping they at least give me a CLI great than my current Discover. I'd like to make the BCE my primary card.

[CS800]

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@LynetteM wrote:

Agreed....I have gotten 2 CLIs on our Delta AmEx in the last couple of years. One I requested, the other was a surprise.

We make several payments per month.

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As crazy as it seems, i pay my AMEX's the minute the transactions post.

[jamesdwi]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Any payment frequency (whether onece a month or once a day) is acceptable to most of the credit issuers so don't worry about it. And as mentioned earlier there is no fixed logic in CLI.

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not so sure on that one, I'm brand new with AMEX, blue revolver, got in December, registered my bank account made my first payment nearly PIF, but forgot about the tip that appeared a couple days after I sent in the payment, they refused to let me make another payment with that bank account for 10 days, okay I thought it was a new account thing. 

So 10 days later I made another payment and another lock put on the bank account. I contacted them and they responded with

"Since you have recently enrolled your bank account in Pay by Computer/Pay by Phone, this feature will be available to you once the 30-day period is expired. Therefore, please wait 30 days to pass after 12/21/2011 to make online payment for the unbilled balance.

After the 30 days of the enrollment, you can see any option of "Other Amount". This will help you to make the payment of the unbilled charges.

In the mean time, you may send your payment to us at the address on your statement, or to our main remittance center listed below."

So you have to wait 30 days before you can go crazy making payments. Untill the 30 days is up I will push payments via "Pay my Bills" via my checking account. 

Which is wierd never had a complete lock out of payments for 10 days, usually just slow payment posting, like they did on Cap One.