The only thing I can figure from this is that I'm on internal credit probation from AmEx after being barely approved, as someone mentioned in this thread: http://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/Credit-Cards/I-think-I-know-why-AMEX-won-t-give-me-CLI-on-Jet-Blue-c...
HHonors was one of the first new cards I got after starting my rebuild. At the time I was very grateful, only $1K but I got in the door. This was back in February. Fast forward to now, my scores are some 35 points higher than then, and they still won't budge on a CLI. Now they're the lowest bank card in my portfolio by far. I don't think it's utilization, it's under 20% now, and I've been denied under 10%.
I even tried with an actual representative, attempting to explain that I'm traveling later in the month, have hotel stays booked that will exceed my limit in total, and is there anything to do... etc., apparently there's not, it seems they processed it the same as if I had pressed the luv button, and declined the CLI again.
Not the end of the world, of course, I have lots of options available. Loads of credit available on other cards, but I really want to max out the Hilton points by booking and paying on this card, so I'm going to have to jump through a bunch of hoops to prepay some of the stays, then pay it down before paying the other stays.
Still, it's annoying that there's no manual way around this set of hoops. Live chat referred me to a number that offers no option to talk to a person, and the main support line wasn't particularly helpful or open to out-of-the-box solutions.
Hopefully the above-mentioned thread is correct, and when I hit the one-year mark in February life will be better with them. The wife wants to sock drawer the card out of spite, but she's not really giving a lot of credit to the fact that we've already gotten one free room on the card, and will have enough points for another after this stay.
I'll weather it, I'm just venting and sharing data points here. 
I'm sure you folks understand.
@Anonymous wrote:The only thing I can figure from this is that I'm on internal credit probation from AmEx after being barely approved, as someone mentioned in this thread: http://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/Credit-Cards/I-think-I-know-why-AMEX-won-t-give-me-CLI-on-Jet-Blue-card/td-p/4281612/page/2
HHonors was one of the first new cards I got after starting my rebuild. At the time I was very grateful, only $1K but I got in the door. This was back in February. Fast forward to now, my scores are some 35 points higher than then, and they still won't budge on a CLI. Now they're the lowest bank card in my portfolio by far. I don't think it's utilization, it's under 20% now, and I've been denied under 10%.
I even tried with an actual representative, attempting to explain that I'm traveling later in the month, have hotel stays booked that will exceed my limit in total, and is there anything to do... etc., apparently there's not, it seems they processed it the same as if I had pressed the luv button, and declined the CLI again.
Not the end of the world, of course, I have lots of options available. Loads of credit available on other cards, but I really want to max out the Hilton points by booking and paying on this card, so I'm going to have to jump through a bunch of hoops to prepay some of the stays, then pay it down before paying the other stays.
Still, it's annoying that there's no manual way around this set of hoops. Live chat referred me to a number that offers no option to talk to a person, and the main support line wasn't particularly helpful or open to out-of-the-box solutions.
Hopefully the above-mentioned thread is correct, and when I hit the one-year mark in February life will be better with them. The wife wants to sock drawer the card out of spite, but she's not really giving a lot of credit to the fact that we've already gotten one free room on the card, and will have enough points for another after this stay.
I'll weather it, I'm just venting and sharing data points here.
I hear you.. Totally Understand and I'm on the same boat as you. I want to use the card more but my 1K SL is limiting me. I want to maintain my 30% utilization on all each of my cards.
My Amex BCE is is the lowest CL I have on all my unsecured cards.
If this doesn't grow in a yr. It might get sock drawer as well..
Unfortunately, this is the downside of 'getting one's foot in the door'. You spend the next year or so trying to get a higher CL. Be patient. It will happen.
Recently UncleB received some auto luv from American Express on his BCP after being denied for CLIs. I'm sure he'll be stopping by to share his story. In the meantime stay positive.
It took me exactly a year to get out of the 1k Amex probation. It is well known that if you get an Amex credit card with a 1k credit line that they will hesitate to give you a CLI until you have some history on the account.
Gardening until September 2025