Amex AU spending limits?

Anonymous · ‎04-23-2019

So I am trying to find a way to make the BCP make sense for me so that I don’t get it and then downgrade after a year and tick off Amex but my personal grocery spend is like <$200 so I was thinking since my roommates want to work on building credit about making them both an AU on the BCP and then also my QS but only actually giving them the BCP with, say, a $250 spending limit to use on groceries.

How exactly does this work? Is there anything I need to be aware of if I do this?

I am sitting on the fence right now because I do want an Amex card but due to a snafu last March, I can’t get the BCE SUB ever so it would have to be a BCP or Cash Magnet and while the BCP would get downgraded to BCE after a year if I can’t make the AU thing work, it would at least continue to get spend from me regularly while the Cash Magnet is a tough sell when my PayPal card has a higher return and I’ve never used a credit card protection in my life so that part doesn’t really hold any sway with me.

My current credit card setup is Amazon Store Card for 5% on Amazon, NFCU More Rewards for 3% groceries and 2% dining, BBVA ClearPoints for 3% on Comcast and cell bills, and PayPal for 2% on everything else.

The BCP would replace my More Rewards and BBVA would pick up the 2% dining, I am just not really sure I can get myself to spend $263.89 or more at the grocery store to hit the breakeven point versus my More Rewards now so I am just looking into all of my options.

I know that you can buy gift cards to get up closer to that $6000 cap but I have a personal care assistant who does my shopping for me so I don’t want to be like “oh hey, can you pick me up a gift card too?”

simplynoir · ‎04-24-2019

In short if you have to buy gift cards (especially if not a need) just to break even on the BCP for the AF you shouldn't get the card. Getting 3% on your grocery spending already on another card is pretty good IMO.

Having said that if you're going to get it setting limits up for any AUs added is relatively simple. You go to Account Services -> Manage Spending Limits on AUs, then scroll to the name of the cardholder you want to place the limits on. You can also freeze the card at any time and be notified when they start reaching their spending threshold on the card so it can be adjusted accordingly.

Anonymous · ‎04-24-2019

The BCP is a strong cash back card, but it’s definitely a hard to recommend a cash back card if there is an AF. I can see your dilemma. You want the AMEX AU features but AMEX definitely has lackluster cash back cards for no AF.

The Cash Magnet is at least a pretty card lol

kilroy8 · ‎04-24-2019

+1 to SimplyNoir

BCE is the AmEx you want, but you already have MoreRewards, which is better anyway.

TL;DR - you don't have use for AmEx at this point.

Anonymous · ‎04-24-2019

@simplynoir wrote:
In short if you have to buy gift cards (especially if not a need) just to break even on the BCP for the AF you shouldn't get the card. Getting 3% on your grocery spending already on another card is pretty good IMO.

Having said that if you're going to get it setting limits up for any AUs added is relatively simple. You go to Account Services -> Manage Spending Limits on AUs, then scroll to the name of the cardholder you want to place the limits on. You can also freeze the card at any time and be notified when they start reaching their spending threshold on the card so it can be adjusted accordingly.

Realistically I can add a $100 Amazon gift card each month and actually make this card go past the break even point without AUs and I spend more than $1200 a year on Amazon so I am not suggesting I spend more money than I normally would to make it work, I was just seeing if the AU route could work and it sounds like it could. It would also be to my advantage at 6% vs my Sync Amazon at 5% so it’s not really some big negative either.

I will think about it. It sounds like there is a lot of control over the card which is exactly why I would consider it to begin with. I would just get one card for them both to use and then put them on my QS to give them the 5 year history and toss the cards.

Something to think about, thank you!

Anonymous · ‎04-24-2019

@Anonymous wrote:
The BCP is a strong cash back card, but it’s definitely a hard to recommend a cash back card if there is an AF. I can see your dilemma. You want the AMEX AU features but AMEX definitely has lackluster cash back cards for no AF.

The Cash Magnet is at least a pretty card lol

The AF is not really a big deal. If I can trigger the $250 SUB for $1K spend offer, I could keep the card for 2 years and still come out ahead of the game and it’s something that I am considering doing.

Blackswizz750 · ‎04-24-2019

Thinking about adding my DD when she goes out and does not have to carry a lot of cash.

Anonymous · ‎04-24-2019

@kilroy8 wrote:
+1 to SimplyNoir

BCE is the AmEx you want, but you already have MoreRewards, which is better anyway.

TL;DR - you don't have use for AmEx at this point.

I mean yeah, the More Rewards is not a bad card (although the $50 increment redemption for cash back is — not ideal) but if I can make the BCP fit in, I would definitely do it.

Roommates want to build credit anyway and with how much they spend on groceries, it would turn into a nice bit of extra rewards for me too so I am really considering doing it. I don’t ever use my QS so if I just made them an AU on there it wouldn’t be very effective.