Amex PRG - Pay In Full Before 1st Statement Cut?

[Anonymous]

I recently got the Amex PRG and it is my first charge card so I want to confirm how I should handle the current balance on my account. My first statement will cut on 4/10. Am I expected to pay in full before the statement cut or after when my statement is ready and I'm given my first payment due date?

Thanks for any guidance!

[HeavenOhio]

You don't have to pay them anything until they tell you that money is due. But you can pay before the statement cuts if you'd like. If you log into your account, you'll probably see something like "Payment not required at this time" in big lettering. Eventually, your statement balance will appear in that spot.

AMEX has some rules about the number of times you can pay during the first 30 days that your bank account has been hooked up. You might want to hop into chat and clarify them with a customer service rep. It's a little complicated, so I might be wrong here. But I think you can make one payment before the first statement cuts. After the statement cuts, you can make as many payments as you need to reach your statement balance. I think they might allow one "prepayment" beyond that.

[Anonymous]

---

@HeavenOhio wrote:

You don't have to pay them anything until they tell you that money is due. But you can pay before the statement cuts if you'd like. If you log into your account, you'll probably see something like "Payment not required at this time" in big lettering. Eventually, your statement balance will appear in that spot.

AMEX has some rules about the number of times you can pay during the first 30 days that your bank account has been hooked up. You might want to hop into chat and clarify them with a customer service rep. It's a little complicated, so I might be wrong here. But I think you can make one payment before the first statement cuts. After the statement cuts, you can make as many payments as you need to reach your statement balance. I think they might allow one "prepayment" beyond that.

---

+1

[Anonymous]

---

@HeavenOhio wrote:

You don't have to pay them anything until they tell you that money is due. But you can pay before the statement cuts if you'd like. If you log into your account, you'll probably see something like "Payment not required at this time" in big lettering. Eventually, your statement balance will appear in that spot.

AMEX has some rules about the number of times you can pay during the first 30 days that your bank account has been hooked up. You might want to hop into chat and clarify them with a customer service rep. It's a little complicated, so I might be wrong here. But I think you can make one payment before the first statement cuts. After the statement cuts, you can make as many payments as you need to reach your statement balance. I think they might allow one "prepayment" beyond that.

---

Ok great, that makes a lot of sense. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

I paid on the Due Date when I first got my PRG and there was no problem whatsoever.

[jrrsmith18]

From experience, I would recommend not paying before the statement cuts. In the beginning days of your charge card Amex determines what's normal spend for you which determines your "internal limit". If you have low statement balances then you're going to get a low internal limit. For example when I got my platinum card years back, I made charges and paid them off immediately and got stuck with an 800 limit.

[DeeBee78]

---

@jrrsmith18 wrote:

From experience, I would recommend not paying before the statement cuts. In the beginning days of your charge card Amex determines what's normal spend for you which determines your "internal limit". If you have low statement balances then you're going to get a low internal limit. For example when I got my platinum card years back, I made charges and paid them off immediately and got stuck with an 800 limit.

---

This is more dependent on someone's overall credit profile, not just paying your balance before your statement cuts. I got my PRG in February and made two payments ($1300) before my statement cut. The balance was making me nervous becuase I had a huge expense coming up, and wanted to make sure it would be approved. 

After paying my balance, I went to check my spending limit, and was approved up to $5000. Right now, I have a $1,100 payment due April 6th, and $900 of current charges. I just checked my spending ability and was declined for $3,000 but approved for $2,000. 

These amounts change daily, so it doesn't matter if you make several small payments or one large payment- your spending ability is dependent on what you can pay, not what you can spend. 

[PointsBonus]

I wouldnt not pay anything until the first payment is actually due, I made that mistake, But i can tell you what YOU CAN do that worked for me.

Keep charging until it gets DECLINED ( IT WILL ) or you will get an email saying "we will temporaliy decline charges please call etc". Then you call them and make a payment for any amount you want and the CSR will realease the amount you spend back to your card.

The system monitors HOW MUCH YOU SPEND and HOW MUCH YOU PAY IN A 30 DAY TIME FRAME. Trust me i was on the phone with the NEW ACCT DEPT every month for about 9 months. I made payments VIA the phone with a CSR for 9 months, 2-3 times a month. Bwam 10 months later........My "internal" limit is about what i spend in 4 months time frame - over $10K.

Hope this helps.