Amex denying SUBs

[red259]

Reading some of the travel blogs and comments there seems to be a large number of people being denied SUBs by Amex.  A much larger number than in the recent past so I was interested in any datapoints. I am not talking about people trying to get a SUB on a card they had in the past. There are reports of people with only 1 or 2 amex cards being denied SUBs on new apps with Amex via the popup. There is some speculation that amex denys people who either do not use their cards or has recently closed amex cards.  

1. Have you recently applied for an amex card you had not held before and been told you would not get the SUB (not interested in people who were flat out denied only those who could get the card but only without SUB)?

If yes to above:

2. How many amex cards do you currently have open?

3. How many amex cards have you had in the past?

4. If you have amex cards open do you use them at all?

5. If you closed amex cards when did you close them?

6. How many cards have you opened in the past two years across all lenders? (not including non-business amex cards that do not report to credit bureau)

7. The offer you received was it a prequalified offer?

[fittiger]

Good questions.  To get a better picture of what's happening though, should you include those that weren't denied the SUB as well?

I have a question of my own.  Is there any data or consensus on whether applying "incognito" affects whether the pop-up will appear?  Like, if AMEX doesn't have a cookie on the application page to know that its a current member appying, do they still provide the pop-up if you wouldn't have been elligible for the SUB or do you just find out later?

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@red259

[Anonymous]

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@fittiger wrote:

Good questions.  To get a better picture of what's happening though, should you include those that weren't denied the SUB as well?

I have a question of my own.  Is there any data or consensus on whether applying "incognito" affects whether the pop-up will appear?  Like, if AMEX doesn't have a cookie on the application page to know that its a current member appying, do they still provide the pop-up if you wouldn't have been elligible for the SUB or do you just find out later?

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@red259

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Actually I have read it is the opposite. People getting denied when they apply in incognito but apply out of incognito and approved.

From what I have read their doesn't seem to be a pattern and you can get denied one day and approved the next.  I think putting some spend on the card after getting the sign-up bonus helps and not closing a card before 12 month anniversary.  

[Queen_Etherea]

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@red259 wrote:

Reading some of the travel blogs and comments there seems to be a large number of people being denied SUBs by Amex.  A much larger number than in the recent past so I was interested in any datapoints. I am not talking about people trying to get a SUB on a card they had in the past. There are reports of people with only 1 or 2 amex cards being denied SUBs on new apps with Amex via the popup. There is some speculation that amex denys people who either do not use their cards or has recently closed amex cards.  

1. Have you recently applied for an amex card you had not held before and been told you would not get the SUB (not interested in people who were flat out denied only those who could get the card but only without SUB)?

If yes to above:

2. How many amex cards do you currently have open?

3. How many amex cards have you had in the past?

4. If you have amex cards open do you use them at all?

5. If you closed amex cards when did you close them?

6. How many cards have you opened in the past two years across all lenders? (not including non-business amex cards that do not report to credit bureau)

7. The offer you received was it a prequalified offer?

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What exactly is a SUB?

[Anonymous]

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@Queen_Etherea wrote:

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@red259

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What exactly is a SUB?

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Sign up Bonus. 

[DrZoidberg]

I was able to get around this issue with my wife.

I had the PRG in the past and it gave me the warning so I cancelled. Which is fine, I figured. But she only has 3 CC's in her life. 2 Chase and an Amex that are all 6+ years old. I did an incognito web browser for the 50k offer and she got the "We can't give you the SUB because of past APR offers, past Amex offers, etc." It was a total BS line. She has only ever had the BCP, we PIF every month and we hardly use the AMEX monthly offers. She doesn't churn, makes twice what I do, has 3 INQ, and a 10 year AAoA. Epitome of perfect credit profile.

So whatever no big deal. But then I read success with mobile browsing. So I gave it a show and opened a private mobile browser and found the 50k offer and applied. No warning message and approved instantly. 

Waited about 4-5 days and did AMEX chat on her account and confirmed the 50k for $2k spend is on her profile. We have until Jan 6 to complete. 

So it is possible to get around it but keep in mind that the mobile browser may not just have the warning message and will let you apply. I bet if I tried on mobile it would allow me but I prob wouldn't get the SUB being a past card holder of the PRG. Also note, I only did incognito to get the 50k offer. I could never get it to show up on a normal browser, only the 25k offer did. Incognito/ private has no bearing (IMO) on the SUB denial message. 

[Anonymous]

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@DrZoidberg wrote:

I was able to get around this issue with my wife.

I had the PRG in the past and it gave me the warning so I cancelled. Which is fine, I figured. But she only has 3 CC's in her life. 2 Chase and an Amex that are all 6+ years old. I did an incognito web browser for the 50k offer and she got the "We can't give you the SUB because of past APR offers, past Amex offers, etc." It was a total BS line. She has only ever had the BCP, we PIF every month and we hardly use the AMEX monthly offers. She doesn't churn, makes twice what I do, has 3 INQ, and a 10 year AAoA. Epitome of perfect credit profile.

So whatever no big deal. But then I read success with mobile browsing. So I gave it a show and opened a private mobile browser and found the 50k offer and applied. No warning message and approved instantly. 

Waited about 4-5 days and did AMEX chat on her account and confirmed the 50k for $2k spend is on her profile. We have until Jan 6 to complete. 

So it is possible to get around it but keep in mind that the mobile browser may not just have the warning message and will let you apply. I bet if I tried on mobile it would allow me but I prob wouldn't get the SUB being a past card holder of the PRG. Also note, I only did incognito to get the 50k offer. I could never get it to show up on a normal browser, only the 25k offer did. Incognito/ private has no bearing (IMO) on the SUB denial message. 

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Maybe they are denying for applying for icognito when you already have Amex accounts.  Because the Incognito offer is better than the public offer.  But there is a work around that because the referral offer is better than the incognito offer.  You could have referred your wife and gotten an additional 10k points and $100 credit for her in addition to the 50k points. 

[DrZoidberg]

I don't currently have the card so I can't refer the Gold card.

[Anonymous]

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@DrZoidberg wrote:

I don't currently have the card so I can't refer the Gold card.

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Youd don't have any Amex credit cards?

[DrZoidberg]

I currently do not, no. I did. Amex burned me for a Platinum SUB and perks a few years back. Had to sue them to get my points and I closed all cards after the settlement. 

My wife still has her BCP, which we use a lot. But she did the Gold for a SUB. Will prob close when the AF hits for the next year.