@FinStar wrote:
@K-in-Boston wrote:"Declined because of [my] prior spending patterns" sounds like the CSR giving the blanket answer. NPSL is determined by much more than that. I'll go ages without making a big charge on my charge cards and then suddenly there's 4 or 5 digits in one shot. Unfortunately, I think it's sympomatic of the other AA you've seen. While recent charges do certainly factor into the decision-making, they're not the sole factor and most people with an established history should not encounter an issue like this. I believe the more truthful statement would be "due to other issues we've identified, your spending limit has been set at the highest previous monthly statement you have had with us."
No pre-set spending limit on purchases does not mean unlimited spending. Your purchases are approved based on a variety of factors, including current spending patterns, your payment history, credit record, and financial resources known to us.
Edit: Janus's post came in while I was typing this, and addressed the reason I felt the need to type this reply out. I don't want this to sound like I'm blaming SJ, but it's not the norm and I think he was just given an incomplete reasoning for the limit being imposed. Again, many years of experience tells me that I can go months or even a year or two without making a huge purchase and then when I do, there is no question in mind that the charge will be approved.
Agree.
Yes, the card is definitely not "garbage" as OP has had historical use of it without any grievances. Yes, it makes it a bit more restrictive, but this restriction is periodically reviewed and when AmEx is more comfortable with an overall profile, it can be lifted.
OP, my gut feeling tells me they've been watching the increase utilization and score deterioration (amongst other factors) to limit their exposure. I wouldn't take it personally.
+2
Personal Cards: Amex Plat | Amex Delta Res | CSR | Citi AA Exec Business Cards: Ink+ | Amex BGR
@FinStar wrote:OP, my gut feeling tells me they've been watching the increase utilization and score deterioration (amongst other factors) to limit their exposure. I wouldn't take it personally.
I agree not to take it personally but I don't blame
's frustration with AMEX.
You're paying a huge annual fee.
You have a 'charge card' with NPSL.
And then a fairly modest $3K charge is declined with
primary reason based on OP's recent spending?!?!
I mean, seriously, this wasn't a $50K charge he tried to put through.
This is a "premium" card yet an effective $1700 "limit" is extremely low.
Even worse, you don't even KNOW what limit they are deeming acceptable
unless you get declined (how embarassing) or call them up.
While we may understand how AMEX is mitigating its' risk, I don't think it's fair from a consumer standpoint to not know your purchasing power. Would we be so accepting of a credit card with a preagreed limit suddenly denying charges and changing the credit limit unexpectedly without even pre-notifying the consumer? I doubt many would defend that from a lender.
If I'm reading your profile correctly, its saying you owe $558,000.00 your credit cards with a total collective credit line of $639,500.00.
I'm sure at this point you'd be paying at least 20%/yr or almost $10,000.00/ month in interest. I believe at this point it is about risk management.
I have a platinum card and a $3,000.00 transaction was declined. I called and my interal limit was $3,000.00.. with a $595 AF, plus annual fee for 2 gold cards.. I wanted to throw the card in the nearest lake.. but didn't.
After 4 months of use, my internal limit is up to $14,500.00.. Although last month they shut down all of my accounts and required a payment because my balance was $10,500.00.. I had already run up and paid off $17000.00 worth of charges within the month,, and they still shut my accounts.. I made the payment and they reopened them.
It's very frustrating dealing with them atm.. and im hoping at some point they learn to trust me more.. Using my cards until the shut them down each month will get old fast.
Last Inquiry 12/23/2022 Ally Bank Mortgage
Just chiming in, take whatever I say with a grain of salt.
The card is worth it's $250 fee because of the airline credit and $120 grubhub credit plus zero restriction on 4x at resturant and a generous cap on groceries.
When I first got the card, I couldn't charge anything more than $300, after about 7 straight months of continous usage, I am at $68,000 approval.
It's a good card to keep if you find yourself being able to use it for expenses you'll get paid back for in the future. It has let me down a few times with "fraud review" "spend review" etc, but phased out after a year.
@tparks5961 wrote:If I'm reading your profile correctly, its saying you owe $558,000.00 your credit cards with a total collective credit line of $639,500.00.
I'm sure at this point you'd be paying at least 20%/yr or almost $10,000.00/ month in interest. I believe at this point it is about risk management.
I have a platinum card and a $3,000.00 transaction was declined. I called and my interal limit was $3,000.00.. with a $595 AF, plus annual fee for 2 gold cards.. I wanted to throw the card in the nearest lake.. but didn't.
After 4 months of use, my internal limit is up to $14,500.00.. Although last month they shut down all of my accounts and required a payment because my balance was $10,500.00.. I had already run up and paid off $17000.00 worth of charges within the month,, and they still shut my accounts.. I made the payment and they reopened them.
It's very frustrating dealing with them atm.. and im hoping at some point they learn to trust me more.. Using my cards until the shut them down each month will get old fast.
No you're not reading the signature correctly, those are my limits, not how much I owe.
@SoDenied wrote:Just chiming in, take whatever I say with a grain of salt.
The card is worth it's $250 fee because of the airline credit and $120 grubhub credit plus zero restriction on 4x at resturant and a generous cap on groceries.
When I first got the card, I couldn't charge anything more than $300, after about 7 straight months of continous usage, I am at $68,000 approval.
It's a good card to keep if you find yourself being able to use it for expenses you'll get paid back for in the future. It has let me down a few times with "fraud review" "spend review" etc, but phased out after a year.
I found myself struggling to use it in order to justify the $250 annual fee. E.g., I was eating in Shake Shack once a month to get the $10 meal credit [I don't like to use Grub Hub because it takes about a 25% cut overall away from the restaurant owners].
Now I don't have to go to Shake Shack any more 
