Amex is watching!

[Jitdc2]

I wouldn't like for Amex to ask for my tax documents as I view this as an invasion of my privacy, there are other ways to verify income than tax records. But they are a credit lender and entitled to manage and assess their risk tolerance however they see fit. Afterall they are the ones extending the credit, they get to set their standards. This may be an assumption but anyone that ammesses a ton of new credit in a short amount of time sends up a red flag. 

[PointLager]

Amex has been great to me.  They've approved me for PRG and Delta Gold with hardly much credit history and thanks to my usage and the 61d 3x CLI I was abe to catapult into other prime cards.  Generous approvals, limits and SPs for denials make them quite unique 

Now just hoping they bring in some more benefits to platinum.  Delta lounges alone don't cut it as you can only use them if you're flying on delta. 

[mnosal9]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

---

@PointLager wrote:

@Anonymous 

when did they tell you this?  was it a voice mail they left?

---

No, a transaction was declined, and I got a fraud alert from the app, I indicated it was me that made the transaction, and  everything went as normal.  When I later logged into my account, there was a lot of red text, saying call to ensure blah blah.  I did, told them I had reported using the app, so why were there all those messages and that's when he said "That's because we want to have a conversation with you".   So, I was waiting for questions about manufactured spending (some have reported this, with informal guide lines being given) but then he asked a very strange question, more or less speaking to himself.  "Why didn't we see the purchase attempt?"  Well, since you  issued a fraud alert, um, you probably did!  And then ended the call.

Since then, I am in ramp up mode on the Amex Blue Cash, spending $1008.xx each day at CVS.  They MUST know what this is, but the transaction is always instantly approved, so I really don't know what worries, or doesn't worry, Amex.

---

LOL I just started doing that at CVS. With Amex BCE did you earn 1% or 2% cash back from CVS?

[Anonymous]

---

@mnosal9 wrote:

---

@Anonymous wrote:

---

@PointLager wrote:

@Anonymous 

when did they tell you this?  was it a voice mail they left?

---

No, a transaction was declined, and I got a fraud alert from the app, I indicated it was me that made the transaction, and  everything went as normal.  When I later logged into my account, there was a lot of red text, saying call to ensure blah blah.  I did, told them I had reported using the app, so why were there all those messages and that's when he said "That's because we want to have a conversation with you".   So, I was waiting for questions about manufactured spending (some have reported this, with informal guide lines being given) but then he asked a very strange question, more or less speaking to himself.  "Why didn't we see the purchase attempt?"  Well, since you  issued a fraud alert, um, you probably did!  And then ended the call.

Since then, I am in ramp up mode on the Amex Blue Cash, spending $1008.xx each day at CVS.  They MUST know what this is, but the transaction is always instantly approved, so I really don't know what worries, or doesn't worry, Amex.

---

LOL I just started doing that at CVS. With Amex BCE did you earn 1% or 2% cash back from CVS?

---

This is Blue Cash, not BCE, so you get 5%

[PointLager]

I feel like CVS is such an obvious merchant to lead to flagging for MS. I mean, who would spend $1k+ at a pharmacy? Especially regularly. MAYBE doing $500 at a time ?

[mnosal9]

I change it up every time I go in. First time it will be 1015.xx next time it will be 988.92 and so on.. I add some stuff to my card like an arnold palmer or gum just to change up the amount. I have 2 CVS a couple blocks from each other so I switch it up. Does anyone know if Walgreens will let you use a credit card?

If they did not want us to do this then they wouldn't give us cash back

[PointLager]

Yea I change it up too but I don't like how my statement looks. Lots of $10-$200 transactions and then the only "lumpy" ones are CVS or WG

WG doesn't allow CC for VR or most cards but they do allow them for paypal cash loaders. Some managers or cashiers push back at times but it's not hard programmed to deny, which is the case for VR

[PointLager]

Also, cvs is the only one that swipes my license. Other places just look at it and check that it matches the cc

[Anonymous]

CVS swipes licenses for its internal controls, to enforce the no more than $5K a day across all stores  ( you can still buy under $1000 and not get scanned but this cuts down on huge buys).

[Anonymous]

---

@PointLager wrote:
I feel like CVS is such an obvious merchant to lead to flagging for MS. I mean, who would spend $1k+ at a pharmacy? Especially regularly. MAYBE doing $500 at a time ?

---

Yes, which is why we assume that the issuers do know and have different tolerances for individuals.  Sometimes (e.g. with Citi Apr-May 2013) it was almost zero tolerance).

MS isn't risk free by any means.   So make sure that the rewards are worth it (I wouldn't use anything that gives much less than 5% equivalent in cash or points) and that if the worst happens, you are OK with losing all cards from that issuer, and not being able to get new ones, potentially for ever.

Which is why some focus on things like the 6-month WF offer.  Currently at least, losing access to WF products isn't very devastating.