Closed Amex card question

[Quips]

I closed my Amex Gold Rewards card about 4 months ago - got tired of paying the annual fee and wanted cash back vs MR. I have been thinking that maybe I should have kept it open and PC'd to a lower or no AF card (Zync/Green) - mainly so I can add my son as an AU.  Has anyone else had amex reopen a previously closed card? If so, do they HP or SP for that. And can they just reopen it and PC at same time

Thanks in advance

[Anonymous]

You will have to reapply. It will be a HP. Since you are reapplying you just apply for the card you want, would be no PC involved. If you are still a current Amex card holder of a revolving account it may weigh on if a soft or hard pull. Like anything else YMMV

[Anonymous]

Op, I see you have trueearnings card. Why not add him to that?

[Quips]

That was what I tried to do - but I already have my wife as AU, and CostCo only allows 1 AU per account

[Anonymous]

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@Quips wrote:

That was what I tried to do - but I already have my wife as AU, and CostCo only allows 1 AU per account

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What's the intent of getting him Amex? Setting member date or helping his credit ongoing? If setting memberdate, just temporarily add him and have him create online id. In couple of months, cancel him and add your wife back on. With online Id and saving his card, he should be good for backdating when he is ready for his own card. If you are trying to help his credit ongoing, add him as au on your oldest cards (hopefully one you show consistent low util on). That helps more any any Amex as he will get all card history including your original open date. Also, just noticed trueearnings says additional card holders must be 18 which is different than the other amex's I have seen. Not sure how enforced that is.

[Quips]

Main purpose for the Amex is for the member date - I am also going to add him to one of my other old CC's with low Util. He is 22 and already has good credit - a 725 FICO - due to a student CC he's had for 5 years and also I co-signed a car loan for him last year. He is on a good path for the future, just wanted him to get the backdating effect when he graduates college.

Thanks for the idea of putting him on temporarily - I may do that

[bichonmom]

The good news is that since any new CCs will be backdated, it won't hurt your AAoA -- it will actually HELP your AAoA to open a new CC, even with the closed acct. showing.

You may take a slight ding for the inq., depending, but that's it.

I believe the way Amex is treating AUs now is that when they get their own Amex, it will be backdated to when they were *added* as an AU, but NOT when you first opened an acct w/Amex. Also, Amex doesn't use the term, AU. I think it's something like, "additional member," but can't recall exactly.

[Repo-ed]

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@bichonmom wrote:

The good news is that since any new CCs will be backdated, it won't hurt your AAoA -- it will actually HELP your AAoA to open a new CC, even with the closed acct. showing.

You may take a slight ding for the inq., depending, but that's it.

I believe the way Amex is treating AUs now is that when they get their own Amex, it will be backdated to when they were *added* as an AU, but NOT when you first opened an acct w/Amex. Also, Amex doesn't use the term, AU. I think it's something like, "additional member," but can't recall exactly.

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Correct.  Two calls to CS and I was told both times that being added as an AU will result in a member date of the addition, and not a backdating to the basic card members date.

So while they answer the phone "....thank you for being a member since 2006...", my member since date on my amex for which I'm an AU, is 2012 and will forever remain that way.