@Anonymous wrote:
Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe being "in" with AMEX means they won't do a HP if they deny an app for a second/third/fourth card, so there's that.
But I'm more of the camp of applying for the product you want, not getting some product you don't care about just to "get in" particularly if you can't PC into a product you do want later on (or if they won't allow you to allocate some of the credit they've already given you into the new card, like I know some people at least used to do with like Barclay).
+1
To me, that Amex only does a HP if subsequent applications are approved is a rather nice 'perk', and might be a consideration for someone who has a card with them however I also agree that people should generally apply for the card they really want, with a couple of exceptions.
In my case, I burned some of the major lenders years ago and I always wondered if I would be allowed back in. I chose to apply for the Citi Diamond Preferred... I knew this card would be useful to me, but at the time it wouldn't have been a disaster had it not been approved. Also, I knew that once the 0% promo is over I can likely PC it to a Double Cash, which for many people comes with a modest SL even in the best circumstances. My DP application (and subsequent approval) was my way of 'testing the waters'.
My application for the Chase IHG was similar... I suspected that I would have trouble getting approved for any Chase card, and while I have my eye on the 'main' Chase cards there's no point in working off 5/24 just to be told in a couple of years that it was always out of reach anyway. I applied and was approved for the Chase IHG, and while the perks will be moderately helpful the next couple of years the main "perk" is knowing that Freedom/CSP/CSR are likely not forever out of reach (at lease due to my past events). If I choose to, I can somewhat-safely work towards getting under 5/24 knowing that an approval is at least possible.
For people with 'regular' circumstances I would say to just apply for the card you want, but that's just my 2¢. 
(Some people might have other subjective considerations (i.e. getting a card that was 'lost' in the past due to hardship, etc.), and that's OK too... we just have to do what's best for each of us.)
@AverageJoesCredit wrote:
Just because one becomes" being in" doesnt mean they will treat you the same as someone who has a higher income or thicker profile. Many people find that there finally in but can sometimes still be held back ftom past transgressions such as a bk or charge off. I guess only time would truely tell if you are "in" .
I unfortunately had to include my Amex's in my bk7, didnt understand credit well at the time, and 9 and half years later am still on the outside looking in. Since i dont make much coupled with my bk7, i dont fancy theyll be knocking at my door anytime soon and even if i were able to get back "in" id probably be stuck at the $500 or 1000 purgatory due to past relationship. They have a long memory so one should be careful with the notion of being "in".
+1
Don't give up completely... I also burned them in a BK7 back in 2000 and they let me back in last year. I never tried before then so it might not have taken quite that long, but in any case "I'm Back". 
When I applied I wasn't active on here yet and didn't know all the Amex specifics and (most importantly) I was assuming I would be denied... I actually applied with the intention of using the denial to get a free copy of my EX (I know, foolish). I almost fell over when my Green card app was approved... and that wasn't the card I really wanted! <doh!> 
I quickly did some research and noted that many people can get a revolver the same day as a charge with one HP, so I did a 'Hail Mary' and apped for the BCP, and got approved as well for $1k (EX score at the time was 697, IIRC). I have since closed the Green, and got a PRG and Delta Gold. (This relates back to the OP's topic... if you don't want the card, it's really not good to app for it!)
I will mention that they don't forget anything... my revolvers are stuck at $1k and CLIs are always denied due to "...previous negative history with an Amex account" or something to that effect - they are referring to the now 16-year old BK7 (they also greet me with "Member since 1995" now when I log in... it's too bad I missed 20 years of backdating by three (!) weeks). While I would really like a CLI I'm not complaining; they could have given me a simple 'no' (and I thought they would). In any case, I'm able to make the $1k CL on the BCP work... I only use it for groceries and Amex offers (and an occasional mall purchase), and while the utilization on that card does report rather high my overall score doesn't seem to be negatively impacted. (I usually earn $20-$25 each month in cash rewards from that card, so it's worth the annoyance... LOL)
The moral of my story is to not give up... as long as you didn't do anything during the BK7 that would have them flag you as fraud (like run up a huge balance right before your filing) with enough time you should be fine. Also, note that I had to cold-app... I never received a snail-mail offer like so many do, and I had no pre-qual offer showing at the time of my approvals (and ironically, I still don't).
Hope this helps!
Note: Apologies for this detour; I just wanted to demonstrate that it's possible to "get back in with Amex" even after a catastrophe. 
@UncleB wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe being "in" with AMEX means they won't do a HP if they deny an app for a second/third/fourth card, so there's that.
But I'm more of the camp of applying for the product you want, not getting some product you don't care about just to "get in" particularly if you can't PC into a product you do want later on (or if they won't allow you to allocate some of the credit they've already given you into the new card, like I know some people at least used to do with like Barclay).+1
To me, that Amex only does a HP if subsequent applications are approved is a rather nice 'perk', and might be a consideration for someone who has a card with them however I also agree that people should generally apply for the card they really want, with a couple of exceptions.
In my case, I burned some of the major lenders years ago and I always wondered if I would be allowed back in. I chose to apply for the Citi Diamond Preferred... I knew this card would be useful to me, but at the time it wouldn't have been a disaster had it not been approved. Also, I knew that once the 0% promo is over I can likely PC it to a Double Cash, which for many people comes with a modest SL even in the best circumstances. My DP application (and subsequent approval) was my way of 'testing the waters'.
My application for the Chase IHG was similar... I suspected that I would have trouble getting approved for any Chase card, and while I have my eye on the 'main' Chase cards there's no point in working off 5/24 just to be told in a couple of years that it was always out of reach anyway. I applied and was approved for the Chase IHG, and while the perks will be moderately helpful the next couple of years the main "perk" is knowing that Freedom/CSP/CSR are likely not forever out of reach (at lease due to my past events). If I choose to, I can somewhat-safely work towards getting under 5/24 knowing that an approval is at least possible.
For people with 'regular' circumstances I would say to just apply for the card you want, but that's just my 2¢.
(Some people might have other subjective considerations (i.e. getting a card that was 'lost' in the past due to hardship, etc.), and that's OK too... we just have to do what's best for each of us.)
Your reasons are excellent reasons to attempt a 'get in' with lenders -- especially Citi, because the card you went for is useful now and the PC options are possible in the future if you choose that path.
In my own credit adventure, I suppose I did do a few things to 'get in' -- I took a Discover It Secured card and a Bank of America Cash Rewards Secured card to 'get in' with those lenders because I know eventually when those cards do eventually unsecure the opportunities are there for growth. But those are secured versions of cards I wanted anyway so no PC necessary on those.
I also have a couple cards I didn't particularly dream about during the process of my rebuild (Cap One secured, which is on the chopping block soon unless the apocalypse happens and they unsecure it but pigs will probably fly first; and Merrick, which will double to match my QS1 (or will likely be just under it by the time it does double, if I can get a CLI from Cap One in December) -- but sometimes things do need to happen in the course of a rebuild). And I suppose could technically speaking could say I "got in" with Cap One by having a secured card for 10 months before I got an unsecured card with them, but I really don't think that mattered as much as the process of positive payment history across the board for the year prior to getting my QS1. And yeah, I got a QS1 hoping to eventually convert it to a QS, but that isn't a rewards structure change to get a card I wanted, it's just to get rid of the annual fee.
As for AMEX, though, I don't think I'll attempt to 'get in' with them through a Delta card simply because I don't really have much of a need for a travel card like that and don't fly Delta anyway (I've got a bunch of AA miles so if I got any airline-specific card it'd be getting in with Citi's AAdvantage card rather than getting in with AMEX). I might change my mind if I ever decide to do any travelling if Citi isn't within reach, but when I eventually do get in with AMEX, I'll probably just go straight for a product that interests me most, which actually changes on occasion so it's probably good I'm not ready for an AMEX yet, haha. Right now I'm thinking ED but a couple months ago it was BCE and I even considered Plenti for a hot second (I have no idea why either, honestly).