I made a small first payment to AMEX to make sure all was set up correctly. It let me do it, then it would not let me do it again.
So then, I forced a small test payment from my bank to AMEX. It worked properly. So then, I followed it up with a large payment to bring utilization down. Instead of posting a payment. It cleared my bank. AMEX said it received payment. All went well except. AMEX just used the payment to raise my credit limit. They did not lower the balance. Hopefully it gets straightened out before it reports. I want to get this thing paid down before it reports, current utilization is 43%.
Strange. I wouldn't worry about it as far as your reports go. A one time 40% balance is utterly trivial from a lender perspective unless you need an application in the next month. I'd certainly be curious as to why their system did that with the large payment, what account type was it? I assume a revolver of some sort?
It is the no AF HHonors card.
@Chris123nTx wrote:
@Dustink wrote:I made a small first payment to AMEX to make sure all was set up correctly. It let me do it, then it would not let me do it again.
So then, I forced a small test payment from my bank to AMEX. It worked properly. So then, I followed it up with a large payment to bring utilization down. Instead of posting a payment. It cleared my bank. AMEX said it received payment. All went well except. AMEX just used the payment to raise my credit limit. They did not lower the balance. Hopefully it gets straightened out before it reports. I want to get this thing paid down before it reports, current utilization is 43%.
That is really strange. Other than on a secured card, I have never heard of a payment not being applied to a balance. I would not think it.even legal for a comoany to take your cash for a paymment and not using it that way. Please let us know what happens with this. I am just curious. Since Amex applies a.payment made through thier website immediately, i never push a payment from my bank to them. Takes longer usually and you really need.to stay on top of it to be sure your bank got the money.routed properly. Thats just me though. I only use the bill pay feature from my BOA checking account for my homeowners association dues every month and only then becuase their is no website to allow me to direct pay them.
They were not allowing me to make another payment from their site until I received my first statement. So I went around that by forcing a payment from my bank.
My current balance is: $851
My available credit is: $1449
My credit limit is: $2000
The payment I made: $300
Just noticed that my bonus points already posted. That was good of them. I have only had the card about a week.
Oh I think I see.
There's a difference between when credit is made "available" vs. what the balance is. There can be a delay on clearing the funds when posting the transaction, and some lenders will free up "available" credit but won't modify the balance until that payment posts. That's probably what's happening in this case with Amex.
I was confused too by your statement of raising credit limit 
.
Normally I do not see available credit until it has cleared. I usually see that as the last thing banks do.
This is what I normally see:
Payment is made
Payment posts
Balance adjusted
Credit made available
This is what they are doing:
Payment is made
Credit made available
Payment posts
Balance adjusted
Seems backwards to me, unless AMEX just has lots of trust in me and wants me to be able to charge more ASAP.
