Question about AMEX backdating

[tattooedhusker]

First off, let me just state, I am in the garden still and intend to stay there for 6 months! I recently asked my aunt who is an AMEX cardholder about adding me as an AU. She said that she likely will. So, my question is this, I hear alot about AMEX backdating accounts. If she were to add me as an AU, and they backdate a future card, does that backdating disappear as soon as she removes me as an AU? I'm just curious, because I am planning for the future and it's better to know now, than later. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

It is my understanding that will work, that is what they said when I called customer service after adding someone to my card as an au

[navigatethis12]

You will have no backdating because that is not how American Express works anymore. If you look around, people were getting added onto a 30 year old account for a few months to establish the member since date. They would then apply for their own card and have it backdated to the date of the card they were an authorised user on and then be removed from that card. So someone who was in their 20s or 30s would have an account as old or older than them.

Anyway, American Express stopped it and now the date will be when you first became an authorised user.

[Anonymous]

And by that works, I mean, when you are added as a au it will say member since 13, but new cards you get on your own will also say 13, even if you aren't an au anymore, sorry my other post wasn't clear

[daybreakgonesXe]

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@navigatethis12 wrote:

You will have no backdating because that is not how American Express works anymore. If you look around, people were getting added onto a 30 year old account for a few months to establish the member since date. They would then apply for their own card and have it backdated to the date of the card they were an authorised user on and then be removed from that card. So someone who was in their 20s or 30s would have an account as old or older than them.

Anyway, American Express stopped it and now the date will be when you first became an authorised user.

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I think that's what he/she means, though. If he/she got added as an authorized user now (4/13), but applied for a card of his/her own, in say, 4/14, would the card backdate to 4/13 for her (which is a yes!). However, they also posed the question of if their aunt removed them as an authorized user, would their cards revert back to original opening date of their first own AMEX. OP, I highly doubt they'll revert back, but then again, I am not an AMEX holder nor have I seen any posts to confirm or contradict this question!

[tattooedhusker]

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@daybreakgonesXe wrote:

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@navigatethis12 wrote:

You will have no backdating because that is not how American Express works anymore. If you look around, people were getting added onto a 30 year old account for a few months to establish the member since date. They would then apply for their own card and have it backdated to the date of the card they were an authorised user on and then be removed from that card. So someone who was in their 20s or 30s would have an account as old or older than them.

Anyway, American Express stopped it and now the date will be when you first became an authorised user.

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I think that's what he/she means, though. If he/she got added as an authorized user now (4/13), but applied for a card of his/her own, in say, 4/14, would the card backdate to 4/13 for her (which is a yes!). However, they also posed the question of if their aunt removed them as an authorized user, would their cards revert back to original opening date of their first own AMEX. OP, I highly doubt they'll revert back, but then again, I am not an AMEX holder nor have I seen any posts to confirm or contradict this question!

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This is what I meant, no worries, I wasn't clear in my questioning either! I was going to have her add me as an AU this month, and apply next spring.

[Anonymous]

My understanding is that you will be backdated only to the point where you became an AU on someone's Amex account.

Then if you are removed as an AU, if for example you become a member on your own standing, the date you were added as an AU will still be your member since date.

So if my wife adds me in 2011 as an AU on her account.

I remain an AU until I apply for my own amex in 2013

My member since date will be 2011 when she added me as an AU

If she then removes me as an AU, my member since date will remain 2011.

[tattooedhusker]

Thank you! This is exactly the answer I was looking for!

[Lambo23]

Now how about this,

I add an AU to my account
A year later I close my account.
Down the road the AU applies and gets an Amex, will they be backdated even though they are not an AU any longer?

[Anonymous]

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@Lambo23 wrote:
Now how about this,

I add an AU to my account
A year later I close my account.
Down the road the AU applies and gets an Amex, will they be backdated even though they are not an AU any longer?

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The "Member Since" date sticks with you, so I would guess in this case, the AU will be backdated to the date they were an AU on the closed card.   It works that way for the main cardholder

(e.g. I got a card in 87, cancelled in 89, got a new one in 2007.  When I eventually asked, that card gets backdated to 87) so the same (il)logic should work for the AU.