Slightly different AmEx backdating question

[Anonymous]

So I finally got "selected" by AmEx (not 1, but 2 offers!), which means my credit repair has come a long way. Yay!

Now, on to the question: I had an Optima card in 1995 that I closed in good standing because I knew nothing about credit back then. I noticed that both of the fake cards glued to the letters have a Member Since date of 1995 - is that just a coincidence, or am I right in thinking that means they still have that old account in their records and I will be backdated if/when I apply without having to ask?

Also, if anybody wants to throw in their 2 cents about green v gold and whether I should wait until January to get the awesome "member since 1/1995" note on my CRs or just do it now, please chime in!

[Anonymous]

Give 1995 a shot!

I am happy with my Green.

I don't remember what my Gold brought to the table back then but looking at the website description now my Green is enough as the Gold doesn't seem to offer enough additional value over the Green.

So for me it will be my Green or a Platinum when I finally get there. 

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

So I finally got "selected" by AmEx (not 1, but 2 offers!), which means my credit repair has come a long way. Yay!

Now, on to the question: I had an Optima card in 1995 that I closed in good standing because I knew nothing about credit back then. I noticed that both of the fake cards glued to the letters have a Member Since date of 1995 - is that just a coincidence, or am I right in thinking that means they still have that old account in their records and I will be backdated if/when I apply without having to ask?

Also, if anybody wants to throw in their 2 cents about green v gold and whether I should wait until January to get the awesome "member since 1/1995" note on my CRs or just do it now, please chime in!

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Do you have proof that you had the account? For example, an old credit report or statement, or one of the expired cards. That would almost guarantee the backdating.

If you want to hold out until January, yeah it would report 1/95, but it will be the difference between a 17 year old card and a 16 year 4 month card. Not much difference unless those 8 months push you over an AAoA threshold.

[Anonymous]

I do have the number on my EX report, but it seems to me that I won't have to prove it if it's not just a coincidence that the sample cards say 1995.

I believe your calculations are wrong. It would be a difference of 7 months, not 8, correct? My current AAoA is 7 years 3 months, and my oldest account is from 9/1996 on my other reports. EX is the only one reporting the old AmEX and it's due to fall off in December.

ETA: All of my oldest accounts are closed accounts, so within a few years I'm going to lose a lot of age. I was planning to eventually get an AmEx for the age, I was just curious about the date on the sample cards.