What Is Backdating and how does it affect your credit?

[Anonymous]

Hello..

What does backdating mean and how does it affect ones fico or credit report?  I see alot of ref to it, but don't know what it is..

Thanks all..

[OhioCPA]

Backdating is a concept that is unique to Amex. Basically, for anyone who has held an Amex card in the past will have any new cards report to the credit bureau as if they were open in the same year as the first card. For example, I had my first Amex in 1984, when I opened new accounts in 2011 and 2012 they all report as open in 1984.

The advantage to backdating is with AAoA and potentially oldest TL.

[Anonymous]

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@OhioCPA wrote:

Backdating is a concept that is unique to Amex. Basically, for anyone who has held an Amex card in the past will have any new cards report to the credit bureau as if they were open in the same year as the first card. For example, I had my first Amex in 1984, when I opened new accounts in 2011 and 2012 they all report as open in 1984.

The advantage to backdating is with AAoA and potentially oldest TL.

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WOW... Really.... That is awesome..  I was just approved for a new Amex yesterday after closing 2 others in 2005, they were opened in 1998..  So I should call them to see if they will backdate my new card to 1998?  That would be great if they did that..

Thanks for the info..

[OhioCPA]

I would wait until you see what your member since date is on the card and on americanexpress.com. Sometimes the cards will have the current year but online will show the backdate.  The date online is the date that gets reported on your credit file.

If you do end up calling, don't call it backdate, mention that you want your member since date to be the same as your original card in 1998. The CSRs don't know what backdating means.

[Anonymous]

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@OhioCPA wrote:

I would wait until you see what your member since date is on the card and on americanexpress.com. Sometimes the cards will have the current year but online will show the backdate.  The date online is the date that gets reported on your credit file.

If you do end up calling, don't call it backdate, mention that you want your member since date to be the same as your original card in 1998. The CSRs don't know what backdating means.

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Great idea.. Will wait to see what it is.. Thanks..