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What would be considered high risk spending patterns?

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SRT4kid93
Established Contributor

What would be considered high risk spending patterns?

I have seen the term "high risk spending patterns" used on the forum, but I haven't been able to find much on what this actually means.

 

what is considering high risk spending? I assume someone that lists a 30k salary and then goes out and maxes out their card all the time would fall into this category. But then again, if their bill is being paid off, what does it matter? 

maybe their husband or their dad pays their bill, and the more they use the card the more money the card issuer makes. 

Blue Cash PreferredGold CardSavor



Message 1 of 12
11 REPLIES 11
Windchill92
Regular Contributor

Re: What would be considered high risk spending patterns?

Well, the issuer doesn't know that the user has a relative paying the bill, only that they get paid.

What likely concerns them is the uncertainty of them suddenly not being able to pay a maxed out card. This is the same type of uncertainty as someone who has been applying with velocity or someone who has added 7+ revolving accounts in the last 6 months.

The creditor's lack of knowledge about what or why regarding a customer's behavior yields the thought "something is up with xyz customer", and thus existing credit may be reduced or future credit may not be extended to them.

TLDR: Largely a matter of uncertainty to the creditor, but I yield to other FF members to give better examples.

Gardening since 07 July 2025; Total Revolving CL: $107.5k
Inquiries: (as of 06 Jan 2025)
EX: 1/6, 2/12, 3/24
EQ: 1/6, 3/12 (2 auto), 3/24
TU: 1/6, 2/12, 3/24
Message 2 of 12
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: What would be considered high risk spending patterns?


@SRT4kid93 wrote:

I have seen the term "high risk spending patterns" used on the forum, but I haven't been able to find much on what this actually means.

 

what is considering high risk spending? I assume someone that lists a 30k salary and then goes out and maxes out their card all the time would fall into this category. But then again, if their bill is being paid off, what does it matter? 

maybe their husband or their dad pays their bill, and the more they use the card the more money the card issuer makes. 


In general, if someone consistency is spending more than they make on a credit card, and PIF, there are two usual explanations:

 

1) Employer refunded travel   The person is charging airfare/gas/lodging/meals to the card and the employer is refunding the charges.  Here the type of charges are key

2) Manufactured Spend.   Here the charges are more likely to be large ones at grocery stores (and maybe drug stores and gas stations), at places this particular card has a high multiplier.

 

Issuers certainly don't like 2), not so much for the risk of default (which can be very small) but because of cost.   They are paying rewards in excess of their share of the swipe fee, and there is almost no limit to what can be charged.    High risk for the issuer.

 

1) is less of a risk, unless the employee doesn't get reimbursed at some point (fights with the boss and leaves with things unresolved)

 

And as for husband or father paying, hey, it's the 21st century, could even be a female paying!

Message 3 of 12
SRT4kid93
Established Contributor

Re: What would be considered high risk spending patterns?

#1 happens to me all the time.

 

i work at a facility where the clients are not trusted with money, we give them a special debt card with lots of restrictions. 

but in any case, me and other employees will pay for stuff for the client all the time and get reimbursed. Could be for tons of reasons, their spending account is empty and they need something, so we pay and then wait for the parents to pay us back. There's also times when a client is kicked out or sent to a different facility and they need to be escorted there for different reasons, and so we drive them there (or sometimes accompany them on a flight), and need to be reimbursed for gas, food, travel, etc. sometimes it takes a couple days and need to pay for hotels. It can really add up.

 

when we do this, legally we are "contracting ourselves out to the clients parents" and therefore are paid as independent contractors.

 

Blue Cash PreferredGold CardSavor



Message 4 of 12
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: What would be considered high risk spending patterns?


@Anonymous wrote:
hey, it's the 21st century, could even be a female paying!

Have any prospects for me in your little black book?

 

Message 5 of 12
NoMoreE46
Community Leader
Senior Contributor

Re: What would be considered high risk spending patterns?

Trying to buy crypto or precious metals are usually considered high risk tranactions by issuers.


 

Message 6 of 12
CreditCuriosity
Moderator Emeritus

Re: What would be considered high risk spending patterns?


@NoMoreE46 wrote:

Trying to buy crypto or precious metals are usually considered high risk tranactions by issuers.


 jM


Precious metals that is kinda silly imho as long as from a reputable place whether JM Bullion or Costco etc.  As long as you don't buy near your CL you should be fine as known many people that haven't had an issue with it.  Crypto unsure about.  Might not be the smartest thing to due due to fees althoug with costco you can buy with black card 2% and in theory AR 4.5% = 6.5% off.  Seems like a winner if can get it their if you are into collecting precious metals.

Message 7 of 12
Zeiram
Valued Member

Re: What would be considered high risk spending patterns?


@CreditCuriosity wrote:

@NoMoreE46 wrote:

Trying to buy crypto or precious metals are usually considered high risk tranactions by issuers.


 jM


Precious metals that is kinda silly imho as long as from a reputable place whether JM Bullion or Costco etc.  As long as you don't buy near your CL you should be fine as known many people that haven't had an issue with it.  Crypto unsure about.  Might not be the smartest thing to due due to fees althoug with costco you can buy with black card 2% and in theory AR 4.5% = 6.5% off.  Seems like a winner if can get it their if you are into collecting precious metals.


I'm hoping that going to a Hilton hotel on my Hilton AmEx doesn't get me FR'd for cycling. They gave me such a small limit that I'll probably spend over the limit for the card that cycle without going over by paying off some of the other bills.

 

My other cards have huge limits but I think I pissed off AmEx by bypassing a pop-up jail and they decided to get revenge with a $1,000 limit on that card. I'm working my way towards a SUB with things like light bills and some New Card Offers at Walmart and gas station.

Message 8 of 12
NoMoreE46
Community Leader
Senior Contributor

Re: What would be considered high risk spending patterns?

 


@CreditCuriosity wrote:

@NoMoreE46 wrote:

Trying to buy crypto or precious metals are usually considered high risk tranactions by issuers.


 jM


Precious metals that is kinda silly imho as long as from a reputable place whether JM Bullion or Costco etc.  As long as you don't buy near your CL you should be fine as known many people that haven't had an issue with it.  Crypto unsure about.  Might not be the smartest thing to due due to fees althoug with costco you can buy with black card 2% and in theory AR 4.5% = 6.5% off.  Seems like a winner if can get it their if you are into collecting precious metals.



I was thinking of buying buillions/metals (would be considered  as 
MS)  and be coded as a cash advance.


This is from AMEX:

Effective January 15, 2021, we are updating this sub-section to add precious metal coins and bullion to the definition of Cash Advance in your Cardmember Agreement.

Message 9 of 12
CreditCuriosity
Moderator Emeritus

Re: What would be considered high risk spending patterns?


@NoMoreE46 wrote:

 


@CreditCuriosity wrote:

@NoMoreE46 wrote:

Trying to buy crypto or precious metals are usually considered high risk tranactions by issuers.


 jM


Precious metals that is kinda silly imho as long as from a reputable place whether JM Bullion or Costco etc.  As long as you don't buy near your CL you should be fine as known many people that haven't had an issue with it.  Crypto unsure about.  Might not be the smartest thing to due due to fees althoug with costco you can buy with black card 2% and in theory AR 4.5% = 6.5% off.  Seems like a winner if can get it their if you are into collecting precious metals.



I was thinking of buying buillions/metals with respect 
to MS would be considered as a cash advance.


This is from AMEX:

Effective January 15, 2021, we are updating this sub-section to add precious metal coins and bullion to the definition of Cash Advance in your Cardmember Agreement.


guess depends on lender and how it codes if l3 data etc.

Message 10 of 12
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