new AMEX accounts

[Anonymous]

I have read many, many posts about how AMEX backdates accounts and whatnot. I am wanting to know, if you are a current AMEX cardholder, apply for another AMEX card and get approved, does the NEW card, and any further new AMEX cards have the original cards' account date on it? Or are all subsequent accounts with them considered new like other banks. I would love to hear someone break this down into detail for me.

[smallfry]

The date your first card is approved becomes the approval date for all further cards. Helps AAofA for sure.

[Anonymous]

Just as I thought.

So in theory, if you racked up 7 'new' cards with them in the last 6 months. And had an old Green card from 10 years ago, those 7 'new' cards are considered 10 years old too?

[jason10]

AMEX will backdate to the date you opened your first card, but the card had to have been opened in your name. You won't be able to backdate NEW cards to the date an AU card was opened. For example, if your first AMEX card was opened in 1995 but you were an AU on a card opened in 1980, new accounts would backdate to 1995.

AMEX will use the current month and the year you opened your first card. For example, my first card was opened in April 2007. When I opened a Costco TrueEarnings card in Feb 2011 the card was backdated to 2/2007.

[Anonymous]

Not necessarily,  I was an AU on an AMEX back in 1989.  When I opened my first account with AMEX in 2010 my card was backdated to 1989.

I received  my Blue last week and that was also backdated to 1989.

Both the ZYNC and Blue have a member since date of 89.

Hope this helps.

[fused]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Not necessarily,  I was an AU on an AMEX back in 1989.  When I opened my first account with AMEX in 2010 my card was backdated to 1989.

I received  my Blue last week and that was also backdated to 1989.

Both the ZYNC and Blue have a member since date of 89.

Hope this helps.

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Sweet!

My situation is quite similar to yours.

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Not necessarily,  I was an AU on an AMEX back in 1989.  When I opened my first account with AMEX in 2010 my card was backdated to 1989.

I received  my Blue last week and that was also backdated to 1989.

Both the ZYNC and Blue have a member since date of 89.

Hope this helps.

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Correct. YMMV on backdating new accounts to AU accounts.

[Walt_K]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Not necessarily,  I was an AU on an AMEX back in 1989.  When I opened my first account with AMEX in 2010 my card was backdated to 1989.

I received  my Blue last week and that was also backdated to 1989.

Both the ZYNC and Blue have a member since date of 89.

Hope this helps.

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This doesn't necessarily contradict what the othe poster said, at least not as I read it.  If you were added as an AU in 1989, then your member date would be 1989.  It makes sense that your other cards backdated to 1989.  Now, if you are saying that you were added as an AU in 1995 to a card that had a member since date of 1989 and then your subsequent cards backdated to 1989, that is interesting.  I keep seeing threads discussing Amex AU backdating, and I wonder if this kind of confusion is what is causing the conflicting information.  Of course, it could also simply be that Amex occasionally backdates a card farther than they are supposed to.

[Anonymous]

After DW and I got married in 2009, I added her as an AU to my Blue Cash card that I opened in 7/2001 and my Cash Rebate card (no longer offered) also opened in 7/2001.

When DW apped for Zync last year her card was backdated to to 8/2001 (she apped in August). So, it appears that you get the year that the original card was opened when they backdate for AUs -- and the normal month the "new" card was opened rule applies.

I've now gamed the system a little bit, and DW now has four AU cards from 2001 -- as well as Zync and Blue in her name from 2001.

Of course, YMMV.

FWIW -- Every app is going to cost you a hard on EX. Not a super biggie, but there is a penalty for opening several new accounts.

[Walt_K]

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@Anonymous wrote:

After DW and I got married in 2009, I added her as an AU to my Blue Cash card that I opened in 7/2001 and my Cash Rebate card (no longer offered) also opened in 7/2001.

When DW apped for Zync last year her card was backdated to to 8/2001 (she apped in August). So, it appears that you get the year that the original card was opened when they backdate for AUs -- and the normal month the "new" card was opened rule applies.

I've now gamed the system a little bit, and DW now has four AU cards from 2001 -- as well as Zync and Blue in her name from 2001.

Of course, YMMV.

FWIW -- Every app is going to cost you a hard on EX. Not a super biggie, but there is a penalty for opening several new accounts.

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Does that penalty apply if the accounts are backdated?