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yet another AmEx backdating question!!!

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hateAshbury
Regular Contributor

yet another AmEx backdating question!!!

I'm an AU on my dad's AmEx. My card reads "member since 11" (i.e. member since 2011). My dad has had this car for 20 years, so I'm guessing his plastic reads "member since 1990" or something like that.

 

I have no other AmEx cards, but plan to apply for my own in a month or two.

 

I assume that if I apply and am awarded the card in November, the card's age will begin November 2012, right? But if I wait until January 2013, then the card's age will begin January 2012.

 

Do I have that right? If so, then from an AAoA perspective, it's advantageous to wait until January, correct?

 

All of this changes, however, if my being an AU means I'm not a bona fide member of AmEx. In which case I should app in December 2012.

 

Please spell out the logic or illogic of my reasoning, and advise on when to initiate the app. Thanks


Starting Score: 653 (11/1/2011 TransUnion)
Current Score: 719 (5/3/2012 TransUnion) 572 (3/21/2012 Equifax) 762 (4/14/12 VantageScore)
Goal Score: 700


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5 REPLIES 5
twelfthjoe2
Established Member

Re: yet another AmEx backdating question!!!

Being an AU has nothing to do with the dating if you get your own Amex. If you apply in November 2012 and get approved you card will be from November 2012 if you wait until January 2013 then it will start January 2013

Message 2 of 6
jsucool76
Super Contributor

Re: yet another AmEx backdating question!!!


@twelfthjoe2 wrote:

Being an AU has nothing to do with the dating if you get your own Amex. If you apply in November 2012 and get approved you card will be from November 2012 if you wait until January 2013 then it will start January 2013


This is sort of a mixed thing actually. Some people have had luck getting backdated to their initial ACM account, others have not. Once you get approved for your card you would have to wait and see what your card says, and then if it doesn't backdate you'd have to call and see if you can press your luck. 

Message 3 of 6
Walt_K
Senior Contributor

Re: yet another AmEx backdating question!!!


@jsucool76 wrote:

@twelfthjoe2 wrote:

Being an AU has nothing to do with the dating if you get your own Amex. If you apply in November 2012 and get approved you card will be from November 2012 if you wait until January 2013 then it will start January 2013


This is sort of a mixed thing actually. Some people have had luck getting backdated to their initial ACM account, others have not. Once you get approved for your card you would have to wait and see what your card says, and then if it doesn't backdate you'd have to call and see if you can press your luck. 


+1

 

Basically, it's still in your best interest at this point to wait until January 13.  If you do get backdated to your AU member date, you'd get Jan. 2011 as the opening date for that card (a little confused because I thought you said you have an AU member since date of 2011 but then in your examples, you suggest 2012).  If you don't get the backdating to your AU date, you get Jan 2013.  January 2013 is only a couple months different than November 2012, so I say it's worth the "risk" to wait until Jan. 13 on the chance you get backdated.

 

The flipside of this is that you're talking about very small difference in any event.  I think backdating is more valuable for people that have much older accounts and not worth the handwringing that goes on around here sometimes for younger accounts.  But if you want to try to maximize age, wait 2 more months. 

 

ETA: I guess the counter to my argument is that if you aren't going to get backdating from the AU account, you would want to establish 2012 as your backdate year rather than 2013.  Again, I think this just highlights how much this really doesn't matter for young accounts.  You're talking about relatively small differences for one account that won't have much of an affect on your AAoA.  You'll see the benefit more as time goes by, but by then you'll likely have a lot of other cards that have aged as well.


Starting Score: ~500 (12/01/2008)
Current Score: EQ 681 (04/05/13); TU 98 728 (01/06/12), TU 08? 760 (provided by Barclay 1/2/14), TU 04 728 (lender pull 01/12/12); EX 742 (lender pull 01/12/12)
Goal Score: 720


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Message 4 of 6
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: yet another AmEx backdating question!!!

You need to call (and call, and call) until you get that AU card backdated to your Dad's original opening year.  Don't app for your own until you get your AU card backdated.  You may have to call a lot, or you may have luck right away.  But once you get your own card, your stuck with whatever date you have if you didn't get your AU card backdated.

Message 5 of 6
distantarray
Established Contributor

Re: yet another AmEx backdating question!!!


@hateAshbury wrote:

I'm an AU on my dad's AmEx. My card reads "member since 11" (i.e. member since 2011). My dad has had this car for 20 years, so I'm guessing his plastic reads "member since 1990" or something like that.

 

I have no other AmEx cards, but plan to apply for my own in a month or two.

 

I assume that if I apply and am awarded the card in November, the card's age will begin November 2012, right? But if I wait until January 2013, then the card's age will begin January 2012.

 

Do I have that right? If so, then from an AAoA perspective, it's advantageous to wait until January, correct?

 

All of this changes, however, if my being an AU means I'm not a bona fide member of AmEx. In which case I should app in December 2012.

 

Please spell out the logic or illogic of my reasoning, and advise on when to initiate the app. Thanks


 

If you can get backdated to your ACM start year of 2011, and you open your own account in January 2013. 

 

That means you'll have a January 2011 history for your card. usually people don't have problems pushing your ACM date for your personal account within a few years, but they REALLY don't like doing it to before you were born.


total credit limits $108,400 Credit scores Ex 728 EQ 738 TU 758
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