How does Amex work?

[Anonymous]

Phouchg,

What are your FICOs? AMEX Delta Skymiles is supposed to be the easiest to get.

[Anonymous]

EQ  649

EX  658

TU  648

just got them this morning

can't get a card to save my life, so I was very pleasantly surprised being approved for green. I may try for the delta skymiles.

[weezie]

Sorry to butt in here, but the person who keeps saying that you'll never get another AMEX card if you've defaulted with them in the past is just plain WRONG. I defaulted on a green AMEX and a gold AMEX while in graduate school. Definitely not proud of it. Very, very humiliating. If I could've done things differently, I would have. But I just didn't have the money to pay what I owed. The accounts were charged off and, because more than seven years have passed, they haven't showed up on my reports for quite a few years. My finances improved and I came back to AMEX because, yes, they have EXCELLENT customer service. I was approved for a green AMEX (my FICO was in the high 500s at the time) and shortly thereafter, invited to apply for a blue AMEX (the revolving card) with a $20,000 limit. I jumped at the chance. I agree that it's ridiculous to "love" a corporation, especially a credit card company, but AMEX . . . they're very different. If you have to deal with THE DEVIL (I loathe the credit card industry, for the most part) I'd rather lie down in mud with AMEX than say, Capital One. That bunch of morons doesn't even come close. When I compare what I've gotten over the years from AMEX to what I've received from Capital One and Citibank, it's no contest. Maybe there's better customer service out there, but I've never encountered it.

[Anonymous]

Phouchg,

With FICOs in the mid 600s, with no AMEX default in your past, and you should be good for an AMEX Delta Skymiles. You can apply online for multiple AMEX cards, and if you do it all same day at most you'll get 1 INQ per CRA. Might try an AMEX Green and a Skymiles.

[Anonymous]

weezie,

When did you default, when were you issued an AMEX card again, and what were your FICOs when you were issued a card the second time?

AMEX blacklisting is well confirmed by LOTS of people, here and elsewhere. I have probably talked to a few dozen who can attest to it.

If your FICOs were high enough, or your default was a long ways in the past, or if you got your AMEX the second time more than a couple of years ago, then yes you might have avoided blacklisting.

[Anonymous]

Interesting.

I got the green on Sunday and applied for Blue. Was declined immediately for Blue. Applied for Delta Skymiles this morning and got this:

In Progress

We will notify you once your application has been processed, or if we need additional information. If you wish to view an electronic communication of your decision details once we have made a decision, click here.

Hmmm...not an outright denial. I have not heard from them, so I wonder if a human is going to approve it instead of a computer.

[weezie]

Trying to answer your specific questions to the best of my ability, Noah_Bodie: I defaulted on the green Amex and the gold Amex in mid 1996. I was approved for my current green Amex in early 2004. I was first offered a Blue in 2005 and I finally accepted that offer in 2006.


When I was approved for the green Amex, my Experian and Equifax FICOs were lower than 600 but higher than 550 (I'm away from my files containing those reports and so can't recall those numbers exactly), and my TransUnion FICO was 639. At the time, I had one newish Capital One Visa (opened in late 2003), a bunch of late pays on student loans from the early 2000s, and no other credit. (As I said, I'd run into some trouble in the mid-late 1990s that kept unspooling until 2002 or so.)


I hope my earlier response didn't sound too aggressive. I certainly don't discount anyone's "horse's mouth" account of their own Amex experience. And I still don't think all AMEX defaulters should be discouraged from re-applying.

[Anonymous]

What's the highest CL anyone has received for Blue?

[Anonymous]

They do have a preset spending limit, however it's usually predicated on past spending habits. If you usually spend and average of $1500 each month and pay it on time and suddenly spending jumps to $10,000, you'll get a call. I've had their Gold Card since 1977 and they've never declined a charge. They have called me on several occasions when my spending has gone "out of character".

Now if I know in advance that a particular month or two is going to be out of the norm I call them and let them know. They are probably the best company out there to have to deal with.

[Anonymous]

No, not for the green or gold no preset limit charge card.  For the Blue credit card.  Highest CL?