I originally posted this on the "Credit Card Approval" forum but think this is a more suitable forum where I can share my story.
It has been 6.5 years since a Chapter 7 discharge, and on 12/12, I was approved for three new American Express cards and an upgrade on my Delta SkyMiles Gold to the Platinum card! Here’s a bit about my journey:
Back in 2010, I was an authorized user on my wife’s Amex, which was included in our bankruptcy. After rebuilding with cards like Discover IT, Capital One, Credit One, Blaze, and Cerulean, I finally qualified for the Capital One Venture (10k), HSBC now Premier Finance (9k), and Quick Silver (5k) a few years ago.
About a year later, I was approved for the Amex Delta Gold (1k)—a big milestone despite the low limit! For the past 18 months, I’ve used the Delta Gold responsibly, paying my balance in full and on time, but I kept getting denied for credit line increases. Frustrated, I finally called Amex customer service last week and asked for insight. The representative reviewed my profile and assured me there were no flags—encouraging me to keep an eye out for updates by email.
On Dec 12, I decided to check for Amex pre-approvals, and to my surprise, I was eligible for the Platinum, Hilton, and Bonvoy cards with no credit score impact! I applied for the Platinum and was approved—super psyched! Inspired by posts here, I decided to try for multiple cards on the same day since it would only result in soft pulls. To my amazement, I was approved for all of them! I also requested an upgrade to my Delta Gold, and was approved. I travel a couple times a month for work and hoping to, finally, take advantage of Amex rewards and benefits.
Key takeaways:
- Rebuilding takes time, but you can bounce back.
- Stay focused, use credit responsibly, and communicate with credit card companies—they might be more helpful than you think.
- Don’t be afraid to try for multiple applications with the Amex soft pull scenario!
It may feel slow at times, but the progress is worth it. Keep pushing forward!
Another update: Back when I first opened my Amex DeltaSkymiles card, I added my then highschool age son as an authorized user to help him begin building his credit and last week he was approved for the Amex Gold Card!
