Old Mar 30, 2015, 7:53 am
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American Express typically allows USA cardholders to have a maximum of four credit cards, plus an unspecified number of charge cards. Personal and Business cards count against this cap. Some individuals have more credit cards if opened before the cap was instituted. Anecdotal evidence indicates the limit may have been raised to five in early 2016.

Edit: As of May 19, 2020, Amex has confirmed the limit is four lending (credit) cards, and ten charge cards. Source

Centurion, Platinum, Plum, Gold, and Green are charge cards.

American Express issues both charge and credit cards for three co-brand partners:
  • Charles Schwab
  • Morgan Stanley

All others are credit cards. This includes all variants of Everyday, Blue, and many discontinued cards. It includes all co-branded cards currently issued for:
  • Delta
  • Hilton
  • Lowes
  • Marriott
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Amex USA 4 or 5 "Credit" Card Limit.

Old Feb 18, 2010, 1:45 am
  #31  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,708
Originally Posted by skofarrell
There is no 4 card limit. If the corporate card is guaranteed by your company, you'll wont have your credit report pulled.

For personal cards, if they don't feel comfortable giving you another card, they'll make any reason up when they say "no".
Must be on their script to offer as a reason or maybe there really are limits for some. I recently applied for another amex card. I had 4 cards and applied for a 5th and was told that they now limit the number of cards and that I had the maximum number of cards. The CSR said if I really wanted the new card I could cancel one of the 4 that I currently had. I did that. The credit limit on the new card was twice the limit on the old card that was closed so it wasn't just "amount of credit extended" which is what I was thinking they wanted to control at the time.
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Old May 8, 2010, 5:09 pm
  #32  
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
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AMEX Products How many is too many?

I have an AMEX Premier Rewards Gold and a Delta Platinum Skymiles card. Now I find myself wanting the HHonors Surpass card.

Does AMEX frown on someone having too many of their products? Does anyone here have three or more AMEX cards?

Im not a big spender by any means but I like the benefits these products offer
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Old May 8, 2010, 5:30 pm
  #33  
 
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I have a Costco Amex & Amex Plat

Considering one is a charge card and the other is a credit card, its not so bad.

My friend has three personal cards, one Hilton Amex, Costco Amex, & Plat

And is considering the SPG Amex, she called and they said it should be no prob
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Old May 8, 2010, 5:38 pm
  #34  
 
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I have 6 cards. 3 personal, 3 business.
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Old May 8, 2010, 7:52 pm
  #35  
ffI
 
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Originally Posted by pannhead51
I have 6 cards. 3 personal, 3 business.
That is the maximum. You are allowed 2 credit cards and 1 charge card for both personal and Biz products.
I am curious, do you have 3 credit cards in any type or is the breakdown how I have described it?
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Old May 8, 2010, 8:44 pm
  #36  
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Originally Posted by ffI
That is the maximum. You are allowed 2 credit cards and 1 charge card for both personal and Biz products.
I am curious, do you have 3 credit cards in any type or is the breakdown how I have described it?
There is no limit on the number of products you can carry (or the annual fees you're willing to pay). Everyone's situation is different. If you make enough and/or spend enough, Amex will work with you.

I have 7 products. 5 personal (1 charge, 4 revolving), 2 business (1 charge, 1 revolving). Each one is used for a specific purpose.
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Old May 8, 2010, 9:04 pm
  #37  
 
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I got the PR Gold, SPG, Blue...

the more the merrier, as long as they have some benefit for you.
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Old May 8, 2010, 11:33 pm
  #38  
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 63
Does anyone know if Amex counts authorized user cards as part of one's allotment?

For example: I have 1 personal credit card. I am also an authorized user on DH's 1 personal charge card and 1 business credit card. As far as Amex is concerned, do I have 1 card or 3 cards?
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Old May 9, 2010, 6:29 am
  #39  
ffI
 
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Originally Posted by skofarrell
There is no limit on the number of products you can carry (or the annual fees you're willing to pay). Everyone's situation is different. If you make enough and/or spend enough, Amex will work with you.

I have 7 products. 5 personal (1 charge, 4 revolving), 2 business (1 charge, 1 revolving). Each one is used for a specific purpose.
I know that I have 4 personal - 3 credit cards, SPG, Cash, Surpass, 1 Charge -premier and 3 biz cards - 1 biz gold, 1 SPG and 1 Delta

I tried to get similar cards for my wife who has her own business and I was told that the new limit was 3 - 2 credit and 1 charge. This was around the time they stopped re-allocating credit lines.

I would be curious if any one has NEW applications approved beyond that.
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Old May 9, 2010, 6:33 am
  #40  
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Originally Posted by ffI
I know that I have 4 personal - 3 credit cards, SPG, Cash, Surpass, 1 Charge -premier and 3 biz cards - 1 biz gold, 1 SPG and 1 Delta

I tried to get similar cards for my wife who has her own business and I was told that the new limit was 3 - 2 credit and 1 charge. This was around the time they stopped re-allocating credit lines.

I would be curious if any one has NEW applications approved beyond that.
My 7th (HHonors Surpass) was approved about 8-10 months ago. Well after the great freeze of 2008
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Old May 9, 2010, 6:34 am
  #41  
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Originally Posted by RoundtripWHW
Does anyone know if Amex counts authorized user cards as part of one's allotment?

For example: I have 1 personal credit card. I am also an authorized user on DH's 1 personal charge card and 1 business credit card. As far as Amex is concerned, do I have 1 card or 3 cards?
AU's don't factor in.
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Old May 9, 2010, 6:59 am
  #42  
 
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I have three -- Blue Cash, Amex PR Gold and SPG. I got Gold and SPG within 2 months of each other; Amex didn't seem to mind.
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Old May 9, 2010, 11:08 am
  #43  
Used to be Colonelwes
 
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we have eight AMX cards (Plat, rwd plus gold, premier, zinc, Gold Delta skymiles, SPG personal (1 spouse, 1 for me), SPG biz)..also, in last 12 mo; had green card, Plat Delta Skymiles, and another Gold Delta skymiles, plat delta skymiles biz--but cancelled these last four AMX cards. Why this many? Each card came with signup bonus, except Plat card which we use for cruise benefits and lounge access.

ps...AMX conducted FR on me 10 days ago (reason given, I had 10 open AMX cards)...FR rep very courteous
when I called and explained why we had 10 open cards then (we love ff miles/MR points and incentives many AMX cards offer). FR took 5 work days (all my AMX accounts suspended, not my wifes or our two AMX cards
issued by VA) FR rep called me first thing last Monday saying our IRS paperwork was in perfect order,
accounts turned on.

Last edited by Colonel(Ret.)Wes; May 9, 2010 at 11:34 am
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Old May 9, 2010, 11:57 am
  #44  
mia
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Originally Posted by colonelwes
...two AMX cards issued by VA...
If this refers to the Virgin Atlantic American Express card, there's no suprise. This is an Amex-network card iissued by Bank of America. American Express has no knowledge of it, aside from what Bank of America reports to a credit bureau, and no authority to make any decision about it.

Last edited by mia; May 9, 2010 at 2:08 pm
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Old May 9, 2010, 12:54 pm
  #45  
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
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Originally Posted by skofarrell
AU's don't factor in.
Thanks for the reply. I suspected that was the case, but I didn't want to risk wasting an inquiry.
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