American Express Membership Rewards - Starwood Amex: Second card on same account with SAME NAME possible?

Here's the deal - I have a Starwood Amex which I love. I use it for both business and personal expenses. I would like to get two separate cards IN MY NAME, both linked to the same account, so that I can easily split my personal and business expenses. I want the same account though so I only pay one annual fee and write one check per month.

My wife has a card on my account which works fine. I want a second card in my name on my account. I called Amex and spoke to customer service in India - they said impossible. Anybody know better? It shouldn't be that tough.

Maybe this belongs on the Indian call center thread. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif It seems silly that they couldn't do this for you.

Some things you can try:
1. Try doing it yourself on-line on the Amex website. It might work without human intervention.
2. See if you can use a middle initial on one card and your name without the initial on the other.
3. If you need to go through a phone rep, don't specifically mention the new card is for the same person. Other than the social security number, which they might not check, there's no way for them to know.

In Switzerland, it is possible:

You get a second AC card with the same name on the same account, for Platinium or Centurion member. I don t know what are the rules for the other card holders.

kooks.

Just got off the phone with Amex. I told them I wanted to add an additional cardmember and when they asked for the name, I gave them by name and simply said that I want a second card for business expenses. The CSR confirmed my info and seemed to have no problem with it. Told me that I should receive the second card in about 1-2 weeks. The best part is that I got a bonus 1000 starpoints for adding the additional card!

rkp,
did you do this through customer service in india? maybe i just need to keep calling until i get the right answer.

Yes, the CSR was located somewhere in India. The majority of the call was spent by him trying to see if I was eligible for the 1000 bonus starpoints per additional card promo. I insisted that I was as I already received 1 card with the 1000 bonus points. Once we straightened that out, he asked me the name for the new card and I gave my name to which he didn't even react. I wasn't sure so I casually stated that I wanted a second card for my business expenses. He took down my SS# and my DOB and that was it.

I will call a couple days from now and check the status. Hopefully, there isn't a check in the system for identical socials.

I had the same situation happen to me. But here is what I did to get it resolved:
I have the primary card in my name, you are allowed one additional card with the same social security number on the account but shorten your name such as Matt instead of Matthew. Then if you require a third card for yourself, then tell the rep that the person you are requesting it for doesn't have a social security number, and all you will need is a birthdate.

It is EASY to get a second card with your name on it by just using an initial instead of your first name, or adding a middle initial, or something of that ilk. Otherwise, they generally don't appear to intentionally allow identical names, simply because it can be confusing in CSR interactions.

I happen to have SEVERAL cards with EXACTLY the same names on them, due to an error by Amex doubling up my order. Each has a different account number, but exactly the same names. So it can be done, if you can get "someone" to do it for you.

Yes, the CSR was located somewhere in India. The majority of the call was spent by him trying to see if I was eligible for the 1000 bonus starpoints per additional card promo. I insisted that I was as I already received 1 card with the 1000 bonus points. Once we straightened that out, he asked me the name for the new card and I gave my name to which he didn't even react. I wasn't sure so I casually stated that I wanted a second card for my business expenses. He took down my SS# and my DOB and that was it.

I will call a couple days from now and check the status. Hopefully, there isn't a check in the system for identical socials.

Just wanted to give an update - I got the second card with my middle initial on it. Had no problem activating it and using it. So as 925 has said, just add a card with a slight difference in the name.

hey guys,
thanks for the help. after three phone calls to Amex and one failed Internet application, I managed to get a second card with my middle initial on it. Now i just have to wait 2-3 weeks to get it in the mail.

Thanks again for the help.