mia

What was your history with American Express with previous cards? Did you close any cards less than 12 months after opening? Did you open cards, make spend for bonus, and then stop using?

Ceech Hsu

Currently, I have 2 active cards. In my account, I have a closed account due to inactivity. However, the closed card was closed before I got my Gold and Business Plus cards. I did close 2 none Amex cards less than 12 months after opening. You think that is the reason?

mia

The algorithm apparently looks at your entire* American Express history, not just the cards that are opened now. I do think that a history of opening cards and not using them (closed due to inactivity) and closing in less than 12 months could disqualify a bonus. I think the only solution is to keep using your two current cards, and periodically apply again. Also, some people have reported seeing the pop-up for one card, but not another. You might qualify now for a bonus on a different card.

*There is probably a cut off date. Might be seven years, we have no data.

Ceech Hsu

thanks for the advice. i'll keep trying.

Cricket9

I am getting the dreaded pop up when applying for the Schwab Platinum card. Here is my history with Amex.

• Long 35+ history. All this time I had at least one Amex card.
• Currently have 4 open Amex cards.
• Spending for last 5+ years is between $10K to $15K across all Amex cards. All organic spend, no MS.
• Haven't called for retention for last 2 years.
• Last new card with SUB was opened in Oct. 2018.
• Last card upgraded with SUB was in Dec. 2018
• I have 6 Amex cards closed in last 6 years including the 2 closed by Amex when they lost contract for those cards (Costco and JetBlue)
• 2 cards were closed 13 months after opening.
• 1 card was closed in August 2016, 10 months after opening - Probably the main cause of pop up.
• 1 card was closed in January of this year after keeping it open for 3 years - Maybe also contributing to the pop as it was a recent close

I had several upgrade offers with decreasing SUB on my PRG to upgrade to Vanilla platinum. 60,000 MR in early 2019. 25,000 MR mid 2019. Current offer is to upgrade to Platinum for no SUB. I have had the platinum card before, closing it after 13 months.

calculus1918

Could I get some help from experts here?

Currently, I have 5 Amex personal cards:
1. Amex Blue (Free No Annual Fee)
2. Amex Everyday (Free No Annual Fee)
3. Hilton Ascend
4. Amex Bonvoy
5. Amex Bonvoy Brilliant

I would like to get the Amex Bonvoy Business because they recently added another 15 elite nights to the card (you can earn 30 total elite nights) toward the status. I tried to apply for it, but the dreaded pop up came up during my application. I called the agent and they tried it and the same thing happened. When we talked to a rep, their reason was that we closed too many cards in the last year.

I closed two Chase Southwest cards last October, and nothing else in the last 2 years.

What is the reason for this popup? Is it because I have 5 personal cards already (that's my hunch from watching the Ask Sebby and Credit Shifu videos), but the agent insisted that wasn't the case and it's because I closed too many cards (only 2 in the last year). Or should I be putting some heavy spending on my Amex cards over the next few months and try again?

Thanks for your feedback, would love to get those extra 15 elite nights.

bgriff

I believe you can only have 5 Amex credit (not charge) cards, whether personal or business, and it appears you already have those, so I think if you went through with the application it would be rejected anyway. But you might also be in the position where Amex has deemed you bonus-ineligible, even if you were able to open the new card. Which is doubly tricky because Amex has indicated possibly you've closed too many cards, but in order to open this new card, you would have to close yet another card first. (I think, but am not 100% sure, that you can't product change your existing personal Bonvoy Amexes to a business Bonvoy Amex.)

Considering that Marriott is highly likely to offer some sort of status extension this year, and no one is likely to be doing a ton of travel in the near future anyway, I would ease off on your urgency to get the business Bonvoy -- the new extra 15 elite nights are a permanent (until changed anyway) feature so really no rush to get them now -- and focus on "repairing" your relationship with Amex. Which includes making sure at least a token amount of spend goes on each of your cards each month, and then eventually closing one of your existing cards to make room for a 5th credit card. Just a gut feel, I'd say you should aim to close a card no sooner than 12 months after your most recent other closure, and then give it 6 months or more after that before you look to open another card.

mia

The popup tells you that you are ineligible for a new account bonus. The 5 credit card rule make you ineligible to open a new card account. The popup does not prevent you from applying for another card, but you will not receive a bonus. You will need to close one of your American Express credit cards to have the application approved.

calculus1918

Thanks for the detailed tip. I am guessing this is the strategy going forward:

1. Put extra spend on all of the 5 AMEX cards
2. Close the Amex Blue (not really useful to me except the age of the credit history).
3. Wait about 6 months and then apply for the Amex Business again?

Appreciate it guys, hope everyone and their families are safe and healthy!!!

mia

Which Blue card is it? (There are a half dozen possibilities.)
What is the benefit to holding two personal Marriott cards issued by American Express?

calculus1918

The Blue Card is the Blue Cash Everyday.

The reason for the multiple Marriott cards is for the free annual night certificate. I would be happy to pay the annual fee just for the free night in other parts of the world.

navatwal

I have the Amex Business Platinum card which I have had for around 6 months and received a welcome bonus.

Due to the current environment I see no value in keeping the card, If I cancel or downgrade the card are AMEX likely to claw back the bonus points? If so what would be the best way to avoid that scenario.

travelogue

Hi mia, Im afraid did exactly the things that you listed, with two Amex cards. Closed one Nov 2017, and the other Oct 2019. Wondering how long I will have to wait before Amex would grant me another sign up bonus? Or have I been blacklisted indefinitely? If so, are there any strategies anyone has found to get back onto good ground with Amex and reinstate eligibility for bonuses?

Diplomatico

Since you've already paid the annual fee, hold onto the card for one year and then cancel or downgrade.

If you cancel or downgrade prior to that, you risk bonus clawback plus becoming ineligible for sign-up bonuses on other cards.

mia

These are the terms of the offer that you accepted when you applied:

...and the algorithm may code your account to make you ineligible for future new account bonuses.

There is also no assurance you would receive any refund of the Business Platinum annual fee.