Mar 30, 2015, 7:53 am
Last edit by: TravelingZoomer
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:
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:
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
Amex USA 4 or 5 "Credit" Card Limit.
Apr 22, 2020, 9:13 am
#513
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,958
Where are you reading? The credit card limit was four, now seems to be five for most people. Not aware of a formal limit on charge cards.
Apr 22, 2020, 9:19 am
#514
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: MSP
Programs: SAA, DL, BA, UA, IHG, SPG
Posts: 162
The *CREDIT* card limit is 4 (5 for some people). The rumored new limit is for charge cards - which is 10, but that's a new rumor as of this week, so it'll likely take some time before there's a clear answer on that front.
Apr 22, 2020, 9:22 am
#515
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Brooklyn
Programs: Delta Diamond, Bonvoy something good; sometimes other things too
Posts: 5,051
Does Amex even have enough different charge card products that it's possible to end up with more than 10 of them? I guess maybe there are some random co-brand cards (like Schwab and formerly Mercedes) that I'm forgetting about but still...
Apr 22, 2020, 9:24 am
#516
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Truth or Consequences, NM
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott Titanium, Hertz President's Circle, UA Silver, Mobile Passport Unobtanium
Posts: 6,195
Yes, I've read the same (probably at the same place you did) and found it amusing that AMEX is "limiting" charge cards to "only" ten.
Apr 22, 2020, 1:32 pm
#517
Join Date: Apr 2019
Posts: 33
Doctor of Credit recently posted on this too. Charge card limit is now 10 per person. Looks like some people with big spends in certain categories will sign up for multiple cards (and not get SUB because not able to) because they max out on certain categories on one card. Paying the AF seems to be worth it for these individuals. AMEX seems to be allowing it.
Apr 22, 2020, 1:41 pm
#518
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: MSP
Programs: SAA, DL, BA, UA, IHG, SPG
Posts: 162
Doctor of Credit recently posted on this too. Charge card limit is now 10 per person. Looks like some people with big spends in certain categories will sign up for multiple cards (and not get SUB because not able to) because they max out on certain categories on one card. Paying the AF seems to be worth it for these individuals. AMEX seems to be allowing it.
May 14, 2020, 6:32 pm
#519
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 9
AMEX 4 "lending product" limit?
I have personal Gold, Green, BCE and EveryDay card
a Hilton Honors Business Card
I tried to get an Amazon Business card today for my new business and was told I was at the maximum "lending product". Do they not differentiate between credit/charge at 4 max anymore? The recon line told me i'd need to cancel 2 cards to apply again.
Is this a recent change?
a Hilton Honors Business Card
I tried to get an Amazon Business card today for my new business and was told I was at the maximum "lending product". Do they not differentiate between credit/charge at 4 max anymore? The recon line told me i'd need to cancel 2 cards to apply again.
Is this a recent change?
May 15, 2020, 2:11 pm
#520
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Truth or Consequences, NM
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott Titanium, Hertz President's Circle, UA Silver, Mobile Passport Unobtanium
Posts: 6,195
I have personal Gold, Green, BCE and EveryDay card
a Hilton Honors Business Card
I tried to get an Amazon Business card today for my new business and was told I was at the maximum "lending product". Do they not differentiate between credit/charge at 4 max anymore? The recon line told me i'd need to cancel 2 cards to apply again.
Is this a recent change?
a Hilton Honors Business Card
I tried to get an Amazon Business card today for my new business and was told I was at the maximum "lending product". Do they not differentiate between credit/charge at 4 max anymore? The recon line told me i'd need to cancel 2 cards to apply again.
Is this a recent change?
Rep was probably not differentiating between charge and credit card products, the latter of which would be considered a "lending product."
May 15, 2020, 2:33 pm
#521
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 9
Quite probably a misinformed rep. While there are other reports of people being told the same thing you were, there are also plenty of reports that refute this (i.e., people with more charge/credit cards than you that were auto-approved for a new card.)
Rep was probably not differentiating between charge and credit card products, the latter of which would be considered a "lending product."
Rep was probably not differentiating between charge and credit card products, the latter of which would be considered a "lending product."
May 15, 2020, 3:09 pm
#522
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Truth or Consequences, NM
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott Titanium, Hertz President's Circle, UA Silver, Mobile Passport Unobtanium
Posts: 6,195
Out of curiosity, do you have the "Pay Over Time" function enabled on any of your charge cards? I'm wondering if that may function as a de facto reclassification in the AMEX system to a "lending product."
Edit: Here's a link to several reports that both mirror and refute your experience (scroll down about 1/4 page.)
"I have five Amex credit cards and six Amex charge cards. I was just approved for the Schwab platinum yesterday while still holding a personal Platinum, personal Gold, Business Green, Plum, Cash Magnet, Hilton Aspire, Hilton Surpass, Blue Business Cash, Lowe’s and Corporate Green. I don’t believe it."
https://old.reddit.com/r/churning/co...d_may_15_2020/
May 15, 2020, 4:58 pm
#523
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 9
Sounds as if it may be classifying your gold/green as "lending products".
Out of curiosity, do you have the "Pay Over Time" function enabled on any of your charge cards? I'm wondering if that may function as a de facto reclassification in the AMEX system to a "lending product."
Edit: Here's a link to several reports that both mirror and refute your experience (scroll down about 1/4 page.)
"I have five Amex credit cards and six Amex charge cards. I was just approved for the Schwab platinum yesterday while still holding a personal Platinum, personal Gold, Business Green, Plum, Cash Magnet, Hilton Aspire, Hilton Surpass, Blue Business Cash, Lowe’s and Corporate Green. I don’t believe it."
Out of curiosity, do you have the "Pay Over Time" function enabled on any of your charge cards? I'm wondering if that may function as a de facto reclassification in the AMEX system to a "lending product."
Edit: Here's a link to several reports that both mirror and refute your experience (scroll down about 1/4 page.)
"I have five Amex credit cards and six Amex charge cards. I was just approved for the Schwab platinum yesterday while still holding a personal Platinum, personal Gold, Business Green, Plum, Cash Magnet, Hilton Aspire, Hilton Surpass, Blue Business Cash, Lowe’s and Corporate Green. I don’t believe it."
May 16, 2020, 4:53 pm
#524
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: SFO/LAX/SAN/LAS/DFW/JFK/LGA/EWR/MIA
Posts: 1,073
sounds like you already got your answer on reddit? just HUCA and verify. maybe amex credit card max is now 4 (not surprising), but it shouldnt impact you. you only have 2 charge and 3 credit. rep was wrong. but imagine a world where amex only allows you 4 CC total across everything (charge/credit/personal/biz). thats crazy talk. amex would be taking a shutgun to the face by doing that. its a well known fact that the consumer CC business model is a massive profit center for banks. theres a reason why walmart said FU to synch. only a bank like chase can afford the 5/24 rule.
Last edited by GundamWing01; May 16, 2020 at 5:06 pm
