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.
#586
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,927
Amex USA 4 or 5 "Credit" Card Limit. (starting at post 521)
#587
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend; Moderator: American Express, Capital One, Citi, Chase, Credit Card Programs, Diners Club, Signatures
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,879
#588
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: NYC suburbs
Programs: UA LT Gold (BIS), AA LT Plat (CC SUBs & BD), Hilton Dia (CC), Hyatt Glob (BIB), et. al.
Posts: 3,227
(Wiki, Last edited by TravelingZoomer; Dec 31, 69 at 7:00 pm) 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
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
Wondering if the information in the Wiki is still considered to be correct and accurate:
10 charge cards, 4 lending (credit) cards (anecdotally possibly 5).
Thank you.
#589
Moderator: Hyatt; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: WAS
Programs: :rolleyes:, DL DM, Mlife Plat, Caesars Diam, Marriott Tit, UA Gold, Hyatt Glob, invol FT beta tester
Posts: 18,819
<digression>
A recent FT update hosed wiki functionality, which was then restored: Error Message when updating Wiki
but (what follows is my reading between the lines) because of migration to some new backend implementation, the last edit dates all got reset to 0. Zero gets interpreted as Dec 31, 1969 in e.g. US time zones because in many computer systems time is counted as number of elapsed seconds since January 1, 1970 UTC: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unix_time
</digression>
A recent FT update hosed wiki functionality, which was then restored: Error Message when updating Wiki
but (what follows is my reading between the lines) because of migration to some new backend implementation, the last edit dates all got reset to 0. Zero gets interpreted as Dec 31, 1969 in e.g. US time zones because in many computer systems time is counted as number of elapsed seconds since January 1, 1970 UTC: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unix_time
</digression>
#590
Join Date: Aug 2019
Posts: 282
#591
Join Date: Aug 2005
Programs: AA LTP, UA, DL, HH, Marriott/SPG
Posts: 584
Now, my NLL offers have dried up (I cant complain) but, Ive downgraded some of the biz plats and will start cancelling some of the others so I can get back below the 10-charge card limit
#592
Join Date: Jun 2022
Posts: 10
Already having 5 cards and hoping to get EveryDay. Should I cancel first?
I have 5 credit cards and the Gold charge card. I am hoping to close the Gold card but don't have another MR card to store my MR. Now I am considering getting ED or EDP. Should I apply first, cancel first, or something else?
#593
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,036
However, DO NOT do anything to your GOLD charge card until you definitely have an open ED or EDP. Keeping your Gold charge card will have no impact on your credit cards, and closing it before the ED or EDP is approved could be a disaster. Good Luck.
#595
Moderator, Argentina and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: MIA / EZE
Programs: Lord of Malbec & all Wines Argentine. AA EXP / Marriott Lifetime Silver / Hertz Presidents Circle
Posts: 35,677
Thanks... great thread. Just applied and got approved for a Blue Preferred Cash card and got a nice initial limit of $31K, which was great for what I was looking for (boost my available personal credit). Then followed up with an application for a Personal Gold Card and was also approved.... so I am a happy camper.
Next step is to get an AmEx Business Card for my company, but will first wait a few months to digest my other new business cards and earn the bonuses with the required spending... LOL
Cheers,
Alex / Gaucho100K
Next step is to get an AmEx Business Card for my company, but will first wait a few months to digest my other new business cards and earn the bonuses with the required spending... LOL
Cheers,
Alex / Gaucho100K
#596
Join Date: Jul 2005
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Starwood Platinum, AA, SW, Delta
Posts: 882
After opening several NLL Biz Gold and Plat accounts in the last year, I reached 10 charge cards. A few days before opening my 4th NLL Biz Plat, I had cancelled one that had the AF on It (no retention offers). When I applied for the next NLL Biz plat offer, I was automatically declined. When I called about it, agent explained the 10 charge card rule. I explained about the one I had cancelled a few days earlier. Once she verified it, she resubmitted app and got the approval a few hours later. Im also had 5 credit cards. I had a Delta Bus Reserve with no retention offer and decided instead of downgrading to the Gold version, just to apply for the Delta biz gold version and get the SUB. App was declined (reason - 5-card limit). I was told to cancel one and then they could reprocess. Cancelled the delta reserve biz, called back and a few hours later, Delta biz gold app was approved.
Now, my NLL offers have dried up (I cant complain) but, Ive downgraded some of the biz plats and will start cancelling some of the others so I can get back below the 10-charge card limit
Now, my NLL offers have dried up (I cant complain) but, Ive downgraded some of the biz plats and will start cancelling some of the others so I can get back below the 10-charge card limit
#597
Join Date: Jul 2005
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Starwood Platinum, AA, SW, Delta
Posts: 882
Easy answer....I also had 5 credit cards, and was hoping I would be one of the lucky ones that would be allowed to have 6, so I applied for a new credit card. However, the app went to pending, and was later denied. However, after I called in and closed one of my cards, the new app was immediately approved. You don't have anything to lose by applying for your 6th credit card.
However, DO NOT do anything to your GOLD charge card until you definitely have an open ED or EDP. Keeping your Gold charge card will have no impact on your credit cards, and closing it before the ED or EDP is approved could be a disaster. Good Luck.
However, DO NOT do anything to your GOLD charge card until you definitely have an open ED or EDP. Keeping your Gold charge card will have no impact on your credit cards, and closing it before the ED or EDP is approved could be a disaster. Good Luck.
#598
Join Date: Aug 2005
Programs: AA LTP, UA, DL, HH, Marriott/SPG
Posts: 584
Correct. Maybe it takes longer than a few days for all of Amex's systems to recognize a closed account. It took an agent to manually verify the closed account, do what needed to be done, resubmit and get the approval a few hours later.
#599
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Danville, CA, USA;
Programs: UA 1MM, WN CP, Marriott LT Plat, Hilton Gold, IC Plat
Posts: 15,651
Do AU cards count towards the limits? Normally we dont do AUs except on Biz accounts but will be adding to personal Plat account.
Addendum: FrequentMiler claims AU cards do NOT count (at least as of 2018):
https://frequentmiler.com/is-the-ame...rd-limit-gone/
Addendum: FrequentMiler claims AU cards do NOT count (at least as of 2018):
https://frequentmiler.com/is-the-ame...rd-limit-gone/
Last edited by Boraxo; Oct 24, 2023 at 2:19 pm
#600
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,036