Last edit by: ChrisFlyer66
This is the Amex Blue thread for 2015. The previous 2013- 2014 megathread is here.
The 2016 thread is here.
Bonus category spending is now capped at $50,000 per year for new accounts. For now, this does not apply to existing cardholders, although Amex may continue to close accounts for excessive spend in bonus categories. There are reports that the new limits will apply to existing cardholders on the month containing your anniversary after March 1.
Oct 22, 2014 onwards: Many people getting cancellation email from Amex. As of June 11, 2015, shutdown reports continue.
Some who have been shutdown are reporting back that AMEX is declining new non-OBC card applications due to "unsatisfactory relationship". (However, see here for an example where reconsideration was successful.) It is unclear at this time the length/extent of this Adverse Action/Ban.
If AMEX sends you a cancellation it goes on your record as a cancellation by AMEX, not a cancellation by cardholder. While FICO score does not distinguish between closed by issuer and closed by cardholder, on manual review it may raise questions. However, issuers close cards for benign reasons as well (such as non-use) so unless several cards have been closed it probably won't cause a rejection by itself.
Excessive MS on this card may sever your ties with Amex.
Consider factors that may have led to these closures when sharing personal experiences.
If you still feel it is worth it:
Application Link: Copy & paste the following link into a incognito window in Chrome or InPrivate Browsing in IE, Private Session in Firefox. There have been reports of people who got the card in the last couple of months getting shut down because of the rush to spend the initial $6,500.
Do NOT post "Link isn't working" until you have tried it incognito/private browsing and it fails there.
Code:
https://www304.americanexpress.com/c...lue-cash/25330
Up to 5% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations & select U.S. drugstores (Everyday Purchases). Up to 1% Cash Back on other purchases. For your first $6,500¹ spend in a reward year², you will earn 1% on Everyday Purchases³ (5% after 6500⁴), and 0.5% on other purchases (then 1%).
0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months.
Eligible purchases do NOT include fees or interest charges, balance transfers, cash advances, purchases of travelers checks, purchases or reloading of prepaid cards, or purchases of other cash equivalents. Additional terms and restrictions apply. (Presume these T&Cs are standard and that all credit cards state this)
¹ First '$6,500' is spend on all purchases.
² 'Reward year' is the 12 billing periods in a row beginning with the one in which the anniversary of your Card Account occurs.
³ 'everyday purchases' refers to U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations & select U.S. drugstores, not all purchases.
⁴ 5% kicks in immediately after hitting $6500.(mid-statement). In fact, it will even kick in mid-purchase and a portion of the purchase will credit at the higher rate.
* Reward dollars for the previous statement period show up a day or two after the current statement period closes.
* Most cash back redemptions will be applied to your statement within 2–3 days.
* Helpful post regarding moving CL between cards. Thanks lad2
* How to Visually Distinguish the Three Types of Blue Cash Cards:
Blue Cash (old) has a "<" character to the left of the word CASH
Blue Cash Everyday has a circle to the right of the word CASH, with the "Everyday" wording at the back.
Blue Cash Preferred has the word PREFERRED printed vertically on the extreme left side.
If you get the error message "You cannot be logged in. Please contact the number on the back of your card." when trying to redeem Reward Dollars online, it may be because you have too many closed accounts still showing in your scrolling images of cards. Delete the closed ones, then try to redeem again.
The 2016 thread is here.
Bonus category spending is now capped at $50,000 per year for new accounts. For now, this does not apply to existing cardholders, although Amex may continue to close accounts for excessive spend in bonus categories. There are reports that the new limits will apply to existing cardholders on the month containing your anniversary after March 1.
Oct 22, 2014 onwards: Many people getting cancellation email from Amex. As of June 11, 2015, shutdown reports continue.
Some who have been shutdown are reporting back that AMEX is declining new non-OBC card applications due to "unsatisfactory relationship". (However, see here for an example where reconsideration was successful.) It is unclear at this time the length/extent of this Adverse Action/Ban.
If AMEX sends you a cancellation it goes on your record as a cancellation by AMEX, not a cancellation by cardholder. While FICO score does not distinguish between closed by issuer and closed by cardholder, on manual review it may raise questions. However, issuers close cards for benign reasons as well (such as non-use) so unless several cards have been closed it probably won't cause a rejection by itself.
Excessive MS on this card may sever your ties with Amex.
Consider factors that may have led to these closures when sharing personal experiences.
If you still feel it is worth it:
Application Link: Copy & paste the following link into a incognito window in Chrome or InPrivate Browsing in IE, Private Session in Firefox. There have been reports of people who got the card in the last couple of months getting shut down because of the rush to spend the initial $6,500.
Do NOT post "Link isn't working" until you have tried it incognito/private browsing and it fails there.
Code:
https://www304.americanexpress.com/c...lue-cash/25330
Up to 5% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations & select U.S. drugstores (Everyday Purchases). Up to 1% Cash Back on other purchases. For your first $6,500¹ spend in a reward year², you will earn 1% on Everyday Purchases³ (5% after 6500⁴), and 0.5% on other purchases (then 1%).
0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months.
Eligible purchases do NOT include fees or interest charges, balance transfers, cash advances, purchases of travelers checks, purchases or reloading of prepaid cards, or purchases of other cash equivalents. Additional terms and restrictions apply. (Presume these T&Cs are standard and that all credit cards state this)
¹ First '$6,500' is spend on all purchases.
² 'Reward year' is the 12 billing periods in a row beginning with the one in which the anniversary of your Card Account occurs.
³ 'everyday purchases' refers to U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations & select U.S. drugstores, not all purchases.
⁴ 5% kicks in immediately after hitting $6500.(mid-statement). In fact, it will even kick in mid-purchase and a portion of the purchase will credit at the higher rate.
* Reward dollars for the previous statement period show up a day or two after the current statement period closes.
* Most cash back redemptions will be applied to your statement within 2–3 days.
* Helpful post regarding moving CL between cards. Thanks lad2
* How to Visually Distinguish the Three Types of Blue Cash Cards:
Blue Cash (old) has a "<" character to the left of the word CASH
Blue Cash Everyday has a circle to the right of the word CASH, with the "Everyday" wording at the back.
Blue Cash Preferred has the word PREFERRED printed vertically on the extreme left side.
If you get the error message "You cannot be logged in. Please contact the number on the back of your card." when trying to redeem Reward Dollars online, it may be because you have too many closed accounts still showing in your scrolling images of cards. Delete the closed ones, then try to redeem again.
Old Amex Blue (2015)
#2
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: 212
Programs: Marriott Titanium, Hilton Gold, UA Silver
Posts: 502
Ref: XXXXXX638USD
Dear XXXXX,
Thank you for applying for the Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card. We value your membership and appreciate your interest in another American Express Card. We're writing to let you know we cannot approve your application at this time because American Express cancelled your previous accounts.
If you have any questions, please call 1-866-929-5162 or write to us at the address above. You may qualify for a new Card in the future and are welcome to submit an application at a later date. You can also learn more about managing your credit at americanexpress.com/consumerresources.
Thank you for your Card Membership.
Sincerely,
Andrew Skinner
VP Global New Accounts

#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Posts: 1,886
Did you have a balance of $0.00 on the OBC when you applied ?

#6
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Midwest
Programs: AA LT Gold 1MM ,Hyatt Explorist,Marriott Platinum,HHonors Diamond
Posts: 364
Seems YMMV. Got shut down 11/25 and just applied for SPG today but was rejected.
Ref: XXXXXX638USD
Dear XXXXX,
Thank you for applying for the Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card. We value your membership and appreciate your interest in another American Express Card. We're writing to let you know we cannot approve your application at this time because American Express cancelled your previous accounts.
If you have any questions, please call 1-866-929-5162 or write to us at the address above. You may qualify for a new Card in the future and are welcome to submit an application at a later date. You can also learn more about managing your credit at americanexpress.com/consumerresources.
Thank you for your Card Membership.
Sincerely,
Andrew Skinner
VP Global New Accounts
Ref: XXXXXX638USD
Dear XXXXX,
Thank you for applying for the Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card. We value your membership and appreciate your interest in another American Express Card. We're writing to let you know we cannot approve your application at this time because American Express cancelled your previous accounts.
If you have any questions, please call 1-866-929-5162 or write to us at the address above. You may qualify for a new Card in the future and are welcome to submit an application at a later date. You can also learn more about managing your credit at americanexpress.com/consumerresources.
Thank you for your Card Membership.
Sincerely,
Andrew Skinner
VP Global New Accounts
I did apply the same day my account was cancelled back in October and got the same letter and I assumed I was blacklisted and didn't bother in calling in,but there was no hard pull on my credit which means its an automatic generating letter response by AMEX for those accounts that got cancelled.
No harm in trying the recon route though.

#7
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,944
You may want to to call the recon number (not necessarily the number in the letter if there is a different one) and give it a try, someone was successful few weeks ago in getting the app approved after getting that letter.
I did apply the same day my account was cancelled back in October and got the same letter and I assumed I was blacklisted and didn't bother in calling in,but there was no hard pull on my credit which means its an automatic generating letter response by AMEX for those accounts that got cancelled.
No harm in trying the recon route though.
I did apply the same day my account was cancelled back in October and got the same letter and I assumed I was blacklisted and didn't bother in calling in,but there was no hard pull on my credit which means its an automatic generating letter response by AMEX for those accounts that got cancelled.
No harm in trying the recon route though.

#8
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Down South, The Desert
Programs: Marriot Rewards, Southwest Rapid rewards, Emerald Club, Avis Preferred
Posts: 1,871
I see folks on this thread are still poking the bear. I guess the diminished returns are worth it. Not sure that having all of your other accounts closed is worth it.

#9
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,944
Or having Amex send in their death squad to kill you and your family. Which has happened at about the same frequency as having all Amex accounts closed because of OBC closure.

#11
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Down South, The Desert
Programs: Marriot Rewards, Southwest Rapid rewards, Emerald Club, Avis Preferred
Posts: 1,871
Hence the phrase: poking the bear. Just because the bear hasn't eaten you yet, it doesn't mean that it's not coming.

#12
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,944
Amex could have closed all the cards easily enough at time of closure, as do most other issuers. They chose not to, and not sure why this would change. They can allow or deny new cards, CLIs without closing everything.
We get that OBC is now useless for you. Others find some utility.

#14
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Down South, The Desert
Programs: Marriot Rewards, Southwest Rapid rewards, Emerald Club, Avis Preferred
Posts: 1,871
But, you are making up a scenario out of absolutely nothing. Just because Amex hasn't given me $1M in compensation for the mental distress caused by closure, doesn't mean it isn't coming.
Amex could have closed all the cards easily enough at time of closure, as do most other issuers. They chose not to, and not sure why this would change. They can allow or deny new cards, CLIs without closing everything.
We get that OBC is now useless for you. Others find some utility.
Amex could have closed all the cards easily enough at time of closure, as do most other issuers. They chose not to, and not sure why this would change. They can allow or deny new cards, CLIs without closing everything.
We get that OBC is now useless for you. Others find some utility.

#15
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 57
Those that follow the thread will understand the post and agenda behind it.
