Apr 09, 2016 09:46 AM
35286 Views
I was approved for this card four months ago with a KC score of 730, almost 2 years of history, $60k income, perfect payment history and pay off cards each month. My initial credit line was$2, 000, which is a bit low if you're trying to stay below 20% utilization, but I just used it for groceries and gas starting out. AmEx has higher standards than most card issuers, and I was just glad to get approved with a short history. I have two other cards with$5k limits and used those for most other purchases. Last week, I called to request a credit limit increase(possible after 60 days of getting the card) and used the automated system to request a new CL of$6, 000. Five seconds later it was approved for triple my previous limit! Hint: when requesting a CLI, shoot high but not too high. If it's too low, you'll get approved but stuck with a lower limit than you could have got. If you shoot too high, you're out of luck anyway. I'm not expecting double or triple the next time around! I'll be using this card much more often now that I have a decent CL. My only complaint is that sometimes(especially with gas purchases), AmEx will put a large hold on your card until the purchase clears($125 hold for a$55 gas purchase). Not horrible, but kind of annoying.
Another thing I like about this card is the social media deals. I've synced my card with Facebook and Twitter and have already gotten some of the great deals offered($5 free at Redbox and$5 off of$10 spent at McD's!). Hard to beat good deals like that by just being an AmEx user.
Quick note: please don't review cards based solely on whether you were approved or not. Being denied doesn't necessarily make it a bad card, and being approved for a high CL doesn't necessarily make it a great card. Use the card for a while and then leave an informed review. Thanks!
