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Applying for a new credit card can be stressful, especially if you don’t get an immediate approval. The good news is that there are ways to check your application status while waiting for approval.
This post will cover everything you need to know about your American Express credit card application status and what to do if you aren’t approved immediately.
There are many reasons you might not get immediate approval on your American Express credit card application. Here are a few reasons why your approval could be delayed:
Hot Tip: If you are under 21 years old (without your parent’s permission), don’t have a Social Security number, or are unemployed, you most likely won’t be approved for an American Express credit card.
Each bank has different rules when it comes to applying for credit cards, and American Express is no exception. Here are a few “rules” you’ll want to keep in mind before applying for an American Express card.
You’ll only be approved for a maximum of 2 credit cards every rolling 90-day period.
You’ll only be approved for a maximum of 1 credit card every 5 rolling days.
American Express limits customers to having 5 or fewer credit cards at 1 time. This includes business cards but excludes charge cards (now just called “cards” by American Express). According to crowdsourced data, this limit can be as low as 4 cards, while some report it’s as high as 6.
Unlike other banks, American Express limits your eligibility to earn a welcome bonus to once per lifetime. This applies to each card individually, not necessarily families of cards. For example, if you’ve earned a welcome bonus on the American Express ® Gold Card, you could still earn a bonus on the American Express ® Business Gold Card.
In addition, Amex will sometime target cardholders for a product they’ve already had. These targeted offers will often exclude the “lifetime language” in the terms, meaning you’d be eligible for the welcome offer even though you’ve already earned it before. You’ll find these offers in the
Bottom Line: American Express has “rules” about how often you can apply for credit cards and how many credit cards you can hold at 1 time. Keep in mind these guidelines don’t apply to all cards (i.e. cards formerly called “charge card”). While there may be an occasional exception to these rules, most of the time, they will apply.
If you don’t get the instant credit card approval you were looking for, the easiest way to check your Amex application status is by using Amex’s online application status page.
If you prefer to speak to someone, call 877-239-3491 for personal cards and 800-567-1085 for business card applications. Amex’s general Customer Service line is 800-528-4800.
If your credit card application is pending or was declined, you can call 800-567-1083 to speak to a customer service representative about the decision. You may be able to provide more information to have your application decision reversed.
Applying for a credit card can be fun, but it can also be stressful if you don’t get immediate approval. The good news is that you can check your application status easily online or by phone.
Remember that not getting an instant approval doesn’t mean you’re automatically declined. Many factors go into a credit card application, so be patient during the process.
For rates and fees of the American Express ® Gold Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express ® Business Gold Card, click here.
You can check the status of your American Express credit card application by calling 877-239-3491 for personal cards or 800-567-1085 for business cards. You can also check your credit card application status online.
Many American Express credit card applications will be approved immediately. However, if your application status is pending it can take up to 60 days to get a decision. If that happens, you’ll be notified by mail once a decision is made.
The credit score required for American Express credit cards varies based on the card, but generally, you’ll want to shoot for a credit score that is over 700. If you have a low credit score you’ll want to work to increase it and you can also take a look at these credit cards for bad credit.
Yes, many times you’ll be instantly approved for an American Express credit card. You may even be eligible to get an instant credit card number so you can use your card right away.
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Katie has been in the points and miles game since 2015 and started her own blog in 2016. She’s been freelance writing since then and her work has been featured in publications like Travel + Leisure, Forbes Advisor, and Fortune Recommends.
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