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Amex Credit Review for New Customers

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  • Ebe_Scrooge
    Ebe_Scrooge Posts: 7,320 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    plh56 said:

    What do you mean by see other accounts, I have no other Amex accounts?
    They will be able to see any other credit card accounts - indeed, any other credit facilities that are available to you - via your credit report.

    plh56 said:
    it looks like I will have to keep my other card as a backup
    It's always prudent to have at least 2 cards available, in case one of them gets blocked for whatever reason (even something as innocuous as an IT glitch).

    plh56 said:
    it's already caused our weekly food shop payment to get declined too now.


    Could you not have just used a debit card to buy food when the CC was declined?

    Yes, this is all a tad inconvenient, but hardly the end of the world - and it's unwise in any situation to rely on a single payment method when trying to buy things.

  • born_again
    born_again Posts: 20,393 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Fifth Anniversary Name Dropper
    plh56 said:
    Hi @born_again,
    Yes oops typo there, I did mean American Express of course :smile:

    What do you mean by see other accounts, I have no other Amex accounts? 
    I got this cashback card to replace a John Lewis one as they're closing it down soon, I have always paid it back in full since getting it years ago. If they were worried I'd be happy to show them but they've only asked or 2 months of bank statements which won't help them at all.
    The thing I don't get is that they already carried out a review just weeks ago when I applied, nothing has changed in the very short time since then, not even had a statement or a chance to pay them the first month back yet, so I don't understand how they can do a review of any use this soon.

    Not just Amex but also any other bank & CC you may have. 
    Life in the slow lane
  • plh56
    plh56 Posts: 59 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary 10 Posts Name Dropper
    plh56 said:

    What do you mean by see other accounts, I have no other Amex accounts?
    They will be able to see any other credit card accounts - indeed, any other credit facilities that are available to you - via your credit report.

    plh56 said:
    it looks like I will have to keep my other card as a backup
    It's always prudent to have at least 2 cards available, in case one of them gets blocked for whatever reason (even something as innocuous as an IT glitch).

    plh56 said:
    it's already caused our weekly food shop payment to get declined too now.


    Could you not have just used a debit card to buy food when the CC was declined?

    Yes, this is all a tad inconvenient, but hardly the end of the world - and it's unwise in any situation to rely on a single payment method when trying to buy things.

    Oh I see, yes via credit report of course.
    For out and about (after JL card closes) I would still have my debit card as as a backup if needed. But I'm not fortunate enough to be able to keep spare money in my bank account just incase of an IT glitch of something as times are hard. But I have an overdraft so I'm covered but it will use my overdraft so charge a little but that's fine for emergencies for a one-time thing but I just don't like the idea of having to do that for days at a time for reviews that is entirely avoidable if they just did them in a less disruptive way.
    The food shop was a weekly online delivery, and it had already gone past the last time available to edit that particular delivery (including the card source). Of course I was able to change it for another delivery, but it highlights the issue of cutting a card off without any warning as I had no chance to edit the payment source in time as they did not tell me about the review.

    I will get another credit card to use as a backup to this one to avoid this being an issue in future but I am disappointed with the way Amex do this, they could make it so much better, for example only decline transactions that are unusual for me (such as places I don't usually shop at or if it is a higher value), I stand by my opinion that cutting it off without warning for days/weeks for each review is not customer friendly and there must be a better way as other card companies seem to be able to do credit reviews without this disruption
  • I’ve had Amex since 2016, so 7 years now. This is 2 uk accounts and 1 US account. In that time I’ve triggered 5 account reviews. What I have learnt: 

    1. 3 of the times the account was frozen as soon as I tried to view the PIN within the app. Like hit view pin and it said your account is suspended, call us. So I’d say viewing the pin within the app is definitely a contributing factor. 

    2. Whilst allowing the Amex app to “always” view my location I never had an account review - that was literally for 4 straight years. During that time I viewed the pin a few times in the app no problem. 

    When I changed it to never, and then viewed the pin, it triggered. Then at some stage iOS came up and said Amex has used your location x billion (ok exaggeration) times. So I did what iOS suggested, I set it to “only when using the app.” I went to the esso, and it declined, so I logged in and checked my emails (nothing obvious on account review). To try and remedy I went into freeze card, froze and unfroze, and then finger fudged view pin. It was like “your account is suspended.” 

    3. I changed the location to not use my precise location but kept it on always. Bam, account review. 

    4. Another time, in the iOS location settings I turned off significant locations as someone convinced me it was tracking me. I also turned off some things like Apple Pay merchant identification. Account review. 

    I can conclude, hitting view pin, and/or not allowing location access (or at least changing it) is a trigger. I guess it makes sense in that amex use that feature to track fraud and if your device is in Kenya and you’re using the Amex in Kenya. They know it’s you. So perhaps the risk factor goes up, when the user doesn’t share location data transparently. At this point I’m just making a guess, maybe they try to validate your address and status by requesting bank statements with an employers payments. With location access it’s clear I’m sat on my fat !!!!!! in the corporate office facility, and then laying in the same spot on my couch eating nachos and watching Netflix until approx 2am. 

    5. The only other trigger is on my charge card if I do the view spending power, and check it until it says “sorry you can only check so many times in a day” - I got a review. 

    In terms of the check, full transparency here. I was in a DMP at the start of the card, I’m sure I was only approved as I did it via the “global transfer” so they evaluated my US credit not my UK, and offered a uk card on that basis (whilst I had a DMP here). I’m going to guess they didn’t run my uk credit. 

    Anyway, the triggers worried me given I was in a DMP. I thought this is game over! I sent the 2 bank statements, and accidentally sent them 2 wrong files. They called me and were like “we got two Amazon invoices not two bank statements.” I emailed over whilst on the phone, lady confirmed receipt, this was around noon. Later that day, around 9pm, email stated the cards can be used again. 

    I did ask the lady if the phone settings could trigger and she said “they don’t discuss specific details but in her “personal” experience “changing settings from what most people accept and turning off background app refresh to be only on wifi may be a pattern.” 

    Since having location all turned on, + background app refresh on wifi and mobile swats, and not checking pin or spending limit - no account review (1.5 years approx now). Go figure. 

    I don’t think they run any credit on these checks at all. I think it’s your classic American style mindset of “everything is paper based and we still love a cheque” which means manually looking at the statement. Classic America. :)
  • JCS1
    JCS1 Posts: 5,335 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    This thread is from Sept 2022
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