Amex Questions

[david_weaver]

This weekend will mark the one-year anniversary on my Gold Delta Amex, CL $5000. Never had an increase, and never requested one due to my overall utilization being off the charts this year. So once all my massive payments to Amex and other finish cycling through this week, and my utilization plunges, I was going to finally try for a CLI.

 

Of course, no decision is that easy, right?

 

Do I simply go for a CLI, or do I try to PC from Delta Gold to Delta Platinum? If I do decide to PC, will there automatically be a consideration of a new limit, or will I have to also ask for that? Basically, does it make sense to do a CLI request first, and THEN a PC, or the other way around, or to do both at the same time?

 

I had a FR at the end of July. Assuming I am OK with a CLI or PC (which would tell me nothing about the FR scared them or pissed them off), I would like to add another Amex. With already having Delta, and with using Marriott as my exclusive hotel, none of the other airline/hotel cards would interest me. Any suggestions on what might be a good one to add?

 

Finally, as noted, card anniversary is this weekend. If I am going for a new card, is there any difference between applying now or waiting until January 2015, or would either new card show 2013 and it would not matter?

 

As always, thanks!

 

[ubercat]

Delete. Mendel explained it better.

Edited October 25, 2014 by ubercat

[david_weaver]

Got it. I knew I had previously viewed a post about someone waiting until January (or applying December 31 to get 2014 promo and hoping it said 2015) and I could not understand why? I assumed it went by year, but your explanation makes sense. So basically, if I wait until January, both cards would in effect be two years old as it would be January 2015 and they would date to January 2013? Nice.

[Repairerer]

If you wait until January, new card will be January 2013. If you do it soon, new card might be October/November 2013, almost a year younger.

 

Which card depends where your spend is. Air and hotel are spoken for, what about groceries?

[Platystemon]

nevermind

 

 

Edited October 25, 2014 by Platystemon

[mendelssohn]

I can't answer all of your questions, but I'll add what I can.

 

Once you get your utilization down, you need to wait for it to report to the CRAs, and Amex won't see it until they soft your report.

 

If none of the other cards interest you, there's no reason to add more, unless you just want a signup bonus. In that case, you might consider the PRG and you could transfer the MR points to Delta. There's no AF in year 1.

 

After you have an Amex "Member Since" date, they generate the reported date opened the following way:

 

Month: taken from the month the new account was opened.

Year: matches the "Member Since" date.

 

For example, with your 2013 date, a card opened in January 2015 would report as being opened in January 2013. A card opened in October 2014 would report as being opened in October 2013.

 

To maximize a young date, it's recommended to apply for new Amex cards in January.

Edited October 25, 2014 by mendelssohn

[david_weaver]

Repairerer: I do not really have a designated card for gas/groceries. I usually go by due date. For example, my Cap1 just closed on 24th. If I were buying groceries or gas today, I would use that, as I would have until the 21st to pay. So it would make sense to have a card that gave rewards on those categories.

 

Mendelssohn: Would that apply to an upgrade as new card, or is an upgrade technically a new card? For example, if I upgrade now from Gold to Platinum, new card would be 10/13 same as old card. If I upgrade in January, would new card be 10/13 like the card it replaced, or 1/13? If the latter, I will absolutely wait.

[ubercat]

nevermind

 

Yeah. I got it confused. Edited it away for clarity.

[david_weaver]

And yes, the waiting for reports to update is what is killing me. Several of the huge payments were on Chase cards, which updated immediately since it reduced the balances to zero. Amex closed yesterday so statement reflects that pay-down although not hitting reports yet. I do have several revolvers with balances as they are no-interest (Sync Home Design Furniture, Citi Thank You, Lowe's, Chase Slate) that also closed this week and show large payments, although not pay-offs. Depending on report, they all typically hit reports between 27th-30th. Amex usually softs sometime this week after statement closing, between 26th-30th.

[Platystemon]

 

nevermind

 

Yeah. I got it confused. Edited it away for clarity.

 

 

Perfect interpretation!

 

[mendelssohn]

Repairerer: I do not really have a designated card for gas/groceries. I usually go by due date. For example, my Cap1 just closed on 24th. If I were buying groceries or gas today, I would use that, as I would have until the 21st to pay. So it would make sense to have a card that gave rewards on those categories.

 

Mendelssohn: Would that apply to an upgrade as new card, or is an upgrade technically a new card? For example, if I upgrade now from Gold to Platinum, new card would be 10/13 same as old card. If I upgrade in January, would new card be 10/13 like the card it replaced, or 1/13? If the latter, I will absolutely wait.

I'm not sure if it would apply to an upgrade/downgrade, but I doubt that it would since you are modifying an existing account, not opening a new account.

 

If you don't have a card specifically for groceries and you want Delta miles, I'd recommend the Amex Everyday Preferred for groceries. The AF is $95, but you get 3x points for the first $6K in groceries and 2x points for gas. If you use it 30 times in a month, which isn't hard to do if you split up purchases, you get a 50% bonus. That makes it 4.5x for groceries and 3x for gas. That's 27K MR points for the first $6K in groceries. If your grocery bill isn't that high, buy gift cards.

[david_weaver]

I could definitely use it 30x in a month. I typically do one round of grocery shopping for staples. But I stop almost every day and but meat/fish/veggies fresh, whatever is going into that night's dinner. I normally spend $400 or so a month, so I am sure I could find that extra hundred with gift cards to places I would have normally just paid for. Great advice! Thanks.

[mendelssohn]

I could definitely use it 30x in a month. I typically do one round of grocery shopping for staples. But I stop almost every day and but meat/fish/veggies fresh, whatever is going into that night's dinner. I normally spend $400 or so a month, so I am sure I could find that extra hundred with gift cards to places I would have normally just paid for. Great advice! Thanks.

 

That's my future MR point card with Amex since they are getting rid of the 15K bonus for $30K spend on the PRG.

[shifter]

My wife tried for a 61 day CLI today and got the 6 month message as I expected.

 

I was hoping they changed something but alas.

 

Stuck with the pay-every-week 5k CL for another 2 months.