"Which Bureau?"
SkyPoints Credit Card from Delta and American Express Review
Written by: theo on 2007-07-12
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theo's review: 
Just found this site (recommended by my sister). When this site says "recommended FICO score," which bureau are they referring to? TransUnion, Equifax, or Experian? Also, which bureau does AMEX pull from? Which AMEX card is the easiest to get approved for? Thanks all. I really need your help!
Just found this site (recommended by my sister). When this site says "recommended FICO score," which bureau are they referring to? TransUnion, Equifax, or Experian? Also, which bureau does AMEX pull from? Which AMEX card is the easiest to get approved for? Thanks all. I really need your help!
11 Comments
Comment 1 by rick
*theo 
on 2007-07-13
Equifax is the one AMEX pulled mine from. Which is my lowest. I got the AMEX one card last October and my FICO was around 630-635 at the time. Good luck!
on 2007-07-13 Equifax is the one AMEX pulled mine from. Which is my lowest. I got the AMEX one card last October and my FICO was around 630-635 at the time. Good luck!Comment 2 by eric
*Theo* on 2007-07-14
Hey Theo... My score was pulled from equifax too. I applied for the One American Express and was denied even though my FICO is 655. I was approved for the Jet Blue Business AMEX with a $6k line of credit. I would apply for the Jet Blue AMEX personal if you don't have a small business.
on 2007-07-14 Hey Theo... My score was pulled from equifax too. I applied for the One American Express and was denied even though my FICO is 655. I was approved for the Jet Blue Business AMEX with a $6k line of credit. I would apply for the Jet Blue AMEX personal if you don't have a small business.Comment 3 by meya
Denied on 2007-07-23
Well Eric, they turned me downed like a hot potatoe. They pulled experian from me and said that my utilization was too high. Hell, I just came back from vacation 2 months ago and I am payig that down but I never even used 50% of the funds. My son two medical bills are from 2002 and they don't even total $400, they used that against me. My goodness, I have 12 accounts that have been in good standing for over 5 years. Oh one more thing, they said I have one 60 day past due from the past... That was from my car note back in 2001 which is paid in full as of 2005! Never filed bankruptcy... Man... Amex can kiss my... Nah I better not say that because I am not mad at them, just frustrated due to hard inquiry. Something told me to wait till next year, but nooooooo I just had to be greedy.
on 2007-07-23 Well Eric, they turned me downed like a hot potatoe. They pulled experian from me and said that my utilization was too high. Hell, I just came back from vacation 2 months ago and I am payig that down but I never even used 50% of the funds. My son two medical bills are from 2002 and they don't even total $400, they used that against me. My goodness, I have 12 accounts that have been in good standing for over 5 years. Oh one more thing, they said I have one 60 day past due from the past... That was from my car note back in 2001 which is paid in full as of 2005! Never filed bankruptcy... Man... Amex can kiss my... Nah I better not say that because I am not mad at them, just frustrated due to hard inquiry. Something told me to wait till next year, but nooooooo I just had to be greedy. Comment 4 by theo
Re: Back In The Fold... on 2007-08-01
Got the card in the mail yesterday, but no info on which bureau they pulled from.
on 2007-08-01 Got the card in the mail yesterday, but no info on which bureau they pulled from.Comment 5 by brian
Those With An Amex Affinity on 2007-08-01
Amex is exclusively Experian. The general Amex formula for approval; you need good income, low utilization, and no recent negative marks(<2 years). If you are rejected based on anything other than the above, you should call in and ask to be reconsidered, although verification of your information is to be expected(income). The easiest cards to get for Amex would be in this general order for the more popular cards; Delta, Jetblue, One, Blue, Blue Rewards, Clear. The best thing to remember is that the cards with the high annual fees are the easiest to get and as that fee goes down and dissappears and the APR goes down, those cards are harder to get. Lastly about AMEX, they consider themselves the "crme de la crme " of credit cards so they will pay attention to your account moreso than others with the exception of chase. If you carry a consistent balance, these two are very opportunistic in adjusting your limit to suit there needs in terms of lower their risk of you defaulting on your account. Minimum payers would do themselves a service by looking elsewhere.
on 2007-08-01 Amex is exclusively Experian. The general Amex formula for approval; you need good income, low utilization, and no recent negative marks(<2 years). If you are rejected based on anything other than the above, you should call in and ask to be reconsidered, although verification of your information is to be expected(income). The easiest cards to get for Amex would be in this general order for the more popular cards; Delta, Jetblue, One, Blue, Blue Rewards, Clear. The best thing to remember is that the cards with the high annual fees are the easiest to get and as that fee goes down and dissappears and the APR goes down, those cards are harder to get. Lastly about AMEX, they consider themselves the "crme de la crme " of credit cards so they will pay attention to your account moreso than others with the exception of chase. If you carry a consistent balance, these two are very opportunistic in adjusting your limit to suit there needs in terms of lower their risk of you defaulting on your account. Minimum payers would do themselves a service by looking elsewhere. Comment 6 by theo
Re: Brian And AMEX Affinity on 2007-08-04
Great info on the AMEX. Just for clarification, what would be the best way to get AMEX to increase my SkyPoints limit? Right now, it is $1,000. Would it be a good idea to charge $500-700 each month and pay off the balance at the end of the month? A different amount perhaps? If that is the case, about how long will it take for AMEX to increase my limit? What $ amount increments are they likely to increase it and in what timeframe? If I am off base, please let me know what a better strategy would be to get AMEX to increase my limit. Thanks all.
on 2007-08-04 Great info on the AMEX. Just for clarification, what would be the best way to get AMEX to increase my SkyPoints limit? Right now, it is $1,000. Would it be a good idea to charge $500-700 each month and pay off the balance at the end of the month? A different amount perhaps? If that is the case, about how long will it take for AMEX to increase my limit? What $ amount increments are they likely to increase it and in what timeframe? If I am off base, please let me know what a better strategy would be to get AMEX to increase my limit. Thanks all.Comment 7 by meya
Re:Theo on 2007-08-04
Hey Theo, you can get all the information you want about this card at www.Creditboards.com. There are people in there that are masters about Amex, you should hear the rules and regulations about them. Once you post, there ARE THOUSANDS of members who just jump in immediatley and begin answering your post. Even the administrator responds back to you along with strategies to use regarding your questions. Bankrupt and credit forum is the #1 topics. Some of the people in there will have you rolling on the ground. The only problem is that you will be a newbie for about a week or two but your post will be heard. The second problem is learning how to run their boards, I am still having a hard time with it but it is now comming all together. Do me a favor and sign up for the IM in here so that we can all conversate and answer each other questions. Use the name you use here "Theo" as your username so that you will be easy to find. Mines is Meya and Eric is found the same way. Add us to your buddie list and you can leave us messages. Even though the other board has a lot of members, you BETTER stay right here with us... Lmao
on 2007-08-04 Hey Theo, you can get all the information you want about this card at www.Creditboards.com. There are people in there that are masters about Amex, you should hear the rules and regulations about them. Once you post, there ARE THOUSANDS of members who just jump in immediatley and begin answering your post. Even the administrator responds back to you along with strategies to use regarding your questions. Bankrupt and credit forum is the #1 topics. Some of the people in there will have you rolling on the ground. The only problem is that you will be a newbie for about a week or two but your post will be heard. The second problem is learning how to run their boards, I am still having a hard time with it but it is now comming all together. Do me a favor and sign up for the IM in here so that we can all conversate and answer each other questions. Use the name you use here "Theo" as your username so that you will be easy to find. Mines is Meya and Eric is found the same way. Add us to your buddie list and you can leave us messages. Even though the other board has a lot of members, you BETTER stay right here with us... Lmao Comment 8 by brian
Re: Theo From Brian on 2007-08-06
Hey Theo, the best way to get a quick increase from Amex or most cards for that matter with a 1k limit is to use about 95% the limit and pay it off. You said you can pay 500-700 each month, if you can't do the 950 then let that balance roll over, pay about double the minimum for that 1st month and bank the payoff money. Next month, charge up to 950 and use the banked payoff money from the previous month and payoff the card completely. The purpose of this is show that you can payoff the limit in one payment if you want to. By showing them that you can handle the entire limit all at once is a signal to them that your limit may be too low. If you only do half of your limit, they may feel that you have reservations on the last half of the limit and you may be exactly where you are supposed to be with your existing limit. Next month charge the 500, and send the payoff in a day or two after the statement comes out. Give Amex a call and request an increased limit. Most cards will consider for increases after 3months. Let the rep know you are grateful for the 1k limit but it is really easy to payoff the balance and want to make AMEX your #1 credit card so you'd need an increased limit. They will look at your payment history and consider you. If you are denied the first time, they will put on file that you requested an increase and monitor your account going forward for increases. Some misconceptions about Credit Cards people have is that carrying a balance is bad. No! Carrying a balance that you cannot pay for is bad. Credit card companies make money off of the people who carry balances, they encourage you to carry a balance, APRs are generated off the money earned on a balance. Why lend someone 500, if they pay you back 500? You are better off putting that money in the bank instead and earn interest. If you lend someone 500 and they pay you back 600, then that is good business. This is the mindset of credit card companies. Sometimes as a consumer you have to give a little to get a little. Let them get a couple of dollars off of that balance a month or two a year so you can get your limit increased. Finally, just remember your limit says 1k but never charge that much, fees and finance charges can make you go over the limit and default on your APR and ruin your chances for limit increases. After a year of good payment history you may be eligible for an annual fee waiver going into your second year with the card. At the 12 month mark, payoff your balance and give Amex a call and asked that the annual fee be waived, you've been receiving offers in the mail for no-annual fee cards that you are considering. Voila, they will show you how much they appreciate you as a customer and you'll be $49 richer.
on 2007-08-06 Hey Theo, the best way to get a quick increase from Amex or most cards for that matter with a 1k limit is to use about 95% the limit and pay it off. You said you can pay 500-700 each month, if you can't do the 950 then let that balance roll over, pay about double the minimum for that 1st month and bank the payoff money. Next month, charge up to 950 and use the banked payoff money from the previous month and payoff the card completely. The purpose of this is show that you can payoff the limit in one payment if you want to. By showing them that you can handle the entire limit all at once is a signal to them that your limit may be too low. If you only do half of your limit, they may feel that you have reservations on the last half of the limit and you may be exactly where you are supposed to be with your existing limit. Next month charge the 500, and send the payoff in a day or two after the statement comes out. Give Amex a call and request an increased limit. Most cards will consider for increases after 3months. Let the rep know you are grateful for the 1k limit but it is really easy to payoff the balance and want to make AMEX your #1 credit card so you'd need an increased limit. They will look at your payment history and consider you. If you are denied the first time, they will put on file that you requested an increase and monitor your account going forward for increases. Some misconceptions about Credit Cards people have is that carrying a balance is bad. No! Carrying a balance that you cannot pay for is bad. Credit card companies make money off of the people who carry balances, they encourage you to carry a balance, APRs are generated off the money earned on a balance. Why lend someone 500, if they pay you back 500? You are better off putting that money in the bank instead and earn interest. If you lend someone 500 and they pay you back 600, then that is good business. This is the mindset of credit card companies. Sometimes as a consumer you have to give a little to get a little. Let them get a couple of dollars off of that balance a month or two a year so you can get your limit increased. Finally, just remember your limit says 1k but never charge that much, fees and finance charges can make you go over the limit and default on your APR and ruin your chances for limit increases. After a year of good payment history you may be eligible for an annual fee waiver going into your second year with the card. At the 12 month mark, payoff your balance and give Amex a call and asked that the annual fee be waived, you've been receiving offers in the mail for no-annual fee cards that you are considering. Voila, they will show you how much they appreciate you as a customer and you'll be $49 richer. Comment 9 by eric
RE: Brian on 2007-08-07
Hey Brian
You are right. Their is nothing wrong with carrying a balance everyone. Its the balances that arent being paid on is the bad thing. I have the Jet Blue Business card from AMEX and Ive got a $6k limit and I have had it for 2 1/2 months. Now I have a $3k balance on it. A few transfer balances and I bought some product and supplies for my small business. My first payment was $1k and my last payment was $500. Now recently Ive been backed up in product because I was buying so much with my AMEX. So recently I put away my AMEX until this winter once my balance is $1k or less. Also Im going to use your advise on the annual fee. Thanks Eric
on 2007-08-07 Hey BrianYou are right. Their is nothing wrong with carrying a balance everyone. Its the balances that arent being paid on is the bad thing. I have the Jet Blue Business card from AMEX and Ive got a $6k limit and I have had it for 2 1/2 months. Now I have a $3k balance on it. A few transfer balances and I bought some product and supplies for my small business. My first payment was $1k and my last payment was $500. Now recently Ive been backed up in product because I was buying so much with my AMEX. So recently I put away my AMEX until this winter once my balance is $1k or less. Also Im going to use your advise on the annual fee. Thanks Eric
Comment 10 by theo
Re: Meya on 2007-08-08
Thank you for the info on creditboards. I tried to access the info on the site, but apparently, I am not smart enough to do it! It is very difficult to navigate. Anyway, I am going to sign up for the IM on here too and add you and Eric to my buddy list. Thanks again.
on 2007-08-08 Thank you for the info on creditboards. I tried to access the info on the site, but apparently, I am not smart enough to do it! It is very difficult to navigate. Anyway, I am going to sign up for the IM on here too and add you and Eric to my buddy list. Thanks again.Comment 11 by theo
Re: Brian on 2007-08-08
Brian,
Thanks for the info. You made it very clear how to proceed. I am going to take another look at my budget to see which bills I usually write a check for, can be paid via AMEX. Instead of paying by check, I'll charge them and pay them off ASAP (but leave a small balance every so often). It'll also give me the opportunity to earn some SkyPoints. I'll report back to this site periodically once I get rolling with this strategy. Thanks again.
on 2007-08-08 Brian,Thanks for the info. You made it very clear how to proceed. I am going to take another look at my budget to see which bills I usually write a check for, can be paid via AMEX. Instead of paying by check, I'll charge them and pay them off ASAP (but leave a small balance every so often). It'll also give me the opportunity to earn some SkyPoints. I'll report back to this site periodically once I get rolling with this strategy. Thanks again.
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Disclaimer: This content is not provided by American Express. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by American Express. Review content is powered by Finance Globe.
