With more than 50 million redeemed miles under her belt, Becky Pokora is a rewards travel expert. She's been writing about credit cards and reward travel since 2011 with articles on Forbes Advisor, BoardingArea, The Points Guy and more. Her redemptio.
Becky Pokora Credit Card Rewards ExpertWith more than 50 million redeemed miles under her belt, Becky Pokora is a rewards travel expert. She's been writing about credit cards and reward travel since 2011 with articles on Forbes Advisor, BoardingArea, The Points Guy and more. Her redemptio.
Written By Becky Pokora Credit Card Rewards ExpertWith more than 50 million redeemed miles under her belt, Becky Pokora is a rewards travel expert. She's been writing about credit cards and reward travel since 2011 with articles on Forbes Advisor, BoardingArea, The Points Guy and more. Her redemptio.
Becky Pokora Credit Card Rewards ExpertWith more than 50 million redeemed miles under her belt, Becky Pokora is a rewards travel expert. She's been writing about credit cards and reward travel since 2011 with articles on Forbes Advisor, BoardingArea, The Points Guy and more. Her redemptio.
Credit Card Rewards Expert Dylan Pearl Credit Cards EditorOver a decade of editorial experience across a number of publications and more than 60 countries visited have given Dylan Pearl a wealth of travel knowledge, and the tools to effectively communicate that knowledge to others. Dylan has made it his mis.
Dylan Pearl Credit Cards EditorOver a decade of editorial experience across a number of publications and more than 60 countries visited have given Dylan Pearl a wealth of travel knowledge, and the tools to effectively communicate that knowledge to others. Dylan has made it his mis.
Dylan Pearl Credit Cards EditorOver a decade of editorial experience across a number of publications and more than 60 countries visited have given Dylan Pearl a wealth of travel knowledge, and the tools to effectively communicate that knowledge to others. Dylan has made it his mis.
Dylan Pearl Credit Cards EditorOver a decade of editorial experience across a number of publications and more than 60 countries visited have given Dylan Pearl a wealth of travel knowledge, and the tools to effectively communicate that knowledge to others. Dylan has made it his mis.
| Credit Cards Editor
Updated: May 17, 2024, 11:32am
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Many American Express cards offer strong earning rates, generous welcome bonuses and even cash discounts on purchases through the Amex Offers program. With a winning combination like that, it’s little wonder that their cards are popular.
Unfortunately, strong benefits often mean stringent approval standards. There’s never a guarantee you’ll get the card you want. Even the act of applying holds a small risk. Formally applying for a new card results in a hard pull (or inquiry) on your credit report, which can temporarily lower your credit score and make future credit applications more difficult. Knowing you have a chance at success may ease the anxiety that comes with applying.
Preapproval, while not an official commitment, is one way to know you’re a qualified applicant. If you’ve received one of these offers, American Express is indicating it considers you creditworthy and a potentially valuable customer, giving you an above average chance of approval.
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On American Express's Website Rates & Fees / Terms Apply Welcome Bonus Earn 80,000 points Annual Fee Credit Score Good,Excellent Regular APR See Pay Over Time APRCredit Score ranges are based on FICO® credit scoring. This is just one scoring method and a credit card issuer may use another method when considering your application. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed.
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On American Express's Website Rates & Fees / Terms Apply Welcome Bonus Earn 60,000 points + earn up to $100 back Annual Fee Credit Score Excellent/Good Regular APR See Pay Over Time APRCredit Score ranges are based on FICO® credit scoring. This is just one scoring method and a credit card issuer may use another method when considering your application. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed.
Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Plus, receive 20% back in statement credits on eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide within the first 6 months of Card Membership, up to $100 back. Limited time offer. Offer ends 11/6/24.
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On American Express's Website Rates & Fees / Terms Apply Welcome Bonus Earn 150,000 points Annual Fee Credit Score Good,Excellent Regular APR 19.49% - 28.49% VariableCredit Score ranges are based on FICO® credit scoring. This is just one scoring method and a credit card issuer may use another method when considering your application. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed.
Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $20,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
American Express has three screening levels for credit card applicants: its Apply with Confidence feature, pre-qualification and preapproval.
A unique feature among card issuers is the American Express “Apply with Confidence” feature that began in 2022. A prospective customer can visit the Amex site, choose a card to apply for, apply with a soft inquiry into their credit report and get instant notice whether they’re approved. If approved and the customer accepts the card, Amex will perform a hard inquiry. This means you can check your approval odds for any card they offer without a major ding to your credit report.
The new application experience is available for individuals applying for a U.S. personal card via Forbes Advisor, at AmericanExpress.com/us/credit-cards, or by calling American Express and is not available if you apply for a card after you log into an existing account.
Pre-qualified offers aren’t much more than a marketing opportunity. Based on your profile, American Express may provide special offers it believes are a good match for you. Often, this is as simple as looking at your demographics or the other cards listed on your credit report. In this case, pre-qualification doesn’t give you a heads up on your approval odds, but may help you find a card that fits your spending habits.
You can check for American Express pre-qualified offers right from the Amex website. Note that existing card members aren’t eligible for pre-qualified offers. If you’re already an existing cardholder and you’d like to apply for a new card, your best bet is to use Amex’s “Apply With Confidence” tool to see if you’re approved before you apply.
Preapproval is an Amex-initiated more in-depth look at your candidacy for a card in its portfolio. Using only a soft credit pull—which does not impact your credit score—Amex can check to see if you meet its minimum standards for that card. If you do, it may send you a preapproved offer in the mail, via email or your online account.
Despite the name, preapproval does not mean your application will be automatically approved, though it does mean you have better odds. You will still need to submit a completed application so American Express can confirm your eligibility based on your current income, assets, debt and credit score.
Being a current cardmember with American Express may lead to more targeted offers. As an existing customer, they have access to your spending habits and payment history so they can line up appropriate cards and offers just for you.
Using the “Apply with Confidence” option is straightforward and like applying for any credit card. Existing customers may receive a notification that they’re preapproved for the new card and can fill out the application to find out if they’re fully approved.
Preapproval for a business credit card will be different than for a personal card. You’ll need both personal and business information to apply for an American Express business card, including tax ID number and what type of industry the business operates in.
Those who aren’t already Amex card members can check for pre-qualified offers on the American Express credit cards website. Scroll down toward the middle of the page and find its Check for Offers button.
Fill out the form with the same information you would use to apply for a card and click on View My Card Offers to see if Amex has matched you to one or more cards.
Amex sometimes offers better welcome bonuses on preapproval offers. If you receive a preapproval offer by mail, through email or when logging into your online account, make sure to compare the welcome bonus offer to the offer available to the general public on Amex’s website.
American Express does not offer a tool to check for preapproved offers on its website. Instead, potential customers may receive these offers by mail. If you do not receive credit offers in the mail, you can opt in to these types of offers to improve your odds.
Occasionally, cardholders may see targeted offers as pop-ups when logging into their online account. They may also receive emails advertising preapproval for a specific card.
Sizable welcome offers on Amex cards can be a large factor in determining if you should apply for a new card. Being preapproved for a card is different from being eligible for a welcome bonus. That’s because the terms and conditions often specify that each customer can only earn that bonus once per lifetime (or in a specific number of years). Other factors, such as the number of cards you have opened and closed in the past, may also be considered.
Unique in the industry, American Express offers an additional level of screening before you formally submit an application for a new card. When you apply, the company quickly runs your profile against its database to determine if you’re eligible for a welcome bonus on that card. If its system determines you’re not eligible, you have the option to withdraw your application before a hard credit pull is run.
This pre screening is another useful tool to help you avoid an inquiry on your credit report—and to set expectations about whether the card is a good match for you. In some cases, even without the bonus, the ongoing earning options and included card benefits may still make applying worthwhile.
While it can be tempting to apply for a credit card when you know you’re likely to receive approval, you shouldn’t dive right in. In some cases, a card that you aren’t preapproved for might be a better fit for your personal needs, even if American Express didn’t proactively pick up on that.
Additionally, American Express sometimes has different welcome offers even on the same card. For example, applying through a preapproval channel might offer a higher welcome bonus than applying through an offer for the general public, but it also might come with a larger minimum spending requirement or a higher APR. Before applying, make sure you’ve selected the best offer for your needs.
Amex looks at the information they have available on their customers in order to make preapproval offers. By keeping your account up to date with your current income and assets, you can increase your likelihood of preapproval.
The methods to increase your odds of preapproval are nearly identical to improving your credit score. Like all card issuers, American Express is looking for credit-worthy customers. A soft credit check provides the issuer an inside look at how much credit you already have, how much you’re using and how you’re managing your accounts. Making the effort to pay on time and only charging a responsible amount makes you a more attractive applicant.
If you already have an American Express card in your wallet, you may want to position yourself as a valuable customer if you want to increase your chances of being preapproved for additional cards. Using your card often, rather than letting it collect dust in your wallet, signals that you’re an interested, worthwhile customer.
Lastly, current cardmembers should keep their profile at American Express up-to-date with current income and assets information. This will help Amex more accurately determine if you’re a good candidate for other cards.
Just like preapproval doesn’t make your application a sure bet, a lack of preapproval doesn’t mean an automatic rejection. This is especially true if you’ve previously opted out from receiving unsolicited offers. In that case, you’ll need to take the first step to express interest.
Before applying for a card that you weren’t preapproved for, you may want to research its eligibility requirements and what level of credit worthiness is typically required. If you believe you’re a strong candidate for a card, and that it’s the right product for your lifestyle, don’t let a lack of preapproval stand in your way.
