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Bankrate has partnerships with issuers including, but not limited to, American Express, Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, Citi and Discover. SHARE: On This Page
Luis Alvarez/Getty Images August 19, 2022 Checkmark Bankrate logo How is this page expert verified? At Bankrate, we take the accuracy of our content seriously. "Expert verified" means that our Financial Review Board thoroughly evaluated the article for accuracy and clarity. The Review Board comprises a panel of financial experts whose objective is to ensure that our content is always objective and balanced. Their reviews hold us accountable for publishing high-quality and trustworthy content. Kelli Pate is a former contributor to Bankrate and a freelance writer and copy editor living in Kansas City, though she's a Jersey girl at heart. When she's not writing about personal finance and credit cards, she's immersing herself in the world of travel hacking. Cathleen's stories on design, travel and business have appeared in dozens of publications including the Washington Post, Town & Country, Wall Street Journal, Marie Claire, Fodor’s Travel, Departures and The Writer. Bankrate logo The Bankrate promise
At Bankrate we strive to help you make smarter financial decisions. While we adhere to strict editorial integrity, this post may contain references to products from our partners. Here's an explanation for how we make money. The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. 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 any card issuer. Bankrate logo The Bankrate promise
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You have money questions. Bankrate has answers. Our experts have been helping you master your money for over four decades. We continually strive to provide consumers with the expert advice and tools needed to succeed throughout life’s financial journey. Bankrate follows a strict , so you can trust that our content is honest and accurate. Our award-winning editors and reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the right financial decisions. The content created by our editorial staff is objective, factual, and not influenced by our advertisers. We’re transparent about how we are able to bring quality content, competitive rates, and useful tools to you by explaining how we make money. Bankrate.com is an independent, advertising-supported publisher and comparison service. We are compensated in exchange for placement of sponsored products and, services, or by you clicking on certain links posted on our site. Therefore, this compensation may impact how, where and in what order products appear within listing categories. Other factors, such as our own proprietary website rules and whether a product is offered in your area or at your self-selected credit score range can also impact how and where products appear on this site. While we strive to provide a wide range offers, Bankrate does not include information about every financial or credit product or service. American Express has long been associated with luxury; just having an American Express credit card in your wallet can convey a high credit score and overall history of good credit card usage. While some Amex , such as the Centurion Card from American Express, the issuer also carries a number of more accessible options, opening the door to a new pool of consumers whose credit scores are more often “good” rather than “very good.” Before you rush to submit an application, however, you may want to consider checking for prequalification. In addition to giving you a better idea of your eligibility for an Amex card with no hit to your credit score, you might qualify for promotions — for instance, a 0 percent introductory APR or welcome bonus — that you otherwise wouldn’t without preapproval. Here’s how to do it. Which American Express cards can you get preapproved for
Here are some of our that let you gauge your approval odds ahead of time: Best Amex card for families: Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express Best Amex card for restaurant and U.S. supermarket spending: American Express Gold Card Best Amex card for international travel: The Platinum Card from American Express Best Amex card for cash back and no annual fee: Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express Rewards Welcome bonus APR Annual fee 6% cash back on U.S. supermarket purchases (on up to $6,000 in annual spending, then 1%); 6% back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions; 3% back on transit and U.S. gas station purchases; 1% on all other purchases $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new card within the first six months 0% intro APR on purchases for your first 12 months (then 16.99% to 27.99% variable APR after) $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95 4X points at restaurants; 4X points for Uber Eats purchases and at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per year in purchases, then 1X points); 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines or via AmexTravel.com; 1X points on everything else 60,000 points after spending $4,000 in purchases within first six months of card membership 18.99% to 25.99% variable APR $250 5X points on up to $500,000 spent on directly-booked airfare and flights and prepaid hotels booked through AmexTravel.com (per calendar year); 2X points on prepaid car rentals through American Express Travel and 1X Membership Rewards points on all other purchases 100,000 Membership Rewards Points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of card membership 18.99% to 25.99% variable APR for Pay Over Time feature $695 annual fee 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations and U.S. online retail purchases (up to $6,000 per calendar year in purchases in each category, then 1 percent); 1% on all other purchases Earn up to $250. Earn 20% back (up to $150 in statement credits) on purchases with PayPal merchants. Plus, earn $100 as a statement credit after you spend $2,000. Complete both in the first 6 months of card membership. 0% intro APR on purchases for your first 15 months (then 16.99% to 27.99% variable APR) $0 How to get preapproved for an American Express credit card
If you’re wondering how to prequalify for an American Express card, you’ll be happy to know the process is fast and easy regardless of the prequalification tool you use. Supplying a few pieces of basic information is all it takes to find out whether you might be eligible for a particular card. And since you’re not submitting a formal application, you won’t have a placed on your credit report, either, saving your credit score from taking a dive of up to 10 points. Keep in mind that prequalification doesn’t guarantee approval. You’ll still need to and go through the credit approval process to get a firm yes-or-no answer from Amex. Check for offers on CardMatch
Bankrate’s is a painless way to see if you prequalify for an American Express credit card. Here’s how it works: Navigate to . Provide your full name, home address and email address. Create a password for a free Bankrate account to save your progress and get faster access to future CardMatch offers. Enter your phone number. (When you do, you’re giving Bankrate permission to text you special offers and other info about your matches, but don’t worry — we’ll only text you occasionally, and you can opt out of these communications at any time.) Input the last four digits of your Social Security number. (This is required for a soft credit pull, which doesn’t impact your credit score in any way.) Agree to the terms and conditions and click Get matches. In less than a minute, you’ll see a list of credit cards from all of Bankrate’s participating partners — not just Amex — that have been matched to your credit profile: If you prequalify for an American Express card, you’ll be able to submit your application directly through CardMatch. And if you don’t, you may find that you prequalify for other offers, including one of the many from issuers such as Chase and Citibank. Check for offers on the Amex site
You can also look for prequalified credit card offers from Amex through its own website. The process is largely similar to that of CardMatch: Head to . Provide your full name and home address. Input the last four digits of your Social Security number. Optional: Enter your total annual income. (Doing so helps American Express calculate your and ascertain your overall ability to make payments, which may improve your odds of prequalifying for a card.) Heather Norton, previously vice president of corporate affairs and communications at American Express, told Bankrate that the majority of the issuer’s personal credit cards extend prequalified offers to “select eligible consumers.” So, if you’re hoping to prequalify for the , for example, this could be your chance to find out. (Because offer details and available cards can change at any time, Amex was unable to provide a full list of credit cards that allow for preapproval.) Tip: American Express and other issuers sometimes send via snail mail. To make sure you’ve opted in to receive them, go to OptOutPrescreen.com, scroll to the bottom of the page and select “Click here to opt-in or opt-out.” How to boost your chances of prequalifying and getting approved for an Amex card
Keep in mind, you can boost your chances of prequalifying and getting approved for an Amex card by staying informed and practicing good credit habits. Here are a few steps you can take to improve your chances: Check your credit score
Although American Express doesn’t specify any minimum credit score requirements, you’ll need (or better) to qualify, which means a FICO score of at least 670. A premium Amex card — say, the American Express Gold Card — likely requires a “very good” FICO score, somewhere in the range of 740 and above. With that being said, however, it is possible to qualify for a (or no credit history at all). It just may not be one of the top Amex credit cards — for now. But in the meantime, consider applying for a or being an on someone else’s credit account. If it’s been a while since you last took a peek, be sure to and, if needed, . Tip: Be realistic. If you knowingly apply for a card whose credit score requirements you don’t meet, chances are good that you’ll have a new hard inquiry added to your report but no new card to show for it. Always pay your bills on time
Your accounts for 35 percent of your FICO score and is an “extremely influential” factor in your . In other words, having an on-time payment history is the best way to keep your credit score in tiptop shape and increase your chances of prequalifying for an Amex card. Keep your card balances low
“Amounts owed” is the second most important component of your FICO score. This element encompasses several factors, but your overall debt isn’t as important as your or the percentage of credit you’re using relative to the total amount of credit available to you. Keeping your card balances low not only lowers your credit utilization ratio (and boosts your score) but also reduces the interest charges you pay — a win-win. Be mindful of application restrictions
American Express consumers can hold at once. More specifically, customers are capped at five Amex credit cards and 10 Amex charge cards. Charge cards include the Amex Platinum, American Express Gold Card and American Express Green Card. Further, you can’t be approved for more than one Amex card every five days (or more than two cards in any 90-day period). Use household income vs individual income
So long as you’re at least 21 years old and have “reasonable access” to a partner’s income, providing your instead of your individual earnings could make it easier to get approved for an American Express card. (The more money you make, the more likely you are to repay your debts, at least from Amex’s perspective.) Household income can include wages, retirement income, investments, rental properties, alimony, child support and more. Should you get a preapproved card from Amex
The decision to get a preapproved card from Amex — or any issuer, for that matter — is highly personal. Preapproval can be a risk-free way to see which American Express cards you might be eligible for, but people who struggle to manage debt might be tempted to overspend if they to the mix. Even applying for a card can land you in hot water if, say, you already have too many recent inquiries on your report. Let’s assume you prequalify for the Amex Blue Cash Everyday. Before you officially apply, consider what’s in it for you. In other words, does the Blue Cash Everyday have a lower interest rate than one of your existing cards (and can therefore save you money if you need to carry a balance)? Are the gas station and supermarket rewards better than what you already earn? Is the welcome offer really worth it? These are all factors you should think through ahead of time, whether you’re applying for a preapproved Amex card or a card from a different issuer. The bottom line
If you’re unsure of your chances of getting approved for an American Express credit card, checking for prequalification through Bankrate’s CardMatch tool or the Amex website can help take the stress out of the process. Taking steps to improve your credit ahead of time could boost your chances of being offered special perks at the time of application, too. And with no risk to your credit score, what do you have to lose? SHARE: Kelli Pate is a former contributor to Bankrate and a freelance writer and copy editor living in Kansas City, though she's a Jersey girl at heart. When she's not writing about personal finance and credit cards, she's immersing herself in the world of travel hacking. Cathleen's stories on design, travel and business have appeared in dozens of publications including the Washington Post, Town & Country, Wall Street Journal, Marie Claire, Fodor’s Travel, Departures and The Writer. Related Articles