Strategy to obtain US Amex

[levelnine]

I wasn't required to do either with my GT apps in Feb & Sep this year.

I find that surprising. I'm on another forum that sees hundreds of people apply for US Amexes from aboard and never seen one that hasn't required ID verifications for a first time Amex user.

But Amex can be random at times. Some people seem to get pinged for income verification while others don't. Some people get pop up jail while others don't. There's a lot of mystery to their credit application processes.

 

[DC3]

I wasn't required to do either with my GT apps in Feb & Sep this year.

Same thing here. Now have 3 x US Amex by GT, with no address verification required.

 

[larrymull]

Same thing here. Now have 3 x US Amex by GT, with no address verification required.

Perhaps it is the type of Amex you applied for, which one did you apply for?

 

[DC3]

Perhaps it is the type of Amex you applied for, which one did you apply for?

Three US Amex cards by GT so far. Aspire, Surpass and the Hilton Honors no-AF. It’s all up-thread.

 

[levelnine]

Three US Amex cards by GT so far. Aspire, Surpass and the Hilton Honors no-AF. It’s all up-thread.

You've been very lucky. Others shouldn't expect to be able to replicate this experience.

GT is for your first US Amex. It isn't intended to be used for subsequent applications.

 

[Finale]

Ok, I may have been misinformed, as you can see sudoer didn't have this request. What's the best way to verify your address then if you don't have a US bank account?

If Wise doesn't work, wait 30 days and reapply hoping they don't request it. Got a friend to apply, got asked the first time then instant approval a few months later.

 

[travelguy83]

GT is for your first US Amex. It isn't intended to be used for subsequent applications.

So how do you apply for your second US Amex without GT if you don't have US credit history?

 

[sudoer]

So how do you apply for your second US Amex without GT if you don't have US credit history?

Wait 6 months for your FICO score.

 

[travelguy83]

Wait 6 months for your FICO score.

& that's why I'll be applying for my second US Amex using GT also xD

 

[DC3]

GT is for your first US Amex. It isn't intended to be used for subsequent applications.

Now you tell me.

Maybe I should cancel a couple.

 

[levelnine]

Now you tell me.

Maybe I should cancel a couple.

As I said, you got lucky. The terms and conditions of GT are fairly clear:

You may only apply for one Card in the U.S. at this time. You may apply for additional Cards when you have built up a local credit history.

American Express - Moving Abroad - Global Card Transfer - United States

Have you recently been relocated to US, or will you be moving overseas to US? Start the process to transfer your card to US.

www.americanexpress.com

More power to those that get more than one card through GT.

The only point I'd make is you probably don't want to push the friendship with US Amex. They are the most ruthless US bank in terms of clawbacks and lifetime bans for people who abuse their terms and conditions.

For the uninitiated, there is no equivalent in Australia. Australian banks don't shut down churners. In the US, some banks go after churners hard.

Amex have an entire team — the notorious RAT (Rewards Abuse Team) — dedicated to finding people gaming the system and permanently shutting down their accounts.

The Internet is full of stories who have gotten on the wrong side of Amex in the US and paid the price. So tread carefully.

I'll just quote this part of the above article to show how harsh they can be:

American Express is in the process of shutting down a number of cardmembers. And many of the affected cardmembers feel that they did nothing wrong.

However, whether it was signing up for a new card through a particular Amex representative or a targeted special offer, Amex came to the conclusion that these cardmembers violated their terms of use. If you took advantage of one of these offers, you may want to take action now in case your account is targeted for closure.

All Amex cardmembers can take a lesson away from this saga: Amex is aggressive with account shutdowns. Even if you think that you’re following the rules — your Amex accounts may be closed and Membership Rewards points lost if you run afoul of the terms and conditions.

 

[http_x92]

Got excited with the potential Member Week offers, especially with the 100/40 Hilton Amex offer. But as expected, only US hotels and websites.

Can confirm that Hilton Surfers Paradise is eligible for the $250 Aspire Resort Credit.

 

[DC3]

Can confirm that Hilton Surfers Paradise is eligible for the $250 Aspire Resort Credit.

Yep. The others are overseas.

 

[levelnine]

Incredible service by Chase. Changed a CSP to a CSR to double dip travel credits for a net $50 profit, called to get new card shipped to Australia, arrived via UPS in less than a week.

 

[levelnine]

Check your Amex offers.

My understanding is that these will trigger even if flights do not originate in the US.

 

[_TheTraveller_]

So how do you apply for your second US Amex without GT if you don't have US credit history?

Just to be mindful, I tried applying via GT for a second card 4 months after my first card. They immediately linked it to my first GT and didn't want to approve me without FICO score. Your accounts could get linked and they'll reject you since you don't have a FICO score.

 

[levelnine]

For anyone who has more than a year of US credit card history (as reflected on their credit reports), the Chase Sapphire Reserve is currently at a record 80K sign-up bonus. Happy to provide a referral link for anyone interested (I receive 10K, you receive 80K). Can be downgraded to a fee free Freedom card after the first year. If you incur $300 of travel expenses within 30 days of the second annual fee posting and downgrade to a no annual fee card, the second annual fee will be fully refunded, giving you a net benefit of $50 ($300 travel credit in first year + $300 travel credit in second year - $550 first year annual fee). Chase points are transferrable to Hyatt (plus Air Canada, Singapore, etc), making them more valuable than Amex points in my book as you can easily get more than 2-3c per point with Hyatt redemptions at pretty much any property. No other hotel program comes close.

 

[_TheTraveller_]

For anyone who has more than a year of US credit card history (as reflected on their credit reports), the Chase Sapphire Reserve is currently at a record 80K sign-up bonus. Happy to provide a referral link for anyone interested (I receive 10K, you receive 80K). Can be downgraded to a fee free Freedom card after the first year. If you incur $300 of travel expenses within 30 days of the second annual fee posting and downgrade to a no annual fee card, the second annual fee will be fully refunded, giving you a net benefit of $50 ($300 travel credit in first year + $300 travel credit in second year - $550 first year annual fee). Chase points are transferrable to Hyatt (plus Air Canada, Singapore, etc), making them more valuable than Amex points in my book as you can easily get more than 2-3c per point with Hyatt redemptions at pretty much any property. No other hotel program comes close.

ITIN required right?

 

[levelnine]

ITIN required right?

That's my understanding, yes.

 

[Tiki]

Awww wrong Sapphire, I'm waiting for the CSP to go to 80k. But I would struggle to do a $4000 USD minimum spend these next few months anyway.