Strategy to obtain US Amex

[maverick1]

Could you not send a copy of US HSBC Premier Statement showing a US address?

Yep. That's the eventual plan. Waiting for my 1st statement to be generate.
I opened the HSBC account just few days after I applied for Amex and unfortunately Amx asked for an address proof, which I think is pretty random.
My Amx application expires on 2nd Feb, not sure when HSBC would generate the monthly statement. Good chance my application might expire/rejection of application.

 

[glasszon]

MyUS would not budge with me - the card arrived, but they wouldn't forward it under any circumstances (which is per their T&Cs, in fairness). I'm not sure how some people get it to work? I also made the mistake of using a Skype Number, which wouldn't receive the SMS for verification, so I reached stalemate with Amex in the end and closed the account. Second time around I used the T-Mob eSIM as you've mentioned, I'm still paying $10 per month just to keep it active, just in case.

For an address I used Planet Express in the end, they're completely useless and the card never turned up (despite tracking confirming it had been signed for) but I just called Amex and got them to courier it to Australia after 10d, as others have done. It did let me add the card to PayPal instantly from app though, so I was able to start spending that way (Apple Pay needed the CVV annoyingly, but works fine now I have that).

That's so strange regarding MyUS. Once MyUS even opened the package and took a picture of my credit card with the details blanked out, and they still forwarded it to me.

Which Amex card did you apply for? I know MyUS officially don't forward letters, and most Amex US cards are sent via normal letters rather than courier.

 

[Viridis]

but my keepers are US Aspire and ICC Platinum

Hang on to the ICC Platinum.

I was looking they other day and the website seems to indicate that these cards are no longer offered direct to the public - presumably just through private banking relationships which is how I got mine.

I closed the account last year because I was getting frustrated with the lack of product support. The App was pretty rubbish and Apple Pay still (!) wasn’t available. Shame really, because it was a good idea in principle.

 

[wilsonkwong2004]

I applied the Amex Aspire card through GT about 10 months ago. I have my FICO score now and would like to apply for the second card (Amex platinum or Marriott). I used my friend’s address for this first one, but this time I do not want to bother him again so I am planning to change the address to a MyUS address. Just wondering if I change the address now and apply for the second card (apply directly, not GT) is there a risk that Amex will ask for address verification?

Also I do not have the ITIN, will the FICO score be sufficient for the application?

Thanks all for your help.

 

[mrsquare]

I applied the Amex Aspire card through GT about 10 months ago. I have my FICO score now and would like to apply for the second card (Amex platinum or Marriott). I used my friend’s address for this first one, but this time I do not want to bother him again so I am planning to change the address to a MyUS address. Just wondering if I change the address now and apply for the second card (apply directly, not GT) is there a risk that Amex will ask for address verification?

Also I do not have the ITIN, will the FICO score be sufficient for the application?

Thanks all for your help.

Haven’t tried changing address, so no comments on that front, but I’m sure others can help.

With your second card, once you’ve got a FICO you should be good to go with Amex. With other card providers you’ll likely need an ITIN.

 

[desafinado74]

That's so strange regarding MyUS. Once MyUS even opened the package and took a picture of my credit card with the details blanked out, and they still forwarded it to me.

Which Amex card did you apply for? I know MyUS officially don't forward letters, and most Amex US cards are sent via normal letters rather than courier.

I have been lucky so far with MyUS, in that they forwarded every letter that i have received.

 

[Franko Costa]

I have been lucky so far with MyUS, in that they forwarded every letter that i have received.

Which banks do you have cards with?

 

[desafinado74]

Which banks do you have cards with?

Currently I have the AMEX Aspire card and Passbook Remitly checking account.

 

[Spazmos]

Does anyone have any recent experiences of opening a bank account physically in the US? All banks I reach out to say they would need proof of address in the form of a utility bill, which I do not have... I'll be in LA in Feb and was hoping to be able to open the account then. I tried doing the Amex Global Transfer a while back and they wanted proof of address. I just called and said I changed my mind on that; but a little concerned to do a new GT application and them asking for it again, don't want to ruin my chances of getting this to work.. So now aiming to get the US bank acct in order.

back in 2020 I managed to open a Citibank account in New York in person. I think it helped being a aussie citibank customer. All they required was passport and my aussie citibank card. At the time they used my aussie address for the application, but I easily changed that to my "myUS" address online. I also successfully did a three way address verification with US citibank and amex using the "myUS" address.
The appeal back then was free global transfers between citibank accounts, meaning you could transfer funds without the incoming wire fees. But that's been scratched since NAB took over.
Although still a good option to have as a US account, I would maybe try your luck with HSBC because I think they still have fee free global transfers.

 

[Viridis]

back in 2020 I managed to open a Citibank account in New York in person. I think it helped being a aussie citibank customer. All they required was passport and my aussie citibank card. At the time they used my aussie address for the application, but I easily changed that to my "myUS" address online. I also successfully did a three way address verification with US citibank and amex using the "myUS" address.
The appeal back then was free global transfers between citibank accounts, meaning you could transfer funds without the incoming wire fees. But that's been scratched since NAB took over.
Although still a good option to have as a US account, I would maybe try your luck with HSBC because I think they still have fee free global transfers.

There may well be valid reasons for having an HSBC account (or, previously, Citi) but I don’t think the ‘free global transfers’ are one of them

i have HSBC Premier accounts both here and in the UK - I don’t have a U.S. one but you get the drift

If I want to transfer funds to have £1000 arrive in my account in the UK it will cost me $1817.62 using HSBC’s ’free’ global transfer.

But it would only cost me $1796.92 using Wise

I realise that there is much to be said for convenience, and $20 may well be worth it, but if you consider the multiples if one were to, for example, transfer funds to buy an apartment, the difference in fees may well buy you a Business Class return to Singapore

 

[Franko Costa]

Currently I have the AMEX Aspire card and Passbook Remitly checking account.

Does having a Passbook Remitly account help with a credit score?

 

[desafinado74]

Does having a Passbook Remitly account help with a credit score?

Unfortunately no

 

[albyd]

There may well be valid reasons for having an HSBC account (or, previously, Citi) but I don’t think the ‘free global transfers’ are one of them

i have HSBC Premier accounts both here and in the UK - I don’t have a U.S. one but you get the drift

If I want to transfer funds to have £1000 arrive in my account in the UK it will cost me $1817.62 using HSBC’s ’free’ global transfer.

But it would only cost me $1796.92 using Wise

I realise that there is much to be said for convenience, and $20 may well be worth it, but if you consider the multiples if one were to, for example, transfer funds to buy an apartment, the difference in fees may well buy you a Business Class return to Singapore

I agree. I use Revolut even though I have the convenience" of using HSBC "free" international money transfers. The rates are better.

 

[Franko Costa]

I called an acceptance agent today to get my ITIN through them (instead of sending my original passport to the the IRS). They said I wouldn't quality as I said I wanted an ITIN as I travel there all the time and want a US bank account.

How have people got their ITIN if they don't need to file a US federal tax return?

 

[anyonebutqantas]

Just choose a mail provider other than MyUS. There's plenty of them out there.

 

[_TheTraveller_]

Does anyone know whether DJ Amex can have the points transfered to US Amex?

 

[Yoey]

Hey all,
When it came to activating your card, how did you all go about this?
Having some issues with getting the one time code but i think it might be an amex issue, where you able to add it to your Aus amex account?

 

[jbmemories]

Hey all,
When it came to activating your card, how did you all go about this?
Having some issues with getting the one time code but i think it might be an amex issue, where you able to add it to your Aus amex account?

I don't think you can add it to your Aus amex account considering its a different card from a different region? It might also open a can of worms on how you got the card from Aus... (I could be wrong here)

 

[_TheTraveller_]

Hey all,
When it came to activating your card, how did you all go about this?
Having some issues with getting the one time code but i think it might be an amex issue, where you able to add it to your Aus amex account?

You'll need a separate US amex account. For first time, just create an account and go through the prompts.

I don't recall getting a one time code for activation but I could be wrong.

 

[Viridis]

Hey all,
When it came to activating your card, how did you all go about this?
Having some issues with getting the one time code but i think it might be an amex issue, where you able to add it to your Aus amex account?

And if you’re planning on using an App you’ll need to download the Amex App from the US App store

In my case, I have a US iTunes account and downloaded the app from that store to view my US Amex cards.

Of course this means that if you also hold Australian Amex cards you’d have two Amex apps on your phone

And without wishing to state the obvious, if you have an iPhone, you’ll need to sign out of ‘Media & Purchases’ and then sign in with your US iTunes account details to download the Amex App. Then sign out again and re-sign in with your local credentials. I make it a habit to re-boot the phone between each sign-in event

When the US App is first routinely updated you’ll get a prompt to enter your password. Remember this will be your US iTunes account password. No need to sign-out and in of anything. Just follow the prompt