Strategy to obtain US Amex

[timmy1234]

I have no issue with Chase so far except for when I called them which they could verify me by asking questions instead. Also when trying to set up online account too but it was sorted by a phone call. A bit of a hassle but I tried to save some $$ as well. All other alerts have been going to my GV just fine.

There is this OLD T-mobile $3/month plan (not a new one by ultramobile). It's quite difficult to find but I found one ebay seller selling it. It's going to cost $50-$60 USD just to get a sim card here (with $10 credit if higher price). I used to have this plan but was stupid and forgot to add money and lost the number (it was linked to my GV as well).

eSim Activation T-Mobile Prepaid Pay As You Go $3/Month Plan $0.1/text/min | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for eSim Activation T-Mobile Prepaid Pay As You Go $3/Month Plan $0.1/text/min at the best online prices at eBay!

www.ebay.com.au

T-Mobile Prepaid Pay As You Go $3/Month Plan and Sim Card $0.1 per Text/Min | eBay

(1 Triple cut sim card. You can turn on airplane mode but keep wifi active, it will still work. only SMS/Talk will work outside USA). #MIN# (#646#) Check minute usage. tested good to receive sms from any US bank.

www.ebay.com.au

I also found a seller on Amazon US around $USD45 shipped with $10 credit but out of stock now. He said he just sent the package to Amazon and inventory should be updated in a few days.

Another option is that new tmobile $3/m by Ultramobile but it's even more difficult to find as it was originally sold in store only and issue toppig up online etc. I don't have much information about it but heard things have changed.

I have found the T-Mobile $3 Plan has moved to their MVNO (Similar like Woolies/Aldi with Telstra) PayGo | Ultra Mobile. PayGo gives you 100 minutes of talk, 100 texts and 100MB 4G LTE data for only $3 per month. Data can be used for Mobile Hotspot. Once you reach 100, additional minutes are just 3 cents each, texts are 1 cent each and data is 3 cents per MB

The only challenge is this needs to be picked up at a store. Find a Store near You | Ultra Mobile. If you have relo/mates in the US ...this is one of the option. you can then ask them to activate the Sim for you and your Google voice.

I am not sure whether this can be shipped and get blocked at customs?

 

[tlam]

I have found the T-Mobile $3 Plan has moved to their MVNO (Similar like Woolies/Aldi with Telstra) PayGo | Ultra Mobile. PayGo gives you 100 minutes of talk, 100 texts and 100MB 4G LTE data for only $3 per month. Data can be used for Mobile Hotspot. Once you reach 100, additional minutes are just 3 cents each, texts are 1 cent each and data is 3 cents per MB

The only challenge is this needs to be picked up at a store. Find a Store near You | Ultra Mobile. If you have relo/mates in the US ...this is one of the option. you can then ask them to activate the Sim for you and your Google voice.

I am not sure whether this can be shipped and get blocked at customs?

so lucky I bought this exact sim card back in 2017 and it is still in my wallet
I was so lazy to activate it and now it is the time.

 

[DC3]

I have found the T-Mobile $3 Plan has moved to their MVNO (Similar like Woolies/Aldi with Telstra) PayGo | Ultra Mobile. PayGo gives you 100 minutes of talk, 100 texts and 100MB 4G LTE data for only $3 per month. Data can be used for Mobile Hotspot. Once you reach 100, additional minutes are just 3 cents each, texts are 1 cent each and data is 3 cents per MB

The only challenge is this needs to be picked up at a store ...

Or on ebay, perhaps:

T-Mobile Prepaid Pay As You Go $3/Month Plan and Sim Card $0.1/text/min $1Credit | eBay

 

[Finale]

For those looking for the old t-mobile plan, other than the ebay ones I posted earlier, this seller in Amazon just restocked. It comes with $10 credit and costs around $44 USD shipped ($60 USD on ebay). Activation is a bit different and will be done after submitting the form on their site once you receive the sim card.

Amazon.com: T-Mobile $3/Month Pay As You Go Plan $0.1 per Text/Min Roaming to 200+ Countries

Amazon.com: T-Mobile $3/Month Pay As You Go Plan $0.1 per Text/Min Roaming to 200+ Countries

www.amazon.com

No idea how reliable the seller is but he answered my message pretty fast. I ordered one myself. I also trust Amazon if there is any issue (shipped by Amazon).

I have found the T-Mobile $3 Plan has moved to their MVNO (Similar like Woolies/Aldi with Telstra) PayGo | Ultra Mobile. PayGo gives you 100 minutes of talk, 100 texts and 100MB 4G LTE data for only $3 per month. Data can be used for Mobile Hotspot. Once you reach 100, additional minutes are just 3 cents each, texts are 1 cent each and data is 3 cents per MB

The only challenge is this needs to be picked up at a store. Find a Store near You | Ultra Mobile. If you have relo/mates in the US ...this is one of the option. you can then ask them to activate the Sim for you and your Google voice.

I am not sure whether this can be shipped and get blocked at customs?

I don't see any reason for customs to block it. I prefer the real t-mobile one which isn't available on their site anymore.

Ultramobile doesn't offer domestic roaming so if you are in the US, you will have an issue in the area with no t-mobile network. I heard sometimes international romaing isn't as reliable. I think you also need to transfer credit to their Uproam addon to be able to roam outside the US. It mightn't be easy to find in store as well so would be a hassle for friends/relatives. I have a lot of them there and they don't like leaving the house now lol

 

[DC3]

For those looking for the old t-mobile plan, other than the ebay ones I posted earlier, this seller in Amazon just restocked. It comes with $10 credit and costs around $44 USD shipped ($60 USD on ebay). Activation is a bit different and will be done after submitting the form on their site once you receive the sim card.

Amazon.com: T-Mobile $3/Month Pay As You Go Plan $0.1 per Text/Min Roaming to 200+ Countries

Amazon.com: T-Mobile $3/Month Pay As You Go Plan $0.1 per Text/Min Roaming to 200+ Countries

www.amazon.com

....

So, a question about call forwarding and text forwarding using this t-mobile sim card in Oz. Do we know if both of these are possible?

I’m interested to see if this would be a workable alternative to Text Now, which I currently use. Really only planned to be used for validation calls/sms codes from US credit card providers down the track. I really don’t want a second phone.

 

[Finale]

So, a question about call forwarding and text forwarding using this t-mobile sim card in Oz. Do we know if both of these are possible?

I’m interested to see if this would be a workable alternative to Text Now, which I currently use. Really only planned to be used for validation calls/sms codes from US credit card providers down the track. I really don’t want a second phone.

I never used those features when I had it but heard forwarding call was possible but never heard about forwarding SMS. If you only want CC, I've been using Google Voice with Amex, Chase and Citi. It's just a bit inconvenient with Chase but not really required. Probably no point of getting one tbh. I just got it as I want another GV number for my partner which is cheaper long term. I could prolly get a cheaper sim for a month but plan to keep it just in case.

 

[PointsLife1]

Relevant to our US journey.

MythBusters: American Express US | Prince of Travel

Kirin takes a Mythbusters approach to American Express US credit cards and charge cards. What are the most common myths about getting involved with Amex US, and are they busted, confirmed, or plausible?

princeoftravel.com

 

[timmy1234]

An update on my Chase CSP application using ITIN.

I don't have much luck with SUB. Signed up for 60K SUB and a week later Chase started offering 80K. Thought about letting my app expire but decided to continue with it as I didn't want to waste one credit query. I was approved this morning.

After submitting an app,

- I got 30 days message. This is not bad as it's at least not an auto denial. It just means human has to look at my app.

- A few days later, it changed to 7-10 days messages which normally means either denial or needs verification.

According to this Chase flowchart from reddit,

I should have called them but I was waiting for the letter which never arrived. I decided to call them this week and was told I needed to mail or fax a copy of SSN/ITIN and proof of address which they accepted bank statement (was worried about this before as people reported they only accepted utility bills). I asked about secure upload which was reportedly available. I was told they didn't support it.

2 days after I faxed, I called them again and they still said my docs were not in the system and the agent said I would get a link to upload documents within 24 hours lol

- Before I got a link to upload, the message changed to 30 days again which normally means verification is done and now ready to be reviewed by lending department. Looks like they did get my fax. I was confident at this point as there weren't many cases that got rejected after being asked to submit documents.

I called this morning and was approved while on the phone with them.

If you are using Google Voice, text verification will not work. Each time I called, they tried to verify me by sending text but it failed. I was aware about this. It wasn't an issue as they could verify you with other questions. And 3 our of 4 times, I was asked what county I lived in (just google the city). Thankfully I was prepared as I heard about this before.

Anyway it wasn't as smooth as Amex and Citi but yes Chase still approves ITIN application. I'm now at 3/24 and will be 2/24 early next year. This is my 8th US active card. Will need to start cancelling some of these. In 4 years and a half, I applied for 9 cards and only cancelled one. Most of these are quite worth keeping.

I got a message that I would receive a letter. When I called Chase up after 3 days, they said my application has not been reviewed. It is now 8 to 9 days. I have also not received an email with a reference number. I might give them a call on the 17 Dec since on the 15 Dec my amex statement is issued. My FICO is742. I have a SSN but an inactive file. Last when I travelled to US in 2018, I had opened 3 cards and closed them after paying the bills. Do you have any suggestions. PS: My Credit file was created in 2008 but been inactive. I had an amex blue card that got cancelled in Sep 2019 as per my credit file.

 

[Finale]

I got a message that I would receive a letter. When I called Chase up after 3 days, they said my application has not been reviewed. It is now 8 to 9 days. I have also not received an email with a reference number. I might give them a call on the 17 Dec since on the 15 Dec my amex statement is issued. My FICO is742. I have a SSN but an inactive file. Last when I travelled to US in 2018, I had opened 3 cards and closed them after paying the bills. Do you have any suggestions. PS: My Credit file was created in 2008 but been inactive. I had an amex blue card that got cancelled in Sep 2019 as per my credit file.

I don't think you will get an email with a reference number. They send it in a snail mail. When you called an automate status line 1-800-432-3117, it was still 30 days message (not processed) or changed to 7-10 days or 14 days? If it was 7-10 days, it means they need verification or a denial and it could be just like me. The mail never arrived and I waited like almost 2 weeks or something. There were an issue with mail in my area. Better to check with status line now and give them a call again and tell them you never get a mail.

Also recent DPs show people were denied because their SSN has something like "valid for work only with DHS Authorization".

 

[timmy1234]

Apologies for my ignorance..what is DP

 

[Finale]

Apologies for my ignorance..what is DP

Data points.

 

[timmy1234]

Thanks for the response. I have ordered the Tmobile SIM card from Amazon using priorty delivery ..expected on 29Dec. This would potentially avoid they verifying most of my details again and again. I am losing heart with the Chase Cards...

 

[pyusha]

For those whose signed up for the HSBC Premier, did anybody manage to get a US bank account opened? If so, what was the process?

 

[albyd]

I did mine early this year. We pretty painless:

• Make appointment with someone to complete your application over the phone by calling he international banking center;
• Do you phone interview - takes about an hour;
• You revive approval for your new US account within a week and your RM will contact you.

Pretty simple and avoids trip to the US. Your account address will be your Australian address though it’s been covered up thread that you can change that.

 

[timmy1234]

For those whose signed up for the HSBC Premier, did anybody manage to get a US bank account opened? If so, what was the process?

I am on the Path and setup a call back. I had to call 1300131623 Global line. They will setup a call back (will get back in less than 5 business days) with a specialist. Who will go through with you to fill the form (30-40 min) on the Phone. You will have to upload your passport and a local Bill (utility/council etc) with your name on it. You will then have to download and print the form and take it to a local branch with your original (Passport and bill) to certify the document. The entire process could take a week. Reason for opening a US account - I am moving to the US to take a transfer.

 

[albyd]

@rstephenp has a more complete answer

make sure you take note of reason for the account as that will be asked and important.

 

[PointsLife1]

Hi everyone, big news on the SMS verification front and hopefully this can help the Chase issues also.

So I logged onto AMEX US and it had the option to add my card to Apple Pay so tried to add it but they sent a SMS code to enter and my textPlus number did not work so thought I would try my iPlum number again and this time it worked!! So thought I would try my Capital One verification and it also worked!! The only thing I can think of is when I purchased the iPlum number I tried to use it ASAP for verification purposes and maybe needed to wait a few days to verify to my name or something along those lines.

Happy camper as can now use my Capital One app and my new Amex Green card plus receive SMS short codes from the mentioned banks. Hope this works for Chase also.

 

[PPS_SYD]

Hi everyone, big news on the SMS verification front and hopefully this can help the Chase issues also.

So I logged onto AMEX US and it had the option to add my card to Apple Pay so tried to add it but they sent a SMS code to enter and my textPlus number did not work so thought I would try my iPlum number again and this time it worked!! So thought I would try my Capital One verification and it also worked!! The only thing I can think of is when I purchased the iPlum number I tried to use it ASAP for verification purposes and maybe needed to wait a few days to verify to my name or something along those lines.

Happy camper as can now use my Capital One app and my new Amex Green card plus receive SMS short codes from the mentioned banks. Hope this works for Chase also.

I use TextNow & so far it hasn’t let me down. Only hassle is you gotta use the service at least once a month or they will pull the plug. There’s also the option to upgrade & pay some kind of monthly/yearly subscription fee & then you don’t have to worry about it.

 

[albyd]

I’ve never been able to get verification texts using TextNow. Just been able to receive calls. I have had a friend d text me from a ‘normal’ US mobile and texts between us get through no problem. Will investigate iPlum. I’ve only used Citi and Amex US so far and hasn’t worked. HSBC US just text my Australian mobile and works fine.

 

[DC3]

I use TextNow & so far it hasn’t let me down. Only hassle is you gotta use the service at least once a month or they will pull the plug. There’s also the option to upgrade & pay some kind of monthly/yearly subscription fee & then you don’t have to worry about it.

Same here. TextNow works for sms, including Amex from the US.