Strategy to obtain US Amex

[Saanch]

Great thread! I pulled the trigger two days back and got the Gold card today at my friends place. Added to Apple Pay.

I used Australian Driving license to apply. Selected the "I don't have credit history" tick and clicked on the "Sign in for a simpler application process"

 

[nj12]

Did you sign up for the mail service for MyUS or just the free service?

I have the Premium subscription for MyUS but looking through the membership services it's not clear whether this includes mail forwarding (for letters). The mail forwarding service may be another subscription altogether. I have contacted customer service at Myus to ask about this service and no reply as yet. I contacted AMEX via live chat and asked about sending a replacement card to Aus as I was "travelling" back shortly. As expected I was advised to wait 10 days and then they could send a replacement to my Aus address. According to Amex tracking the card hasn't been shipped yet and is expected at myus address on 12 February so I may try my luck calling to see if it's possible for it to be shipped to Aus directly instead. Otherwise I'll wait to see what happens with myus before calling Amex for replacement card.

Yes will you be able to receive the card at MyUS?

That was the dilemma. I could have tried my Postscan mail address and probably wouldn't have had an issue actually receiving the card through normal mail stream however it appeared to be flagged the first time I tried using GT online. I decided to try myus given that those used it for their first GT application were successful. As this is my first US card and I plan to keep it a while, the low annual fee with some benefits made Surpass the ideal choice but of course receiving the card becomes the challenge as it likely won't be shipped in parcel form. I can only hope the process for getting a replacement card shipped to Aus won't be too painful.

 

[glasszon]

I have the Premium subscription for MyUS but looking through the membership services it's not clear whether this includes mail forwarding (for letters). The mail forwarding service may be another subscription altogether. I have contacted customer service at Myus to ask about this service and no reply as yet. I contacted AMEX via live chat and asked about sending a replacement card to Aus as I was "travelling" back shortly. As expected I was advised to wait 10 days and then they could send a replacement to my Aus address. According to Amex tracking the card hasn't been shipped yet and is expected at myus address on 12 February so I may try my luck calling to see if it's possible for it to be shipped to Aus directly instead. Otherwise I'll wait to see what happens with myus before calling Amex for replacement card.

That was the dilemma. I could have tried my Postscan mail address and probably wouldn't have had an issue actually receiving the card through normal mail stream however it appeared to be flagged the first time I tried using GT online. I decided to try myus given that those used it for their first GT application were successful. As this is my first US card and I plan to keep it a while, the low annual fee with some benefits made Surpass the ideal choice but of course receiving the card becomes the challenge as it likely won't be shipped in parcel form. I can only hope the process for getting a replacement card shipped to Aus won't be too painful.

Good luck, I reached out to MyUS on live chat and they said they no longer receive mails (and hence why the + mail subscription was removed), would be interesting to see whether they process your Amex Hilton Surpass card, many of us are eager to sign up if it works with MyUS to get the sign-up bonus + free night certificate after spending $15k.

 

[Sapz]

I'll wait to see what happens with myus before calling Amex for replacement card

I think this would be a good idea or you might raise a red flag with Amex IMO

 

[Sapz]

Great thread! I pulled the trigger two days back and got the Gold card today at my friends place. Added to Apple Pay.

I used Australian Driving license to apply. Selected the "I don't have credit history" tick and clicked on the "Sign in for a simpler application process"

Congradilations! Please light me up here, did you try GT ? which will generally pulls your Aus credit history, can't remember ticking the "I don't have credit history" option when I was applying

 

[Saanch]

Congradilations! Please light me up here, did you try GT ? which will generally pulls your Aus credit history, can't remember ticking the "I don't have credit history" option when I was applying

Yes it did the GT. After I click the sign in for simpler application, I logged into my AU Amex account and pre filled my details.

 

[jbmemories]

Yes it did the GT. After I click the sign in for simpler application, I logged into my AU Amex account and pre filled my details.

Congrats on getting the card!
Are you using any mail forwarding service or getting via known relatives/friends living there?

 

[DC3]

... Are you using any mail forwarding service or getting via known relatives/friends living there?

Hint:

“... got the Gold card today at my friends place. Added to Apple Pay ...”.

 

[Saanch]

Congrats on getting the card!
Are you using any mail forwarding service or getting via known relatives/friends living there?

Used my friend’s address so no mail forwarding.

 

[Spazmos]

Oh Citi Bank... you got to feel for them!

Guess it's a gamble if AMEX will accept with last digit missing. Perhaps just add it on before faxing?

Good news, got my wife approved for the Bonvoy card (her first US AMEX via nova). So after the debacle with citibank, I chatted to them the next day and they were able to correct my mailing and residential address easily.... not sure why this couldn't be done before? Anyway when I called AMEX to provide the extra details, they asked us very strange questions to try and verify us since we don't have a ssn or itin, for example do we know who jacqueline pavlowsky is and which city is she from? and if we ever owned a blue 2018 toyota camry?? Naturally I said no to them and and failed that verification, so they proceeded to verify via US bank account. Didn't really give me the option to fax a statement, instead just went straight into a conference call with citibank (thankfully I sorted out the address beforehand). They asked me to confirm the names on the account, address and if the account is open and in good standing. And as soon as it was confirmed, the application was immediately approved!

I tell you what, that was the most nerve racking 20 minutes ever as I wasn't sure how long it would take to update out address in citibank, especially since we made changes to it twice in 2 days!
GT is much much simpler and less stress... lol

 

[jbmemories]

Hint:

“... got the Gold card today at my friends place. Added to Apple Pay ...”.

really am trying to 4D chess process this thread ; saw that MyUS was no longer doing that mail-forwarding service (but some people are still using this route?) so was curious what other (cost effective) options are left as my friend will be relocating to another country (or just change my address to the one here in AUS somehow?)

Also curious whether if I put authorised users under my account they can verify & activate their accounts without an SSN?

 

[Sapz]

Guys here's a qn, missis used to hold an amex while ago and still has an active Amex online account attached to my supplementary card. Even though she doesn't hold her own Amex anymore , would it be possible to GT? She certainly has an active credit history here in AUS. what do you guys think?

 

[Spazmos]

Guys here's a qn, missis used to hold an amex while ago and still has an active Amex online account attached to my supplementary card. Even though she doesn't hold her own Amex anymore , would it be possible to GT? She certainly has an active credit history here in AUS. what do you guys think?

try it by logging in and seeing if her details get pre-filled in the application. my wife had an AU amex which we closed maybe a year ago, so didn't qualify to GT, and hence her details did not get pre-filled.

 

[Sapz]

try it by logging in and seeing if her details get pre-filled in the application

It did not got pre-filled.However she did have an option to choose her Aus credit history over SSN though.

 

[jbmemories]

It did not got pre-filled.However she did have an option to choose her Aus credit history over SSN though.

Believe that's the Nova Credit route; will use the Aussie numbers (but still need to verify some sort of US address)

 

[Sapz]

ok here's a good news guys. I just got approved for my second card(Hilton Surpass) via GT. was 7 months since my first. seems like they are sending the card with USPS to my Sarasota residence gonna wait and see what will happen there before getting them to redirect. wish me luck fellas Im afraid one day someone might wonder how the hell all these people travelling down under with all of these restriction going on......hmmm until then

 

[Sapz]

Believe that's the Nova Credit route;

Ya I think that too, which I'm not planning to take

 

[jbmemories]

ok here's a good news guys. I just got approved for my second card(Hilton Surpass) via GT. was 7 months since my first. seems like they are sending the card with USPS to my Sarasota residence gonna wait and see what will happen there before getting them to redirect. wish me luck fellas Im afraid one day someone might wonder how the hell all these people travelling down under with all of these restriction going on......hmmm until then

congrats on the approval! Does your Sarasota residence still accept your mail? From reading through this (and speaking to live chat), they no longer seem to be taking it? (Unless it$ $ome $ort of $ercret $ervice ) Btw did you have to fill out Form 1583?
Do keep us updated on whether it gets sent (and your residence accepts it) and it arrives to AU

 

[Sapz]

Does your Sarasota residence still accept your mail?

Dunno yet lets find out hey I did jump on a live chat the guy said come back with tracking so they can accept it I'm not sure he understood what I meant

did you have to fill out Form 1583?

No. at least not yet

Do keep us updated

Sure will do

 

[mrsquare]

What’s everyone’s experience with MyUS delivering their parcels? Choose FedEx priority for my Bonvoy Brilliant package. Delivery place last Friday, was meant to take 1-3 days. However, scheduled delivery is only next Tuesday, way more than the 1-3 days quoted. Has this been what most have experienced too? Wondering if it’s some anomaly in delivery these days due to restrictions etc (do recall DC3 mentioning his card took circa 10 days to get delivered? Not sure what delivery method was used though).

Another point that irked me was that the package had arrived in Melbourne yesterday morning around 7am, but stayed stuck in the FedEx facility the whole day due to it “not being due for delivery” yet”. Understand they’ve probably set up their delivery schedules for the day and all, but surely they knew this package was incoming and would have allocated a delivery slot for it and had it delivered earlier instead of sitting on it lol. /rant over

On a side note, with the benefits of the Bonvoy Brilliant, I’ve enrolled for Priority Pass, note that someone upthread have mentioned we can call up to ask for our membership number once enrolled to set up the app and digital card? Is this calling into Amex or PP directly? If Amex, would livechat work too? And with the Marriott elite status, how long did that take to process for most?