Strategy to obtain US Amex

[djchuckles]

Yes, it does. It shows the credit in AUD equivalent amount from memory...

Cool. I got the email from Clear. But nothing yet from Uber

 

[Grrr]

Is Cap1 particularly overzealous with account shutdowns for fraud ?

New account, new card. Activated via their phone IVR service.

Should I wait until the physical card is sent over and do some in person transactions with the physical card before trying to connect it with Apple Pay or using it for web purchases with Australian merchants ?

I think I was pretty lucky getting it approved so I really don’t want to have it shut down…

 

[georgie23]

Is the easiest option to suck up the $150usd af for a Green for one year for her ?

Is it possible to do your first GT into a business card ? (I think there is a fee free MR card there)

I remember reading upthread someone was successful doing a business GT - not sure if it was their first though

 

[georgie23]

Is Cap1 particularly overzealous with account shutdowns for fraud ?

New account, new card. Activated via their phone IVR service.

Should I wait until the physical card is sent over and do some in person transactions with the physical card before trying to connect it with Apple Pay or using it for web purchases with Australian merchants ?

I think I was pretty lucky getting it approved so I really don’t want to have it shut down…

giving yourself best chance would seem using card in person and maybe doing a US transaction - I only have experience with Amex so far and they seem to not care one bit but others suggest Chase/C1/Citi are more stringent

 

[maverick1]

Cool. I got the email from Clear. But nothing yet from Uber

It takes couple of weeks. My last year timeline - applied on 20th Aug, received Uber credit on 30th Aug. They usually are sent in batches..

 

[albyd]

Is Cap1 particularly overzealous with account shutdowns for fraud ?

New account, new card. Activated via their phone IVR service.

Should I wait until the physical card is sent over and do some in person transactions with the physical card before trying to connect it with Apple Pay or using it for web purchases with Australian merchants ?

I think I was pretty lucky getting it approved so I really don’t want to have it shut down…

Congrats on getting approved for a C1 card. Which one did you get approved for? Did they ask for US-government issued ID or did they accept you AU passport?

I found they shut down my checking account not long after it was opened - they didn't give any reason but I'm assuming they didn't like my address being CMRA. I've made a further application for the Venture Card. They wouldn't budge on the US-govt issued ID requirement for me no matter how many times I HUACA.

My experience with Chase is they don't like the use of ApplePay, in a foreign country, with a foreign currency. Probably applies to C1 too. I think you are on safer ground waiting for the physical card like you've said. I can't otherwise speak from experience with C1 but from seeing Chase's reaction, I think you're right.

YMMV.

 

[DC3]

Is Cap1 particularly overzealous with account shutdowns for fraud ?

It doesn’t even need to be actual fraud. Their ‘fraud’ matrix has closed many accounts according to google searches/ reviews. There are no warnings, just account closure. I’m a recipient.

 

[Grrr]

Congrats on getting approved for a C1 card. Which one did you get approved for? Did they ask for US-government issued ID or did they accept you AU passport?

Thanks but it's actually not exciting at all - they have given me a $500 credit limit as it's the VentureOne ('for good credit' = no credit) ! Makes sense as their approval letter stated that they couldn't find a credit file for me with any of the 3 agencies.

This also makes sense as my ITIN is new (2 months old), and my first GT (Green) was only about 5 months ago.

Interestingly they accepted my Aus passport, and my ATO NoA + aus bank statements as proof of income. I think this might have been a glitch in the matrix rather than a proper DP - hence my concern about not being shutdown for irregular use !

The $500 limit is a bummer (but understandable from their end). I presume from a credit file perspective it's better for me to just spend close to $500/month and auto-pay it off monthly, rather than pay it off repeatedly during the month in order to use more than the $500 limit ?

 

[nthd_nthd]

Thanks but it's actually not exciting at all - they have given me a $500 credit limit as it's the VentureOne ('for good credit' = no credit) ! Makes sense as their approval letter stated that they couldn't find a credit file for me with any of the 3 agencies.

This also makes sense as my ITIN is new (1 month), and my first GT (Green) was only about 4 months ago.

Interestingly they accepted my Aus passport, and my ATO NoA + aus bank statements as proof of income. I think this might have been a glitch in the matrix rather than a proper DP - hence my concern about not being shutdown for irregular use !

The $500 limit is a bummer (but understandable from their end). I presume from a credit file perspective it's better for me to just spend close to $500/month and auto-pay it off monthly, rather than pay it off repeatedly during the month in order to use more than the $500 limit ?

I got given $500 initially too and got increased to $1.5K now - after almost 10 months

 

[Grrr]

I got given $500 initially too and got increased to $1.5K now - after almost 10 months

Did you have to ask, or did they offer ?

Did you credit cycle or just spend $500/month ?

 

[Grrr]

It doesn’t even need to be actual fraud. Their ‘fraud’ matrix has closed many accounts according to google searches/ reviews

One interesting DP - I had used a US VPN when signing up for the card and then when getting online access with the C1 app.

However it wouldn’t let me activate the card when the VPN was active (asked me to call a number ‘for my security’), and I noticed that it sent a 2FA code every time I logged in.

After using their IVR to activate the card instead, I ditched the VPN and noticed that the app no longer asks me for 2FA.

So they are clearly sensitive to VPNs - but don’t mind me logging in via an Australian IP address !

 

[nthd_nthd]

Did you have to ask, or did they offer ?

Did you credit cycle or just spend $500/month ?

First 3 or 4 months I hardly used it, and didnt get approved when I initiated the increase credit. Got rejected because low spending
I had to put extra spending for 2 months close to $500 then auto approved for increase limit.

Yes I never used VPN with Cap1

 

[N0mad]

To those of you who have applied and got the HSBC USA Premier account, how did you all bypass the part where you have to submit documents to prove that you have a property in the US, student / work visa etc ?

when P2 opened last month, I responded she's premier in Oz and why was that needed. They then needed to verify she was premier and asked for RM name and a statement.

 

[desafinado74]

when P2 opened last month, I responded she's premier in Oz and why was that needed. They then needed to verify she was premier and asked for RM name and a statement.

Oh i see ! Thanks for replying. Did P2 apply via the HSBC USA site or the Australian site ?

 

[Tiki]

There are so many Americans who are legitimately living overseas-working, retired, digital nomads. It amazes me that banks are so sensitive to vpn. Everywhere you look you are advised to use a vpn to prevent being hacked. Same with Textnow.

 

[Grrr]

Everywhere you look you are advised to use a vpn to prevent being hacked

This only sort of makes sense if you are using public wifi...

The problem is you get enough people doing dodgy stuff on the same endpoint you're using, and it gets flagged - hence the banks' attitude

 

[albyd]

I've received an offer via email from Amex to apply for the ABG with 175K MR SUB. I currently hold the ABP which I'm considering cancelling due to lack of use (I think I did get 150K MR sign-up which is much less than currently available offers).

Is this an offer worth pursuing? I've also got offers for the free business cash card with 25K MR SUB and a sizeable offer for a Line of Credit (I won't be needing it but am a big believer in taking credit when it's offered). Is there anything I'm not seeing here like a future impaired ability to apply for cards having tied up so much of my business lending capacity in these cards and LOC?

 

[djchuckles]

I've received an offer via email from Amex to apply for the ABG with 175K MR SUB. I currently hold the ABP which I'm considering cancelling due to lack of use (I think I did get 150K MR sign-up which is much less than currently available offers).

Is this an offer worth pursuing? I've also got offers for the free business cash card with 25K MR SUB and a sizeable offer for a Line of Credit (I won't be needing it but am a big believer in taking credit when it's offered). Is there anything I'm not seeing here like a future impaired ability to apply for cards having tied up so much of my business lending capacity in these cards and LOC?

There’s a few 200k links kicking about - i used a referral one. For me its very much worth it - $375 for 200k points $15k of purchase on 0% APR for 6.5 months

Business doesn’t count to 5/24 and they seem pretty loose in giving out multiple business cards. In your case I’d certainly do that then cancel the ABP once it ticks over the year

 

[albyd]

Thanks. Was considering holding ABP now I've figured out the 35% discount on travel paid for with MR points on their portal as a neat way to redeem on Qantas given I'm a bronze QFF so unlikely to get the J class redemptions I want. Though I'm thinking $A1000 is alot to pay for this benefit. I think I will close the ABP. Only so many AFs that can carry - I'm not a Packer and don't have a trust fund.

 

[djchuckles]

Thanks. Was considering holding ABP now I've figured out the 35% discount on travel paid for with MR points on their portal as a neat way to redeem on Qantas given I'm a bronze QFF so unlikely to get the J class redemptions I want. Though I'm thinking $A1000 is alot to pay for this benefit. I think I will close the ABP. Only so many AFs that can carry - I'm not a Packer and don't have a trust fund.

Yeah thats a neat benefit. But it’s pretty niche I guess. If you can make it work (and need to earn some status credits) its pretty good. I’ve got my QFF Plat renewal date at Feb ‘27 and need 738 SC before then - that’ll be pretty easy - but I’m considering getting the ABP once I’ve done the ABG 3 month SUB spend (around June).