Hotel Credit Cards from American Express
American Express has over 53 million credit cards in circulation in the United States and features some of the most iconic cards in the industry.
It is a unique credit card issuer for the fact that AMEX both issues cards and serves as a payment network (the institutions responsible for processing all electronic transactions and ensuring that merchants are paid).
American Express is also unique for being one of the only major credit card issuers to offer charge cards in addition to traditional credit cards. Charge cards do not allow for a balance to carried over from one month to another – the reason being that charge cards do not actually extend credit. As such, balances must be paid in full every month.
What Credit Score Do I Need for an American Express Hotel Card?
Offering some of the most premium credit cards in the space, it’s widely recommended that applicants will need a credit score of at least 700 higher.
What to Know Before Applying for an American Express Card
American Express has three noteworthy limitations when it comes to their coveted rewards cards that limit how many cards you can be approved for in a certain period of time and whether you are eligible for the signup bonus.
- 5 AMEX card limit: Cardholder can only own 5 American Express credit cards at a time whether personal or business accounts. This does not appear to apply to charge cards, however. Those who wish to open a new credit card with them will have to cancel and close an existing credit card.
- 1-in-5 rule: Applicants can only be approved for one American Express credit card every five days (this does not include charge cards).
- 2-in-90 rule: Another card limit restriction, this rule stipulates that only two credit cards may be applied and approved for within a 90-day period (also does not apply to charge cards).
- In terms of signup bonuses, American Express has two written rules to thwart credit card churners and others who intend on gaming the credit card rewards system:
- Once in a Lifetime Signup Bonus: Card owners can only earn that card’s signup bonus once during their lifetime. Canceling the card and opening the exact same card a few years later will still cause you to be ineligible for that reward.
- Signup Bonus Clawbacks: American Express retains the right to retroactively withdraw any earnings from a welcome bonus if they feel an applicant is participating in card churning. Some actions that would raise red flags to AMEX are things such as closing the account before the 12-month mark, heavy gift card purchase activity, or peer-to-peer (P2P) payments.
What to Do if Your Application is Denied
If you haven’t gotten an automatic response from your online application don’t fret. This card issuer is known for having a slight delay in its application statuses and will usually populate within a few minutes after the application has been submitted. To check, simply visit the American Express application status website, enter your social and zip code and select “Check Application”.
In the instance that your status is still pending or has flat-out been denied, you can call the American Express Reconsideration phone number at 800-567-1083 to speak with a live person to make your case. Our advice? Avoid making the signup bonus your primary reason for wanting the card and instead, let them know the reasons why the particular card you’re applying for would provide long-term value to you, whether it’s because you want lounge access, frequently travel abroad, or simply love a particular hotel chain.
Editorial Disclosure — The opinions expressed on HotelCards’ reviews, blogs, and all other content on or relating to the website are solely those of the content’s author. They are not reflective of any card issuer or financial institution and have not been reviewed or approved by these entities unless otherwise noted. Further, HotelCards lists credit card offers that are updated daily with information believed to be accurate to the best of our knowledge.