Introduction
I had written about my theory on how you can get FIVE AMEX CREDIT cards (not charge cards) a while back, and the gist was that I thought the Hilton cards were somehow excluded in the ‘4 credit card max’ rule with AMEX. Well it seems one reader actually has SIX cards. This is what he has –
CCs: Hilton Surpass, SPG Biz, Everyday, Simply plus, Delta platinum personal and Delta platinum Biz.
I asked him what were his 4 CREDIT CARDS before #5 and #6 and he said it’s all but the Delta cards. The 5th card was the Delta platinum personal and then months later, he got the 6th card back in late January, the Delta platinum business!!!
Are Delta cards immune too?
If we assume the Hilton card is immune to the 4 card rule, then it explains how he got the 5th card – the Delta personal card. But for him to get the 6th card, there should have been no way in hell they should have given it to him since clearly SIX is greater than FOUR, much like how FIVE is greater than FOUR. If we exclude the Hilton and the Delta cards, then maybe he only has 3. Maybe all of this is similar to how Chase co-branded cards (IHG, Hyatt, RC) is immune to 5/24.
I personally have 5 cards myself – spg, spg biz, simply cash, classic blue, and surpass. I highly doubt I could get a 6th card, but if I were to try, I’d definitely try a Delta card. The experiment should be – I try for a 6th card (maybe the EDP), get rejected. Then a month later, try for the Delta card. If I get it, then we have to assume the Delta cards are excluded from the 4 card rule.
Conclusion
I went back to the 5 card limit post and read the comments. Lots of contrarian data points. Maybe AMEX loosened the rules starting this year? I don’t know. There has to be a reason how/why AMEX let my reader have 6 cards. Any guesses?
I know this is an old post, but this is the most relevant post I can find on this topic, and I’d like to contribute my own data point.
I have EDP, Blue Business Plus, OBC, SPG, Hilton Ascend.
Applied for SPG Biz last night (after the new Marriott/Starwood credit card offering program announcement). I wanted to get this card as this is going away forever and I’ve never had this card.
App went into pending. This morning, I got a phone call. When I checked my status online, it says my app was denied due to too many lending cards opened with Amex. I called back, and after closing my SPG card, the app for SPG biz is approved.
FWIW I just opened SPG consumer card last month. Signup bonus collected two weeks ago.
Happy churning!
Thanks for data point.
DP: I had 5 cards this year: SPG, OBC, BCP, EDP and Blue for Business. I canceled BCP to make room for another card if needed. Was thinking about Hilton Surpass, but didn’t apply yet.
You SHOULD be able to get hilton.
I just got approved for a 5th Credit card (spg personal). currently also have SPG bus, Hilton NoAF, ED, and BC. I did not have to call in to get it approved, but it was pending for almost a week.
I also have amex green, amex gold, amex plat, amex BRG, and amex plat bus.
for DP, only the ED, BC, and green have been open for more than 6 months.
End of may, i plan on applying for the hilton surpass, and maybe the ameriprise gold or schwab plat.
Interesting. Some still can’t get 5. Thanks for dp.
If I get a 6th, i’ll let you know. The 6th will be the surpass at the end of next month.
I have six Amex cards: personal Blue Cash Preferred and SPG, business SPG, Platinum, SimplyCash, and Blue for Business. The 6th was Blue for Business, just got it a couple of weeks ago.
Platinum is a charge card not a credit card – it doesn’t count towards the tally
You may be right, but I consider my Biz Platinum de facto a credit card, since I activated ‘pay-over-time’ feature about a year ago. But Amex may still consider it a charge card, I guess.
They do – it is a charge card even with pay over time since it has no limit.
I dunno about this. I had Hilton Surpass, SPG, Blue Cash and Everyday when i applied for the 50K Delta Gold a few months ago. I got an automatic reply from Amex notifying me they could not process the application.
Amex infuriates me, I just applied for an SPG business card last week and had 4 Credit and 2 Charge (Plat, PRG, Hilton Surpass, Hilton, SPG Personal and Delta). I was told that I must cancel one to get another, my Hilton was at 11 months so I cancelled it and when I was transferred back to new accounts they told me that I never needed to cancel. This is contrary to what the other two reps and computer stated, now I’m in manual review for my SPG business. Amex departments really need to get on the same page.
When did you call Derek? Like a day or two after you applied? I was going to say you should have gotten it easily. Wonder if you had waited it out, you would have gotten it…
Called within the hour, the application page said pending, but when I looked at the amex application status page, it said denied. That’s when I called in to investigate. I mean I’m still waiting but I’m sure I’ll get approved. It’s just annoying with the conflicting information. If there’s a limit it should be consistent across the applications but that’s the game I play I guess…
I hit a similar situation on the Blue for Business. I really wanted the card, so I applied a couple of days before the great signup offer expired. I initially got a pending status. When I checked the AX status page, it showed declined due to too many cards. I called the number on the back of my Business Platinum to see what could be done. I explained the situation and offered to cancel another card if need be. The rep took it upon herself to check my count, saw that I should have been able to get a fifth card, and initiated a three way call with recon. After much talking, they said that they’d need to manually resend the application, and it should be a few days. I heard nothing for 2 weeks, then called again. They asked for a bit more time. The next day, I got the approval email.
Finally got an email today stating approval so applied for SPG Business on 3/15, told I was denied due to too many cards. Spoke to two different reps who agreed with this statement, closed one card and went back to check on the application where I was told the limit is 6 personal cards not 5 meaning I didn’t need to cancel and that the computer will auto deny anyone over 5 cards. Sent my application over to manual review and on 3/28 I am now approved. Looks like the two week time frame holds true here.
Haha I was like what is this picture and then saw your caption lmao
I have Blue cash, Blue sky, Everyday, Blue for Business and just last week got approved for SPG personal. That Makes it 5 Amex credit cards. I wonder if I can try a 6th?
You could probably get a hilton card….those have been rumored not to count
I have SPG personal , SPG Biz ,Blue Cash, Hilton free, Hilton surpass .
I will try for EDP soon.
Sounds like you should get it easily. Wait for Derek’s response above. May be good to not call and wait it out.