What Is the Amex 2/90 Rule? (2024)

FAQs

What Is the Amex 2/90 Rule? ›

The Amex 2/90 rule limits the number of American Express credit cards you can get approved for to two within a 90-day period. This limitation has been widely reported, though it isn't an official American Express company policy.

2 in 90 Rule

You can only get approved for two credit cards every 90 days. This means that if you apply for a third card within the 90-day window, you'll automatically be rejected. These rules apply to credit cards only and not charge cards, so you can apply for as many charge cards as you like.

Rule 6: 2 in 90

If you apply for more than two credit cards within 90 days, you will automatically be rejected for the third one. However, it is important to note that this rule only applies to credit cards and not to other cards.

In addition to the once-per-lifetime rule, AmEx has a couple of other rules for new cardholders. 1-in-5 rule: This states that you can only apply for one American Express card every five days. 2-in-90 rule: You can only be approved for up to two American Express cards within a 90 day period.

Reports show that you won't be approved for more than one Amex card in a five-day period (the so-called 1-in-5 rule) and no more than two cards in a 90-day period (known as the 2/90 rule). There are exceptions to these rules, but they're rare.

There's no such thing as “too many” hard inquiries, but multiple credit inquiries within a short window of time can suggest that you might be a risky borrower.

As the name suggests, Amex's once-per-lifetime rule restricts welcome bonuses to one per card. So if you apply for The Platinum Card® from American Express today and earn the 100,000-point bonus after spending $6,000 within six months, you won't be eligible for another bonus on that card.

The Amex Pop Up Jail is when you apply for an Amex card and you are informed that you are not eligible to receive the welcome offer.

American Express, known for its diverse array of credit card offerings, has a unique stipulation in its “once in a lifetime” rule. This rule essentially states that cardholders are eligible to receive a welcome offer for each specific American Express card only once in their lifetime.

Review and adjustment of credit limit will be based on the income information and/or documents provided as well as risk policies of American Express. Review of the credit limit will be at the discretion of American Express International Inc.

Does Amex do hard pull for existing customers? ›

Plus, it likely won't have a significant impact on your credit score—American Express typically doesn't perform a hard credit check on existing customers' accounts (unless the payment history isn't long enough to rule out the customer being a risky borrower).

The different fees often make or break a deal for a merchant. This is why many merchants, especially small businesses, don't accept American Express. American Express' interchange fee is just too high. Providers like Visa and Mastercard charge between 1.15% and 2.5%, while Amex charges merchants between 1.43% and 3.3%.

Allow American Express or the debt collectors some time to consider your offer. They'll likely send a counteroffer of their own. It's not unusual to go through a few rounds of negotiations before reaching an agreement. Once you come to an agreement, request that American Express put the settlement in writing.

Bottom Line. If you're looking to apply for multiple American Express credit cards, it's possible to do so, as long as you remember the rules: Up to five Amex credit cards at any one time, two credit card applications per 90 days and a once-per-lifetime welcome bonus restriction on all individual cards.

No spending limit

There are no preset spending limits with the Amex Black Card, so you can easily buy big-ticket items that you may not necessarily be able to pay for with other credit cards. Keep in mind, however, that you must pay off your balances in full every month.

If you manage to get approved for 2 personal cards on the same day, Chase will combine them into 1 hard inquiry on your credit report. If you do happen to get approved for 2 cards in the same day or month, you're probably better waiting at least 90 days before applying for another card with Chase.

If your Corporate Card becomes 90 days past due and your charge privileges are suspended, we will charge a $25 administrative suspense fee, subject to applicable law.

It's been our experience that applicants who were not approved for a new account at one time may qualify in the future. We welcome you to apply for any of our American Express Cards, but please wait at least 30 days from the date you received the decline letter before submitting a new application.

Generally, you can open no more than two American Express cards within 90 days. Amex also limits the number of open credit cards you can have with the bank. Customers can have up to five personal or small business credit cards open at one time.

American Express has a limit on the number of its cards one person can have at any given time, and it's five. If you exceed this limit, you'll have to cancel one of your cards to get another.