How to Get Pre-Approved for an Amex Credit Card

Credit card preapproval vs pre-qualification

What is credit card preapproval?

Generally speaking, credit card pre-approval takes place when a lender or credit card company does a soft pull on your credit report in order to see if you meet their minimum approval requirements.

Companies typically request a list of consumers who may qualify for their products from the three credit bureaus — Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. A soft pull typically looks at metrics such as minimum credit score requirements, income requirements, and overall credit history which they use to evaluate you for pre-approval.

Lenders who request lists of consumers from the credit bureaus agree to send you a firm offer for credit per the rules listed in the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). That said, your approval for a card is still contingent on the information found by the issuer if you move forward with an application.

In other words, pre-approval shows a good chance you can qualify for a card, but it stops short of guaranteeing it.

What is credit card pre-qualification?

Where credit card pre-approval is initiated by a credit card issuer, credit card pre-qualification is something you can request as a consumer.

For example, many credit cards and loan products let consumers get pre-qualified or “check their rate” with no impact on their credit scores. This step checks whether they are likely to meet minimum requirements for a credit card or loan product, and it only results in a soft pull.

Like credit card pre-approval, getting pre-qualified does not guarantee approval for a credit card product. It’s more of a preliminary step to see if approval is likely based on information like someone’s credit score range, credit history, and income.

The difference between American Express pre-qualification and preapproval

Here is a visual to help you make sense of the difference between pre-qualification and pre-approval:

Overall, it’s helpful to remember this:

• “Approval” means that you have been or will likely be approved for the card.
• “Qualification” tends to mean that you qualify to be reviewed for approval.

It’s helpful to keep these words straight to avoid confusion.

How American Express is different

American Express does things a little differently when it comes to pre-qualification for their credit cards.

Where most credit card companies will allow you to apply directly upon pre-qualification and offer access to a whole host of card sign-up benefits, American Express reserves these perks for their pre-approved customers. Therefore, getting pre-qualified for an Amex card does not mean you will be eligible for all the rewards and perks it offers.

Their pre-qualification page lists the following:

“Note: These offers may not have a Welcome Bonus Offer or an Introductory APR.”

Instead, American Express has a separate system for pre-screening to decide if you are eligible for a welcome bonus. If you are not eligible for the welcome bonus, you can decide not to continue with your application. This is available because with Amex you can typically only receive the welcome bonus once in your life.

Apart from this detail, Amex is also different in that they offer a full page on their website dedicated to facilitating the pre-qualification process.

How to pre-qualify for an Amex credit card

To pre-qualify for an Amex credit card, you need to visit their pre-qualification page and enter information such as:

• Your full name
• Your address
• Your income
• The last four digits of your Social Security number (SSN).

This will result in a soft pull on your credit report, which does not impact your score.

Based on the information you submitted, you’ll be shown a list of American Express credit cards you could potentially qualify for. If you are interested in one of the American Express cards, you can apply on the spot, but there is no obligation to continue if you decide you are not interested.

To boost your chances of getting pre-qualified with Amex, you’ll want to maintain a positive credit history and keep revolving debt below 30% of your available credit. A high income can also help you qualify for Amex credit cards, particularly ones that earn Amex Membership Rewards points like the Amex Gold Card and the Amex Platinum Card.

Outside of the Amex website, there is also a tool called CardMatch (you can try it out below!) where you can see if you qualify for all of the best credit card offers, including those from other issuers. For example, you can use CardMatch to see if you’re eligible for a Marriott Bonvoy credit card from Chase, or if you could get a travel credit card from Capital One or Citi. You may even be able to score a higher welcome offer! Learn more in our comprehensive guide on how to use CardMatch.

Note: using CardMatch will NOT affect your credit score.

Other ways to pre-qualify for an Amex credit card

If you’re already an Amex customer, you may also find pre-qualified offers when you log into your Amex account online. These may appear in a pop-up when you log into your account, or they might appear under the “Amex Offers” tab.

How to get pre-approved for an Amex credit card

While you may not be able to initiate pre-approved offers, having an existing Amex credit card can increase your chances of pre-approval for other products.

As we already mentioned, pre-approval from Amex takes place when Amex has opted to receive a listing of consumers who meet basic criteria for their credit cards. If you land on this list, it’s safe to assume Amex believes you are creditworthy enough to qualify for their products, based on your income, credit score, and credit history.

You are likelier to be on this list if you already have other cards or accounts with American Express.

How to boost your chances of being pre-approved for an Amex credit card

Beyond having a credit card or savings account with Amex already, there are steps you can take to increase your chances of scoring pre-approved offers.

Consider the following moves if you want to get pre-approved for an Amex card:

• Check your credit score.
  Take the time to see your credit score so you know where you stand. Fortunately, you can check your credit score at no cost using tools like Capital One CreditWise and Chase Credit Journey.
• Always pay your bills on time.
  Your payment history is the most important factor that impacts your credit score, so you should always pay bills on time with no exceptions.
• Keep your card balances low.
  How much you owe in relation to your credit limits is the second most important factor that makes up your score, and most experts suggest keeping your utilization ratio below 30% for the best results.
• Be mindful of application restrictions.
  Avoid applying for new cards without a plan in mind. After all, every credit card application you fill out results in a hard inquiry on your credit report.
• Use household income vs. individual income.
  According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), individuals can list their household income on the application for credit and not just their own. For a stay-at-home or non-working spouse, this means using your entire household income on your application.

How to check for pre-approval offers with American Express

Amex does not have a pre-approval tool on their website (only pre-qualification), thus you cannot check for pre-approved offers at all.

Instead, keep an eye out for pre-approval notifications arriving directly to you elsewhere. The majority of the time, potential applicants for an Amex card will receive this type of correspondence via mail or email instead. You may also see personalized pre-approval notifications in the form of ads online.

Existing cardholders can also find pre-approved offers when logging into their Amex account. They typically show up as a pop-up upon login, but they can also show up in the “Amex Offers” section of the platform.

What to consider on pre-approved offers

As you look over pre-approved offers from Amex, remember that a card issuer saying they approve you does not mean you’ll be eligible for all the cardholder benefits and perks. In fact, Amex says explicitly that their pre-approval offers do not imply that you can earn a welcome bonus for meeting a minimum spending requirement after account approval. Pre-approval may also mean you’re ineligible to earn bonus points offered on a promotional basis.

Also, keep in mind that American Express has a “once per lifetime” rule that says each consumer can only earn the welcome bonus on each of their card products once. This means that earning a bonus in the past could preclude you from earning it again, even if Amex itself issues you a pre-approved offer.

Are you a good candidate for an American Express credit card?

One interesting detail about American Express is the fact they don’t offer any credit cards for fair credit or poor credit.

In fact, all their credit cards are geared toward consumers with a “good” credit score or better, or any FICO score of 670 and above. If you have a low credit score, you may want to consider getting a credit card specifically for bad credit.

With that in mind, you may be a good candidate for one of their cards if:

• Your income is enough to pay for all eligible charges and the card’s annual fee
• Your credit score is good or excellent (670 or above)
• Earning Membership Rewards points is one of your priorities
• You spend a lot at U.S. supermarkets and want to maximize rewards on those purchases
• You want to earn a generous welcome offer after account opening
• You want in-flight perks like airline statements during each year of card membership
• A premium travel credit card with airport lounge access is what you want the most
• You may want to transfer Membership Rewards points to the brand’s airline and hotel partners

Choosing the right card

If you’ve already pre-qualified or received pre-approval for Amex cards, you’ll need to pick which card is right for you before signing up. Some American Express cards are better for travel benefits, while others come out on top for everyday spending. When choosing between cards like the Amex Gold vs. Platinum Cards, you’ll want to compare the benefits and perks side-by-side. See our take on the best American Express cards below.