Does American Express help your credit score?

Question

The American Express credit score requirement is 700 or above, depending on the card. That means people with good to excellent credit are eligible to be approved for an American Express credit card.

If your credit score is below the threshold needed for a credit card from American Express, it’s best to wait to apply until you meet the credit score requirement. You can … read full answer check your credit score for free on WalletHub.

American Express Credit Score Requirements by Card

The Platinum Card® from American Express: 700 (Good credit)

Centurion® Card from American Express: 750 (Excellent credit)

Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express: 700 (Good credit)

American Express Cash Magnet® Card: 700 (Good credit)*

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express: 700 (Good credit)

American Express® Gold Card: 700 (Good credit)

Hilton Honors American Express Card: 700 (Good credit)

Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card: 700 (Good credit)

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card: 700 (Good credit)

USAA Classic American Express®: less than 3 years of credit history (Limited History credit)

You should note that while your credit score is an important factor, there are plenty of other things that will impact your chances of being approved for an American Express credit card, too. Some other key criteria include your income, existing debt load, number of open accounts, recent credit inquiries, employment status, and housing status.

*All information about the American Express Cash Magnet® Card has been collected independently by WalletHub. The American Express Cash Magnet® Card is no longer available to new applicants through WalletHub, but may be available on the American Express website.

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Answer 1 · 2021-01-05 04:48:07

Ashley Wade, WalletHub Analyst

@shlee • 01/05/21 This answer was first published on 01/05/21. For the most current information about a financial product, you should always check and confirm accuracy with the offering financial institution. Editorial and user-generated content is not provided, reviewed or endorsed by any company.

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American Express can help your credit score if you are the primary accountholder or an authorized user aged 18 or older on an American Express credit card or charge card account. For an Amex card to be good for your credit score, the account must be kept in good standing with on-time monthly bill payments. Every month an open Amex account is used responsibly, positive information will be reported to the credit bureaus.

On the other hand, using an Amex card irresponsibly will often be bad––or at the very least, unhelpful––for the primary cardholder’s credit score. Mistakes such as missed payments should have no effect on an authorized user’s credit score, though, because Amex will stop reporting on the additional cardholder once an account becomes delinquent.

While account status and eligibility determine whether an Amex card will help your credit, other factors influence how much your credit score will improve. For example, credit card primary accountholders will build credit slightly faster than charge card primary accountholders, and charge card primary accountholders will build credit slightly faster than authorized users. That said, any primary or additional cardholder who has only positive credit information reported monthly to credit bureaus can build excellent credit with enough time.

Does American Express help your credit score?

Ashley Wade, WalletHub Analyst

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