⏭ Join The Credit Community Discord: spencerjohnsonofficial.com/discord If you’d like to see what cards I’m planning on applying for next, watch this video to find out: th-cam.com/video/u524eajrqx8/w-d-xo.html Are you stuck in Amex pop-up jail right now? 👇🏼
Currently in pop jail and been in pop jail at least 3 times. In my case applying for business cards got me out of the jail twice. The other time it went away with my regular spend. Great video and information Spencer! 👍
Not surprising. Amex keeps sending me targeted offers for business cards and products with elevated bonuses, but am in jail for all the personal cards I've tried, even using "vanilla" public offers.
It’s INSANE! Literally pop up jail for people with no Amex’s, and for people who have them! What’s going on? Then some people’s accounts are being outright canceled, it has me freaked out, even if it’s overblown. Chad and I theorized that Amex has gone too far with their offers + customer acquisition and are now backpedaling to the business owner and higher earners. I literally moved 150k to Airfrance to secure a Europe vacation just in case they want to cancel me. 💀💀💀, great topic Spencer, there are lot of people needing this right now.
It's definitely weird times as an Amex customer. I saw that live y'all did but didn't get the chance to join it. That's crazy that their cancelling people's cards! I agree with you and Chad though... I think they've been giving out too many high offers and need to recoup some losses. Also, be careful that you don't let those Airfrance miles expire if they do so... I know those transfer partner miles can expire sometimes and you wouldn't wanna lose those. Thanks for being here Tony!
I'd disagree with the customer acquisition part simply based on their Q4 earnings reporting. Amex flat out missed with 3 million new customers as reported. However in Q1 earnings beat all expectations, we saw this with how aggressive offers were. 3.4 million new cards during the quarter, with U.S. Consumer Platinum and Gold, U.S. Business Platinum, and Delta co-brand account acquisitions all reaching record levels. One things to consider is how much Delta needs Amex for revenue, points/credit cards are the big revenue driver. We saw this with enhanced offerings to drive new customers in Q1, not to mention the overcrowded Delta Lounges. Business offers are overall lower in Q2 than in Q1, we see this in the Biz plat/gold but will be back soon enough imo.
Yea and the best part about this mysterious b.s. pop-up jail which I absolutely love is they created this algorithm that they “allegedly” can’t override. What company makes software they have no control over 🤔
Im glad u made this video. The thing is, ppl wanna game the system, opening and closing accts and move on to the next. Amex got tired of that and put their foot down. My thing is choose the card that would benefit u the most and stick with it. Im happy and content with the amount of cards with Amex. Just wanna keep my relationship with them strong.
I'm glad you liked it Dannee!! Lenders don't want people churning credit cards at the end of the day so it doesn't shock me that they're more strict rn during times of economic turbulence. I'm happy with the cards I have now so it isn't a big hit to me, but I'd like to get some more bonuses if they'd let me too! 😆
@@SpencerJohnsonOfficial - I hear u, man. But when ppl do all this churning they fuck everything up for everyone else. And I know ur legit, not trying to game the system. But see what all this churning did? Legit guys like urself get punished in pop jail for not even gaming the system. The funny thing is that I just sent a referral link to a friend, he’s already established with Amex, I sent him the link for the Green card, I hope he doesnt get blocked. Lol
Wow! I had heard of AMEX Pop Up Jail but truthfully never knew what it was. This was a good one Spencer! Very informative. Good luck getting out of jail 😮😮😮
I got the pop up when I was applying for the Hilton Surpass & was so disappointed since I wanted to take advantage of the Elevated SUB. Maybe I’ll just apply for other AMEX cards & not the Hilton ones 🤷🏽♂️ Great video as always bro! Glad I’m not the only one experiencing this though 😅
Such a great video! Pop up jail is terrifying I’m fortunate enough to have never been in it. I’ve put 9 months between applying for cards with hopes Amex sees me as someone who isn’t just after welcome offers. Hopefully you have better luck next time.
Thank you E W! I wouldn't live in fear of it, but it's something to keep in mind. I hope you never have to deal with it, but if you do, don't beat yourself up about it. Thank you for your support as always!
Definitely been hearing a lot more people hit this recently, I wonder if they're cracking down on things more! I'll probably be aiming for the Amex Gold pretty soon given I've blown past my CSP min. spend from my trip, hopefully it goes well. Awesome breakdown as always Spencer!
Me and AMEX Pop Up Jail DO NOT have a good relationship after me missing the bonus on my AMEX Gold Card haha. That's a good point that sometimes Pop Up Jail only applies to a specific family of Cards as well. I was able to "get out" of Pop Up Jail by putting a bunch of spending on my Surpass Card, and that allowed me to lock up 165K points on the Hilton BIZ! It'll be really interesting to see if you get the Pop Up when you apply for the Hilton BIZ like you said, after putting spend on AMEX Cards and applying for a Card in a different family. Great video and super important one here Spencer!
I thought of you when making this video! It still pains me to think about that video you posted about it... you live and you learn though! I'm glad you were able to get out of it though and hopefully I have the same luck soon. Thanks for watching Matt!
Haha you’ll be fineeeeeee.. I hope 😆 They do seem to be more strict on personal cards rn but not everyone is getting stuck and hopefully you’ll get through no problem!
Great video, Spencer. Have have been really enjoying your channel. I am currently in AMEX pop-up jail; however, back in Feb '23 I was looking for the 150k Platinum offer. I used a Chrome incognito session and the apply with confidence tool to apply for a 125k offer on the AMEX site, was approved but declined to submit the application. When the page refreshed, I saw the 150k offer. I immediately applied again and was approved again. So, for anyone looking for the highest Platinum card offer, maybe try that approach in addition to the other strategies. I do put quite a bit of spend on my AMEX cards; however, I have been a little exuberant so far in 2023 with my card applications (sheepish grin), so will cool my heels until later in the year.
Thank you Chris! And I appreciate you sharing your experience too. Using different links can definitely help so it's important to give it a shot. However, I wouldn't recommend using something like 20 different links like I did necessarily haha. Congrats on your new(ish) card though!
One thing to consider is that maybe they put people in pop up jail if there in the middle of working towards a Amex SUB. To help avoid credit card churning.
Dang, that sucks. Put spend on those existing Amex cards, and hopefully you'll be good. Every one of my Amex cards have a monthly bill connected to them just to help avoid getting put in pop-up jail
Yeah it does! I honestly don't think I'd be in it if they weren't being so restrictive to everyone right now. My spend has been fairly consistent for a couple months now so you'd think I'd be out of it... who knows though!
This is really good information about pop-up jail. I haven't experienced this myself, but I'm getting ready for it when I start applying for more AMEX cards
I’m glad you think so Jacob! I hope you don’t have to deal with it but it seems to come for us all at some point haha. I wouldn’t be too worried about it though.
Another great video! I just hit my 90,000 AMEX points in less than a month, shout out to my wife’s mom. She is remodeling her house so we gave her our credit card for her to use. Lol.
Great video here Spencer! Since my experience was different where calling-in worked, it sounds like you told the customer service rep you were ineligible over the phone. This might have been the denial of this method from them or been a trigger word when they go through the script of how to address it that they cannot offer you it. Each time I called I did not mention online offers or pop up jail, and simply kept it minimal to understand what offers are available to me. Hope this helps for anyone looking to get around pop up jail as I was able to get approved for a Gold (90k)and Plat (120K) this year in the same month. Some of my supplemental data points such as being a member for many years, already having multiple AMEX (non charge) cards open (never closed), and a business checking. Good luck applying everyone!
Oh wow that’s good to know! Since I didn’t actually go through with the application you could be right. I just didn’t wanna go through the whole process if I was gonna get the pop up again but if I didn’t mention the pop up window I may have gotten through just fine… thank you for sharing your experience man! It’s super valuable for sure.
This video really helps Specer. I was in popup jail last year around June, applying Bonvoy Brilliant. (I've never had this card or any of the cards from Westin before the merger..etc). So I applied Hilton Aspire instead and 3 month later Hilton Honors. Both were approved without any issues. I guess your theory is right. It may just apply to only specific family of cards only. Side note, I already had Bovoy Business before all this, so Personal and Business also are different categories of cards when it comes to popup jail? Not too sure. Awesome Video!!!
I'm really happy to hear that and I'm glad your experience lines up with what I was saying. I do think that a lot of people can get around it with business cards too, so good points there. Thanks so much for the support!
It feels like they really tightened up around the time SVB blew up, and even the usual "spend your way out of it" isn't working for a lot of people now. I am "jail" for all personal card offers I've tried, but Amex keeps sending me targeted, elevated offers for business cards and other business products. So it seems they are really only clamping down hard on the personal side.
I think you're right about them being more strict on personal cards in particular right now. It's interesting to see it all happening at once, but hopefully we'll get a clearer understanding of it someday. I'm not holding my breath though.
Yeah, they definitely check the number of times you apply. Not sure if you’re familiar with Amex’s Application Status Checker, but if you Google it and enter your SSN and Zip Code, it has all of your applications listed on there! I was in popup jail in 2021, just spent more on my Amex cards and waited, 2 months later. All was good and I haven’t had that problem since!
Oh that's super interesting! Do they check for the "Apply With Confidence" feature too?! And that's great to hear you got out of it. Sometimes spend over time is all it takes.
You have to put spend on Amex cards. Even when I'm working on a SUB with another lender, i never stop using my Amex. At the current moment i have 11open Amex accounts and I've had 14 total Amex. Never been in popup jail and i get a lot of mailers, emails and offers on the website with elevated offers
That's great man! Higher spend definitely helps. Although I think there's a bigger concern with Amex as a whole right now, especially if they're shutting people's accounts down with no warning. I agree with you though!
@@SpencerJohnsonOfficial one thing I knew about Amex even before I got into this credit card game is that if you keep getting subs and no longer use your cards after that, they will close your accounts even if you have AUs using the card/cards. I knew when they asked me to submit 3 months of "Business" checking account statements when I applied for the Hilton Business card, they were being a little more strict.
I’m in pop up, tried for green and gold. Only thing I have going on is I just completed the checking account sub. Maybe that did it. I spend thousands per month on each and every Amex card I have. No gift card buying just business and personal spend.
Danggg I'm sorry to hear that! That checking account bonus maybe did it.. who knows! It's all a bit of speculation but from what we can gather it seems that any high velocity is something they don't want to see. At least you're putting healthy spend on all your cards though!
I like and use credit cards like most people. But getting out of pop up jail? The idea of having to do certain things to make the BANK happy? That’s crazy to me. We really are slave to banks. If it was me, I’d pass. Move on. Try again next year. I’m not going out of my way to please a bank just to pay an annual fee to have an opportunity to get a sign up bonus that might be worth $700-1200. It just isn’t worth it. If that dollar amount is that impactful to someone, the CC game isn’t for the in the first place. There are waaaay too many credit cards out there for me to be concerned about what Amex thinks of me. I’m more concerned with my money than theirs.
You definitely don't have to pledge loyalty to a bank. This was more to help folks who are wondering what the heck is going on with it, but I agree with you. There are plenty of other excellent cards to pick up instead!
This is my first time in pop up jail. Really disappointed because I need to get the Delta card to push my status over the edge to the next level before the end of the year.... but now I can't get the sign-up bonus. I wonder if it's worth just getting the card without the bonus, and when they inevitably change the perks, cancel it, and then re-apply like a decade later.
I haven't heard a hard set thing on that, but if they do track it, it could definitely be an issue for those of us who like to check it! I'm sorry about those denials though man...
@@SpencerJohnsonOfficial not the end of the world; just have to see what the letters say. And if items a 30 day cool off, I can still hit the Hilton SUB.
Yeah, I think the economy is really hurting the credit approvals. Just a heads up, I was able to get the Hilton Biz back in March without the pop up. Though, I have been getting the popup since April. Thanks for the video bro!
No pop up jail, but did get hard pulled on my 2nd amex card which is understandable since my apps were only 30 days apart & i used to be on their blacklist. Just spend heavy, payoff, & wait to re-apply or go for other cards you want from other issuers.
@Doc that's something that happens. I also got hard pulled on my first 2 Amex with both Experian and TransUnion... I know of it happening to others as well. But I've had 14 Amex and only hard pulled those two times
@@SledgeIncTeam - thanks Sledge. Thats good to know. Figured i was just me due to my history or close proximity of my apps. But it will be awhile before i apply for another amex card.
Just got pop up for Hilton aspire. I am currently in delta sky miles welcome offer period. I’ll apply again after the SUB period is over for delta miles. Hopefully it works.
I have been with Amex for over 4 years, have 2 cards total with Amex, one from October 2019, the second from January 2022, never missed a payment, never did a balance transfer, never closed a card, spent over 70k between both cards since January 2022, have a perfect credit score, have not applied for a new amex in almost 2 years… got the pop up applying for the amex platinum today… it makes no sense? None of the criteria listed for being in pop up jail applies to me. If they aren’t giving me an amex, who is being approved?
I'm sorry to hear that! I'm glad they at least tell us before we submit the application that we won't be getting the bonus though. If there was some way to tell even earlier on though that would be nice!
So I’ve been in pop up jail for only Hilton personal cards. But, I went to apply for the business Hilton card, and was approved and given the bonus. So I think not only is it family of cards, but you can try doing business and it will approve you. Maybe try for the business Platinum. While I don’t think it’s as good as the personal because of the benefits, it’s still really good and there are great elevated offers for that.
Great point! I was more strictly talking about personal cards in this one but a lot of people have gotten around it going the business card route too. Thanks for sharing your experience!
Great video! I am currently in pop up jail and was thinking the same thing about the Hilton Business card as a possible out. If you take that approach please do a video with the outcome. I also recently got my players 2, 3 &4 AU platinum cards. There is a current offer for 10k MR points for $2k in spend.
Thanks J B! Idk if I'll end up going for the Hilton Biz card but if I do I'll document the process. And good work with those AUs! Free points are free points!
What I did before I started watching this video is put regular bill I need to pay. On all the cards I have with Amex. To make sure they stay active for when I need them. And it work. When I apply second time for Amex Gold I got approved.
I think the main reason of pupup jail is amex can't earn money from you especially from guys like us do not spend 1X point category only spend specific category with higher X point. In my experience, put some spending on 1X category and use the card more frequently, that would help getting out of it.
I am in pop-up jail.😭 Got the message about 3 months ago when applying for the Hilton Aspire Card. Got approval for card but without the welcome offer. The reason was same/similar offer on recently approved card. The offer was 150k points which was the same 150k offer on the Blue Business Plus. I did speak with a rep and he said that I would have to wait for an invitation to apply. The crazy thing is I did get invited to apply for the Marriott card about a week later. I have also been invited to apply for the Bus. Gold w/90k bonus offer and the Bus. Plat w/150k offer since being in pop-up jail. I carry a small balance on the BBP because of the 0%APR. But no balance on the charge cards and no balance of the Blue Cash Preferred. I have a very high spend. I use my Amex cards for everything except rent or things I don't want Amex to see me purchasing. So, I am just waiting for an invitation to apply. Or I try again in maybe December.
Another good way to go about this is the sub reddit community there's always multiple ways to get around these, and most folks post the link to use! There's a good work around right now on there for the Amex Hilton cards!
I also kept trying to get the platinum over the last week for the bonus but kept getting the pop up window. I’m guilty of always trying as well..oops. I gave up and decided to just go for the AMEX GOLD and was approved right away. Was able to lock in the higher 90k miles with 200 cash back
I put plenty of spend on my Amex cards. I even put non-category spend on them. It didn’t help me get out of pop-up jail for the personal plat. I solved my frustrations by getting a Venture-X card. I’m waiting to product change my Quicksilver to a SavorOne card. Bye, Amex personal cards.
See now that's surprising to me that they'd even put you in pop-up jail. It's honestly probably because you're able to get so many bonuses on their cards that it's unprofitable to them. I wonder if your applications were too quick for their rules too or something, idk. Thanks for sharing this though and I'm sorry to hear it!
@@SpencerJohnsonOfficial 3 MR cards since Jan 1st. One was the personal Gold and two biz cards. I tried one more time for the personal Plat right before I accepted their BBP targeted offer. Now I have 4 MR cards. I have 1.02M MR points since January 1st and will probably have 1.2M by the end of the month. I haven’t redeemed any points yet. $1,200 in AF and lots of spend, I’m probably profitable for them.
I'm in pop up jail I'm trying to get the Hilton aspire card currently I have the Hilton honors and I have put about 5k in spending in the last 6 months and I still get the same pop up
I think the pop up jail is triggered by the number of cards and welcome bonuses received. Like you, I’ve opened 3 Amex cards in the last year. Amex Gold, Delta Platinum, and Delta Reserve. All three have had significant spend since opening. Although I was in pop jail when attempting to apply for the Amex Platinum, I was able to get bonus points through an upgrade offer from the Gold to the Platinum… the goal is to reapply for the Gold at a future date. I do not believe pop up jail is related to the family of cards since I was able to get the welcome bonus for both the Delta Platinum and Delta Reserve which were opened about 8 months apart.
Good thoughts here! When it comes to your reapplying for the Gold card, just remember that you won't be able to get another bonus on it. And what I mean by pop-up being related to a family of credit cards is a bit different than what you're describing. For your case, you got the pop-up for the Platinum (charge card family) but didn't get it for the Delta cards (a separate family) which would support the theory I was discussing. However, that's not a blanket statement that is true for everyone so I agree with you there!
I'm not sure I know what you mean by that exactly... but yes they may give you the pop-up window if you're applying for cards too quickly with them if that's what you mean!
I am currently in pop-up when I applied for Hilton Personal Card back in May. I have less than a year of relationship with Amex with the Gold Personal and BBP Buisness Card. The weird thing is that I've gotten multiple emails, mailers, and other things presenting me with low apr offers "3.99% for 6 months" for pay over time with my gold card. I think I'm in jail for the BBP card having 0% intro apr, and I have not been paying in full like I normally do to take advantage of the offer. I plan on re-applying in July to see if anything changes.
Ah yes... if you have any balances you've been leaving on your cards for months now, they'll throw you in pop-up jail most likely. As well as if you're working on another card bonus with them. Paying off your cards on-time and in-full is the way to do it!
Does pop up jail show up on mobile? I applied via the desktop website and I got the pop-up window saying I wasn't eligible for the sign up bonus, but when I applied again on mobile a few days later via a Hilton email link, it didn't show up.
I think if you don’t wait for 90 days in between Amex cards you’ll get it too. What was the space between the Amazon business and applying for platinum?
They do have a 2/90 rule but you can get 2 cards within that window. My Biz Prime card was within 90 days of this application but I should've been in the clear. Good thoughts though!! A fast velocity is not something they necessarily like to see either way.
I don’t understand the algos. I’ve been in pop up jail for the delta gold, but have since gotten Amex gold and bbp with no issues. Still can’t get the delta gold offer.
Another great video! I have a question with regard to the 2/90 Amex rule. I applied for an Amex credit card (not charge card) in March and an Amex business credit card in May. Since June will be 90 days from the first credit card application am I okay to apply for another Amex business credit card product or do I have to wait until the 2nd account falls off the 90-day window?
Thank you Steve! You should be good to apply for another card 90 days after that first card was applied for as it should be a rolling 90 day period. Luckily these days you can use the Apply With Confidence tool to tell you if you're approved before getting a hard pull or not either way (plus you already have Amex cards so you wouldn't get a hard pull anyways) but if you get denied for some reason, hopefully recon could sort that out for you.
I opened and closed Amex business prime card for $200 bonus. Ever since, I have been in the pop up jail. It’s been more than 6 months - I am so disappointed
Ahh I'm sorry to hear that. That's why I generally never cancel no annual fee cards unless I have a really good reason to do so. Especially Amex with their dang pop-up jail. Hopefully you get out soon!
Have a gold and platinum both I got 90k welcome bonus and the 150k plus the 200 for platty. I applied for the no annual fee Hilton card and got the pop up window😭 for 100k Hilton points
AMEX blocked me for both Hilton and Surpass. Not eligible for bonus offer so I declined the application. Probably because I got the Platinum in April then hit spend required within the month. Spent over 11K which is way over. Then got Gold in May and just about to hit the spend requirement on that. Both cards are for different categories. As far as charge card vs credit card so I’m not sure what the algorithm is flagging me for. I didn’t cancel any cards. Will prob miss out on the these bonus offers. Just sharing my experience.
Thanks for sharing your experience! I’d imagine you can’t get the bonus because you might have broken their 2/90 rule. You can only be approved for 2 cards every 90 days, so depending on when you applied for the Hilton cards, that could be the issue.
Amex pop up jail is the one thing I don’t like about Amex. It’s just as annoying as the Chase 5/24 rule. I have heard of a lot of people being in Amex pop up jail recently. I do believe that economic conditions may have something to do with it. As of now, I only have the one Amex card, the NAF Hilton Honors card, so I’m not aware of my pop up status. The two cards that are on my radar now are the Amex Gold card and the Hilton Surpass card. I just got the Hilton Honors card in March 2023, so I think I may wait until after I’ve had the card for at least 3 months before I apply for my next Amex card. I’m also still working on the spend requirement for the SUB, so I may even wait until I satisfy that too. I think you have a good plan, Spencer, for trying to get out of pop up jail! I have heard that putting a good amount of spend on any existing cards a person has with Amex makes it less likely that they will end up in pop up jail. If you decide to go for the Hilton business card, I want to wish you the best of luck with getting it along with the SUB!
I agree with you man! It's a tricky place to be in for sure. I hope you don't have to deal with it! Spacing out applications more and making sure you aren't spending towards another SUB is a good idea too. Thank you for the support as always John!
I only have Amex BCE but still no luck yet getting out of the pop-up jail for past 2 years when applying for Amex Delta Gold CC elevated offers. Even though I received welcome offer for Amex Delta Gold in the mail & used the invitation code to apply, the dreaded pop-up window still showed up 😔😔
That's really interesting that even with the mailer you got a pop-up... that invitation code should get you around that for sure. I assumed you applied using the direct link on the mailer and if so that's surprising you didn't get through!
@@SpencerJohnsonOfficial Yes. I guess it is Delta Airlines who sends these mailers occasionally to me as I already have 20K points in my Delta SkyMiles account. But whenever I use the invitation code & the link from the mailer, Amex popup jail window shows up. I guess there is something broken in Amex's algorithm that isn't allowing me to "bypass" despite using the invitation code they sent me.
I am, unfortunately, in pop-up jail. I never thought I would be here LOL. Like 40k spending on my gold card and fair spending on the other cards. I think my issue is my recent cards opened, and I've recently opened 2 with welcome offers... Never closed a card tho so
It's unfortunate if this is associated with people getting their accounts canceled without warning. Recent data suggests they're more linked than not - meaning, it's almost certainly a "cut-back" or "crackdown" method on AMEX's part. If that's a real concern, it makes me want to avoid AMEX altogether. Not getting sign-up bonuses stinks, but getting your cards canceled out of the blue is a far bigger hassle.
sigh...as you know probably as I have said it several times now...I am in pop up jail right now. Been putting more spend on my Amex but also not going to leave points on the table by using them in a crazy way instead of higher earning cards. Hopefully, it will naturally work itself out. I have increased spend on all of the cards, but only like $100-2000 across them all. Never closed a card. Been denied for a Green card and personal Hilton cards so far. Appreciate the point about not even trying to apply for awhile as I am guilty of that hoping it has been lifted. Will try to not even apply again I guess till 2024.
I know the feeling man! Don't beat yourself up about it... this seems to be a systematic issue right now from what I can tell. There are plenty of other great cards you can add in the meantime even though it's really annoying to not get the cards you want with these elevated SUBs.
Haha you better wear it with pride! It’s gonna feel real good to turn that denial around… we’ll see about my application for the Honors Biz. I’ll probably just try to get a retention offer on the Gold instead but we’ll see. Thanks for watching CJ!
CJ I've managed to escape the world of credit card rules and boundaries. Don't ask for approvals. Demand them 😂 Do your research on Mr Do Your Research
If I received the high welcome offer on the gold card, I would be DQ'd from receiving the welcome offer on say the platinum card, right? One welcome offer per lifetime as you mentioned.
No, the "once in a lifetime" is per product. The Gold and the Platinum are different products. The Personal and Business Platinum are different products. Even the "vanilla" Platinum, Schwab Platinum and Goldman Sachs Platinum are all different products.
I was in Pop Up Jail when I applied for the Hilton Honor (70k +FNC). But when I applied for the same Hilton Honors (80k + FNC) through another link, I was approved and the rep informed me that I am eligible for the SUB. Wondering if Amex will claw back my bonus later?
Gaming! Also it puts the bank at risk to have too many customers open and close accounts frequently, it destabilizes the banks ability of offer lending products in ways that you won’t see.
Been in personal pop-up jail for about 7-8 months now, but they keep sending my business mailer offers, I guess they don't mind us getting business cards. Have received 3 business card offers in past 2-3 months (plat, gold, BB cash) Wanting to get the schawb plat but still stuck waiting....
Exact same thing here. I have the Schwab Platinum and a BBP. They keep sending me targeted, elevated offers for business cards and business products but it's jail, jail, jail on the personal side, even though most of my spend is on the personal card.
Dang that sucks... at least you're able to get their business cards I guess! Hopefully all that spend will help you get out of pop-up jail at some point.
I got the pop up jail. Called and asked what was up and a couple other things, they said they are removing and to reapply in 7 weeks. I have 4 cards, 2 personal and 2 business. Seriously just call, what can they say l, no????
Nice!! While they can't remove the pop-up window for you, they may be able to give some information that helps you a bit. It seems like their recommendation is usually to spend on your cards and come back after a period of time and you'll be good. That isn't the case for everyone though!
I would assume any spend on any Amex card helps you get out of pop-up jail quicker, but these days they just seem to want to throw everyone in it 🤷🏼♂️
Ahhh yeah that can happen! Generally you should leave your cards open for at least a year to avoid anything like that but you live and you learn! Hopefully you'll be out soon.
I never close an Amex card always pay on time , I have four cards platium which is only useful for traveling , blue cash everyday and Hilton surpass I plan to downgrade my delta gold card and get the Green Card …still up in the air about the Platium .
I was in pop up jail for months before they finally gave in and gave me the aspire card. I never changed my spend routine. I had about 7 cards with amex so i assumed that was the reason for putting me in jail (sub hunting)
Hopefully you’re released from Pop-Up Jail soon! #FreeSpencerJohnson I just got approved for my first Amex card two days ago and the first thing I see is Amex canceling Kosta’s cards and several people in pop up jail. This following Amex having a system issue and not being able to produce my card number via email with no option expidite the card. 😢 It’s been a rocky start, but I’m looking forward to receiving the card next week - hopefully it’s smooth sailing from there!
Haha thank you man! I need to watch that video... I can't believe they're shutting cards down rn. Crazy times man. Hopefully Amex picks up their game again soon before they lose too many customers over stuff like this! You deserve that great Amex experience like everyone else! 😆
@@SpencerJohnsonOfficial Speaking of which, they just emailed me this morning and said my card is ready to ship! Looking up! Have a good weekend bro - looking forward to catch up on that Saturday Q&A on Sunday!
Sometimes you win, sometimes you get the pop up!! 😂😂😂 Was accepted for the Green Card, but really I should not have been applying for it...😂😂 Pop-up jail! Called them up and applied, approved w/ no welcome offer. Cancelled the next day😂😂 "Are you guys mad at me now?" "No sir, we see people change their minds often. Put some more spend on those cards and apply for it when you really need it."
I dont understand why people want to do business with a company like Amex on how they treat their customers. If Amex doesn't want to give a welcome offer because I'm a savvy customer I'll just go somewhere else.
Unfortunately Amex is one of the best lenders you’ll find haha. Especially with customer service. No bank is really your friend at the end of the day though and there are plenty of cards you can get out there so I wouldn’t fall in love with just one lender.
@@SpencerJohnsonOfficial with that said, I do have a gold and platinum card with Amex. I have almost 300k points sitting with them and I haven't used my cards consistently for a few months. After seeing what happened to Kostantino and his account closures. Im scared Amex will shut me down and take all my points. Amex is sneaky like that. Other banks are more tolerant and decent with their customers and they just don't close everything without a warning or notice. It's just not right.
I know right... there's a reason their offers are so high though! At least from an outside perspective they're making it seem like everyone is getting great offers, but when you see how many people are in pop-up jail they lose their power.
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Are you stuck in Amex pop-up jail right now? 👇🏼
Currently in pop jail and been in pop jail at least 3 times. In my case applying for business cards got me out of the jail twice. The other time it went away with my regular spend. Great video and information Spencer! 👍
Not surprising. Amex keeps sending me targeted offers for business cards and products with elevated bonuses, but am in jail for all the personal cards I've tried, even using "vanilla" public offers.
That's good to know that business cards have gotten you out before! I may need to implement that. Thank you for being here as always Cesar!
It’s INSANE! Literally pop up jail for people with no Amex’s, and for people who have them! What’s going on?
Then some people’s accounts are being outright canceled, it has me freaked out, even if it’s overblown.
Chad and I theorized that Amex has gone too far with their offers + customer acquisition and are now backpedaling to the business owner and higher earners.
I literally moved 150k to Airfrance to secure a Europe vacation just in case they want to cancel me.
💀💀💀, great topic Spencer, there are lot of people needing this right now.
It's definitely weird times as an Amex customer. I saw that live y'all did but didn't get the chance to join it. That's crazy that their cancelling people's cards! I agree with you and Chad though... I think they've been giving out too many high offers and need to recoup some losses. Also, be careful that you don't let those Airfrance miles expire if they do so... I know those transfer partner miles can expire sometimes and you wouldn't wanna lose those. Thanks for being here Tony!
I'd disagree with the customer acquisition part simply based on their Q4 earnings reporting. Amex flat out missed with 3 million new customers as reported.
However in Q1 earnings beat all expectations, we saw this with how aggressive offers were. 3.4 million new cards during the quarter, with U.S. Consumer Platinum and Gold, U.S. Business Platinum, and Delta co-brand account acquisitions all reaching record levels.
One things to consider is how much Delta needs Amex for revenue, points/credit cards are the big revenue driver. We saw this with enhanced offerings to drive new customers in Q1, not to mention the overcrowded Delta Lounges.
Business offers are overall lower in Q2 than in Q1, we see this in the Biz plat/gold but will be back soon enough imo.
Ya I hope you get outta Pop Up Jail Spencer! 😱 I hate how they have such a mysterious rule.
Thanks Chase! The world may never know why they do what they do lol
Yea and the best part about this mysterious b.s. pop-up jail which I absolutely love is they created this algorithm that they “allegedly” can’t override. What company makes software they have no control over 🤔
Im glad u made this video. The thing is, ppl wanna game the system, opening and closing accts and move on to the next. Amex got tired of that and put their foot down. My thing is choose the card that would benefit u the most and stick with it. Im happy and content with the amount of cards with Amex. Just wanna keep my relationship with them strong.
Even if you are in pop up jail, there are still strategies to get way more points than just sticking with the same cards.
@@LK_EBM - And Amex will adjust to that method and shut ppl down as well. Amex is watching and u know they dont play. Lol
I'm glad you liked it Dannee!! Lenders don't want people churning credit cards at the end of the day so it doesn't shock me that they're more strict rn during times of economic turbulence. I'm happy with the cards I have now so it isn't a big hit to me, but I'd like to get some more bonuses if they'd let me too! 😆
@@SpencerJohnsonOfficial - I hear u, man. But when ppl do all this churning they fuck everything up for everyone else. And I know ur legit, not trying to game the system. But see what all this churning did? Legit guys like urself get punished in pop jail for not even gaming the system. The funny thing is that I just sent a referral link to a friend, he’s already established with Amex, I sent him the link for the Green card, I hope he doesnt get blocked. Lol
Wow! I had heard of AMEX Pop Up Jail but truthfully never knew what it was. This was a good one Spencer! Very informative. Good luck getting out of jail 😮😮😮
I'm always happy to share what I've learned over time and I'm glad this one was helpful man! Thank you for watching!
@@SpencerJohnsonOfficial of course!
I got the pop up when I was applying for the Hilton Surpass & was so disappointed since I wanted to take advantage of the Elevated SUB. Maybe I’ll just apply for other AMEX cards & not the Hilton ones 🤷🏽♂️ Great video as always bro! Glad I’m not the only one experiencing this though 😅
You may be able to get the business version instead! Just a thought! I appreciate you being here as always!
Such a great video! Pop up jail is terrifying I’m fortunate enough to have never been in it. I’ve put 9 months between applying for cards with hopes Amex sees me as someone who isn’t just after welcome offers. Hopefully you have better luck next time.
Thank you E W! I wouldn't live in fear of it, but it's something to keep in mind. I hope you never have to deal with it, but if you do, don't beat yourself up about it. Thank you for your support as always!
Definitely been hearing a lot more people hit this recently, I wonder if they're cracking down on things more! I'll probably be aiming for the Amex Gold pretty soon given I've blown past my CSP min. spend from my trip, hopefully it goes well. Awesome breakdown as always Spencer!
Yeah it's wild times right now. Hopefully you can break through though man! Thanks for watching as always Kecin!
Me and AMEX Pop Up Jail DO NOT have a good relationship after me missing the bonus on my AMEX Gold Card haha. That's a good point that sometimes Pop Up Jail only applies to a specific family of Cards as well. I was able to "get out" of Pop Up Jail by putting a bunch of spending on my Surpass Card, and that allowed me to lock up 165K points on the Hilton BIZ! It'll be really interesting to see if you get the Pop Up when you apply for the Hilton BIZ like you said, after putting spend on AMEX Cards and applying for a Card in a different family. Great video and super important one here Spencer!
I thought of you when making this video! It still pains me to think about that video you posted about it... you live and you learn though! I'm glad you were able to get out of it though and hopefully I have the same luck soon. Thanks for watching Matt!
Seeing everyone in pop up jail right before I go for the Amex Gold has my anxiety going 📈 haha. Thanks for sharing your experience!
Haha you’ll be fineeeeeee.. I hope 😆 They do seem to be more strict on personal cards rn but not everyone is getting stuck and hopefully you’ll get through no problem!
Great video, Spencer. Have have been really enjoying your channel. I am currently in AMEX pop-up jail; however, back in Feb '23 I was looking for the 150k Platinum offer. I used a Chrome incognito session and the apply with confidence tool to apply for a 125k offer on the AMEX site, was approved but declined to submit the application. When the page refreshed, I saw the 150k offer. I immediately applied again and was approved again. So, for anyone looking for the highest Platinum card offer, maybe try that approach in addition to the other strategies. I do put quite a bit of spend on my AMEX cards; however, I have been a little exuberant so far in 2023 with my card applications (sheepish grin), so will cool my heels until later in the year.
Thank you Chris! And I appreciate you sharing your experience too. Using different links can definitely help so it's important to give it a shot. However, I wouldn't recommend using something like 20 different links like I did necessarily haha. Congrats on your new(ish) card though!
One thing to consider is that maybe they put people in pop up jail if there in the middle of working towards a Amex SUB. To help avoid credit card churning.
That's a good point. That and having a high velocity at the same time is something they don't love.
Pop Up Jail does stink! Good luck with getting out of it and with getting the AMEX Hilton Biz CC. Thanks for the info + video!
Thank you so much Jimmy! It's an unfortunate thing to deal with but it is what it is!
Thanks for making the video ! It’s so annoying that they do that please keep us updated if you get out
Of course Tariq! I hate seeing so many people impacted by this so I felt like I needed to cover it ASAP.
Dang, that sucks. Put spend on those existing Amex cards, and hopefully you'll be good. Every one of my Amex cards have a monthly bill connected to them just to help avoid getting put in pop-up jail
Yeah it does! I honestly don't think I'd be in it if they weren't being so restrictive to everyone right now. My spend has been fairly consistent for a couple months now so you'd think I'd be out of it... who knows though!
This is really good information about pop-up jail. I haven't experienced this myself, but I'm getting ready for it when I start applying for more AMEX cards
I’m glad you think so Jacob! I hope you don’t have to deal with it but it seems to come for us all at some point haha. I wouldn’t be too worried about it though.
Another great video! I just hit my 90,000 AMEX points in less than a month, shout out to my wife’s mom. She is remodeling her house so we gave her our credit card for her to use. Lol.
Thanks Luis! That’s awesome you had your wife’s mom help out haha. That’s clutch!
Yep. Applied last night for the new 60k MRP for the Green card and got the pop-up! Currently have Hilton Aspire, BCP, and Gold card.
Same all around lmao applied Sunday
I'm sorry to hear that Fred!!
That sucks... I'm sorry to hear that!
Great video here Spencer! Since my experience was different where calling-in worked, it sounds like you told the customer service rep you were ineligible over the phone. This might have been the denial of this method from them or been a trigger word when they go through the script of how to address it that they cannot offer you it. Each time I called I did not mention online offers or pop up jail, and simply kept it minimal to understand what offers are available to me. Hope this helps for anyone looking to get around pop up jail as I was able to get approved for a Gold (90k)and Plat (120K) this year in the same month. Some of my supplemental data points such as being a member for many years, already having multiple AMEX (non charge) cards open (never closed), and a business checking. Good luck applying everyone!
Oh wow that’s good to know! Since I didn’t actually go through with the application you could be right. I just didn’t wanna go through the whole process if I was gonna get the pop up again but if I didn’t mention the pop up window I may have gotten through just fine… thank you for sharing your experience man! It’s super valuable for sure.
This video really helps Specer. I was in popup jail last year around June, applying Bonvoy Brilliant. (I've never had this card or any of the cards from Westin before the merger..etc). So I applied Hilton Aspire instead and 3 month later Hilton Honors. Both were approved without any issues. I guess your theory is right. It may just apply to only specific family of cards only. Side note, I already had Bovoy Business before all this, so Personal and Business also are different categories of cards when it comes to popup jail? Not too sure. Awesome Video!!!
I'm really happy to hear that and I'm glad your experience lines up with what I was saying. I do think that a lot of people can get around it with business cards too, so good points there. Thanks so much for the support!
It feels like they really tightened up around the time SVB blew up, and even the usual "spend your way out of it" isn't working for a lot of people now. I am "jail" for all personal card offers I've tried, but Amex keeps sending me targeted, elevated offers for business cards and other business products. So it seems they are really only clamping down hard on the personal side.
I think you're right about them being more strict on personal cards in particular right now. It's interesting to see it all happening at once, but hopefully we'll get a clearer understanding of it someday. I'm not holding my breath though.
Yeah, they definitely check the number of times you apply. Not sure if you’re familiar with Amex’s Application Status Checker, but if you Google it and enter your SSN and Zip Code, it has all of your applications listed on there! I was in popup jail in 2021, just spent more on my Amex cards and waited, 2 months later. All was good and I haven’t had that problem since!
Oh that's super interesting! Do they check for the "Apply With Confidence" feature too?! And that's great to hear you got out of it. Sometimes spend over time is all it takes.
Super helpful. I had no idea you could check this. Tks.
Excellent content and delivery! New subscriber. ❤
Thank you so much! I'm super happy to have you in the community!
@@SpencerJohnsonOfficial You're so welcome!! 😊
You have to put spend on Amex cards. Even when I'm working on a SUB with another lender, i never stop using my Amex. At the current moment i have 11open Amex accounts and I've had 14 total Amex. Never been in popup jail and i get a lot of mailers, emails and offers on the website with elevated offers
That's great man! Higher spend definitely helps. Although I think there's a bigger concern with Amex as a whole right now, especially if they're shutting people's accounts down with no warning. I agree with you though!
@@SpencerJohnsonOfficial one thing I knew about Amex even before I got into this credit card game is that if you keep getting subs and no longer use your cards after that, they will close your accounts even if you have AUs using the card/cards. I knew when they asked me to submit 3 months of "Business" checking account statements when I applied for the Hilton Business card, they were being a little more strict.
Yup! They seem to be cracking down on everyone it seems. And it just goes to show that you gotta use the cards you have!
I’m in pop up, tried for green and gold.
Only thing I have going on is I just completed the checking account sub. Maybe that did it. I spend thousands per month on each and every Amex card I have. No gift card buying just business and personal spend.
Danggg I'm sorry to hear that! That checking account bonus maybe did it.. who knows! It's all a bit of speculation but from what we can gather it seems that any high velocity is something they don't want to see. At least you're putting healthy spend on all your cards though!
You'd approved for Hilton Biz, there's a way around the popup thats been reported via a Hilton Summer promo.
Good luck!
I've seen that too. If I don't get a retention offer on my Gold card that may be what I end up doing.
I like and use credit cards like most people. But getting out of pop up jail? The idea of having to do certain things to make the BANK happy? That’s crazy to me. We really are slave to banks. If it was me, I’d pass. Move on. Try again next year. I’m not going out of my way to please a bank just to pay an annual fee to have an opportunity to get a sign up bonus that might be worth $700-1200. It just isn’t worth it. If that dollar amount is that impactful to someone, the CC game isn’t for the in the first place.
There are waaaay too many credit cards out there for me to be concerned about what Amex thinks of me. I’m more concerned with my money than theirs.
great point
You definitely don't have to pledge loyalty to a bank. This was more to help folks who are wondering what the heck is going on with it, but I agree with you. There are plenty of other excellent cards to pick up instead!
This is my first time in pop up jail. Really disappointed because I need to get the Delta card to push my status over the edge to the next level before the end of the year.... but now I can't get the sign-up bonus.
I wonder if it's worth just getting the card without the bonus, and when they inevitably change the perks, cancel it, and then re-apply like a decade later.
I hadn’t considered that too many “apply with confidences” would lead to issues. Might explain my denials this week….I await letters
I haven't heard a hard set thing on that, but if they do track it, it could definitely be an issue for those of us who like to check it! I'm sorry about those denials though man...
@@SpencerJohnsonOfficial not the end of the world; just have to see what the letters say. And if items a 30 day cool off, I can still hit the Hilton SUB.
aye! my comment got featured 🤣 im really guilty of just submitting way too many apply with confidence applications lol
Had to show the love!! And yeah I get that.. I did the same!
Yeah, I think the economy is really hurting the credit approvals. Just a heads up, I was able to get the Hilton Biz back in March without the pop up. Though, I have been getting the popup since April. Thanks for the video bro!
Agreed. Thanks for sharing your experience man!
No pop up jail, but did get hard pulled on my 2nd amex card which is understandable since my apps were only 30 days apart & i used to be on their blacklist.
Just spend heavy, payoff, & wait to re-apply or go for other cards you want from other issuers.
At least you aren't in pop-up jail! That's something haha. Thanks for watching as always Doc!
@@SpencerJohnsonOfficial - thank you sir. Yes, very happy to get the elevated SUBs on both Gold & Green cards!
@Doc that's something that happens. I also got hard pulled on my first 2 Amex with both Experian and TransUnion... I know of it happening to others as well. But I've had 14 Amex and only hard pulled those two times
@@SledgeIncTeam - thanks Sledge. Thats good to know. Figured i was just me due to my history or close proximity of my apps. But it will be awhile before i apply for another amex card.
Damn, I just got BBP and stopped using my other cards (due to the 0%). Maybe I should use the other 2 for a while and apply again.
I got hit with the pop-up jail. On the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant. I put about $2,200 on my Amex Platinum CS and was out of pop-up jail in 7 days.
Just got pop up for Hilton aspire. I am currently in delta sky miles welcome offer period. I’ll apply again after the SUB period is over for delta miles. Hopefully it works.
I’ve been blocked out of the Aspire and Surpass but recently was approved for the Hilton Business
Congrats on getting the business version at least! Definitely a solid bonus on that card rn.
AMEX seems to be cracking down hard lately!! I saw recently AMEX canceled someone's cards......
I know right! I need to watch that vid too. Crazy times man!
I have been with Amex for over 4 years, have 2 cards total with Amex, one from October 2019, the second from January 2022, never missed a payment, never did a balance transfer, never closed a card, spent over 70k between both cards since January 2022, have a perfect credit score, have not applied for a new amex in almost 2 years… got the pop up applying for the amex platinum today… it makes no sense? None of the criteria listed for being in pop up jail applies to me. If they aren’t giving me an amex, who is being approved?
I am in pop-up jail with AMEX after I tried to apply for the AMEX Green card and the Hilton Honors card. Hate how AMEX is not transparent with this.
I'm sorry to hear that! I'm glad they at least tell us before we submit the application that we won't be getting the bonus though. If there was some way to tell even earlier on though that would be nice!
So I’ve been in pop up jail for only Hilton personal cards. But, I went to apply for the business Hilton card, and was approved and given the bonus. So I think not only is it family of cards, but you can try doing business and it will approve you. Maybe try for the business Platinum. While I don’t think it’s as good as the personal because of the benefits, it’s still really good and there are great elevated offers for that.
Great point! I was more strictly talking about personal cards in this one but a lot of people have gotten around it going the business card route too. Thanks for sharing your experience!
7:10 So proud of u getting those cards btw 😂❤😂❤😂
Thank you so much man!
Great video! I am currently in pop up jail and was thinking the same thing about the Hilton Business card as a possible out. If you take that approach please do a video with the outcome. I also recently got my players 2, 3 &4 AU platinum cards. There is a current offer for 10k MR points for $2k in spend.
Thanks J B! Idk if I'll end up going for the Hilton Biz card but if I do I'll document the process. And good work with those AUs! Free points are free points!
What I did before I started watching this video is put regular bill I need to pay. On all the cards I have with Amex. To make sure they stay active for when I need them. And it work. When I apply second time for Amex Gold I got approved.
That's awesome! Congrats on getting out!
I think the main reason of pupup jail is amex can't earn money from you especially from guys like us do not spend 1X point category only spend specific category with higher X point. In my experience, put some spending on 1X category and use the card more frequently, that would help getting out of it.
You could be right! It seems like even that may not be working right now, but in the past that's definitely helped!
I got this dreaded pop up a while ago 😢
Danggg I’m sorry to hear that!
I am in pop-up jail.😭 Got the message about 3 months ago when applying for the Hilton Aspire Card. Got approval for card but without the welcome offer. The reason was same/similar offer on recently approved card. The offer was 150k points which was the same 150k offer on the Blue Business Plus. I did speak with a rep and he said that I would have to wait for an invitation to apply. The crazy thing is I did get invited to apply for the Marriott card about a week later. I have also been invited to apply for the Bus. Gold w/90k bonus offer and the Bus. Plat w/150k offer since being in pop-up jail.
I carry a small balance on the BBP because of the 0%APR. But no balance on the charge cards and no balance of the Blue Cash Preferred. I have a very high spend. I use my Amex cards for everything except rent or things I don't want Amex to see me purchasing. So, I am just waiting for an invitation to apply. Or I try again in maybe December.
Thank you for sharing your experience! Hopefully you'll be able to grab some solid offers on new cards now.
Another good way to go about this is the sub reddit community there's always multiple ways to get around these, and most folks post the link to use! There's a good work around right now on there for the Amex Hilton cards!
Great tip! I've heard about those links, at least for the Hilton cards rn.
I also kept trying to get the platinum over the last week for the bonus but kept getting the pop up window. I’m guilty of always trying as well..oops. I gave up and decided to just go for the AMEX GOLD and was approved right away. Was able to lock in the higher 90k miles with 200 cash back
Congrats on the new Gold card! That's a great offer as well. I guess that goes to show they're more strict with Platinum cards right now!
I put plenty of spend on my Amex cards. I even put non-category spend on them. It didn’t help me get out of pop-up jail for the personal plat.
I solved my frustrations by getting a Venture-X card. I’m waiting to product change my Quicksilver to a SavorOne card. Bye, Amex personal cards.
See now that's surprising to me that they'd even put you in pop-up jail. It's honestly probably because you're able to get so many bonuses on their cards that it's unprofitable to them. I wonder if your applications were too quick for their rules too or something, idk. Thanks for sharing this though and I'm sorry to hear it!
@@SpencerJohnsonOfficial 3 MR cards since Jan 1st. One was the personal Gold and two biz cards. I tried one more time for the personal Plat right before I accepted their BBP targeted offer. Now I have 4 MR cards.
I have 1.02M MR points since January 1st and will probably have 1.2M by the end of the month. I haven’t redeemed any points yet. $1,200 in AF and lots of spend, I’m probably profitable for them.
@@krs1905 I'll bet they would give you more business cards, too. The crackdown seems to be mostly confined to the personal side.
@@krs1905 That's an insane number of MR points. You better get to using em!!
I'm in pop up jail
I'm trying to get the Hilton aspire card currently I have the Hilton honors and I have put about 5k in spending in the last 6 months and I still get the same pop up
Other datapoints I’ve seen is if you have a balance on an Amex promotional 0% APR card Amex will hit you with pop up jail.
Yep I saw that from CJ actually! Good point there!
Thank you for sharing this info !
Damn! Dude got desperate and started applying for even lower offers but still got stuck in pop up jail. Good advice though and hope he gets out.
Haha gotta try things for the channel! That’s my job 🤣 Thanks for your support!
I think the pop up jail is triggered by the number of cards and welcome bonuses received. Like you, I’ve opened 3 Amex cards in the last year. Amex Gold, Delta Platinum, and Delta Reserve. All three have had significant spend since opening. Although I was in pop jail when attempting to apply for the Amex Platinum, I was able to get bonus points through an upgrade offer from the Gold to the Platinum… the goal is to reapply for the Gold at a future date. I do not believe pop up jail is related to the family of cards since I was able to get the welcome bonus for both the Delta Platinum and Delta Reserve which were opened about 8 months apart.
Good thoughts here! When it comes to your reapplying for the Gold card, just remember that you won't be able to get another bonus on it. And what I mean by pop-up being related to a family of credit cards is a bit different than what you're describing. For your case, you got the pop-up for the Platinum (charge card family) but didn't get it for the Delta cards (a separate family) which would support the theory I was discussing. However, that's not a blanket statement that is true for everyone so I agree with you there!
Also pop-up occurs when ur working on multiple subs, to include the entire timeframe of an offer even if you have already met the sub
I'm not sure I know what you mean by that exactly... but yes they may give you the pop-up window if you're applying for cards too quickly with them if that's what you mean!
I am currently in pop-up when I applied for Hilton Personal Card back in May. I have less than a year of relationship with Amex with the Gold Personal and BBP Buisness Card. The weird thing is that I've gotten multiple emails, mailers, and other things presenting me with low apr offers "3.99% for 6 months" for pay over time with my gold card. I think I'm in jail for the BBP card having 0% intro apr, and I have not been paying in full like I normally do to take advantage of the offer. I plan on re-applying in July to see if anything changes.
Ah yes... if you have any balances you've been leaving on your cards for months now, they'll throw you in pop-up jail most likely. As well as if you're working on another card bonus with them. Paying off your cards on-time and in-full is the way to do it!
Does pop up jail show up on mobile? I applied via the desktop website and I got the pop-up window saying I wasn't eligible for the sign up bonus, but when I applied again on mobile a few days later via a Hilton email link, it didn't show up.
I think if you don’t wait for 90 days in between Amex cards you’ll get it too. What was the space between the Amazon business and applying for platinum?
They do have a 2/90 rule but you can get 2 cards within that window. My Biz Prime card was within 90 days of this application but I should've been in the clear. Good thoughts though!! A fast velocity is not something they necessarily like to see either way.
I don’t understand the algos. I’ve been in pop up jail for the delta gold, but have since gotten Amex gold and bbp with no issues. Still can’t get the delta gold offer.
That’s happen to me. The pop up and started to use all Amex more often
I'm sorry to hear that!
It ok. Good that I have access to use my cards still no complaints here
I found out I’m in pop up jail when I applied for the Delta Platinum. That sucks.
Dang I'm sorry to hear that! Hopefully you won't be in for too long.
Another great video! I have a question with regard to the 2/90 Amex rule. I applied for an Amex credit card (not charge card) in March and an Amex business credit card in May. Since June will be 90 days from the first credit card application am I okay to apply for another Amex business credit card product or do I have to wait until the 2nd account falls off the 90-day window?
Thank you Steve! You should be good to apply for another card 90 days after that first card was applied for as it should be a rolling 90 day period. Luckily these days you can use the Apply With Confidence tool to tell you if you're approved before getting a hard pull or not either way (plus you already have Amex cards so you wouldn't get a hard pull anyways) but if you get denied for some reason, hopefully recon could sort that out for you.
I opened and closed Amex business prime card for $200 bonus. Ever since, I have been in the pop up jail. It’s been more than 6 months - I am so disappointed
Ahh I'm sorry to hear that. That's why I generally never cancel no annual fee cards unless I have a really good reason to do so. Especially Amex with their dang pop-up jail. Hopefully you get out soon!
Have a gold and platinum both I got 90k welcome bonus and the 150k plus the 200 for platty. I applied for the no annual fee Hilton card and got the pop up window😭 for 100k Hilton points
The pop-up jail is really coming for everyone right now. But congrats on getting those two huge bonuses before getting locked up!!
AMEX blocked me for both Hilton and Surpass. Not eligible for bonus offer so I declined the application. Probably because I got the Platinum in April then hit spend required within the month. Spent over 11K which is way over. Then got Gold in May and just about to hit the spend requirement on that. Both cards are for different categories. As far as charge card vs credit card so I’m not sure what the algorithm is flagging me for. I didn’t cancel any cards. Will prob miss out on the these bonus offers. Just sharing my experience.
Thanks for sharing your experience! I’d imagine you can’t get the bonus because you might have broken their 2/90 rule. You can only be approved for 2 cards every 90 days, so depending on when you applied for the Hilton cards, that could be the issue.
Yup thats me , problem is i never carry balance and pay off right away .
It's sometimes a mystery as to why you're in it. Hopefully time is all it takes to get out!
Amex pop up jail is the one thing I don’t like about Amex. It’s just as annoying as the Chase 5/24 rule. I have heard of a lot of people being in Amex pop up jail recently. I do believe that economic conditions may have something to do with it. As of now, I only have the one Amex card, the NAF Hilton Honors card, so I’m not aware of my pop up status. The two cards that are on my radar now are the Amex Gold card and the Hilton Surpass card. I just got the Hilton Honors card in March 2023, so I think I may wait until after I’ve had the card for at least 3 months before I apply for my next Amex card. I’m also still working on the spend requirement for the SUB, so I may even wait until I satisfy that too. I think you have a good plan, Spencer, for trying to get out of pop up jail! I have heard that putting a good amount of spend on any existing cards a person has with Amex makes it less likely that they will end up in pop up jail. If you decide to go for the Hilton business card, I want to wish you the best of luck with getting it along with the SUB!
It's worse than 5/24 because at least with 5/24, the rule is known and is understandable. Amex's popup jail is a black box.
I agree with you man! It's a tricky place to be in for sure. I hope you don't have to deal with it! Spacing out applications more and making sure you aren't spending towards another SUB is a good idea too. Thank you for the support as always John!
I only have Amex BCE but still no luck yet getting out of the pop-up jail for past 2 years when applying for Amex Delta Gold CC elevated offers. Even though I received welcome offer for Amex Delta Gold in the mail & used the invitation code to apply, the dreaded pop-up window still showed up 😔😔
That's really interesting that even with the mailer you got a pop-up... that invitation code should get you around that for sure. I assumed you applied using the direct link on the mailer and if so that's surprising you didn't get through!
@@SpencerJohnsonOfficial Yes. I guess it is Delta Airlines who sends these mailers occasionally to me as I already have 20K points in my Delta SkyMiles account. But whenever I use the invitation code & the link from the mailer, Amex popup jail window shows up. I guess there is something broken in Amex's algorithm that isn't allowing me to "bypass" despite using the invitation code they sent me.
I am, unfortunately, in pop-up jail. I never thought I would be here LOL. Like 40k spending on my gold card and fair spending on the other cards. I think my issue is my recent cards opened, and I've recently opened 2 with welcome offers... Never closed a card tho so
It's unfortunate if this is associated with people getting their accounts canceled without warning. Recent data suggests they're more linked than not - meaning, it's almost certainly a "cut-back" or "crackdown" method on AMEX's part. If that's a real concern, it makes me want to avoid AMEX altogether. Not getting sign-up bonuses stinks, but getting your cards canceled out of the blue is a far bigger hassle.
Yeah I'm really interested to know why the heck that's happening. Definitely not a good thing from one of the top lenders that people get cards from.
I just tried to get the Amex plat Charles Schwab and got the popup😂
Danggg I'm sorry to hear that!
sigh...as you know probably as I have said it several times now...I am in pop up jail right now. Been putting more spend on my Amex but also not going to leave points on the table by using them in a crazy way instead of higher earning cards. Hopefully, it will naturally work itself out. I have increased spend on all of the cards, but only like $100-2000 across them all. Never closed a card. Been denied for a Green card and personal Hilton cards so far. Appreciate the point about not even trying to apply for awhile as I am guilty of that hoping it has been lifted. Will try to not even apply again I guess till 2024.
I know the feeling man! Don't beat yourself up about it... this seems to be a systematic issue right now from what I can tell. There are plenty of other great cards you can add in the meantime even though it's really annoying to not get the cards you want with these elevated SUBs.
@@SpencerJohnsonOfficial but just got mailer today saying I am pre--approved for a Amex Business Gold card.
@@412foto Oh nice! At least you'd get around pop-up jail that way haha
@@SpencerJohnsonOfficial yeah just not the card I am interested in though sadly
Time to migrate over to chase or captial one for a bit while things cool off
Not a bad idea!
At least I’m not in pop up jail….yet. I’ll wear my DENIED application with pride! 😂…..I’m interested to see if you get approved for the HHB 🤔.
Haha you better wear it with pride! It’s gonna feel real good to turn that denial around… we’ll see about my application for the Honors Biz. I’ll probably just try to get a retention offer on the Gold instead but we’ll see. Thanks for watching CJ!
Well done!!
CJ I've managed to escape the world of credit card rules and boundaries. Don't ask for approvals. Demand them 😂 Do your research on Mr Do Your Research
If I received the high welcome offer on the gold card, I would be DQ'd from receiving the welcome offer on say the platinum card, right? One welcome offer per lifetime as you mentioned.
No, the "once in a lifetime" is per product. The Gold and the Platinum are different products. The Personal and Business Platinum are different products. Even the "vanilla" Platinum, Schwab Platinum and Goldman Sachs Platinum are all different products.
As stated below, you can get one welcome bonus on each of their card products per lifetime... not for just one Amex card. Good question though!
I got a BBP offer for 50k MR for $15k spend and I accepted it. Pop up jail for personal cards
That’s great! For people with high spend that’s a solid offer. Pop up jail seems to be coming for a ton of the personal cards unfortunately though.
I forgot to mention that the offer was for spend over 12 months.
- that’s a hella good offer for that card.
@@docsays I think there have previously been higher targeted offers. Google shows past deals of 75k MR for $15k over 12 months.
I was in Pop Up Jail when I applied for the Hilton Honor (70k +FNC). But when I applied for the same Hilton Honors (80k + FNC) through another link, I was approved and the rep informed me that I am eligible for the SUB. Wondering if Amex will claw back my bonus later?
They won’t claw it back
They shouldn't claw it back at all. If you got the offer through another link and don't break any of their SUB rules, you should be fine!
Gaming! Also it puts the bank at risk to have too many customers open and close accounts frequently, it destabilizes the banks ability of offer lending products in ways that you won’t see.
Been in personal pop-up jail for about 7-8 months now, but they keep sending my business mailer offers, I guess they don't mind us getting business cards. Have received 3 business card offers in past 2-3 months (plat, gold, BB cash) Wanting to get the schawb plat but still stuck waiting....
Exact same thing here. I have the Schwab Platinum and a BBP. They keep sending me targeted, elevated offers for business cards and business products but it's jail, jail, jail on the personal side, even though most of my spend is on the personal card.
Dang that sucks... at least you're able to get their business cards I guess! Hopefully all that spend will help you get out of pop-up jail at some point.
I got the pop up jail. Called and asked what was up and a couple other things, they said they are removing and to reapply in 7 weeks. I have 4 cards, 2 personal and 2 business. Seriously just call, what can they say l, no????
Nice!! While they can't remove the pop-up window for you, they may be able to give some information that helps you a bit. It seems like their recommendation is usually to spend on your cards and come back after a period of time and you'll be good. That isn't the case for everyone though!
What brand is that t shirt
A thrifted Fruit of the Loom shirt actually! A whole $3 😆
Quota theory, hmmm that's interesting. I've never thought about that; prbly what's going on though
It could be! We may never know tbh.
Good video
Glad you enjoyed Truy!
Does spending on business card help?
I would assume any spend on any Amex card helps you get out of pop-up jail quicker, but these days they just seem to want to throw everyone in it 🤷🏼♂️
I closed my Blue Cash card after only having it a few months. Now I'm in pop up jail and can't get any bonus.
Ahhh yeah that can happen! Generally you should leave your cards open for at least a year to avoid anything like that but you live and you learn! Hopefully you'll be out soon.
I never close an Amex card always pay on time , I have four cards platium which is only useful for traveling , blue cash everyday and Hilton surpass I plan to downgrade my delta gold card and get the Green Card …still up in the air about the Platium .
Good to know! Just be sure you'll get positive value from any new cards you add.
Pop up jail SUCKS
Retweet!
I LITERALLY Just got pop up jail again. Ughh
Nooo I’m sorry to hear that!
I tried for that massive, I believe ath offer for the green card and got thrown back in. 😮💨
@@GlacialSilenc3 Dang that sucks!
I got a 150,000 point offer on the Business Platinum card but then got the pop up when i applied for the regular platinum card LMAO
I got Amex Jailed and canceled back in 2015 for trying to cash advance at a Las Vegas casino. LOL
bbrruuuhhh I just applied for the Hilton Aspire and they got me in POP-UP Jail!! WTH!!! lol
No way!! I'm telling you man.. they're coming for everyone. I'm sorry to hear that!!
I was in pop up jail for months before they finally gave in and gave me the aspire card. I never changed my spend routine. I had about 7 cards with amex so i assumed that was the reason for putting me in jail (sub hunting)
Well congrats on the new card! Sometimes time is all it takes! Especially when you're applying for multiple bonuses.
@@SpencerJohnsonOfficial oh this was last year. Ive gotten about 3 more amex cards since then🤭
Oh haha well congrats on ALL the new cards 🤣
Hopefully you’re released from Pop-Up Jail soon! #FreeSpencerJohnson
I just got approved for my first Amex card two days ago and the first thing I see is Amex canceling Kosta’s cards and several people in pop up jail. This following Amex having a system issue and not being able to produce my card number via email with no option expidite the card. 😢
It’s been a rocky start, but I’m looking forward to receiving the card next week - hopefully it’s smooth sailing from there!
Haha thank you man! I need to watch that video... I can't believe they're shutting cards down rn. Crazy times man. Hopefully Amex picks up their game again soon before they lose too many customers over stuff like this! You deserve that great Amex experience like everyone else! 😆
@@SpencerJohnsonOfficial Speaking of which, they just emailed me this morning and said my card is ready to ship! Looking up! Have a good weekend bro - looking forward to catch up on that Saturday Q&A on Sunday!
@@DJOctober Let's go!! You have a good weekend as well man!
Sometimes you win, sometimes you get the pop up!! 😂😂😂
Was accepted for the Green Card, but really I should not have been applying for it...😂😂
Pop-up jail!
Called them up and applied, approved w/ no welcome offer. Cancelled the next day😂😂
"Are you guys mad at me now?"
"No sir, we see people change their minds often. Put some more spend on those cards and apply for it when you really need it."
Oh no! I'm sorry to hear that. At least their honest about wanting to see more spend on your other Amex cards I guess!
I’m in the pop up jail
I'm sorry to hear that!
I dont understand why people want to do business with a company like Amex on how they treat their customers. If Amex doesn't want to give a welcome offer because I'm a savvy customer I'll just go somewhere else.
Unfortunately Amex is one of the best lenders you’ll find haha. Especially with customer service. No bank is really your friend at the end of the day though and there are plenty of cards you can get out there so I wouldn’t fall in love with just one lender.
@@SpencerJohnsonOfficial with that said, I do have a gold and platinum card with Amex. I have almost 300k points sitting with them and I haven't used my cards consistently for a few months. After seeing what happened to Kostantino and his account closures. Im scared Amex will shut me down and take all my points. Amex is sneaky like that. Other banks are more tolerant and decent with their customers and they just don't close everything without a warning or notice. It's just not right.
Define low spend. I run about $800 through my BCE on $45k/yr.
I think it's a person by person case. They mainly don't want to see you only spending on their cards for the welcome bonuses from what I can tell.
👍🏻
Thanks for being here!
@@SpencerJohnsonOfficial 👍🏻
Tough time to be in pop up jail when Amex has massively elevated SUBs on the personal Marriott cards today
I know right... there's a reason their offers are so high though! At least from an outside perspective they're making it seem like everyone is getting great offers, but when you see how many people are in pop-up jail they lose their power.
bro are u still in pop up jail? i am too with amex smh =/ i want the amex plat card.. but i dont want it without the 150k points lol