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Do You Have Too Many AMEX Cards to Qualify for the Starwood Cards?

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    I’ve written about the unofficial number of American Express cards you can have at one time.  But the official rules have changed!

    And because lots of folks are interested in the limited-time 35,000 Starwood point sign-up bonus on the personal and small business AMEX Starwood cards, I wanted to tell you about the new guidelines.

    Now, there’s NO official limit to the number of AMEX credit cards or charge cards you can have at once!  But the decision to approve you or not is still ultimately up to the bank.

    The Maximum Number of AMEX Cards You Can Have Has Changed for the Better!

    I’ll explain the details.  And help you decide if applying for the highest-ever offer on the AMEX Starwood cards makes sense for you.

    Maximum Number of American Express Cards You Can Have

    Because of the limited-time increased offer on the AMEX Starwood cards, folks who already have a lot of American Express cards might be wondering if they can qualify for more.

    The Official Rules Have Changed

    In the past, the total number of American Express credit cards you could have open at one time was 4 to 5.  This limit did NOT include American Express charge cards.

    But I spoke with multiple American Express representatives who confirmed there is NO limit now.  That said, whether you’re approved or not still depends on your credit score, past credit history, and the amount of credit they’ve already given you.  And the decision is ultimately up to the bank.

    The AMEX Representative I Chatted With Said They Have Card Members That Have 5+ AMEX Cards

    And I confirmed the same news by chatting online with another representative.

    AMEX credit cards include cards the AMEX Starwood card, AMEX Gold Delta card, and AMEX Hilton Surpass card.  Credit cards have a fixed spending limit (credit limit), and you do NOT have to pay your balance in full every month.

    Charge cards, in comparison, do NOT have a fixed spending limit.  But you must pay your balance in full every month.  AMEX charge cards include The Business Platinum® Card from American Express and AMEX Premier Rewards Gold.

    Here’s a post about the difference between credit cards and charge cards.

    Even If You Already Have 5+ AMEX Cards, It’s Still Possible to Be Approved for the Limited-Time Offer on the AMEX Starwood Card. Where You Can Earn Enough Points for a Free Night At the Luxurious Santa Marina, A Luxury Collection Resort in Mykonos, Greece

    So if you already have 5+ AMEX cards, but have a good credit history, it’s possible to get approved for the limited-time increased offer on the AMEX Starwood cards.

    But don’t forget, American Express only allows folks to get the sign-up bonus ONCE per person, per lifetime on ALL their cards, with this possible exception.

    And if you apply for the business version of the AMEX Starwood card, it will NOT appear on your personal credit report.  So it won’t break Chase’s stricter approval rules!

    Limited-Time AMEX Starwood Offers

    Link:   Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express

    Link:   Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card from American Express

    Through April 5, 2017, you can earn up to 35,000 Starwood points with the personal and small business version of the AMEX Starwood card after meeting tiered minimum spending requirements.

    With the personal AMEX Starwood card, you’ll earn 20,000 Starwood points after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.  And another 15,000 points after spending an additional $2,000 on purchases within the first 6 months of opening your account.

    And with the AMEX Starwood small business card, you’ll earn 25,000 Starwood points after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.  And 10,000 more Starwood points for spending another $3,000 on purchases within the first 6 months.
    If You Earn the Full Sign-Up Bonus on the AMEX Starwood Card and Transfer Your Points to American Airlines, You’ll Have Enough Miles for 2 Round-Trip Coach Tickets Within the US. Like to the Big Apple!

    This is an excellent offer.  And because of the Marriott – Starwood merger, we aren’t sure how long this card will last.  So if you’ve been considering it, now is a great time to apply!

    Bottom Line

    The unofficial maximum number of American Express credit cards you could have at once used to be 5.  And there was no limit to the number of AMEX charge cards you could have.

    But the rules have changed!  An American Express representative confirmed that now, there’s NO limit to the number of credit cards OR charge cards you can have at one time.

    That’s great news!  Especially for folks considering the limited-time increased offer on the personal and small business AMEX Starwood cards.  

    Will this change to American Express’ policy help you?

    Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)