Amex 2/90
You may be declined for a third American Express credit card if you have already been approved for two Amex credit cards within the previous 90 days.
Deep Dive into the Amex 2/90 Rule
American Express generally limits you to two new credit card approvals within a rolling 90-day period. If you have already been approved for two Amex credit cards during that window, a third credit card application will usually be denied.
This rule applies to both personal and business credit cards. However, American Express charge cards, now commonly referred to as Pay Over Time cards, generally do not count toward the 2/90 limit.
What does this mean?
- The 90-day window is rolling, not based on calendar months.
- The rule is based on approvals. A denied application does not normally use one of your two slots.
- Personal and business Amex credit cards both count toward the same two-card limit.
- Charge cards such as the American Express Green, Gold, Platinum, Business Gold, and Business Platinum generally do not count toward 2/90.
For example, if you are approved for two American Express credit cards within 90 days, you should generally wait until one of those approvals falls outside the 90-day window before applying for another Amex credit card.
Credit Cards vs. Charge Cards
The distinction between American Express credit cards and charge cards matters because Amex treats them differently for several application rules.
Traditional credit cards have a preset credit limit and allow you to carry a balance. These include cards such as Amex's Delta, Hilton, Marriott, Blue Cash, and Blue Business cards.
Charge cards, or Pay Over Time cards, generally have no preset spending limit and are treated separately for purposes of the 2/90 Rule. The primary Amex charge cards include:
- American Express Green Card
- American Express Gold Card
- American Express Platinum Card
- American Express Business Green Card
- American Express Business Gold Card
- American Express Business Platinum Card
- American Express Plum Card
That means you may be able to receive approvals for two Amex credit cards plus one or more charge cards within the same 90-day period without violating the 2/90 Rule.
That does not guarantee approval. American Express can still deny an application based on your overall credit profile, recent application activity, existing Amex accounts, or other internal underwriting factors.
Because charge cards generally do not count toward the 2/90 Rule, Points Navigator leaves them out when determining whether you've triggered this restriction. In other words, if you've been approved for two Amex credit cards in the previous 90 days, applying for one of Amex's charge cards will not trigger our 2/90 warning.
That does not necessarily mean you should aggressively apply for more Amex cards just because charge cards are available. We generally recommend taking a more cautious approach to your velocity, as that will enable longevity in this hobby.
Related Rules
How Does This Affect Your Credit Card Strategy?
Because American Express charge cards generally do not count toward 2/90, this rule should not come into play often for most people. Like any application-velocity rule, it is still important to understand, but a normal, well-paced card strategy should make it relatively easy to avoid.
If you add your cards to Points Navigator and keep them up to date, we track your recent Amex credit card approvals and warn you when another application could trigger this rule.
The most likely way to run into 2/90 is when you have a large amount of spending coming up and are moving through signup bonuses quickly. For example, you might open one Amex credit card, meet the spending requirement almost immediately, and then open a second Amex credit card soon after.
At that point, you should generally wait until one of those approvals falls outside the 90-day window before applying for another Amex credit card. You may still be eligible for an Amex charge card during that period, but just because the rule allows it does not necessarily mean you should keep that same accelerated pace. At some point, that will catch up to you.
Importance of this Rule
* * *
This rule is important for a couple of reasons. First, it highlights the difference between American Express credit cards and charge cards. Since different application rules can apply depending on the type of card, and many of Amex's highest-value products are charge cards, that distinction is important to understand.
Second, triggering this rule generally means you are applying for Amex credit cards at a very aggressive pace. You can absolutely open cards aggressively for stretches of time, even for much of a year, especially if you have large spending opportunities or strong signup bonuses available. But maintaining that pace indefinitely will eventually catch up with you.
If you keep an aggressive pace over time, approvals become harder, it triggers more scrutiny from issuers, and it limits your future options. That is why we generally recommend treating fast stretches of applications as temporary rather than making them your normal pace. Longevity in the points and miles hobby usually comes from knowing when to push and when to slow down and take a break.
Cards Subject to This Rule
FAQs
Are there exceptions to this rule?
Yes. American Express charge cards generally do not count toward the 2/90 Rule. Amex currently offers seven charge cards: three personal cards and four business cards.
How do I check my status?
If you add all of your credit cards to Points Navigator, we track this rule along with the other major application and bonus eligibility rules that affect you. We'll let you know when you trigger the 2/90 Rule and shouldn't apply for another Amex credit card.
Do business cards count for this rule?
Yes. American Express business credit cards count toward 2/90 just like personal credit cards. The exception is Amex business charge cards, which generally do not count toward the two-card limit.
Do product changes on existing cards count for this rule?
No. A product change is not a new credit card approval, so upgrading or downgrading an existing American Express card does not count toward the 2/90 Rule.
About Approval Rules
Collecting credit card points is largely driven by understanding and abiding by bank rules regarding approval (or disapproval) of cards. So here's what you need to know:
- Approval rules are rarely fully publicized by the banks
- We use our own research and data points from other users in creating the rules listing
- Our goal in sharing/using the rule listings is to provide you guidance to avoid getting declined
- There can sometimes be exceptions to the rules, but we try to take a more cautious approach in advising you.