Approval Rules Amex Popup Jail
After you apply, Amex may show a pop-up saying you're ineligible for the welcome bonus
Deep Dive into the Amex Popup Jail Rule
This isn’t a rule, per se, as it’s more of a warning of something that can happen with American Express cards. Popup Jail is different from the safeguard they put in place to prevent you from applying for a card you’ve already owned.
That popup looks like this:
The other warning also appears when applying for a new card, but the language is much different. If you receive this message, chances are it will show up for any American Express card you apply for. It is what users call Amex Popup Jail.
It will look something like this:
Fortunately this does happen before Amex does a hard pull on your credit, so it won’t impact your credit score. Unfortunately, once you land in popup jail, that usually means it will show up when you apply for any American Express card, essentially locking you out of all cards, even co-branded and business cards. How long it lasts seems to depend on each person’s unique situation, so unfortunately there’s no consistent timeline of when you’ll be eligible again.
Some people have reported being locked out of certain card families but not all cards. Again, this is a case by case basis that has been anecdotally collected. There are no documented rules on why this happens, who it happens to, how long it lasts, or if it will impact every single American Express card you apply for. But we do have a pretty good idea of certain actions that cause it, how you can get out of it, or how you can avoid it altogether.
Why does this happen?
American Express doesn’t want people opening cards solely for the welcome offer then not using their cards again. If you don’t spend on their cards, they don’t make money. So it makes sense they want to protect their business model. American Express, and all credit card issuers for that matter, prefer loyal customers who use their cards long-term. People who apply for cards for the signup bonus then move onto the next card lose the company money. This is a way for American Express to police people who do that.
Important to know:
If you’ve received the dreaded popup, it’s probably because you have several Amex cards open. If you have opened cards, then spent the required amount to receive the signup bonus, then stopped spending on it because you moved on to the next card and bonus, then this is most likely the reason you’ve ended up in jail. Even if you’ve continued to spend on cards but have applied for multiple American Express cards in a short amount of time, that could trigger the popup as well. Unfortunately while American Express warns you and gives you several potential reasons it does this, there’s no way to truly know for sure why you’re in jail.
How to get out of jail
The good news is that most people who have reported being in Amex popup jail have eventually gotten out. There are several strategies to employ to try to get yourself out:
- Wait before reapplying: Don’t just wait a few days or a week - wait a few months before trying again for the same card
- Don’t apply for any new Amex cards: Just like above, we recommend waiting to apply for any other Amex cards for the time being, not just the one you first saw the popup on. The longer you wait, the better your chances of getting out of jail are. There are plenty of other cards to get in the meantime
- Spend on the Amex cards you do have: If you stopped spending on your card(s) after receiving the signup bonus, now’s the time to start spending again
- Close cards you don’t use: If you have multiple American Express cards, it might be time to close ones you are not using
Related Rules
How Does This Affect Your Credit Card Strategy?
Knowledge of this rule is important to your overall strategy. The best way to approach this is to take steps that will safeguard you from ever landing in American Express popup jail.
- Slow down: This advice is true for all card issuers, not just American Express. Don’t apply for new cards from the same bank repeatedly. Spread them out over the course of months and years. There are a variety of banks to choose from when getting a new card, so use that to your advantage. Moving from Chase to Amex to Citi to Cap One and varying your card applications will help keep you out of trouble with all banks and card issuers.
- Be aware of upgrade offers: Sometimes American Express will reach out to existing customers and offer upgrades from a card you currently have. Utilizing upgrades instead of applying for new cards shows American Express that you want to have a positive relationship with them. Because of the Amex 1/10 rule, this will prevent you from getting a welcome offer in the future on the card you upgrade to, but they often offer you some type of bonus or perk for upgrading to begin with. Don’t expect it to be the same high offer you could get by applying for a new card, though, so keep this in mind.
- Keep spending on cards you do have: We recommend always working towards a signup bonus on a new card, but that doesn’t mean you have to completely stop spending on older cards. A big red flag for American Express is when a customer stops spending on a card they have immediately after receiving the welcome offer. By continuing to spend on that card, even if it’s only a small percentage of your overall spending, you can prove to Amex that you are not just using their cards for signup bonuses and moving on.
Unfortunately there’s no tried and true method for exactly how much to space out applications for different credit cards. You just have to be smart about it and try not to abuse it by applying for credit cards from the same issuer every couple of months. Since American Express also has the 1/10 rule that prevents you from getting a signup bonus on the same card for ten years, it’s even smarter to space those out as you’ll eventually run out of cards to get.
Note that all American Express cards, both personal and business, can be included when you are in popup jail. We have heard inconsistent reports of people getting the popup for any card they apply for - membership rewards cards, cash back cards, business cards, and/or co-branded cards. We have also heard about people getting the popup for certain card families but not others.
Importance of this Rule
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As long as you have a strategic plan in place and are aware of this rule, hopefully it won’t affect you. That’s why this rule is important though - you want to take all the necessary steps to avoid ever landing in American Express popup jail to begin with. It can have a real negative impact on your overall card strategy if you’re completely locked out of getting cards from an entire rewards system. The best thing you can do is space out your card applications and continue to put spend on American Express cards you already have. Don’t just completely abandon them once you collect your signup bonus. While it is difficult to do that assuming you’re working on a signup bonus for a different card, it’s worth it at the end of the day if you don’t get put in jail. It’s crucial to be patient and think long-term in this hobby.
Rule Applies to All Cards from This Bank
Cards Subject to This Rule
FAQs
Are there exceptions to this rule?
Unfortunately no one knows for sure what the threshold is for getting the dreaded American Express popup, so we can’t say there are black and white exceptions. We do know that if you take the advice outlined in this article, that is your best chance of avoiding popup jail altogether, which should be your goal.
How do I check my status?
There’s no way to check your status for a rule like this. You just have to be strategic about spacing out your American Express applications and continuing to put spend on the cards you do have, or closing ones you don’t plan to use anymore.
Do business cards count for this rule?
From all reports, yes, business cards can count for this rule as well, and you can be locked out from receiving the signup bonus if you are in popup jail.
Do product changes on existing cards count for this rule?
Most people in the points and miles hobby think of product changes as downgrading from a card that charges an annual fee to one that doesn’t. But the opposite can happen, too. You can also product change by upgrading to a higher fee card that offers more benefits and perks. This is actually another way to avoid getting into popup jail to begin with. Sometimes American Express will contact you and offer a signup bonus of sorts to upgrade from one card to another, which would help your relationship with them. So in this case upgrading would be a good thing and a way to avoid landing in jail. However, because of American Express’ 1/10 rule, you would then be ineligible for a signup bonus on any card you upgrade to, and even if they offer you points to upgrade, chances are it won’t be as much as you could get by applying for it as a new card.
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.