What Credit Bureau Does American Express Pull When You Apply?

American Express is one of the largest credit card issuers in the United States. When you apply for an American Express card, they will check your credit reports from one or more of the three major credit bureaus – Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. But which bureau does Amex pull from when you apply?

The short answer is that American Express primarily checks your credit report from Experian when you apply for one of their cards. However they may also check your credit reports from Equifax and TransUnion in some cases.

Why Does Amex Mostly Use Experian for Credit Card Applications?

There are a few key reasons why American Express relies heavily on Experian credit reports:

• Industry Preference Among major card issuers Experian seems to be the predominant bureau used for credit card applications overall. This isn’t unique to Amex.

• Comprehensive Data: Experian has extensive credit data on more than 235+ million consumers and businesses in America. This allows Amex to get a full picture of applicants.

• Credit Models: Amex may find that Experian’s various credit scoring models align well with their own internal lending criteria and strategies.

• Consistency: Sticking with one main bureau helps Amex standardize their application process across states.

When Does Amex Pull Your Equifax or TransUnion Credit Report?

Although American Express checks Experian reports for most applications, here are some scenarios where they may pull Equifax or TransUnion instead:

• You live in a state where Equifax or TransUnion have more extensive coverage of consumers, such as Texas.

• You have an Experian credit freeze or fraud alert in place that blocks access to your report.

• Your application requires further review and Amex checks additional bureaus as a secondary verification.

• You’re applying again after a previous Amex denial. The other bureaus may provide additional insights.

• There was an error pulling your Experian report so Equifax or TransUnion are accessed instead.

How Often Does American Express Report to Credit Bureaus?

Once you have an American Express card, here is how often your account activity will be reported to the credit bureaus:

• Monthly Reporting: Amex reports your statement balance, payment history, etc. to Experian, Equifax and TransUnion every month.

• Timing: New accounts are typically reported within 30-60 days. Thereafter, your monthly updates occur shortly after your billing cycle ends.

• Delinquencies: Late payments are reported in the next monthly reporting period after they become 30 days past due.

• New Cards: Any new American Express cards you open will generally show up on your credit reports within 1-2 billing cycles.

Tips for Checking Which Bureau Amex Pulled

If you want to verify which credit bureau American Express checked when you applied, here are some tips:

• Check all three of your credit reports closely. See which one has a hard inquiry from Amex.

• Sign up for account alerts at Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. This can notify you of new inquiries.

• Use a credit monitoring site that shows hard pulls. Some examples are Credit Karma or Experian’s free platform.

• If denied, the Amex rejection letter may indicate which credit bureau they used.

How to Prepare Your Credit Report for an Amex Application

Now that you know Amex will likely check your Experian credit file, here are some tips to prepare:

• Review your Experian report and correct any errors you find. Dispute mistakes with Experian.

• Pay down balances before applying, as credit utilization is a key factor. Below 30% is ideal.

• Avoid new credit inquiries from other applications for 6+ months prior if possible. Too many can be a red flag.

• Check your FICO scores from Experian to estimate your approval odds before applying.

• Unfreeze Experian if you have a credit freeze. Amex won’t approve applications with frozen credit reports.

Does Amex Do a Hard or Soft Pull for Your Credit?

When you first apply for an American Express credit card, it will involve a hard credit inquiry. This can drop your credit score a few points temporarily. However, in some cases Amex may only do a soft pull:

• Existing cardholders applying for a new Amex card are often only soft pulled.

• Getting pre-qualified or pre-approved for an Amex offer via their website is a soft pull.

• Subsequent applications after being an Amex customer may just be soft inquiries rather than hard.

The Bottom Line

When applying for an American Express card, expect them to check your credit report from Experian in most cases. But also keep an eye out for Equifax or TransUnion inquiries as back-ups. Monitor your reports, optimize your scores with Experian in particular, and manage new credit carefully. With sound credit hygiene practices, your next Amex approval should be smooth sailing!

American Express, like most lenders, generally uses the FICO Score 8 to assess creditworthiness when making decisions about card applications. The FICO Score 8 is the most popular version of the FICO credit score model, and it’s used widely by businesses to evaluate risk.