What FICO Score Does Amex Use for Credit Card Approvals?

Your credit score is one of the most important factors that determines whether you’ll be approved for a new credit card. The FICO score is the most widely used type of credit score that lenders consider. So when you apply for an American Express card, the FICO score is what they’ll look at.

But Amex doesn’t just consider one FICO score. They look at multiple versions of your score pulled from different credit bureaus. Here’s a breakdown of exactly how Amex evaluates your creditworthiness based on your FICO scores.

Overview of FICO Scores

First, let’s review what FICO scores are and how they work. FICO scores range from 300 to 850. The higher the score, the better. A “good” FICO score is generally 670 or higher.

FICO scores take into account five factors:

• Payment history (35% of score)
• Credit utilization (30%)
• Length of credit history (15%)
• New credit accounts (10%)
• Credit mix (10%)

There are actually multiple versions of the FICO score. The main ones are:

• FICO Score 8: The most commonly used FICO score that lenders check.
• FICO Auto Score: Used for auto loan applications.
• FICO Bankcard Score: Used for credit card applications.
• FICO Mortgage Score: Used for mortgage applications.

Each of these scores is calculated based on credit data from one of the three major credit bureaus:

• Experian
• TransUnion
• Equifax

So for example, your FICO Bankcard Score from Experian could be different than your FICO Bankcard Score from Equifax, since the underlying credit data at each bureau may vary slightly.

How Amex Evaluates Your FICO Scores

When you apply for an Amex card, they’ll check multiple FICO scores pulled from different credit bureaus

Specifically. Amex will look at

• FICO Score 8 (Experian)
• FICO Bankcard Score 8 (TransUnion)
• FICO Bankcard Score 8 (Equifax)

They put the most weight on the middle FICO Bankcard Score from TransUnion But they’ll consider all three scores when making a decision

According to Amex, they have found that the FICO Bankcard Score 8 is the most predictive of credit risk for their cardmembers. So that’s why they focus most heavily on that particular score.

The other two FICO scores provide additional data points that supplement the TransUnion FICO Bankcard Score. Seeing scores from all three major credit bureaus gives Amex the most complete view of your credit profile.

Amex does not use industry-specific FICO Auto Scores or FICO Mortgage Scores for credit card applications. They rely solely on the standard FICO Score 8 and FICO Bankcard Score 8.

What FICO Scores You Need for Approval

So what FICO score ranges do you need to get approved for an Amex card? Here are the general guidelines:

• Excellent (720+): Very high likelihood of approval for almost any Amex card.
• Good (670-719): Good chance of approval for non-premium cards.
• Fair (620-669): May get approved for a basic Amex card with a small credit line.
• Poor (below 620): Very difficult to get approved for any Amex card.

These score ranges are not absolute cut-offs, but rather general indications of your approval odds. Amex also considers other factors like your income, existing credit limits, and credit history length.

For premium Amex cards like the Platinum Card or Gold Card, you’ll need excellent credit scores for the best approval chances. For example, 720+ FICO scores across all three bureaus.

But for basic no-annual-fee cards like the Amex EveryDay Card, Amex Cash Magnet, or Amex Blue Cash Everyday, you may get approved with fair credit in the mid-600s.

One tip: If you’re right on the borderline of a particular score range, having all three FICO scores within that range will boost your approval chances versus having just one score meeting the threshold.

Checking Your FICO Scores

Now you know exactly which FICO scores Amex looks at. So how can you check your scores to see where you stand before applying?

Here are some options:

• Free through Amex: Amex cardmembers can register for a free MyCredit Guide account. This shows your FICO Score 8 based on Experian data.

• Free through Discover: Discover provides free FICO Scores for everyone, updated monthly. You can see your TransUnion FICO Score 8.

• MyFICO site/app: For a fee, you can access all 28 of your FICO Scores, including the Bankcard 8 scores from each bureau that Amex uses.

• Credit karma: Shows VantageScore credit scores for free, which are similar (but not identical) to FICO.

Checking your scores frequently is important to monitor your credit health over time. If your scores are on the low end, take steps to improve your credit before applying for an Amex card. An excellent FICO score will open up the most card options and best terms.

The Bottom Line

When reviewing your application for a new credit card, American Express considers three specific FICO scores pulled from Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax:

• FICO Score 8 (Experian)
• FICO Bankcard Score 8 (TransUnion)
• FICO Bankcard Score 8 (Equifax)

They focus most heavily on the middle TransUnion FICO Bankcard Score but look at all three to make a well-rounded decision.

Aim for FICO scores of 720+ for the best approval odds with Amex, or 670+ for decent chances at non-premium cards. Checking your scores ahead of time is key, so you can check against Amex’s approval thresholds.

Knowing which FICO scores lenders consider empowers you to monitor the right credit data. With excellent FICO scores in hand, you’ll be in a great position for approval when applying for an Amex card.

While American Express doesn’t publicly specify minimum FICO scores, a generally good credit score of 670 or higher is often recommended for most of their cards.

An 800 credit score is considered “exceptional” and is relatively rare. Approximately 24% of Americans have a FICO score of 800 or higher, according to The Motley Fool and CNBC.