Once the dominant player in the rewards credit card marketplace, American Express has in recent years faced increasing competition in this space from relative newcomers, including Chase and Barclaycard.
In an effort to stay on top, though, Amex has lately been revamping the benefits of several of its credit cards, including the Starwood Preferred Guest Card and the Premier Rewards Gold Card, and just announced that it’s providing personal credit and charge cardholders with their FICO scores for free each month.
The move follows a pilot program that Amex launched last November for targeted cardholders, and similar offerings from competitors like Citi, Discover and US Bank, among others.
Unlike some of those competitors, though, Amex will be providing its cardholders not just with an educational FICO score, but their Fico Score 8, the actual credit score the issuer uses to manage cardmembers’ accounts that is based on data from Experian, one of the three major credit-rating agencies in the US.
Knowing one’s FICO score is imperative to monitoring one’s credit and overall financial well-being. Having access to it each month can help you build your credit, apply for appropriate credit cards and loans, and track the state of your finances, including payment history and any potential problems such as identity theft or fraud. It also means you don’t have to do a hard inquiry on your credit (and thus get a two-to-five-point ding on your score) each time you want to access it.
This is a great, consumer-friendly move by Amex, and hopefully we’ll see all the major issuers offer this as a standard consumer card benefit in the years to come.
Access Your Score
If you have a consumer American Express card, you should now be able to log into your account online and find your FICO score by clicking on the link that says “My Free FICO Score – NEW” on the right-had side of your screen under “Your Last Log In.”
You can now access it every time you log in, as well as compare your FICO score from the current month to the prior month and review factors that have impacted your score over time.
Cards With FICO Score Access
Amex has rolled out the feature to all its consumer charge and credit cards. So you should be able to see your Experian FICO Score 8 each month if you have, or apply for, one the following:
Platinum Card from American Express: Earn 40,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months.
American Express Premier Rewards Gold: Earn 25,000 Membership Rewards points after you use your new card to make $2,000 in purchases in your first 3 months.
EveryDay Preferred Credit Card from American Express: Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards points after you use your card to make $1,000 in purchases within the first 3 months.
EveryDay Card Credit Card from American Express: Earn 10,000 Membership Rewards points after you use your card to make $1,000 in purchases within the first 3 months.
Gold Card from American Express: Earn 2x points for flights booked directly with airlines and at US restaurants, 1x points on other purchases.
Starwood Preferred Guest Card from American Express: Limited-time offer, earn 30,000 points when you spend $3,000 within the first 3 months.
Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express: Earn 30,000 bonus miles after you make $1,000 in purchases on your card within your first 3 months.
Platinum Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express: Earn 5,000 MQMs and 35,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 in your first 3 months.
Delta Reserve Credit Card from American Express: Earn 10,000 bonus miles and 10,000 MQMs after your first purchase on your new card.
JetBlue Card from American Express: Earn 10,000 TrueBlue points after you spend $1,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 3 months.
American Express Hilton HHonors Surpass Card: Earn 60,000 points, 40,000 with your first purchase and 20,000 more when you spend $3,000 within the first 3 months.
American Express Hilton HHonors Credit Card: Earn 50,000 points when you spend $750 within 3 months.
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express: Earn $150 back in the form of a statement credit after you make $1,000 in purchases with your new card in the first 3 months.
Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express: Earn $100 back in the form of a statement credit after you make $1,000 in purchases with your new card in the first 3 months.
Blue Sky from American Express: Earn points on eligible purchases.
Blue from American Express: Earn points on eligible purchases.
TrueEarnings Card from Costco and American Express: Earn cash back on eligible purchases at Costco and gas stations.
Green Card from American Express: Earn 1x points on eligible purchases.
For more information on FICO scores and your credit, see the following posts:
Your FICO Score and Which Cards Offer It Free
How Card Applications Affect Your Credit Score
Which Credit-Reporting Agencies Banks Use To Pull Your Credit Report And Why It Matters
How To Check Your Credit For Free
Which Credit Cards Are Best For Building Credit