Consumer complaint received 2026-03-05 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Trouble using your card — Can't use card to make purchases
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
State: FL

Complaint narrative:
I am submitting this complaint regarding what appears to be an arbitrary and potentially abusive pattern of account freezes and closures by American Express despite my excellent payment history and full compliance with all obligations on my accounts. I maintain several American Express credit card accounts across multiple businesses as well as a personal account. At no time prior to the most recent account freezes and closures did I request a new credit card, request a credit limit increase, or make any change to my accounts that would justify an intrusive financial review. Despite this, American Express demanded that I provide bank statements for multiple personal and business accounts. This request was made even though I had not applied for new credit or requested any change to my existing credit lines. Shortly thereafter, American Express froze and ultimately closed my accounts. This represents the second time American Express has taken similar action against me. During the first incident, American Express closed one of my business cards, which caused significant hardship to my business operations. As a result of that closure, American Express placed my remaining accounts into a financial relief program. I fully complied with that program and paid off the balances of all accounts in approximately one year, significantly earlier than the four to five years originally projected by American Express representatives. At the time the balances were satisfied, I was informed that once the accounts were paid off my accounts would return to normal active status. However, less than six months later, American Express again froze and closed my accounts despite the following : No missed payments No defaults Active and consistent payments being made Multiple weekly payments toward balances No new credit requests In addition, American Express knew or should have known that I was traveling outside my home state at the time the account freezes were initiated. These freezes occurred without any advance notice, leaving me in a difficult position while outside my home town and causing significant hardship. Furthermore, American Express demanded that I produce extensive financial documentation, including bank statements from multiple personal and business accounts, within less than 45 days. This request is unreasonable given the scope of documentation requested and the fact that I had not applied for additional credit or requested any change to my credit lines. What is particularly concerning is that the explanations provided by American Express representatives have been inconsistent and contradictory. During one phone call with an American Express representative, I was told that the purpose of the requested financial documentation was to evaluate my ability to repay the balances on my accounts. However, during a separate phone call with another representative, I was told that the reason American Express wanted access to my banking information was to determine whether I was the actual owner of the accounts and had authority to charge and repay the balances. These explanations are fundamentally inconsistent. If my identity and authority to operate the accounts were genuinely in question, American Express had years of payment history, account activity, and verified payment methods demonstrating that I was the legitimate account holder. The conflicting explanations strongly suggest that the financial review process was not based on legitimate underwriting concerns but rather represents arbitrary or potentially deceptive practices. As well as potential abusive and unfair conduct in violation of the e DoddFrank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act - or worse discrimination under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act ( ECOA ) based on ethnicity and race. The sudden closure of multiple accounts has also caused material harm to my credit profile, including a significant reduction in available credit and increased credit utilization. I am also concerned that these actions may represent a broader pattern affecting American Express customers. A review of consumer reports and public discussions suggests that similar financial review practices and sudden account closures have affected many customers despite good payment history. Given the circumstances, I respectfully request that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau : Investigate American Expresss financial review and account closure practices. * Determine whether these actions constitute unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts or practices. * Require American Express to provide a clear explanation for the closures and the inconsistent explanations provided by their representatives. * Require American Express to correct any negative credit reporting associated with these actions. * Evaluate whether consumers are being subjected to unreasonable documentation demands that are unrelated to legitimate credit underwriting decisions. The actions taken by American Express have caused substantial hardship and appear to lack a legitimate basis given my consistent payment history and full compliance with prior account obligations.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation