Consumer complaint received 2026-04-15 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Trouble using your card — Credit card company won't increase or decrease your credit limit
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
State: UT

Complaint narrative:
Complaint : I am filing a complaint regarding the handling of a recent credit review and subsequent credit limit reduction ( from $ XXXX to {$4800.00} ) on my American Express account, specifically as it relates to a specialized internal credit decisioning team. The decision appears to have been based on a narrow evaluation of a single billing cycle rather than a comprehensive review of my account history. I have been a customer for approximately XXXX years, consistently pay my balance in full, and maintain a strong financial profile with stable income and excellent credit. Despite this, my credit limit was significantly reduced to a level that does not reflect my historical usage or overall financial capacity. The process itself was inconsistent and difficult to follow due to conflicting information provided throughout. Based on my conversations, the decisioning and guidance came from a specialized internal credit team, distinct from the standard responsible lending or customer service functions that typically handle account adjustments. My account was initially frozen on XX/XX/XXXX immediately after I paid the account off. I was not provided with a clear explanation for what initially triggered the review. At no point was I informed of any suspected fraud, misuse, or specific risk-related concern tied to my account. Based on my own understanding of my account activity, the only potential factors that could have triggered the review were either an overpayment that created a temporary credit balance or periods of higher utilization that were nonetheless paid in full. When calling in on XX/XX/XXXX, I was told that they had 7 days to get my account reviewed or my account would be cancelled. They pushed on how important it was for me to submit the necessary information in a timely manner. What they requested at the time was recent bank statements from XXXX accounts, that I could submit more accounts but the strongest XXXX would be selected. I submitted XXXX accounts, including a business account that I own. Then on XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX MT, I got a voicemail from AMEX XXXX to call them re : an important business matter. I called them same day at XXXX and was then told that all three accounts could be considered, but that my relationship to the business account needed to be verified and that I would first need to obtain authorization from my bank. I contacted my bank and arranged for that authorization. However, when I called AMEX back to proceed, a different representative advised that this step would not impact the outcome and that I should not continue. Shortly after these interactions on that same day, I received an automated communication indicating potential account closure if American Express did not hear from me at XXXX, despite my active and ongoing engagement throughout the process. I called to complain about this unprofessional, misaligned email at XXXX that same day. It was then communicated to me via email on XX/XX/XXXX that my credit limit was then reduced. That same day, XX/XX/XXXX, I spoke with a supervisor who provided additional context regarding the review. During that conversation, I was told that the decision was based on limited cash flow observed during the reviewed billing cycle. However, this conclusion did not reflect the actual state of my account, as I had a substantial credit balance at the time due to an overpayment. I also asked about the ability to appeal, I offered to provide additional documentation, including a full year of account statements, to provide a more accurate and complete picture of my financial profile. I was explicitly told that additional documentation would not be considered and that the review is limited to XXXX XXXX in time when the account is flagged. I was told to have the decision reconsidered to connect with customer service, which he then connected me with to submit the request for the limit increase. This call to this credit team supervisor began at XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX, and the request submitted to customer service was subsequently denied only XXXX minutes later via email on XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX. When I followed up on Wednesday XX/XX/XXXX, I was informed by customer service that the account was effectively restricted from changes as a result of the credit teams decision and to reach out to the Responsible XXXX team to appeal. When calling the number they gave me for this team, the representative further confirmed it was not his department that made this decision, but the credit department. He contacted the credit team directly and was told that no adjustments could be made and that the account would be monitored for approximately XXXX year. He also mentioned that he was told by the credit team that the account was only reviewed by looking at the starting and ending balance on the XXXX month 's worth of bank statements I shared with the credit team, which contradicts what they told me on XX/XX/XXXX. The circular process in which I was directed to pursue ( by the credit team ) a resolution through a channel that was not able to act due to restrictions already placed on the account ( by the credit team ). As a result, there appears to be no clear or accessible path for reconsideration once a decision is made by this internal credit function. Regardless of the trigger, no explanation was provided that logically connects my account behavior to the outcome. The lack of transparency around what initiated the review makes it difficult to understand how the decision was reached or how similar situations are evaluated. The absence of any clear explanation also makes it difficult to assess whether the trigger was reasonable, whether it was interpreted correctly, or whether the resulting action was proportionate. More importantly, the decision appears to have been driven primarily by a review of a single billing cycle. A XXXX month snapshot is not a reasonable basis for assessing long term creditworthiness, particularly for an account with a long and consistent history. The overall process raises concerns about whether the documentation requested was relevant, whether it was consistently evaluated, and whether the decision making criteria are applied in a logical and reasonable manner. It is also difficult to understand how an overpayment, which reflects the availability of funds rather than a lack of them, would reasonably justify a significant reduction in credit exposure. Additionally, the reasoning provided for the decision was vague and difficult to reconcile. I was not informed of any suspected fraud or misuse, and no clear explanation was given that logically connects my account behavior to the outcome. Overall, the outcome feels disconnected from the full context of my account and raises concerns about the consistency, transparency, and reasonableness of the process being applied. I am requesting a formal explanation of how this decision was made, what factors were considered, how the submitted documentation was evaluated, and how American Express ensures that similar accounts are assessed consistently and fairly.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation