Amex Charge - Upcoming large purchase above "credit limit"

[lovestotravel]

So I need to make a large purchase soon that is about double my "credit limit" on my plat charge card.

I know my "credit limit" as I was told it on the phone a few months back when I casually asked..

So to make this purchase that needs to go in one transaction, can I put my account into credit by pre-paying and then make the purchase ?

I was sure I have read that Amex don't like this and have cancelled cards for people who have done this ?

 

[0x012fd0aa]

Haven't tried go out of “spending power”yet, but I would call them right before transaction to get it pre-authorized and then pay it back right after…

 

[NM]

Amex is known for declining a single payment above the limit even if the account has been "pre-paid". You may need to have the sale processed in multiple transactions with each being below the "limit", then each transaction is only measured against the available credit.

 

[Dr Ralph]

So I need to make a large purchase soon that is about double my "credit limit" on my plat charge card.

I know my "credit limit" as I was told it on the phone a few months back when I casually asked..

So to make this purchase that needs to go in one transaction, can I put my account into credit by pre-paying and then make the purchase ?

I was sure I have read that Amex don't like this and have cancelled cards for people who have done this ?

You risk the transaction failing or Amex temporarily suspending your account. Both have happened to me.

Split the transaction or talk to Amex about a credit limit increase.

 

[drron]

I have been able to do it once though I have tried 3 times. Each time I rang before I proceeded. Whether just a kind fellow on the one successful occasion I don't know.
So ring and maybe could be lucky.

 

[albyd]

IME, I've called AMEX first to get it pre-authorised and have done a manual payment over the phone. Since it's a Charge card, shouldnt have the same issue as with putting a credit card into credit. YMMV.

 

[goldenhorn]

I called AMEX about this recently as I had to pay for all my new kitchen appliances for the new house build, which was 3X my credit limit. Even if I put the cash on the card so I was in credit, AMEX said they wouldn't approve the transaction.

So I split the purchase across 4 different cards so I was under my limit on each card and then used BPay to pay them all off the same day.

 

[Daddogguy]

This is interesting. I was sure that when I previously had an Amex PC, when I tried a number above what they 'payment calculator' was saying it would give, Amex said "just transfer in the $ you want to spend in advance, then it will go through".
If they've changed that, or its something 'they don't like people doing' , this may affect my plans to put a car purchase through the Amex PC which I'm considering getting again.

 

[lovestotravel]

Well an update to this.

I ended up being able to spend 3x my "credit limit:

I rang to ask officially what the best practice was as I needed to buy 4 x J seats for Xmas travel.... and also prepay some accommodation before a sale ended.

I was asked how much I wanted to spend and it was auto approved no issues

No idea why my "credit limit" had increased so much but it was easy!