American Express Introduces 'Apply with Confidence' Feature for Credit Card Eligibility Checks

Before applying for an American Express credit card, you can use 'Apply with Confidence' to check your eligibility without impacting your credit score. This soft inquiry does not affect your score and is a preliminary step before the official application.

The process involves two stages: the soft inquiry and the official application. The soft inquiry collects basic information such as contact details and annual income, and then evaluates your eligibility. If you pass this initial check, nothing has been officially submitted yet, and you can decide whether to continue or stop there.

If you choose to accept the card, American Express proceeds to the standard check, which counts as a hard inquiry. Hard inquiries can remain on your credit file for up to 36 months. The preliminary check is only available for personal cards, not business cards, and applications made online or by phone do not have access to this verification step.