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My recent experience albeit with much less credit than others here: reduced existing credit limit online, effective almost immediately, before applying for 2nd card.

New card approval email:
Included with your Card you will find your new credit limit, which was assigned based on your existing credit with us. If you would like to adjust the distribution of your credit limits between your Cards, please call us on 0800 917 8047 or +44 1273 620555 where our representatives are happy to help you.

Then the contact results were varied:
Chat and non-Brighton call: wait 3 months
Brighton call #1: can’t, but quoted email then credit reassigned immediately
Brighton call #2 for another card: because limit adjusted within the last month, please call again in 1 month.

I have nothing against non-Brighton agents, some have been very good, though I would call during office hours and ask for Brighton credit limit agent, or (complaint) which may lead to a more enabled agent. Otherwise I agree with the others’ advice above.

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We like La Cosmopolita. Yet to try its sister restaurant La Cosmo.
Less upscale but very fresh: Los Mellizos, was recommended by a local and we can attest.

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We are near a branch where a kind manager did her best but got no further either. She could see the application/s but they got referred to a department that branch/call staff can’t access. We chased up for a few stressful months then decided life was not worth it and let it disappear into the ether.

It was a good reminder to catch up on our credit reports and btw there wasn’t even a check so the application didn’t get past the vetting.

If you can get someone in branch to have a look why not.

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@dst87 I hope you get your account opened eventually.

When there was a promotion 1+ years ago my OH tried to sign up to Barclays Premier, long story short after 3 attempts, calls, help from branch manager who was as perplexed, we gave up. Something behind their concrete wall that even branch staff could not access didn’t like the details. Like you the worrisome part was lack of communication, there was no declined notice, nothing after ‘we’ll let you know’.

All our other bank accounts opened fine.

Good luck!

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@Froggee my OH with new amex cards gets much higher limits than he wants, he’s always lowered it subsequently. Better for credit profile.
We have re-assigned credit limits between amex cards, just call.

Froggee wrote:

@BBbetter – you’ve been asked to include Generation X in these comments also. I think it is grossly unfair to single out boomers.

Anyway – onto me. I’d be most interested in @JDB’s thoughts and indeed anyone else. I have three Amex cards with a fairly high combined credit limit that I probably don’t need. Annoyingly the lowest limit of a meagre £8k is on my BAPP which was the most recent application. Sometimes that can be a squeeze but, on balance, it is manageable as any BA cash flights would most likely be booked as holidays.

So… would Amex pause for thought if I asked them to, say, reduce the limit on my AARC by £10k. I imagine a lower combined credit limit would make me being targeted by Amex for special treatment less likely.

But would asking to reduce a credit limit trigger any potential review?

I also increasingly wonder about ditching my MBNA card. It has my second highest limit and I rarely use it but 0.5% cash back seems a silly thing to give up as they won’t hand it out ever again. It isn’t the 0% FX one which obviously would be a keeper.

But in a future world I can see me ditching the HSBC World Elite (it is free for me but I would not pay the annual fee if it stopped being free), Virgin will probably go at some point if I exhaust my Virgin points, who knows what will happen to the Hilton card, and then suddenly the MBNA would be missed!

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@Froggee for my OH his new amex cards always gives much higher limits than he wants, so he lowers it to his acceptable limit subsequently. Better for credit profile.
We have reassigned amex credit limits between cards, just call which is easier than chat, as always ask for Brighton if possible.

I have three Amex cards with a fairly high combined credit limit that I probably don’t need. Annoyingly the lowest limit of a meagre £8k is on my BAPP which was the most recent application. Sometimes that can be a squeeze but, on balance, it is manageable as any BA cash flights would most likely be booked as holidays.

So… would Amex pause for thought if I asked them to, say, reduce the limit on my AARC by £10k. I imagine a lower combined credit limit would make me being targeted by Amex for special treatment less likely.

But would asking to reduce a credit limit trigger any potential review?

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OH downgraded to fee-free Premier card by requesting via secure message on account login, only annoyance is lack of new message tab so replied to a previous message. Day 2 reply referring to relevant dept, day 5 email new card sent.
Pleasantly surprised it was painless, as previous advice was variously: to apply as new, or fill in downgrade form (yet to arrive by post), or was ready to attempt booking appointment in branch.

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@jj savings do not count for her credit profile, it’s the debt risk e.g. current accounts, credit cards, mortgage etc.
If the Gold card has not been cancelled, ask Amex to downgrade the card to Rewards.
I have no income but over time can demonstrate my declared income of just over the Amex required minimum, so am able to apply for new cards via referrals. I will not go cold turkey with Amex for that reason, that I need to keep my profile and credit limit going.