Man gets call from American Express. Then they cancel all 6 of his cards: ‘Every card member has to go through this’

Anyone who's into the credit card “points game” can understand how frustrating it is to lose access to a card when you need it most.

That's what allegedly happened to one Vermont man with an American Express business card, with zero warning. Unfortunately for him, it happened just two days before he was set to leave on an international trip.

What happened to his Amex credit cards?

TikTok creator Brenley (@brenspoints) says American Express suddenly suspended six of his credit cards, despite having a spotless payment history.

“Today, American Express suspended six of my credit cards,” he says in the video, which got over 1.2 million views. “And I'm a person that has never missed a payment.”

Brenley says he has never carried a balance and pays his cards off in full every month. He has also been with American Express for five years and says he has accumulated almost 900,000 points.

Recently, he says he got a call from an 800 number while playing Fortnite.

“I never answer these, but I just felt the need to answer this one,” he says.

The caller allegedly said they were with American Express and told Brenley the bank had placed his account under financial review.

He says he asked whether something had triggered it.

“I've never missed a payment,” Brenley says he told the caller. “I haven't charged anything crazy to my cards recently.”

He says the representative said nothing specific triggered the review.

“Every card member has to go through this at some point in the life of their card,” he says he was told.

Brenley didn't buy that explanation.

“If every single card member had to do a financial review where you get your cards shut off, I don't think they would have many card members,” he says.

He then asked what American Express needed from him.

The company allegedly requested that he fill out a form authorizing the IRS to release his 2025 tax returns so it could verify his income.

Amex does do this. The bank published an instruction document online explaining how business account customers can submit Form 4506-C.

Brenley says he agreed and submitted the form immediately after the call.

Then, all six of his cards were suspended.

The timing made it worse

Brenley says he lost his cards at a particularly bad time.

He was set to travel internationally in just two days and had booked the trip using his Amex Platinum Card.

After submitting the requested paperwork, he called American Express back and asked when he could expect an update.

“They say, ‘10 business days,'” he states. “Mind you, I am traveling internationally in two days.”

In a separate call, he asked again whether any specific purchase or transaction had triggered the review.

“There's nothing that you did that triggered this,” he says a representative told him. “We just wanna make sure that all is good in terms of how we can support your spending and that your income is verified.”

He wonders whether a job change played a role

After getting nowhere with American Express, Brenley says he asked his online viewers what they think triggered it.

Some people asked whether he had changed jobs in 2025. He says he had.

“I took a two-week gap between jobs just to myself,” he says.

However, he doesn't believe that should have been enough to trigger suspension.

“I don't believe that that's grounds for shutting down all of my credit cards,” he says.

Brenley says he puts nearly all of his spending, such as subscriptions and bills, on his American Express cards.

“If those have to hit my account in the next two weeks, they're gonna bounce back,” he says.

He also has business banking with American Express.

“There's just no sign of me not being able to pay my credit card off when I've never carried a balance,” Brenley says.

He says he does have other cards he can use in the meantime. However, the experience has made him question his relationship with the company.

He still likes the Amex benefits

Despite how angry he is, Brenley says he still thinks American Express offers some of the best travel perks and credits.

He especially enjoys his Platinum Card.

“There's an almost $900 annual fee on that credit card, and I don't even think about it twice when it renews because the credits come so naturally on things that I already spend money on,” he says.

Brenley says he had even praised the bank recently before this happened.

“There is literally a video in my drafts of me saying that I trust Amex with my money,” he says. “I'm booking this big vacation with them because I trust them with my money.”

Now, he says that trust has taken a hit. “I feel like I'm questioning everything,” he says.

Brenley says he'll likely stay angry until Amex finishes the review and reinstates his account. He's not sure what he'll do after.

He says he can either close the accounts and walk away from American Express, or keep using them and hope the same thing doesn't happen again.

“If they can just do this for no reason, what's gonna stop them from doing this in two years?” he asks.

Brenley posted some follow-up videos about the situation, but there haven't been any major updates. His cards remain suspended, although a customer support agent told him his account would likely clear soon.

Viewers don't think it's common

“I've been an Amex card member since 1980. It says it right on my card. ‘Member Since 1980' 46 years and I've never been suspended or had a financial review,” one said.

Another user who called themselves a “financial crimes pro” gave their take.

“Despite what they're telling you, something likely triggered it – Multiple payments in a short period, unusual spending patterns, sudden increases in spending, etc. can all be triggers,” they wrote. “It doesn't necessarily mean you did anything wrong. I'd submit whatever documentation they're requesting. If they ultimately decide to close your accounts, make sure you ask about transferring your points before you lose access to them.”

Can American Express suspend cards without notice?

Unfortunately, yes. In its Cardmember Agreement for the Business Platinum Card that Brenley says he has, the bank states that it can suspend a customer's account “at any time and for any reason.”

Additionally, the same agreement says customers agree to provide certain information about themselves.

“You agree that we will obtain credit reports about you, investigate your ability to pay, and obtain information about you from other sources including information to verify and re-verify your employment and income,” it states.

Just like Brenley, other people online have also shared stories of their Amex accounts being suspended for financial review.

While Amex does not publicly state what triggers a review, viewers definitely have lots of theories about it.

@brenspoints

Subplot News has reached out to American Express and Brenley via email for comment.

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