Man says he pays almost $900 in annual fees and never misses an American Express payment. But the company suddenly canceled all six of his cards

A TikTok creator named Brenley said American Express suspended all six of his credit cards and placed him under a financial review even though he claimed he had never missed a payment. He posted the account of what happened in a video that received 1.1 million views, 117,700 likes, and 3,100 comments.

Brenley, who posts as @brenspoints, stated that he had been with American Express for five years, held almost 900,000 points, and always paid his balances in full. He described receiving a call from an 800 number while he was playing Fortnite. The caller identified the company as American Express and told him, “we’re placing you under financial review.”

He said he asked whether anything had triggered the review. According to Brenley, the representative replied that nothing had and that “every card member has to go through this at some point in the life of their card.” He added that he was traveling internationally in two days and had booked the trip with his Platinum card.

Brenley said American Express requested his tax returns and suspended the cards after the call

Brenley stated that the representative asked him to fill out a form authorizing the IRS to release his 2025 tax returns so American Express could verify his income. He said he agreed to submit the form after the call. “The second I hang up the call, they suspend all of my cards,” he claimed.

He described filling out the form immediately and calling back. Brenley said representatives told him it would take 10 business days. He recounted asking again what had triggered the review and receiving the same answer that every card member goes through the process to confirm the company can support his spending.

In a follow-up TikTok video, Brenley said he called again and questioned why he could not submit bank statements or an offer letter instead of waiting for IRS transcripts. He stated that an American Express representative told him the system required tax documents and that no other option was available. The representative also said that “typically once a review’s been done, you should be good for a year in my experience.”

Brenley later explained in another TikTok video that he holds a personal Platinum and Gold, two Blue Business Plus cards, a Business Platinum, and a Business Gold. He said the Platinum and Gold are charge cards meant to be paid in full each month and that he pays almost $3,000 in annual fees across his American Express cards. He noted that one Blue Business Plus showed a $55,500 credit limit even though he rarely spent more than about $2,000 on it.

He claimed an American Express representative told him the company does not see his cards being permanently shut down and that limits might be lowered based on verified income. Brenley said the same representative indicated he would not be able to use the cards for airport lounge access during his upcoming international trip because the lounge process involves a card charge.

Brenley stated that he and his fiancé treat their household income as available for the cards, so the figure on his American Express account is higher than what his individual tax returns will show. He said a representative told him this was acceptable and that American Express expects card members may have other income available to pay the bills.

According to American Express, reopening a closed credit card “can be tricky,” and some issuers “keep the door shut for good.” The page states that the longer an account has been closed, or if missed payments or defaults caused the closure, the more difficult reopening becomes. It notes that if a person canceled the card themselves, some issuers may allow reopening within a short window, often about 30 days.

The same page says that if an Amex card is discontinued, the card member can call the number on the back of the card to learn next steps and how any accumulated rewards may be affected. Brenley said in one of his videos that a representative told him card members whose cards are shut down have 90 days to redeem or transfer their points. For Brenley, the troubles go beyond rewards deadlines, as one video shows a woman’s EBT card being declined repeatedly at Walmart while she accuses the cashier of lying.

Viewers shared their own experiences with American Express reviews. One commenter wrote, “I work there. It’s true. Everyone goes through it internally, but 90% of the Card Members clear without contact.” Another stated, “It’s due to AML laws. If you’re paying your card off every time they think it’s money laundering.”

A third commenter said, “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 person wrote, “If you pay off every month they are not making any interest money off of you.” Another commented, “Financial risk management. Sign of recession coming.”