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Does American Express Plan It Affect Your Credit Score?
July 1, 2025
The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired.
Quick Answers
- Creating a Plan It plan doesn't require a new credit application. Plan It is built into your eligible Personal American Express® Card, so setting up a plan doesn't add a new loan or account.
- Plan balances are still part of your Card balance, so they can affect your credit utilization until you pay them down.
- Your monthly plan payment is included in your Minimum Payment Due. Paying on time supports your payment history, and paying late can hurt it.
What Is American Express Plan It?
Plan It lets eligible Card Members split purchases of $100 or more into equal monthly payments with a fixed monthly plan fee instead of interest. Amex shows the fee upfront, and you choose from one to three plan durations based on the purchase amount, your account and other factors.
You can create up to 10 active plans in your online account or the American Express® App. Plan It can also be offered at checkout for some travel bookings, such as on delta.com. You keep earning rewards on the original purchase the way you normally would.
Prepaid, Corporate and Small Business Cards aren't eligible, and neither are American Express-branded Cards issued by other financial institutions.
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.
How Plan It Can Affect Your Credit Score
- No new account: Because Plan It is a feature of the Card you already have, using it doesn't open a separate loan the way many online installment programs do.
- Balance and utilization: The purchase you put into a plan stays part of your Card balance. On a Card with a credit limit, a large plan balance can raise your utilization ratio.
- Payment history: Amex adds each monthly plan payment to your Minimum Payment Due. Paying at least that amount on time keeps your history clean.
- Gradual paydown: As you make plan payments, the plan balance falls, which lowers its effect on your utilization over time.
How Much Will Plan It Affect Your Credit Score?
For most people, the effect comes down to two factors: utilization and payment history. A plan won't lower your utilization, because the balance stays on your Card. It also won't raise it beyond what the original purchase already did.
The bigger risk is a missed payment. Since the plan payment is part of your Minimum Payment Due, missing it means missing your Card payment, which can lead to late fees and a negative mark on your credit report.
How to Use Plan It Without Hurting Your Credit
Pay at Least the Minimum on Time
Set up autopay for at least the Minimum Payment Due. That covers your plan payments and avoids late fees.
Watch Your Utilization
If your Card has a credit limit, keep your total balance, including plans, well below that limit. These ways to lower your utilization rate can help.
Pay More When You Can
Amex says you can pay off a plan early. Once a plan is billed, paying it off early means you won't incur future plan fees on that plan.
Pay the Adjusted Balance
When you have active plans, Amex shows an Adjusted Balance. On a Card with a credit limit, paying it by the due date each month helps you avoid interest on your other purchases.
Ways to Improve Your Credit Score
Building a better score takes steady habits. Our guide to increasing your credit score covers these in more detail.
- Check your credit reports. Review reports from all three bureaus and dispute any errors.
- Automate payments. Payment history is one of the biggest factors in most scoring models.
- Keep utilization low. Paying down balances helps more than moving them around.
- Space out new applications. Multiple hard inquiries in a short period can lower your score temporarily.
How Kudos Helps
Kudos shows which card earns the most at checkout, and with Kudos Premium it also tracks the benefits on each of your cards and auto-activates eligible Amex Offers and other card-linked offers. Get started with Kudos.
The Bottom Line
Plan It doesn't involve a new credit application, and it doesn't create a separate loan. Its credit impact comes from the same places as any Card balance: how much you owe relative to your limit and whether you pay on time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does using Amex Plan It require a credit check?
Plan It is built into your existing Card, and Amex notes that no additional loan or enrollment is required. You're choosing a payment option on your current account, not applying for new credit.
Does Plan It charge interest?
No. You pay a fixed monthly plan fee for each month the plan is active instead of interest on the planned purchase.
Can missing a Plan It payment hurt my credit?
Yes. Your plan payment is part of your Minimum Payment Due, so missing it is the same as missing your Card payment.
How many Plan It plans can I have?
Amex allows up to 10 active plans, each with its own plan fee.
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