I have opened a CD and Ultimate savings account in the past month with NO hard pulls. Both opened as a new customer and funded with a Citi Aadvantage card.
Hi all, first time poster. Thank God for Flyertalk!
My background:
AA freqflyr - want to regain lost status (may do Plat challenge after June 16th, but that's another story)
w/ CitiAAdvantage personal cc.
Also want to maximize my AA points.
No Citibank chckg/svng acct ever, so this promo may work for me.
I promise I read all the posts first, but forgive me if I seem a bit remedial with my questions.
1) I can't seem to find the "official" answer to when the miles post on AA freqfly account.
2) After my livechat w/ Citi rep, seems I have to keep The Citibank Account open for >9months.
Anyone know?
I haven't opened the account yet but will do so tonight (already printed the Offer page, Pricing&Details page and Live Chat page for ammo in case Citi doesn't come through with my miles).
Just now I finished my live chat and wanted to post it here:
Me: Wish to avail of this offer: 20,000 American Airlines miles for a Citibank checking Account BUT have questions before signing up
Brandon .: Do you have the promotion code so that I can verify that offer?
Me: CYBD
Me: I'd like to fund The Citibank account (checking) with my AAdvantage Citi credit card
Brandon .: Let me pull up that information, please hold for a minute or two.
Brandon .: Yes, you will have the option to fund the account with your Citibank Credit Card on the application.
Brandon .: Promotion code CYBD will expire on 01/31/2009.
Me: Is the AAdvantage Citi credit card funding treated as a PURCHASE or as CASH ADVANCE by Citibank?
Brandon .: It will be counted as a purchase and not a cash advance.
Me: I want to confirm that the (funding) charge will hit as a PURCHASE (and NOT a Cash Advance, as fees apply then).
Brandon .: When you fund the account with a Credit Card, it will count as a purchase.
Me: Thank you.
Brandon .: Is there anything else you would like me to help you with?
Me: Now, should I maintain a $6k balance or else monthly fees apply?
Brandon .: Yes, that is correct.
Me: In reading the T&C for this offer, an exception applies: Fees are waived if I open a STAND-ALONE ULTIMA SAVINGS ACCT.
Brandon .: The fee waiver will only apply to the Ultimate Savings account.
Me: It doesnt specify what amount to maintain in Ultima Savings Acct. Can you confirm what the amount should be?
Brandon .: In order to avoid a monthly service fee on the checking account you will need to maintain a minimum average monthly balance of $6,000.00.
Brandon .: There is no monthly service fee on the Ultimate Savings account.
Me: OK. When will miles post to my AA frequent fyer miles account?
Brandon .: 10,000 AA miles will be applied to your AA number within 120 days after you have meet the initial requirements.
Me: I thought this offer is for 20,000 AA miles?
Brandon .: The second 10,0000 AA miles will post within 120 days after after you have meet these requirements for the following 9-months.
Me: Can I apply/open account today in time for 1/31/09 deadline?
Brandon .: Yes, as long as the application is completed by 01/31/2009, you will qualify.
Me: How can I confirm I am eligible for this offer?
Brandon .: As long as you do not have an existing checking account with Citibank and you follow the terms and conditions you will qualify for this offer.
Me: Where in the T&C does it state the 120days/4months (1st 10k miles) and 9months (2nd 10k miles)?
Brandon .: The information should be in there, this is the standard time frame for all of our promotions.
Me: It is not in the T&C. Can you email me a Citi document on this standard promo time frame ?
Brandon .: Unfortunately I do not have access to e-mail. You also have the option to open the account over the phone if you wish to do so.
Me: Will this funding require a hard pull on my credit?
Brandon .: No it will not .
Brandon .: If you type in Citibank CYBD in "Google" the first hit will show the T&C in fine print on the bottom of the page.
Me: Thanks. Back to the promo deadline, is it based on timing of MY application prior to 1/31/09 OR when Citibank approves my application?
Brandon .: As long as the application is completed prior to 11:59 EST on 01/31/2009, you will qualify for the offer.
Me: OK, so it is based on application submission. Thank you for your help and verifying everything!
Brandon .: Yes, correct.
Brandon .: Is there anything else you would like me to help you with?
Me: No, that's all. Thank you
Brandon .: Thank you for participating in Citibank Chat. Have a good day.
I have opened a CD and Ultimate savings account in the past month with NO hard pulls. Both opened as a new customer and funded with a Citi Aadvantage card.
I have opened quite a few Citi accounts over the past two years, and each application has resulted in an inquiry to my EXP report. Friends who partake in this deal also report "hard pulls" for every application. Either Citi changed their policies very recently, or you have been exceptionally lucky.
I have opened a CD and Ultimate savings account in the past month with NO hard pulls. Both opened as a new customer and funded with a Citi Aadvantage card.
Did you check all 3 reports? There are numerous posts that Citi has changed the credit bureau from which it usually pulls on that individual. I can tell from a fact that Citi used to pull EQ for my applications, but changed to pull EX 6 months ago. Now Citi pulls EX each time it makes the inquiry, when the other issuers continue to pull EQ.
Unless you have checked all 3 credit reports, and have not seen any inquiry from Citi, you would not really know whether Citi pulled an inquiry or not. You may be in for a surprise when you look at other 2 credit bureaux reports.
I don't understand why anyone would want to do this with a CD? Where/why does a CD enter this discussion? Why not just fund an "Ultimate Money Account" for $80K or whatever amount possible for everyone? That way the money is completely liquid & you can do with it what you want, heck move it into an external account (Just as an example, I have a GMAC Online Savings Account that currently offers 3.25% interest... & I'm sure there's better out there).
But I don't understand what good locking you money into a CD does for you in this scenario...?
terockwo:
I'm curious about something, are you opening brand new 'Ultimate Savings Accounts' every month or two, and then pretty much immediately closing them?
Or even, do you have multiple open at the same time (i.e. fund one with one CC, and another one with another CC) ?
I had not wanted to open a bunch of Citi Accounts, thus I was leaning towards CD's, however, even when applying for a 3 month CD, they want to open an account for you it seems. i.e, the application states:
Quote:
You are applying for: The Citibank Account
w/1 Year CD
Offer Code: CA63
Thus, if they're going to force a new account opening for a CD, I might as well go Ultimate Savings, which pays a lot better, and is far more liquid.
I just wonder how they treat one having 3 or more new accounts with them opened in a relatively short span of time?
I have Experian's Triple Alert service (due to some brokerage's possible compromise of info). It reveals no hits. As always, YMMV.
The only possible explanation would be you have had a Citi checking account already and subsequent banking accounts (the non-checking types) do not have a hard pull.
I had a Citibank checking account a year or so ago but closed it once I received my AAdvantage miles. I just opened a new checking account yesterday. Today I received a call from Citibank to verify the info on the ultimate savings account opened last week. I had to fax a copy of my drivers license and a current utility bill to "validate" the account. I didn't have to do that for the CD.
I just spoke with a supervisor Marcelo ID#ML01850 and he was adamant, I repeat adamant, that if you do not maintain $6000 balance on the account, even with Ultimate Savings account associated with it, you will incur fees. Go figure.
I am not going to do the deal.
Has anyone actually initially funded a Citibank account with a Chase credit card? Was it charged as a purchase or cash advance? I am specifically interested if I can earn miles this way on my United Airlines card, and would be interested if anyone has actually earned UAL miles this way.
Thanks.
I opened the Ultimate Savings Account last Sunday and funded it with my Continental Chase card. Today a charge for the exact amount showed up in the activity on the card. So it was treated as a purchase in my case.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thehawk75
terockwo:
I'm curious about something, are you opening brand new 'Ultimate Savings Accounts' every month or two, and then pretty much immediately closing them?
Or even, do you have multiple open at the same time (i.e. fund one with one CC, and another one with another CC) ?
I had not wanted to open a bunch of Citi Accounts, thus I was leaning towards CD's, however, even when applying for a 3 month CD, they want to open an account for you it seems. i.e, the application states:
Thus, if they're going to force a new account opening for a CD, I might as well go Ultimate Savings, which pays a lot better, and is far more liquid.
I just wonder how they treat one having 3 or more new accounts with them opened in a relatively short span of time?
Im just done this 3 times total since July. First time it was for the "Regular Checking Account". Since then, I have "initially funded" two separate "Ultimate Money Accounts". Currently all 3 accounts are still open.
I tried to close one of the "Ultimate Money Accounts" a week or two ago, & I was told that even though there is a zero balance, that I cant close it because there is $.02 in interest waiting to post mid-February. As soon as that posts I will close the second Ult. Money Acct.
I have yet to be charged any sort of fees of any kind (knock on wood). I think thats because I have been maintaining over $6K combined in all your accounts, (including your credit card balances). Sorry for the delayed response.... Hope this is helpful.
