I recently had a poor experience with Citi. I have the AAdvantage Executive card and used it to pay for my daughter's GE application fee back in 2015 (I applied for mine before Citi started giving statement credits for Trusted Travelers programs application fees). She's an authorized user of my card.

Fast forward four and a half years. She used my same card to apply for her GE renewal 11 months prior to the expiration date. She applied early because of the reported backlog of approving initial and renewal GE applications. The CBP allows GE members to apply for renewal as early as 364 days before the expiration date. Of course, her renewal was approved in less than a week.

I did not see a credit on my next billing statement. I called customer service and was told that I was eligible to receive the application fee credit only once every five years. That I last received it in August 2015 - correct according to my statements, even though the charge was recorded in April 2015 - and that I won't be eligible for another credit until August 2020. I argued that this was a renewal of the same membership for which they previously reimbursed me the application fee, that the CBP permits applying for renewal within a year of the expiration date and that Citi's policy is inconsistent with the CBP rules. I was put on hold forever for him to consult with a supervisor. My request for reimbursement was denied.

I asked to be transferred to the supervisor. He repeated the same thing that the CSR told me. He added that I'll be eligible for the credit in August 2020. I asked him to clarify whether at that time I will get the credit for this transaction. He said no, it will have to be for another application. I expressed my displeasure. I told him that I have several credit cards that reimburse me for GE application fees, that we would have used a different card had I known that their policy was inconsistent with the CBP's practice of permitting early GE renewal and asked if they wanted to lose my business, $30,000+ a year, over $100 statement credit. That seemed to have done the trick. I was offered $100 "courtesy" credit which did appear on my next statement.

For that I had to spend approximately half an hour on the phone.