May 17, 2013, 11:04 pm
Last edit by: beltway
- What are the most current working links?
- Is this card churnable?
- How frequently can I apply for these cards?
- Do I have to close my previous card before reapplying?
- I got the 60K card and bonus but when I finished the spend on my second 60K card I did not get the bonus. What happened?
[1] What are the most current working links?
There is a standard offer for 50K points after $1K spend in 4 months. (No landing page is available for this offer; lnik taken from wiki for http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/citi-...amex-citi.html.)
There are no known 60K offers available. The most recent one expired in late September 2014.
[2] Is this card churnable?
In the past, this card has been easily churnable. However, in December 2014 Citi began inserting language into some applications and landing pages disqualifying current Hilton Visa cardholders & requiring an 18-month wait from the date of the previous card's cancellation. The application link listed above does not include this restriction, and FTers have confirmed that they have been approved through this application despite being current or recent holders of another Citi Hilton card.
[3] How frequently can I apply for these cards?
You can only apply for ONE Citi card in a week or TWO in two months (60 days). To be safe, it is frequently suggested to wait 8+ days between ANY two Citi applications and 65+ days until your third Citi application of ANY kind. These are rolling dates, so you have to wait at least 60 days (65+) from your second application to your 4th applications, and so forth.
If math is not your strong suit, you can use: http://www.timeanddate.com/date/duration.html.
Example:
Day 0 - Citi HHonors Card #1
Day 8 - Citi AA Personal Card
Day 65 - Citi AA Business Card
Day 73 - Citi HHonors Card #2
Day 130 - Citi TY Card
[4] Do I have to close my previous card before reapplying?
Not if you use the application link above. As stated above, in December 2014 Citi began introducing new application pages requiring an 18-month wait since cancellation of the prior card.
Note that when you close an account, Citi may not "free up" the credit limit from that card for as long as 6 months. So if you're going to apply within 6 months, it's better to not cancel beforehand.
[5] I got the 60K card and bonus but when I finished the spend on my second 60K card I did not get the bonus. What happened?
There appears to be a problem with Citi crediting you with both bonuses but Hilton not crediting the second bonus because their system sees it as a duplicate.
You need to open up a case, preferably with Hilton, and explain that you have two separate cards (feel free to explain one is for business and one for personal if they ask why you have multiple cards and you feel like explaining). You also need to diligently check back with them and make sure that they do not close the case as you already got the bonus.
This is very much a YMMV situation. Depending on who you talk to and where, this can be a relatively short process or a particularly unpleasant and long one. Best advice: Be nice to the CSRs and get them on your side or HUACA until you find someone useful.
For some people it may be worth getting the 50K card instead, possibly trying to "bump the bonus" to 60K and getting it as a 10K adjustment instead.
Citi Hilton HHonors Visa [2011-2014]
Jan 28, 2013, 12:26 pm
#1501
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: 5280/8150
Programs: Flying and sleeping
Posts: 341
Sounds like best two-browser strategy for Citi may be to either: 1) do the two different types of Hilton (the 50k and the one that has the free weekend nights), or 2) Hiliton and AA card.
The latter it doesn't appear we have a lot of info on yet. sounds like the AA cards are generally seeing the same problem, so mix-and-matching the 2-browser strategy seems to be the only option (with the card you probably want the most getting submitted first just in case).
The latter it doesn't appear we have a lot of info on yet. sounds like the AA cards are generally seeing the same problem, so mix-and-matching the 2-browser strategy seems to be the only option (with the card you probably want the most getting submitted first just in case).
Well, darn. I just went to the $1500 in 6 months link to paste it here and it's gone! That's a bummer. Maybe a 50k and 40k, then. With the 65k bonus from the November Amex, that'll still get me enough for a four night AXON.
Now, to bump my original question that I buried -
6 months from day of or wait another day? I had an inquiry on 7/28. Is today six months or tomorrow?
Jan 28, 2013, 12:36 pm
#1502
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Huntsville, AL
Posts: 86
If the goal is to combine inquiries, I think a pair of Citi HHonors cards is the way to go. I have two different app links for 50k - $1500 in 6 months and $1000 in 4 months - and one for 40k. With the news that Citi seems to be on the two browser method, I'm thinking the two different 50k bonus apps have a slightly better chance of slipping under the radar while still combining the inquiries.
Well, darn. I just went to the $1500 in 6 months link to paste it here and it's gone! That's a bummer. Maybe a 50k and 40k, then. With the 65k bonus from the November Amex, that'll still get me enough for a four night AXON.
Well, darn. I just went to the $1500 in 6 months link to paste it here and it's gone! That's a bummer. Maybe a 50k and 40k, then. With the 65k bonus from the November Amex, that'll still get me enough for a four night AXON.
Jan 28, 2013, 12:53 pm
#1503
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,760
He meant the AMEX's card not the Citi's card. Both AMEX and Citi offer HHonor cards. Threads are right in this forum.
Jan 28, 2013, 12:55 pm
#1504
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: 5280/8150
Programs: Flying and sleeping
Posts: 341
Jan 28, 2013, 12:59 pm
#1505
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 104
In post 468, only link #1 is working. link 2 and 3 are dead.
Citi is insisting, to me, that a person can only have 1 of this card and that is why only 1 of 2 that I applied for was approved.
Citi is insisting, to me, that a person can only have 1 of this card and that is why only 1 of 2 that I applied for was approved.
Jan 28, 2013, 1:08 pm
#1506
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 24
Sounds like best two-browser strategy for Citi may be to either: 1) do the two different types of Hilton (the 50k and the one that has the free weekend nights), or 2) Hiliton and AA card.
The latter it doesn't appear we have a lot of info on yet. sounds like the AA cards are generally seeing the same problem, so mix-and-matching the 2-browser strategy seems to be the only option (with the card you probably want the most getting submitted first just in case).
The latter it doesn't appear we have a lot of info on yet. sounds like the AA cards are generally seeing the same problem, so mix-and-matching the 2-browser strategy seems to be the only option (with the card you probably want the most getting submitted first just in case).
Jan 28, 2013, 1:08 pm
#1507
Formerly known as cagalindo
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: MCO TPA
Programs: Citi AA/HH/TYP Amex SPG/HH & Chase SP/PC
Posts: 1,335
looks like
1 50k/1 reserve
1 50k/1 AA
1 reserve/1 AA
1 50k/1 reserve
1 50k/1 AA
1 reserve/1 AA
Jan 28, 2013, 1:22 pm
#1508
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Huntsville, AL
Posts: 86
I did apply for the Hilton Reserve ( 2 free nights & Gold status) and Hilton Visa signature card (50K HHonors points) this morning and got the application id and phone number to call message and was approved for both the cards without any issues over the phone. Checked the credit report and both the inquiries have been merged.
Jan 28, 2013, 1:40 pm
#1509
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: 5280/8150
Programs: Flying and sleeping
Posts: 341
I did apply for the Hilton Reserve ( 2 free nights & Gold status) and Hilton Visa signature card (50K HHonors points) this morning and got the application id and phone number to call message and was approved for both the cards without any issues over the phone. Checked the credit report and both the inquiries have been merged.
Now that I think about it, I should have enough points between the 65k Amex, 50k Citi and the spends on both to get the AXON, plus I'll have the 2 free nights. Bonus!
Jan 28, 2013, 1:45 pm
#1510
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Melbourne, Florida, USA
Posts: 2,983
Remeber the two free nights from the Reserve card are weekend nights.
Jan 28, 2013, 1:55 pm
#1511
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: 5280/8150
Programs: Flying and sleeping
Posts: 341
Jan 28, 2013, 3:18 pm
#1512
Join Date: Apr 2004
Programs: AA plt 2 mm, Marriott LTT, HH dia
Posts: 1,215
Citi will pull your credit for each card.
The talk about one pull for multiple cards comes from consolidation on the reporting agency end. If Experian sees two pulls on the same day for the same product, they may combine them into one. You increase your chances of this consolidation by applying for two identical products. If you apply for different cards at the same time, the pulls may look different and may not be combined.
I have, however, had luck using the online Experian chat feature to get pulls combined or removed as duplicates, even when the pulls were for two different products over a week apart. In one case, I had a same-day, second pull for a CLI on a Freedom approval removed as a duplicate. In another, Experian removed a pull for an Amex Gold because they thought it was duplicated a week later with my Costco TE pull. YMMV, a lot.
The talk about one pull for multiple cards comes from consolidation on the reporting agency end. If Experian sees two pulls on the same day for the same product, they may combine them into one. You increase your chances of this consolidation by applying for two identical products. If you apply for different cards at the same time, the pulls may look different and may not be combined.
I have, however, had luck using the online Experian chat feature to get pulls combined or removed as duplicates, even when the pulls were for two different products over a week apart. In one case, I had a same-day, second pull for a CLI on a Freedom approval removed as a duplicate. In another, Experian removed a pull for an Amex Gold because they thought it was duplicated a week later with my Costco TE pull. YMMV, a lot.
As another alternative for people who prefer the 50k offer without the annual fee, I wonder if we could just wait a week or two between apps and still get two cards? I have noticed that people are posting that Citi will not approve two apps of the 50k card at the same time. So I wonder how much time needs to elapse between apps. If it is only a week, then the 50k cards could still be churned 5 - 6 times per year.
I realize there would probably be two credit pulls. But for those of us that are not planning weekend trips within the next 12 months, it would be nice to figure out a way to still get 2 of the 50k cards.
Thank you djrez4 for posting your experience protesting credit pulls. That is good information to know going forward.
Jan 28, 2013, 3:21 pm
#1513
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: ORD
Posts: 269
Is it two applications or two approvals though? My thought was to try the two browser trick just like in the past. Only if the second card is denied would I apply the same day for a different third card (reserve, citi, etc). What would the negative effects be though to doing this?
Jan 28, 2013, 3:27 pm
#1514
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,760
Bear in mind, HHonor's inquiry normally does not come from the same place as AA's. So you would not get the possible benefit of combining 2 inquiries into 1 when doing them on the same day.
Lately even the same variety of cards seem to pull inquiries from different bureau even the inquiries themselves do come from same entity. Just keep this in mind.
"Rules" or rather, the nuisance are constantly changing and they are changing much faster than in the past..
Lately even the same variety of cards seem to pull inquiries from different bureau even the inquiries themselves do come from same entity. Just keep this in mind.
"Rules" or rather, the nuisance are constantly changing and they are changing much faster than in the past..
Jan 28, 2013, 3:29 pm
#1515
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Huntsville, AL
Posts: 86
Is it two applications or two approvals though? My thought was to try the two browser trick just like in the past. Only if the second card is denied would I apply the same day for a different third card (reserve, citi, etc). What would the negative effects be though to doing this?