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]
Nov 26, 2013, 4:58 pm
#2026
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 6,605
Some hold cards longer, see my above post as to why I never hold cards that I don't use past 8 months. I will break that rule and go 12 months to get the 10K Usair bonus
Nov 26, 2013, 7:16 pm
#2027
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 3,677
Plus it sets the clock running on getting them again.
As for the AAoA, it's posted elsewhere on FT that cards stay on your credit record for 10 years after they are cancelled. And AMEX outright sets the date on every new card as the date of the earliest card you hold. My PRG that I got last spring is dated 1997, when I got my first AMEX. Barclays tells me my FICO, not Fako, but FICO is 797.
AAoA is not a consideration for me.
Nov 27, 2013, 9:25 pm
#2028
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: DCA/IAD
Programs: HH Gold-IHG Plat
Posts: 390
what report do they pull?
Nov 28, 2013, 6:49 am
#2029
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,933
Whichever one they want. Some people think it's by state, but then they find out on their next app that the information by state didn't apply to their latest app. (One theory is that Citi may have a contract discounts with one bureau in some states for N pulls a month, and then once they use that up they shift to another bureau for the rest of the month. Then in other states they may have the same thing but with a different bureau and with a different number N.) And if you read lots of this thread, you'll see that sometimes Citi only pulls from one bureau but sometimes they pull from two bureaus (for one card app).
Nov 28, 2013, 9:12 pm
#2030
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,760
Whichever one they want. Some people think it's by state, but then they find out on their next app that the information by state didn't apply to their latest app. (One theory is that Citi may have a contract discounts with one bureau in some states for N pulls a month, and then once they use that up they shift to another bureau for the rest of the month. Then in other states they may have the same thing but with a different bureau and with a different number N.) And if you read lots of this thread, you'll see that sometimes Citi only pulls from one bureau but sometimes they pull from two bureaus (for one card app).
Nov 29, 2013, 11:25 am
#2031
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 81
Data point: got my fourth Citi Hilton since 6/2012 today. Also got AA Plat Visa since that time
Nov 29, 2013, 3:19 pm
#2032
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Seattle
Programs: AA PLT
Posts: 70
Just received my rejection letter from Citi - 'Too many recent credit inquiries are recorded on your credit bureau report', first rejection ever for this reason and this has been a relatively light year. They pulled Experian, prior to this AOR day I have had 5 pulls on Experian this year, none in the previous four months. 12 last year, but that should not qualify as recent. This was my fourth app of the day, all went to Experian, but they should not see that.
Should I bother calling the reconsideration line?
Should I bother calling the reconsideration line?
Nov 29, 2013, 3:41 pm
#2033
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: DCA/RIC
Programs: HH LTD, AA LTG
Posts: 1,015
EDIT: When I wrote the above I missed the part about the 4th app of the day, which contradicts your statement about none in the previous 4 months.
Last edited by isle-hawg; Nov 29, 2013 at 9:25 pm
Nov 29, 2013, 8:27 pm
#2034
Moderator: Chase Ultimate Rewards
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 2P, MR LT Plat, IHG Plat, BW Dia, HH Au, Avis PC
Posts: 5,453
Nov 30, 2013, 12:27 pm
#2035
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 3,677
IMHO:
This is why a churn must be preplanned. My approach is to apply for the most skittish banks first. US BANK, then Barclays, then Citi, then Chase, then AMEX, and finally B of A. Especially with the first 3, wait for approval before making the next app. Start in the morning so you have time to make as many recon calls as necessary, and still get all your apps in the same day.
If you are applying for a number of cards, it's best to make your apps the same day, and then wait @ 100 days before you apply again. When the banks see your prior inquires, and it's been over 3 months, and you haven't been maxing those cards out, it doesn't seem like such a danger sign.
It's not just how you apply, but also when, and in which order....
Nov 30, 2013, 1:04 pm
#2036
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: SNA/LAX
Posts: 1,407
With all this talk about waiting, I'm interested to see what you have to say with my situation as I was planning to app for this today to begin churning it.
Apped/approved for 3 cards (none Citi) in May/June of this year. They are my keeper cards (CSP, Hyatt Chase, and BCP).
Did mini AOR for Club Carlson, US Air, and Citi AA on 11/22. 3/3
I now have 12 inquiries on Experian, which is what Citi pulled for the AA card.
Today would be a week+ apart from my last Citi app so I was hoping to begin churning this Hilton card. Should I hold off until next AOR late next year?
Apped/approved for 3 cards (none Citi) in May/June of this year. They are my keeper cards (CSP, Hyatt Chase, and BCP).
Did mini AOR for Club Carlson, US Air, and Citi AA on 11/22. 3/3
I now have 12 inquiries on Experian, which is what Citi pulled for the AA card.
Today would be a week+ apart from my last Citi app so I was hoping to begin churning this Hilton card. Should I hold off until next AOR late next year?
Last edited by healthnut; Nov 30, 2013 at 9:38 pm Reason: Instantly approved!
Nov 30, 2013, 4:24 pm
#2037
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,760
Just received my rejection letter from Citi - 'Too many recent credit inquiries are recorded on your credit bureau report', first rejection ever for this reason and this has been a relatively light year. They pulled Experian, prior to this AOR day I have had 5 pulls on Experian this year, none in the previous four months. 12 last year, but that should not qualify as recent. This was my fourth app of the day, all went to Experian, but they should not see that.
Should I bother calling the reconsideration line?
Should I bother calling the reconsideration line?
When Citi system detects your application, the system counts you have a total of 5 + 3 applications on Experian already, given the Citi's the 4th of the day. Had you applied the Citi's first, you may stand a chance as Citi system does seem to have a limit on max of 6 inquiries per previous 6 months from the same reporting agency.
Nov 30, 2013, 5:14 pm
#2038
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Seattle
Programs: AA PLT
Posts: 70
IMHO:
This is why a churn must be preplanned. My approach is to apply for the most skittish banks first. US BANK, then Barclays, then Citi, then Chase, then AMEX, and finally B of A. Especially with the first 3, wait for approval before making the next app. Start in the morning so you have time to make as many recon calls as necessary, and still get all your apps in the same day.
This is why a churn must be preplanned. My approach is to apply for the most skittish banks first. US BANK, then Barclays, then Citi, then Chase, then AMEX, and finally B of A. Especially with the first 3, wait for approval before making the next app. Start in the morning so you have time to make as many recon calls as necessary, and still get all your apps in the same day.
Dec 1, 2013, 5:34 pm
#2039
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: BOS
Programs: MR, UR, AA, AS, HH Gold, SPG Gold, HGP, RR
Posts: 708
Instant approval using the link in post #1, 13.5K CL
relevant data points:
Citi AA personal approved 9/2012
Citi AA biz approved 10/2013
Experian 7 inquiries/7 new accounts in 2013 (now 8) w/ 4 of them being in past 6 months
This was not part of an AoA, just a single app in between AoAs which I do from time to time if the circumstances fit.
As noted above, the inquiry appears instantly which I can confirm as I pulled up my Experian report to double check my last 6 months total inquiries and found 4 then applied and checked Exp again and could already see the Citi inq. from tonight.
relevant data points:
Citi AA personal approved 9/2012
Citi AA biz approved 10/2013
Experian 7 inquiries/7 new accounts in 2013 (now 8) w/ 4 of them being in past 6 months
This was not part of an AoA, just a single app in between AoAs which I do from time to time if the circumstances fit.
As noted above, the inquiry appears instantly which I can confirm as I pulled up my Experian report to double check my last 6 months total inquiries and found 4 then applied and checked Exp again and could already see the Citi inq. from tonight.
Dec 1, 2013, 10:00 pm
#2040
Join Date: May 2013
Programs: Hyatt Platinum, IHG Platinum, Aadvantage Platinum
Posts: 180
Thanks for this list. It's not that easy to know which bank is picky. I'm surprised that you list AMEX as easy because it's the only one that denied me credit. I just got the Alaska Airlines card and see what you mean putting that as easiest. They gave me a 15K credit line and I had no relationship with them prior to this card.
quote:
This is why a churn must be preplanned. My approach is to apply for the most skittish banks first. US BANK, then Barclays, then Citi, then Chase, then AMEX, and finally B of A. Especially with the first 3, wait for approval before making the next app. Start in the morning so you have time to make as many recon calls as necessary, and still get all your apps in the same day.
quote:
This is why a churn must be preplanned. My approach is to apply for the most skittish banks first. US BANK, then Barclays, then Citi, then Chase, then AMEX, and finally B of A. Especially with the first 3, wait for approval before making the next app. Start in the morning so you have time to make as many recon calls as necessary, and still get all your apps in the same day.
Last edited by wholelottamiles; Dec 1, 2013 at 10:00 pm Reason: Wrong quotation