Originally Posted by sdsearch (Post 27006292)

Well, then you should have explained all that. The general rule at Citi has always been apply before cancelling, including for other reasons, like the fact that if necessary to approve a new card, they can pull credit limit from an existing card but they can't pull credit limit from a just-cancelled card (and credit limit from cancelled cards can take months before it's available to new cards).

So from a credit limit perspective (which is very independent of whether it's a mailer or not), you want to either reduce credit limit on previous cards at least a month or so earlier if possible, or cancel them many months earlier, or don't cancel until approved (so that credit limit can be moved from the yet-uncancelled card to the new card).

So what you haven't explained is why you assumed you need to cancel before applying, since most people with Citi experience would I think assume exactly the opposite is at the very least possible and may even be better.

Originally Posted by sdsearch (Post 27005584)

I don't know why your one experience seems to be counter to everyone else's experience. Perhaps you were denied the bonus for a different reason, like the system thought you had applied in a way that didn't include a bonus? (Citi has been making online signup offers lately that include no signup bonus at all, for cards that have other online signup offers with signup bonuses.)

Originally Posted by AugustWest (Post 27005790)

Well, I guess you are trying to help, but what you write is manifestly untrue. I have done 6 straight cards off the mailers, closing each one prior to the next application. Each approved, and each netting me 50 or 60K. The mailers have no 24 month language.

My question, for those with experience with the mailers, is whether I actually need to be canceling the card prior to the next application.

Originally Posted by AugustWest (Post 27004393)

Looking for clarification:
With mailer offers it is NOT necessary to cancel an existing card prior to a new application, correct?
Thanks

Originally Posted by flyer4512 (Post 27006563)

How are you getting all these targeted offers for a card you already have ?.

Originally Posted by freeflyin (Post 27007325)

We have been using mailers regularly and have never cancelled before applying for the next one. As soon as the card arrives, we lower the limit. Soon after,the oldest one is closed.

Originally Posted by sdsearch (Post 27006327)

I think you're confused. The business card didn't have 18-month language for a long time after the personal cards already had it. The business card was the last to get that language.

So I don't think there were people who were able to churn the business card "despite" the 18-month language. Rather, there were people who were able to churn the business card at the time that the personal card had 18-month language but the business card didn't yet.

I thus never assumed that anyone would able to churn the business card now any faster than 24 months, and thus was surprised to see that you were surprised that the 24 month language is indeed enforced.

The only loophole for the 18-month language that I am aware of was the World -> World Elite loophole, which AFAIK only applied to the personal card, not the business card.

Also, people's ability vs inability to churn the business card (before the relatively recent 18/24-month wording) had nothing to do with timing. Some people were able not able to churn it no matter how many years they waited, while other people were able to churn in less than a year IIRC.

Originally Posted by AugustWest (Post 27008577)

Thank you. Just what I was looking for. And to be double sure--you say "we", but the cards (new and old) are in the same person's name.

Originally Posted by bobert24 (Post 27008822)

This is all correct. The business card churning could technically be done in as little as ~95 days. We had 7 of them in our household, but we generally tried to space them out by about 6 months or so. At one point I did get 3 within 365 days.

Originally Posted by miadukes (Post 27009403)

Is the 30k bonus points the best offer the have had for AA business card?

Originally Posted by AugustWest (Post 27006415)

As I said, the question is really for folks with experience with the mailers. That does not sound like you. The mailers have some language about the offer not being eligible for current accounts. It is unclear to me whether that means I must close the card first. I has assumed it did, but others may have a different experience. I appreciate your advice, but you are answering questions I did not ask--I am well aware of the management of credit lines.

Originally Posted by miadukes (Post 27009403)

Is the 30k bonus points the best offer the have had for AA business card?

Originally Posted by freeflyin (Post 27007325)

We have been using mailers regularly and have never cancelled before applying for the next one. As soon as the card arrives, we lower the limit. Soon after,the oldest one is closed.