This wiki is no longer being maintained/updated.

See the new thread & wiki at http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/citi-...24-months.html.

* * *

Click HERE (2015) and HERE (2013/14) to review previous threads on this topic.

For information on the Executive version of this card, see: Citi Executive AA thread

Recommended application procedure:
Clear cache and cookies prior to applying or use an incognito or private browsing session to apply. Opening multiple different apps in different windows or tabs or failing to clear cookies/cache has resulted in people receiving a lesser offer.


Top Personal Card Offers (currently 50K)

For the sake of continuity, please do not renumber items in this list. Links are listed in chronological order (newest ones last).

Note: application pages for all offers in this section contain the following (or substantially similar) language:

Prior to August 11, 2016, the standard language was less restrictive:

Quote:

American Airlines AAdvantage bonus miles are not available if you have had a Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select MasterCard opened or closed in the past 24 months.

23) Landing page for personal Platinum Select World MC offer for 50K miles after $3000 spend in 3 months, $95 fee waived first year; application page. (Source: miles6.citicards.com) Landing page contains the older, less-restrictive language; app page shows new language, which controls.

24) Landing page for personal Platinum Select World MC offer for 50K miles after $3000 spend in 3 months, $95 fee waived first year; application page. Landing page contains the older, less-restrictive language; app page shows new language, which controls.

25) Landing page for personal Platinum Select World MC offer for 50K miles after $3000 spend in 3 months, $95 fee waived first year; application page. (Source: away3.citicards.com) Expired July 31, 2016.


Top Business Card Offers (currently 50K)

For the sake of continuity, please do not renumber items in this list. Links are listed in chronological order (newest ones last).

Note that all offers in this section contain language stating that

Prior to August 11, 2016, the standard language read as follows:

Quote:

Bonus miles not available if you have had a CitiBusiness/AAdvantage Platinum Select World MasterCard opened or closed in the past 24 months.

K) Landing page for business Platinum Select World MC offer for 50K miles after $3000 spend in 3 months, $95 fee waived first year. Current application page; original application page. Landing page contains the older, less-restrictive language; app pages show new language, which controls.

L) Landing page for business Platinum Select World MC offer for 50K miles after $3000 spend in 3 months, $95 fee waived first year; application page. Expired July 31, 2016.

Other personal cards

Landing page for Citi Gold Mastercard offer for 25,000 miles after $750 spend in 3 months. $50 annual fee, waived first year; current application page.

• Note: offer terms now state that
  Quote:

  American Airlines AAdvantage bonus miles are not available if you have had any Citi / AAdvantage card (other than a CitiBusiness/AAdvantage card) opened or closed in the past 24 months.
  Prior to August 11, 2016, the standard language was less restrictive:
  
  Quote:

  American Airlines AAdvantage bonus miles not available if you have had a Citi/AAdvantage Gold MasterCard opened or closed in the past 24 months.

Landing page for Citi Platinum Select World Mastercard. 40,000 miles after $1000 spend in 3 months, $95 annual fee waived first year; application page. (Source: miles7.citicards.com) (Do not use this link unless you expect to have problems meeting the higher spend requirement for the 50K offers.)

• Note: Application page states that "American Airlines AAdvantage bonus miles are not available if you have had any Citi / AAdvantage card (other than a CitiBusiness/AAdvantage card) opened or closed in the past 24 months." Landing page still has older, less-restrictive language.

Landing page for Citi Platinum Select World Mastercard. 30,000 miles after $1000 spend in 3 months, $95 annual fee waived first year; application page. (Do not use this link unless you expect to have problems meeting the higher spend requirement for the 50K offers.)

• Note: Application page states that "American Airlines AAdvantage bonus miles are not available if you have had any Citi / AAdvantage card (other than a CitiBusiness/AAdvantage card) opened or closed in the past 24 months."

This offer is included for reference, but at present has no benefits over other offers above.

Application page for Citi Platinum Select World Mastercard, 30,000 miles after $1000 spend in 3 months, $100 in AA statement credits within first year, $95 annual fee waived first year. (Do not use this link unless you value $100 off of AA purchases within 12 months more than 20,000 miles, or expect to have problems meeting the higher spend requirements for the 50k offers.)

• Note: Application page states that "Statement Credit and American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles are not available if you have had any Citi / AAdvantage card (other than a CitiBusiness/AAdvantage card) opened or closed in the past 24 months."

Other business cards

None at present.



FAQ

The FAQs below will almost certainly answer questions you have about Citi AA Platinum and Gold cards. Do not post in the thread "just to double-check if the wiki is correct"; the wiki is here to avoid having people ask the same questions endlessly. If you have a specific reason to doubt--something a Citi CSR told you, or something you read from a trustworthy blogger--then feel free to ask for clarification. (And no, you should not ask if this paragraph is correct--ever.)

1. Are these AA cards churnable?
2. Is there any way around the 24-month restriction?
3. What are the most current time-restriction rules in applying for all Citi cards?
4. Do I need to close existing cards before applying?
5. When should I close existing Citi accounts?
6. Can I apply for a business card if I don’t have a business?
7. Can I buy Visa gift cards to meet my minimum spend?
8. Do I have to use my own AAdvantage number on applications?
9. There is nothing on the application page stating the bonus miles. How do I know what the associated offer is?
10. After approval, how can I a) confirm the amount of the bonus I can earn and b) determine the deadline for completing the required spend?
11. When will my bonus miles post?
12. Do I get 10% back when redeeming miles for awards?
13. Can I cancel a card using secure messaging?
14. Which credit bureau does Citi pull and can I force them to use a different one?
15. When is the 60K (75K, 100K, etc.) offer going to come back?
16. Is my card World (W) or World Elite (WE)?
17. Why and when does Citi convert cards to World Elite? Can I do anything to trigger the conversion?
18. What's the difference between World and World Elite cards?

1. Are these AA cards churnable?
Yes and no. The general rules are:

• Personal AA cards: As of August 11, 2016, all offers require you to wait 24 months from the date of opening or closing any other personal Citi/AAdvantage account, regardless of type (AmEx, Visa, MC) or category (Gold, Platinum, Executive). Thus,
  • opening or closing a personal Platinum MC will normally require you to wait another 24 months before being eligible for a signup bonus on any personal Citi/AAdvantage card
  • opening or closing a personal Gold MC will normally require you to wait another 24 months before being eligible for a signup bonus on any personal Citi/AAdvantage card
  • opening or closing a personal Platinum MC will not affect your eligibility to apply for (& earn a bonus on) a new Gold MC, and vice versa
  • closing a Citi AA Visa or Amex (legacy cards which are no longer issued) will not affect your eligibility to apply for/earn a bonus on any Citi AA MC
  
  Note that in the past, downgrading to a different card (aka a "product change" or PC) counted as closing the AA card. This includes downgrades from AA Platinum to Gold as well as downgrades to non-AA cards.
  
  The "any personal card" restriction imposed in August 2016 is a notable change from the prior policy, which treated different card types (e.g., Platinum & Gold) separately, with a separate 24-month clock for each. In addition, several FT reports since February 2016 confirm that Citi has closed the loophole involving cards converted from World to World Elite.
  
  Opening, closing, or having a personal card will not by itself affect your ability to open a business card/earn the signup bonus, and vice versa. (But see FAQ #4 below for reasons to reduce your credit line prior to closing an account.)
  
  If you violate the 24-month rule, Citi may still issue you the card but you will not get the bonus.
  
  
• Business AA cards: As of April 22, 2016, all known business card offers contain a 24-month restriction, as noted above.
  
  Note that beginning in late 2014, new Citi AA business card offers began including the explicit requirement that the applicant not be an existing AA business cardholder. However, this does not appear to have any practical effect.
  
  Opening, closing, or having a business card will not by itself affect your ability to open a personal card/earn the signup bonus, and vice versa. (But see FAQ #4 below for reasons to reduce your credit line prior to closing an account.)
  
  When closing a business card, be sure to completely cancel the full account; send an SM or call and request that the account, ending in XXXX and the associated cards, ending in YYYY (etc.) be closed, including the master account. (The master account is the actual line of credit, while the cards are the individual cards associated with each employee of the business.) To find the master account number, go to your online account and select the card you want to close. In the bottom left corner there is a dropdown box next to "Cardholder:" that has the master account and any card accounts listed.

2.Is there any way around the 24-month restriction?
Yes. A targeted offer with a unique invitation code may offer a loophole. Numerous FTers received physical mailers in late 2015 & the first half of 2016 for which the T&C did not contain the 24-month restriction language.

The T&C for these offers will typically say instead that they are "applicable only to new accounts." This is nothing to worry about; all it means is that Citi won't retroactively match you to the offer on an account you already have; it doesn't disqualify someone who has a Citi AA card or has ever had one.

Other noteworthy aspects:

• In order to access the application page, you must have both the 9-digit invitation code and the surname of the offer recipient.
• After you authenticate the offer code and are redirected to the application page, you may enter a completely different applicant name and address.
• Each offer may be used multiple times--perhaps without any limit.
• Offers expire exactly two months after the nominal expiration shown on the mailer. For example, an offer with a stated May 15 expiration will be fully valid through July 14.

3. What are the most current time-restriction rules in applying for all Citi cards?

• No more than 2 Citi applications of any kind in 60 days (65 days to be safe).

Citi has been known to miscount in some cases. As a result, it is inadvisable to apply again exactly on day 60 or 90--thus the advice to wait 65 days.

For purposes of these rules,

• count all Citi applications, including denials and/or applications for non-AA cards.
• the only day that matters is the application date (not approval date, not activation date).
• count all calendar days, not just business days.

If you get denied for violating any of these rules, you will probably have to wait the full time period (60+ days before trying again. Use this calculator to establish your dates: http://www.timeanddate.com/date/dateadd.html

In addition, FT lore has evolved into soft guidance that you apply for no more than one Citi card (of any kind) in any 8-day period. This is merely prudential guidance, not clearly established Citi policy; there are examples of people applying for two cards in a single day and being approved for the second. However, multiple Citi applications in a short time frame do appear, at least anecdotally, to increase the odds of the second application being denied. (You may see FTers refer to "the 8/65 rule," which refers to this soft guidance plus the strict 60-day rule noted above.)

An example of the guidance above applied in combination:

Day 1 Apply for 50K HHonors - Starts 60-day and 24-month clocks. No apps of any kind recommended for 8 days.
Day 9 Apply for 50K AA Personal Plat MC - Starts 24-month clock for personal Plat MC & resets 60-day clock.
Day 70 Apply for 50K AA Business - Starts 24-month clock for biz card apps & resets 60-day clock. No apps of any kind recommended for 8 days.
Day 160 - Close CitiBusiness card after earning bonus.
Day 9 plus 24 months Apply for 50K AA personal plat MC - As long as you have not closed the Day 9 card in the previous 24 months (as that would have reset the 24-month personal card clock).
Day 160 plus 24 months - Apply for 50K AA Business

Not sure what day you applied? The date is written year, month, day in the application number: 201412150000 means you applied on December 15, 2014.


4. Do I need to close existing cards before applying?
There is no requirement that you close previous personal accounts. In fact, with the new applications that include 24-month language, closing accounts will increase the time between applications. People have reported having 5 or more of the exact same card. However, you must close an open Business account (which resets the 24-month clock) before applying for a new one. See above.


5. When should I close existing Citi accounts?
Citi cards can be closed immediately after receiving a bonus and paying off the balance. There are no verifiable reports of Citi clawing back miles except in cases where charges forming part of the required bonus spend are later reversed (for merchandise return, etc.).

Reasons to keep accounts open:

• Having large credit lines improves your utilization percentage.
• Maintaining old cards improves average age of cards.
• Credit lines can be moved from old cards to new cards.
• Anecdotal evidence suggests that Citi counts the credit lines of recently-closed accounts for 3-6 months against your total available credit. You can call/SM to reduce credit lines instead or prior to closing to free CL more quickly.
• You can receive retention offers once every 6 months per card. See this thread for details on the latest retention offers.
• Closing cards now resets the clock for future applications for the same type and category of card.

Reasons to close accounts:

• Having a large amount of available credit with Citi will eventually reduce your chances of instant approval. You may end up with 1K/2K credit lines, especially on Business cards. You can also SM and request that your CL be reduced.
• There is little incentive to pay an annual fee if it is not waived.
• The annual fee on cards is rarely waived.
• Having a large number of open Citi cards will show up on your credit report and may affect non-Citi applications as well as the overall age of your accounts.
• Closing multiple accounts of the same type and category simultaneously resets the clock only once. Doing so so when opening a new account (or shortly thereafter) likewise minimizes the wait for future churn eligibility.

6. Can I apply for a business card if I don’t have a business?
Anyone can apply for a business card. You do not need a registered business with an EIN. If you do not have a business with an EIN or with bills/accounts in the business name, you can apply using your name as the business. The three possibilities are that: 1. You could be approved unconditionally, 2. You could be asked to fax a couple of bills or accounts (water, electricity, gas, cable, or phone bills, bank accounts, etc.) in the name of the business to Citi, or 3. You could be required to fill out and send a 4506-T tax form. Whatever you do do not make up income etc. about the business. Plenty of people have been issued cards for businesses with $0 annual revenue, 1-5 employees, and 0 years in business.


7. Can I buy Visa gift cards to meet my minimum spend?
Purchases from banks are almost always coded as a cash advance regardless of what they are for. Purchases from stores, e.g. CVS, are almost always coded as a purchase.

If you are concerned about it, it’s recommended to send a secure message Citi and have them set your Cash Advance limit to zero. Phone CSRs often say they cannot do this.


8. Do I have to use my own AAdvantage number on applications?
Yes. The name on the card application must match the name on the AAdvantage account. You cannot apply for multiple cards for different people and use the same AAdvantage account number.


9. There is nothing on the application page stating the bonus miles. How do I know what the associated offer is?
You need to have faith in the readers of this thread if you want to maximize your miles. FTers constantly apply for these cards and report back to confirm bonus amounts. If you don't feel like trusting in the experiences of others, then apply for an offer with a landing page.


10. After approval, how can I a) confirm the amount of the bonus I can earn and b) determine the deadline for completing the required spend?
For personal and business cards, you can always send Citi a secure message through your online account to confirm your bonus amount and deadline. (You must first activate the card and set up online access, either by creating an online account or by linking your new card to your existing online account. Unlike some other banks, Citi does not automatically add your new card to your existing online account.)

In addition, for personal cards only (and perhaps only for online applications), there are two additional indicators:

1. The approval letter for a personal card will confirm the amount of the bonus for which you are eligible, but not the spend deadline. (As noted in FAQ #1 above, Citi may approve you for a personal card even if you do not qualify for a bonus. No bonus language in the letter means no bonus.) Approval letters for business cards do not confirm the bonus.
   
2. Your online account for a personal card also provides information on eligible bonus and spend deadline. Log into your Citi account and select the applicable card. On the Account Details page you'll see a "My Miles Summary" link; click that link, scroll down, and you will see a pie-chart graphic showing the spend deadline and your progress as of your last statement. (Charges made since your last statement are not included in this total.)

11. When will my bonus miles post?
Roughly 2-3 days after the date of the statement containing the charge that takes you across the spend threshold.


12. Do I get 10% back when redeeming miles for awards?
It depends. First, the rebate program (which began in April 2012) applies only to holders of these cards:

• Citi Platinum Select AAdvantage Visa Signature
• Citi Platinum Select AAdvantage World MasterCard
• Citi Platinum Select AAdvantage World Elite MasterCard
• Citi Select AAdvantage American Express

It does not apply to the Citi Gold World MasterCard, Citi Executive products, or some of the Citi Business cards.

Also, the maximum rebate for any cardholder in a single calendar year is 10,000 miles. Having more than one qualifying Citi AA card will not allow you to receive a larger rebate; the restriction applies per AAdvantage account.

For more on the 10% rebate benefit, see AAdvantage Citi / Barclays 10% miles / mileage rebate (consolidated).


13. Can I cancel a card using secure messaging?
Yes, assuming you have set up the credit card in your Citi account. Quick and easy.


14. Which credit bureau does Citi pull and can I force them to use a different one?
Citi appears to use Experian most frequently, followed by Equifax. For some people they pull both. It depends on where you are located. You can check the Credit Boards database to see where card issuers have pulled recently.

For the most part, freezing Experian, or another bureau, will not cause Citi to pull a different bureau. They will almost certainly require you to unfreeze the bureau they wish to pull or deny your application. Some people have been successful providing the PIN but others have not. Mostly, freezing a credit bureau in an attempt to force Citi to pull a different one seems to waste time, money, and effort for little result. But YMMV.

For one person's experiences with various card issuers, check here.


15. When is the 60K (75K, 100K, etc.) offer going to come back?
Nobody knows except Citi & they don't announce these things in advance. If we knew, we'd be talking about it non-stop. Please don't ask about it periodically in the thread.

If you want to make yourself useful, you can easily look for new offers by testing the URLs

• away*.citicards.com
• fly*.citicards.com
• travel*.citicards.com
• miles*.citicards.com
• go*.citicards.com
• aadvantagecards*.citicards.com

where * is any digit in the range 1-9.

16. Is my card World (W) or World Elite (WE)?
It was once useful to know if your card is World (W) or World Elite (WE) because of a loophole that previously allowed applicants to open new accounts and earn signup bonuses less than 24 months since the last open/close of the same card type. That loophole has been closed. (See FAQ 1, "Important exception" for more information.)

Physical card

• If your card is W the back of the card will say "World" and have a red and yellow MasterCard logo.
• If your card is WE the back of the card will say "World Elite" and have a silver MasterCard logo.

Online account

• If your card has been converted, the summary for that card (on the home Accounts page) will include, at the bottom, a line with a green flag and the legend "We've mailed your new Citi card. After it arrives, activate it for use. Learn more | Activate"

In the alternative,

• Log into your online account.
• Select "Account Management"
• Select "Profile & Settings"
• Select "Set Default Credit Card"

Platinum

• If the card is listed as "Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World MasterCard®" it is W.
• If the card is listed as "Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select®" it is WE.

Gold

• If the card is listed as "Citi® / AAdvantage® Gold World MasterCard®" it is W.
• If the card is listed as "Citi® / AAdvantage® Gold" it is WE.

17. Why and when does Citi convert cards to World Elite? Can I do anything to trigger the conversion?
Citi appears to convert recently opened World MCs to World Elite en masse at periodic intervals once every few months. For most new cardholders, this will occur in the second or third full billing cycle; for holders of legacy Citi AA VISA or Amex cards, the conversion may occur at any time.

There is nothing you can do as a cardholder to trigger the conversion.


18. What's the difference between World and World Elite cards?
See the wiki at Difference in MasterCard World and World Elite?.