For either of the Business links (#5, #8a/b), you should *not* have an open/active Business card (and, possibly, Master account). Is that correct? Reading the last few months of posts, I think I only saw one person that said they had an open Biz card when they applied for another...

YMMV. See the wiki discussing churning business applications. There are three groups of cardholders: those who can get repeated business cards with open cards, those who can get repeated business cards only if all previous business accounts and cards are closed, and those who can only ever get one business card.

Does the 18 months from close actually matter though? One poster in response to me made it sound like it did, however the Wiki makes it sound like it doesn't, so pretty confusing information here, go figure with Citi.

what was the reason for decline?

I need to update the Wiki now that we know a little more but the 18-month rule seems to be limited to cards of the same type and level. So a Gold MC does not affect a Platinum MC, and a Visa would affect neither.

Me & Parents , 3 for 3

AA Personal Platinum Visa 03/07/2012 Open
AA Business Platinum Visa 03/07/2012 Open / Closed on 03/2013
AA Personal Platinum MC 10/07/2013 Open
AA Business Platinum Visa 10/07/2013 Open / Closed on 10/2014

AA Business Platinum Visa 03/10/2015 Open

Which app link? And you closed the first AA Biz the same month of opening?

Every time I logged on to the Citi AA web site I saw the 50,000 mile offer for the AA MC, and today I decided to click on it, even though I have two already and the last one was approved on 6 Oct., 2014. I filled out the application and got an application pending message with a phone # to call and an app ID. So I called and was offered a $1500 CL but was able to transfer $2000 from my AA AmEx to make it $3500.

I think I just blew a hole in the 18-month rule. Here is my application history for AA cards:

A long time ago -- AA Gold Visa

Citi AA Select Amex 18/MR/13
Citi AA Platinum Visa 14/MY/13
Citi AA Platinum Select MC 06/JN/13
Citi AA Platinum Visa 23/JL/13
Citi AA Platinum Visa 08/AU/13
Citi AA Platinum Visa 25/AU/13 rejected
Citi AA Business MC 11/SE/13 rejected
Citi AA Platinum Select MC 26/SE/13 no response
Citi Executive AAdvantage MC 28/JA/14 rejected
Citi AA Business MC 17/MR/14
Citi AA Platinum Select MC 06/OC/14
Citi AA Platinum Select MC 10/MR/15

I'm currently at 3 Visas, 3 MCs, 1 business MC, 1 AmEx and 1 Gold Visa.

I've been getting Citi Hilton cards, too. The last one was 24/FE/15.

Yes.

I think many people still understandably have trouble comprehending that YMMV with Citi. There is a natural urge to find patterns and logic, to interpret the specific wording on the web page, etc. Unfortunately, just as the phone reps will make stuff up, the reasons in the rejection notices are just made up (in the sense that others in the same situation will be approved).

Unfortunately, the only way to know what will work for you is to do your own 'experiments' by applying. It does seem to be that (in general) what works or does not work for you will continue to work / not work for you; but it is not a predictor of what will/won't work for others.

In particular, all this parsing of the web page language is useless. Just because it says "card" here but "Mastercard" there, etc., "18 months" here but not there, doesn't mean a whole lot.

What makes Citi treat some people better than others? We don't know, but I would guess that it depends not just on FICO score but also total income, history with Citi, etc. Yesterday, when I activated my n-th Exec card, the recording thanked me 'for continuing to choose Citi'. It is to laugh.

On the Internet, nobody knows you're a unicorn.

I read that Citi didn't use to pull your credit if you weren't eligible for that card. Was your credit pulled?

typo on my end, after 1 year usually

had held same card within the last 18 months. it is apparently applicable to business cards now too

Advice please
 

Both me and my wife were approved for the platinum card today. For the benefit that is linked to this card which is 10% miles that come back to us for redeeming AA miles do we have to pay taxes using this card or can I use my chase Ritz card and claim refund from chase?

If you hold one of the qualifying Citi AA cards (see http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...edemption.html for details), you get the 10% rebate regardless of how you pay any taxes/fees on redemptions. Thus, you can use your Chase card, although I'm not understanding what "refund from [C]hase" you refer to.