Citi application not auto-approved? [Consolidated]
Apr 24, 2009, 11:12 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,632
Citi application not auto-approved? [Consolidated]
I've been churning Citi AAdvantage cards for the last few months and always get instant approval (except for the business card of course). My wife just started yesterday, and both her MC and AmEx card approvals are now pending.
Her credit and employment records are rock solid and her income is roughly the same as mine. She has had the same AAdvantage MC card for the last 10+ years, this is her first app for additional cards. There's absolutely nothing in her record to raise a red flag. Of course between the two of us we have applied for more than seven Citi cards in the last six months, but our finances have been separate and there have been no jointly held cards, nothing except one jointly held checking account.
What determines when Citi approves instantly vs after a few days? (At this point I don't know if she will be approved at all.)
Her credit and employment records are rock solid and her income is roughly the same as mine. She has had the same AAdvantage MC card for the last 10+ years, this is her first app for additional cards. There's absolutely nothing in her record to raise a red flag. Of course between the two of us we have applied for more than seven Citi cards in the last six months, but our finances have been separate and there have been no jointly held cards, nothing except one jointly held checking account.
What determines when Citi approves instantly vs after a few days? (At this point I don't know if she will be approved at all.)
Apr 24, 2009, 11:27 am
#2
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: AUS TUS
Programs: AA PLT, UA GLD
Posts: 993
no idea. among the applications I've done for my wife and me, only two were instant. >10 others were delayed but approved. one got denied for less than 60 days, although according to my numbers it should be 65 days.
Apr 24, 2009, 11:42 am
#3
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: DTW
Programs: Dirt Status w/ All
Posts: 5,040
You really can't tell why you get an instant or delayed. Just because it is deferred don't worry that it will be denied. Citi seems to have several different departments with different rules, computer systems, magic 8 balls, .... I've had an application deferred, then a second one the same day approved instantly. They pull different credit bureaus for different cards. All very confusing.
Apr 24, 2009, 1:02 pm
#5
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: NYC
Programs: AA PLT 2MM
Posts: 395
Same experience as the OP (multiple churns for self and wife over last couple of years). Applied for a Business card for my wife a few days ago and got the "Pending" message. I was concerned as recent credit limits for new Citi AA cards have been significantly lower, but 2 days later I got an email with the "Approved" message and a $13,500 limit. Who knows how these things work, as long as they continue to do so.
Apr 24, 2009, 7:37 pm
#7
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 263
this year I have been getting almost all instant approvals. Previous years would be 50-50. I think the only thing that's changed significantly in the applications is my time living at my residence. That is change from 2/3 years to 4+ years now. Who knows maybe that is the trigger?!
Dec 4, 2012, 5:09 pm
#8
Join Date: Jun 2012
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Globalist, *A Silver
Posts: 4,896
If you don't get instant-approved by Citi
.. Am I correct in saying there is no credit department/analyst to call to get recon? I remember applying for the Thank You Prestige a long time ago and called a bunch of numbers and they basically all said I have to write a letter for reconsideration.
I want AA miles but am hesitant to apply for the Citi cards for that reason. Is there a way around it?
I want AA miles but am hesitant to apply for the Citi cards for that reason. Is there a way around it?
Dec 4, 2012, 5:38 pm
#9
Join Date: Mar 2012
Programs: Hilton, Hyatt, Priority, SPG - AA, Hawaiian Airline, United, US Airline
Posts: 608
Yesterday, I applied 2 citi AA (1 visa and 1 amex). My visa was approved. My amex was not for further information. So I called after I finished application. Wohoooo 
my amex was approved for 50,000 miles . So the citi number:
866-606-2787 – application status
Good luck ^_^
my amex was approved for 50,000 miles . So the citi number:866-606-2787 – application status
Good luck ^_^
Dec 4, 2012, 6:15 pm
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Intermountain West
Programs: Too many to list
Posts: 12,082
.. Am I correct in saying there is no credit department/analyst to call to get recon? I remember applying for the Thank You Prestige a long time ago and called a bunch of numbers and they basically all said I have to write a letter for reconsideration.
I want AA miles but am hesitant to apply for the Citi cards for that reason. Is there a way around it?
I want AA miles but am hesitant to apply for the Citi cards for that reason. Is there a way around it?
See this thread http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/miles...ey-appear.html on the MB! forum for more info. CITI is stricter than other banks on reversing a rejection. However, just because you're not automatically approved doesn't mean you have been rejected.
May 26, 2013, 7:58 am
#11
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Boston
Posts: 106
Citi Card letter is still processing my accepted applacation
Hi, I received a letter after applying over the phone. My initial call was about 35 minutes long. I answered all the questions, the women said to call back in 10 minutes for a status on my approval. I called 2 hours later. I was asked the same questions by a different rep. he said some information was missing in the first call. It was very frustrating and I let him know it.He put me on hold several times and then finally he approved my application for the Citi Platinum Select AAvantage Word MC. Its been 1 week that I have used the card and now I received a letter stating they are still continuing to process my application because it was still incomplete and or part of it was illegible.
The questions they ask in the letter are
1.Phone number
2.employer phone number
3."security password"
4.name of bank where you have a checking and savings account
5.name of bank where you have a money market account
They say I can call them(1888-201-4523) or mail them . I googled the phone number and it is a valid Citi number. My question is this unusual ? and is it normal to ask for my password for my account or are they talking about the security question I set up with them to verify who I am?
The questions they ask in the letter are
1.Phone number
2.employer phone number
3."security password"
4.name of bank where you have a checking and savings account
5.name of bank where you have a money market account
They say I can call them(1888-201-4523) or mail them . I googled the phone number and it is a valid Citi number. My question is this unusual ? and is it normal to ask for my password for my account or are they talking about the security question I set up with them to verify who I am?
May 26, 2013, 8:06 am
#12
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: CT
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 429
Hi, I received a letter after applying over the phone. My initial call was about 35 minutes long. I answered all the questions, the women said to call back in 10 minutes for a status on my approval. I called 2 hours later. I was asked the same questions by a different rep. he said some information was missing in the first call. It was very frustrating and I let him know it.He put me on hold several times and then finally he approved my application for the Citi Platinum Select AAvantage Word MC. Its been 1 week that I have used the card and now I received a letter stating they are still continuing to process my application because it was still incomplete and or part of it was illegible.
The questions they ask in the letter are
1.Phone number
2.employer phone number
3."security password"
4.name of bank where you have a checking and savings account
5.name of bank where you have a money market account
They say I can call them(1888-201-4523) or mail them . I googled the phone number and it is a valid Citi number. My question is this unusual ? and is it normal to ask for my password for my account or are they talking about the security question I set up with them to verify who I am?
The questions they ask in the letter are
1.Phone number
2.employer phone number
3."security password"
4.name of bank where you have a checking and savings account
5.name of bank where you have a money market account
They say I can call them(1888-201-4523) or mail them . I googled the phone number and it is a valid Citi number. My question is this unusual ? and is it normal to ask for my password for my account or are they talking about the security question I set up with them to verify who I am?
May 26, 2013, 10:02 am
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,933
Very recently I applied for the Citi AA Gold MC 30k offer (the one which doesn't seem to have the 12 to 18 to 26 month wait rule that most of the cards at Platinum levels and with higher bonuses seem to). I got to step 5 with "we have to do further processing". I then quickly got an email with a link that let me keep checking my application status. 6 days went by, and the link always said the same thing thing: "you can check back tomorrow, but it may take up to a week". They never called me*, but on the 7th the link said I'd been approved the previous day, and with a CL higher than I've gotten from Citi in a couple years.
*On previous cycles, I'd always called, and they would tell me they could only approve me if they moved some CL from one of my existing cards. Would they have told me the same thing had I tried to call "too early" this time? Did I get a better CL because I patiently waited for the process to "naturally" conclude at their end? I can't tell, since I can't run the same experiment both ways at the same time!
*On previous cycles, I'd always called, and they would tell me they could only approve me if they moved some CL from one of my existing cards. Would they have told me the same thing had I tried to call "too early" this time? Did I get a better CL because I patiently waited for the process to "naturally" conclude at their end? I can't tell, since I can't run the same experiment both ways at the same time!
May 26, 2013, 9:48 pm
#14
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Boston
Posts: 106
Citi Card letter is still processing my accepted applacation
Check on the letter they sent you, see if the last 4 digits of the account number on the letter match up with your credit card-- if not they may have somehow gotten 2 apps and are trying to approve a 2nd card. If it does match up call them and let them know you are already using the card, maybe the letter just went out late.
Apr 6, 2015, 8:46 am
#15
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: New York
Programs: AA, BA, CO
Posts: 402
Citi asking me for SS# verify and copy .... Trouble?
So, I applied my wife for this card as well as US Airways quickly top get both deals.
I now have 2 letters.
One from Citi Aadvantage asking for signature to release info for SS# and a copy of her social.
Another letter from US Airways to call them to verify some SS info.
What is this all about? Should I comply?
thank you
I now have 2 letters.
One from Citi Aadvantage asking for signature to release info for SS# and a copy of her social.
Another letter from US Airways to call them to verify some SS info.
What is this all about? Should I comply?
thank you