Updated: May 2024
I’ve previously written posts that summed up how Citi applications work in neat boxes like the 1/24 and 1/48 rules. But if you found one of those posts on the Google, I’ve redirected you here because a lot has changed with the Citi bonus rules – so let’s get it all in one place.
In this article
Citi Credit Card Velocity Rules
Before we even get into specific cards, you can only get a maximum of 1 Citi credit card every 8 days and no more than 2 in 65 days. Got it? Good. Now that’s out of the way.
Citi Credit Card “Families”
It used to be very simple. There were several Citi cards that earned ThankYou points where a bonus on one precluded a bonus on any others. Back when the Citi Prestige was a card you could still apply for, you had to worry about whether you had opened or closed a Prestige, Premier, or Rewards+ in the last 24 months to figure out eligibility and strategize since you could only have one per 24 months. But that’s just a lot of words that no longer matter.
There are currently 6 Citi card sets of rules to know. Let’s go one by one.
Citi Premier® Bonus / Application Rules
The Citi Strata Premier is the most important card when it comes to bonus rules. It also has the highest bonus (by a lot) of any Citi card.
It used to be that the Citi Strata Premier had complex rules stating that you couldn’t get a bonus if you’d gotten any bonus on any ThankYou card or closed any of them.
Not anymore!
It’s now simple: Bonus ThankYou® Points are not available if you have received a new account bonus for a Citi Strata Premier® or Citi Premier® account in the past 48 months.
No other cards come into play now, although the time between bonuses which used to be 24 months has become 48 months.
Citi Custom Cash® Bonus / Application Rules
The Citi Custom Cash earns 5X ThankYou points on up to $500 in one category per month is in a class by itself. You can get the bonus regardless of any other Citi bonuses you have gotten recently. Note the one card per customer restriction in Citi’s bonus language, though: “Our policy is to offer only one Citi Custom Cash℠ Card account per customer. Bonus is not available if you received one for opening a new Citi Custom Cash℠ Card account in the past 48 months.”
So here, the only restriction is another Custom Cash card – but it’s if you got one in the last 48 months and still hold it.
The points are awarded as ThankYou points worth a penny each, but can be combined with your Citi Strata Premier card to access airline/hotel transfer partners.
(Learn how to apply and more about the Citi Premier)
Citi Rewards+® Bonus / Application Rules
Like the Premier, this used to be complicated but it’s now simple as could be
Bonus ThankYou® Points are not available if you have received a new account bonus for a Citi Rewards+® account in the past 48 months.
So only that and the 1/8 and 2/65 rules describe earlier are in your way.
The points are awarded as ThankYou points worth a penny each, but can be combined with your Citi Premier card to access airline/hotel transfer partners.
(Learn how to apply and more about the Citi Rewards+)
Citi Double Cash Bonus / Application Rules
The Citi Double Cash credit card sometimes has a bonus offer and sometimes it doesn’t. If it does, the points are awarded as ThankYou points worth a penny each, but can be combined with your Citi Premier card to access airline/hotel transfer partners. Of course, the same goes for the points earned from spend. Having applied for any of the above cards won’t impact your eligibility for a Double Cash bonus when there is one.
(Learn how to apply and more about the Citi Double Cash)
CitiBusiness ThankYou Card Bonus / Application Rules
Want the secret CitiBusiness ThankYou card that you can only get in branch? This is subject to having last gotten the bonus on the same card in the last 24 months and that you have not closed the same card in the last 24 months. I know, that “or closed” rule is tricky so be aware. Otherwise, this card and bonus is in a class by itself.
(You can only apply for this card in a Citi branch.)
Since April 2023, this card has been revamped with new bonus categories. However, it doesn’t seem to yet be available online as expected.
Citi American Airlines AAdvantage Credit Card Bonus / Application Rules
Citi really tightened up the rules on these cards a couple of years ago. However, you can get up to 4 bonuses within 48 months as follows.
For the standard Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite MasterCard, American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles are not available if you have received a new account bonus for a Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® account in the past 48 months. So, only if you got a bonus on this exact card in the last 48 months are you blocked from a new bonus.
(Learn how to apply and more about the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite MasterCard)
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite MasterCard® is similar. Only having gotten the bonus on the Citi® / AAdvantage®Executive World Elite Mastercard® in the last 48 months precludes you from another bonus. American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles are not available if you have received a new account bonus for a Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive account in the past 48 months.
(Learn how to apply and more about the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite MasterCard®)
And if you really need more miles, the bonus offer on the no annual fee American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® credit card is generally quite small (around 10,000 miles), but once again, as long as you didn’t get a MileUp credit card bonus in the last 48 months, you are welcome to grab it.
(Learn how to apply and more about the American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® Card)
Lastly, the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard® plays by its own 48 month rule. If you haven’t gotten the exact same card in the past 48 months, you are good to apply and receive a bonus. This is completely separate from the personal AAdvantage cards.
(Learn how to apply and more about the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard®)
So, there you have it.
Clear as mud, those are all the restrictions on receiving bonus offers on new Citi credit cards. The most important things to take away from this are that you always want to get the Citi Premier before any other ThankYou-earning credit card and that you should always consider getting an AAdvantage credit card bonus once per 4 years – at least on the standard Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite MasterCard.
Citi Reconsideration Phone Line
If you are declined, you can call Citi for reconsideration. It’s not like the Chase Reconsideration line, where they can really work hard to overturn denials and reallocate credit lines (which Citi will not do), but it’s still possible to have luck with Citi reconsideration.
Call 1-800-695-5171 for personal credit cards or 1-866-541-7657 for small business credit cards.
In my experience, the most common reason for a denial that reconsideration can overturn is something simple mismatched, like an address or phone number. It’s worth a shot. Note that if you are declined for Citi Velocity rules, i.e. 1/8 or 2/65, it shouldn’t process the application at all, saving you a hard inquiry.
Questions?
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Will Citi tell me if I am eligible for a SUB if I call and ask? Could they approve me for a credit card though I am not eligible for a sign up bonus. I do not remember when/ if I had card or closed it
You should be able to see it in your ThankYou point history. They should be able to tell you on the phone in theory – but again I’d call the ThankYou department if you have any current TY cards.
All the app links are dead. You had my hoes up with the Rewards+ with no 24 month language.
You’re not the only one though, appears to be all cardmatch affiliates.
Hi – thanks for the note. Yes, the links are sadly all inactive however I anticipate them going live again this coming week.
The Citi links are now active again 🙂
i’ve been in the game for a few years, but still have a lot to learn. For example, I have not used any partners yet. One question I have: is canceling a card before the annual fee comes up a bad thing. Is it bad for your credit? Is it bad for reapplying for that card again to get the sign-up bonus miles? Thanks. Any help would be appreciate it.
Hey Gary. You should never, ever cancel a card before the annual fee hits. In almost all cases you have 30 days from that date to cancel and get the fee refunded anyway. If you did cancel before a year, the issuer would likely never approve you again. And since you already paid, there’s no downside.
To reapply, each card has it’s own rules. The Citi rules are in this post. Feel free to ask about any specific card.
“If you did cancel before a year, the issuer would likely never approve you again”.
Sorry, Dave, that is not correct, based on my extensive history.
Hi, If you close the account reaching the bonus but not appear on your AA account, you can get away with the bonus and no membership fee?
This is for the Citi AAdvantage Executive Bonus, spend $10,000 in 3 months. I did in 1 1/2 month the citi web site said congratulation you earn 100,000, but not reflect on my AA account yet. I want to close to avoid the fee.
You would still owe the annual fee and then Citi would also never approve you for a card again.
If I have Citi Premier card and received welcome bonus within the last couple of months, can I still open Citi Rewards+ card and receive the welcome bonus?
From your article, it would appear the answer is yes, since you only mentioned no Citi Rewards+ card in last 48mo to qualify for the bonus.
But from other sources (may be outdated?), they mention Citi Premier and Citi Rewards+ as same family of cards, and no welcome bonus within 48mo of closing/opening of either card?
Hi @Tim. Yes, you have it correctly. The Premier does not make you ineligible for the Rewards+ as long as it’s not within 8 days and you haven’t opened 2 Citi cards in 65 days. Please reach out via the contact page or DM if you would like a link. Thanks.
Hi Dave,
Based on these numbers, if I apply for the Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard® but do not hit the minimum spend (and not receive the bonus) and then reapply for the same card after 90 days will it look as if I am eligible for a bonus because one has not yet been “earned” and could be approved for a second card? And therefor bonus?
Hi Rachel, I suspect you weren’t around during the AA shutdowns but I wouldn’t engage in what you are describing. https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/citi-thankyou-rewards/1999652-aa-accounts-restricted-nov-dec-2019-a-6.html