Citi Bonus and Application Rules

So, you’ve circumnavigated the treacherous waters of credit card rules and opened five Chase cards to earn some of the most valuable points on the market. You’ve sampled the sweet taste of free travel and are now ready to bite off a larger piece of the world by earning rewards from other banks.

Citi is a solid next step after Chase, with some lucrative cards on offer.

However, you should know that just like Chase, Citi has its own rules for approving your credit card application. Citibank is no stranger to the world of rewards credit cards and has rules that you must know before you click “Submit” on your application.

Here’s an in-depth guide to Citi’s bonus and application rules.

Citi Credit Card Families

Just as families share the same last name, credit card “families” are groups of cards issued by a card issuer that earn the same rewards. Citi has a handful of different credit card families, including Citi AAdvantage cards, ThankYou Points-earning cards and cashback cards.

For example, both the Citi Strata℠ Card and the Citi Strata Premier® Card earn Citi ThankYou Points and belong to the same family of cards. The American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® Card, the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® and the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® all collect American Airlines AAdvantage miles and are part of a separate card family.

Despite these different card families, Citi’s bonus and application rules affect practically all of its cards equally across the board.

Citi’s 8/65 Application Rule

When it comes to applying for Citi credit cards, there are two main rules to keep in mind.

First, you should leave at least eight days between credit card applications. That means if you applied for a Citi credit card on day one you’d need to wait until day nine before putting in an application for a different Citi card.

Second, you shouldn’t apply for more than two Citi cards within a 65-day period.

Together, these two rules are referred to as Citi’s 8/65 rule. Note that this “rule” is not published in any terms and conditions from Citi, instead it’s based on community data points.

For Citi business cards, it’s recommended to wait a minimum of 90 days between applications.

That said, applications for Citi consumer cards don’t appear to count against you when applying for a Citi business card. That means you could technically open two Citi consumer cards and one Citi business card within a 65-day period. Community data points suggest you’d be best off doing this using your Social Security Number (SSN) for your consumer card applications and your Employer Identification Number (EIN) for your business card application.

Keep in mind that some users have reported Citi counting previous business card applications in the 8/65 rule when applying for Citi consumer cards. However, the reverse doesn’t seem to apply. Put simply, that means you should first apply for two Citi consumer cards and then apply for a Citi business card afterward—attempting to do the reverse could land you a rejection if done within a 65-day period.

Citi’s 48-Month Welcome Bonus Rule

Citi restricts your ability to earn the welcome bonus on most of its cards to once every 48 months.

That means if you applied and earned the welcome bonus on a Citi credit card, you’d have to wait at least another 48 months before you’d be eligible to re-apply and earn the same card’s welcome bonus again (assuming you’d closed the account).

However, the exact date you close your card account doesn’t influence the 48-month rule. Rather, the 48-month rule is based solely on when you last received the card’s welcome bonus (i.e. when it posted to your account)—not when you hit the minimum spend, opened or closed the card account.

Cit’s 48-month rule applies to most of its credit cards, including:

• AAdvantage® MileUp® Card
• Citi Double Cash® Card
• Citi Strata℠ Card
• Citi Strata Elite℠ Card
• Citi Strata Premier® Card
• Citi® / AAdvantage® Business™ World Elite Mastercard®
• Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®
• Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®
• Costco Anywhere Visa® Business Card by Citi
• Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi

Keep in mind that the 48-month rule applies to each individual card rather than card families. That means you could earn both the AAdvantage MileUp Mastercard’s welcome bonus and the Citi / AAdvantage Business Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard’s bonus without having to wait 48 months between them.

While the 48-month rule makes it harder to earn Citi’s welcome bonuses consistently, it still remains less restrictive than American Express’ one welcome bonus per card per lifetime rule.

Citi’s 6/6 Hard Pull Rule (Soft Rule)

To increase your approval odds, wait until you’ve got fewer than six hard pulls on your credit reports in the last six months. This is a soft rule and isn’t always enforced, but it can affect the outcome of your application.

Keep in mind that inquiries aren’t the same as credit card approvals. Hard pulls can include car loans, mortgage applications and credit card applications.

Citi’s 1/60 Rule (Soft Rule)

Some users have had their applications rejected when applying for two Citi credit cards in the same card family within a 60-day period.

This is another soft rule from Citi which isn’t enforced equally across the board. However, if you want to be on the safe side, you should avoid opening two Citi cards from the same family—such as two American Airlines cards—within the same 60-day period.

Citi’s 5-Day Hard Pull Rule (Soft Rule)

Certain users have also experienced automatic rejections when applying for a Citi credit card within five days of having applied for another credit card with any bank or card issuer.

While this is a soft rule, you should consider waiting at least five days after applying for a credit card with any institution before applying for a Citi card.

Are Targeted Mailers Exempt From These Rules?

You may have received a “pre-approved” application in the mail. The offer often lists an enticing number of points and says that your credit score is high enough to qualify. Although it might be true, the banks that generate these mailers often have no idea if you already have the offered card or a card in the same family.

If you’re tempted by the mailer, look it over carefully. You’ll often find the restricting 48-month language on the back or in the fine print. Don’t apply for the card if you received a bonus on a card in the same family within the designated time frame. You won’t qualify for another bonus, and you’ll likely get a temporary dock in your credit score from a hard inquiry.

Final Thoughts

As issuers change their rules, it’s vital to be aware of each bank’s guidelines. However, don’t let restrictions deter you from getting some amazing offers. With a clear strategy in place, you can keep acquiring card bonuses while avoiding the roadblocks. Just plan ahead and remember—slow and steady wins the race.