How should I respond to a Citi Double Cash invitation to apply?

Yes, Citi can pre-qualify you for a credit card using their online pre-qualification page, though the pre-qualification tool is not currently working. While this seems like a temporary measure due to COVID-19, you’ll need to apply for Citi cards without getting pre-qualified until the page is functioning again.

When the pre-qualification page is working again, you can see if you pre-qualify for any Citibank credit cards by providing some personal information, such as your name, your mailing address, and the last four digits of your Social Security number. Citibank will then conduct a … read full answersoft inquiry on your credit score, which won’t hurt your credit in any way, before showing which cards you prequalify for.

How to Check Which Citi Cards You Pre-Qualify For

1. Go to Citi’s pre-qualification page.
2. Enter your name, address, and the last 4 digits of your Social Security number.
3. Select which card benefit, if any, matters most to you from the dropdown menu.
4. Check the box acknowledging you know this isn’t a credit card application and won’t affect your credit score.
5. Click “See your card offer.”

You’ll find out which Citi cards you have good approval odds for almost immediately after you submit your information. If you’d like, you can apply for one of those cards right away. Pre-qualification doesn’t guarantee approval, but it does give you around a 90% chance of approval if you choose to apply.

Citi might also mail you a pre-qualified credit card offer. The downside to this is that you only get an offer for one card as opposed to the potential for several online. If you received your offer by mail, you can either fill out the enclosed application and mail it back, or type in the invitation number on the “Respond to a mail offer” tab of the pre-qualification page.

Yes, the Citi Double Cash Card does have pre-approval. Citibank has an online pre-approval page where potential applicants can quickly check their odds of approval for certain Citibank credit cards before they actually apply for one. Current Citibank customers may also receive pre-approved offers periodically by e-mail or when logging into their card’s online account. And in some cases, Citibank will send people pre-approved offers for a specific credit card in the mail.… read full answer

Getting pre-approved for a Citi Double Cash Card indicates that your chances of being approved for an account are very high, should you decide to apply. It does not mean that approval is guaranteed.

How to Check for Citi Double Cash Card Pre-Approval Online

1. Click “See If You're Pre-Qualified” on the Citibank website.
2. Log in to your Citibank account.
3. Enter your full name, address, and the last 4 digits of your Social Security number.
4. Click “See your card offer” to view any pre-approved offers.

If you are pre-approved online, you will see all Citibank credit cards that will give you the highest odds of approval, which may or may not include the Citi Double Cash Card. Once you are pre-approved, you can apply for the card of your choice directly from the pre-approval site. Simply click the button next to the card you want, and you will be directed to the card’s application page.

To respond to a Citi Double Cash Card pre-approved offer received in the mail, visit the website listed in your pre-approval letter and enter the invitation code included with your offer. This allows Citibank to flag the application as pre-approved.

Citi Double Cash Card pre-approvals do not affect your credit score, as they’re done using a soft “pull,” or inquiry. But if you decide to submit an application for the Citi Double Cash Card, Citibank will conduct a hard inquiry, which will lead to a slight, but temporary decrease in your credit score.

Please note that the Citibank pre-qualification tool may be temporarily unavailable.

If your Citi Double Cash Card application was denied, start by reviewing the letter from Citibank citing the reasons for denial. Some common reasons why a Citi Double Cash Card application might be rejected include a low credit score, numerous recent credit inquiries, a pending bankruptcy on your credit report, and incomplete or inaccurate information on the application.… read full answer

If you think your denial was based on inaccurate information, or if your financial picture has changed since you applied, you can call Citibank's reconsideration line at (800) 695-5171. If you request reconsideration, make sure you review the reasons for your initial denial and be prepared to make an argument for why you should be approved..

Otherwise, there are a couple of paths you can take. If the application was rejected because your credit score or income was too low, consider applying for a credit card with less strict approval requirements. You can use WalletHub's Card Advisor tool to find the most suitable options for you. Signing on to someone else's account as an authorized user is also an option as it will allow you to improve your credit score as long as the account is used responsibly. In time, you might be in a better position to qualify for the Citi Double Cash Card , which requires a credit score of 700, at a minimum. That means you need good credit or better for approval.