What credit score do you need for a Citi credit card?

The only way to get a Citibank credit card upgrade is through an e-mail invite. Citi no longer allows cardholders to request upgrades online. The e-mail invitation some customers may receive will include a toll-free number to upgrade over the phone as well as an invitation number that you will need to provide.… read full answer

When you receive an upgrade offer, it will be for a specific card similar to what you already have. For example, you won’t get an offer to upgrade from the Double Cash card to a Citi business card or a co-branded airlines card. But you might receive an offer to upgrade from Citi Rewards+ to Citi Premier, which has a better rewards structure.

Upgrading a Citibank credit card is simple. If you want the upgraded card, click the “Upgrade Now” link in your e-mail before the listed expiration date. The upgraded card should arrive in 7-10 business days. Citibank makes decisions on upgrades using a soft credit inquiry, meaning your credit score will not be affected.

An upgraded credit card will come with a different account number. If there’s an annual fee, it will appear as a charge on the first statement after you upgrade unless the card waives the annual fee for the first year. Any refunds on your original card’s annual fee will be credited to the upgraded account. Citi will prorate the refund based on the number of months since you paid the annual fee. Your current balance, credit limit, APR and any rewards earned will automatically transfer to the new card. However, you won’t be eligible for any sign-up bonuses on an upgraded card.

The easiest Citi card to get is the Citi Secured Mastercard because it is the only one that will accept applicants with bad credit. The Citi Secured Card requires a $200+ refundable security deposit but has a $0 annual fee. It also helps build credit history with monthly reporting to the credit bureaus.… read full answer

Aside from the Secured Mastercard, which is designed for people with bad, limited or no credit, nearly all other Citi personal and business credit cards aren’t as easy to get. It takes either good credit (700-749 credit score) or excellent credit (750+) in order to get approved for cards such as Citi Double Cash or Citi ThankYou Premier.

However, there are a number of store cards that are among the easiest Citi cards to get. Some of the best include the Best Buy Store Card, Shell Store Card and Merchants Tire Card.

Citi store cards require at least fair credit (600-649 score) for approval. But purchases are limited to the affiliated merchant or its website. Best Buy and Shell are among the many store cards that also have a full-fledged version on either the Visa or Mastercard network, which can be used anywhere the network is accepted. Those cards aren’t as easy to get as the store versions, as they require at least good credit.

Here are some of the easiest Citi cards to get:

• Citi Secured Mastercard – Available with credit score below 640
• Best Buy Store Card – 640 credit score needed
• Shell Gas Card – 640 credit score needed
• Merchants Tire Credit Card – 640 credit score needed

The Best Buy Store card is only usable at Best Buy, but it’s one of the easiest Citi cards to get because it requires fair credit (score of 640+). It has a $0 annual fee and offers 0% deferred interest for 6 to 24 months on purchases of $199 and up (length depends on price) OR 5% back in rewards on purchases (6% for spending $3,500 on card in a year). Deferred interest means that if you pay in full by the end of the 0% period, you owe no interest. If you carry any balance after that, though, you owe interest all the way back from the purchase date at the card’s regular APR of 22.49% (V).

The Shell Gas card has a $0 annual fee and offers savings of 30¢/gallon (up to 20 gallons) on the first 5 Shell fuel purchases made by 6/30/2019. Plus, save 10¢/gallon (up to 20 gallons) at the pump every time. There’s a 10% rebate on non-fuel purchases, up to $1,200 per year. The card can only be used at Shell and requires fair credit.

Lastly, the Merchants Tire Credit Card has a $0 annual fee and offers % deferred interest for 12 months on purchases of $699 or higher. Its regular APR is 30.74% (V). It can only be used at Merchants Tire, Tire Kingdom, NTB and participating Exxon and Mobil stations. The card requires fair credit.

The easiest Citi cards to get come with limitations. They offer low minimum credit limits, high interest rates and few rewards and benefits. And with the Citi store cards, beware of deferred interest promotions. Deferred interest means that there’s 0% interest as long as the balance gets paid in full by the end of the promotion. If it’s not paid in full, the Citi charges interest on the original purchase amount from the date of purchase, at the card’s regular APR.

It may also be beneficial to look outside of Citi to some of the easiest cards to get from other issuers. The Discover it Secured card is just as easy to get as the Citi Secured Mastercard, and it even offers rewards.