Citi Credit Cards

You can get a Citibank credit card credit limit increase by requesting it online or over the phone at (800)950-5114. Citibank might also offer you an increase when it reviews your account and considers you're eligible for it.

You should only request an increase after 6 months of opening your account. Also keep in mind that your chances of getting a higher limit are always best if your credit score and income have improved since you got the card. Another good idea is to pay your bills on time and in full each month.

You don't want to request an increase too often, because a Citibank credit limit increase may result in a hard pull. And that could temporarily hurt your credit score.

The benefits of Citibank credit cards include travel accident insurance, an annual travel credit up to $250, and a TSA PreCheck or Global Entry fee credit. These benefits are mostly found on the top-tier Citibank credit cards, though many more Citibank credit cards have contactless chip technology and no foreign transaction fees. To know which perks are included on a specific card, you’ll need to call customer service at 1 (800) 347-4934 or check the Citibank website.

Citibank Credit Card Benefits

• An annual travel credit up to $250
• A TSA PreCheck or Global Entry fee credit
• Contactless chip technology
• No foreign transaction fees
• Travel accident insurance
• Travel and emergency assistance
• Roadside assistance
• Identity theft protection

In addition to having some or all of these card perks, it’s important to remember that many Citibank credit cards also give rewards. Rewards aren’t generally considered card benefits, but having a credit card that earns great rewards can be a big asset to cardholders. As long as you use your card responsibly and maximize the various benefits that Citibank offers, you should come out well ahead of any annual fees that Citibank cards may charge.

You can make a Citibank credit card payment online, by phone, through the Citibank mobile app, by mail or at a branch. To pay a Citibank credit card bill online, log in to your online account and click on “Make a Payment.” Then, choose how much to pay, when to pay it, and where the payment is coming from. Citibank does allow cardholders to set up automatic payments, too.

Ways to Make a Citibank Credit Card Payment

• By phone: Call the number on the back of the card and enter your card information when prompted.
• Online: Log in to your online account and click on “Make a Payment.”
• Through the mobile app: Log in to your account and select your card, then tap “Make a Payment.”
• By mail: Send a check or money order (but not cash) to P.O. BOX 9001037/ Louisville KY, 40290-1037. Make sure to send it early enough that it will arrive by the due date. Write your credit card number on the check, too.
• At a branch: You can make a payment at any Citibank branch during normal business hours.

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 soft 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.

Citibank is an average credit card company overall, but it is good for credit building, rewards, and intro bonuses, according to reviews. Citibank credit cards also have a solid user rating of 3.7/5 on WalletHub, based on more than 30,000 reviews.

Reasons Why Citibank Is an Average Credit Card Company

• 3.7/5 average user rating on WalletHub
• 3 credit card offers rated 4+ out of 5 by WalletHub editors
• 70.8 million cards in circulation
• Initial bonus offers of up to 80,000 points
• 0% introductory APR for as long as 18 months
• Offers for people with limited credit
• Annual fees as low as $0

All in all, Citibank is right around average compared to its competitors. It is good for credit building and rewards, but other credit card companies are better for travel insurance perks and a variety of travel partners.

You can reach the Citibank credit card customer service by:

• Accessing their website or via the Citi Mobile App
• Calling the phone number for Citibank credit card customer service: 1 (800) 950-5114
• Visiting your local Citibank branch
• Writing them a mail at the following address:

  Citibank Customer Service

  P.O. Box 6500

  Sioux Falls, SD 57117

If you opt to chat with them online, expect to experience higher than normal wait times.

You need a credit score of at least 700 for a Citi credit card in most cases. That means applicants for Citi credit cards need at least good credit to be approved. But it really depends on which card you’re after. Some Citi credit cards require higher scores, and one has no minimum score at all.

Below, you can see what Citi cards your credit score will allow you to pursue, along with other information about approval.

Here’s what else you should know about the credit score you need for a Citi credit card:

• Limited History: For those with little or no credit history, the Citi Secured is a good option. A refundable security deposit of $200 is required. It doesn’t give any rewards, but it does offer a $0 annual fee and can help you rebuild your credit.
• Fair credit (640-699): With fair credit, you have a good shot at getting one of Citi’s various store cards. These cards can only be used at their associated store. Some examples of store cards issued by Citi that require at least fair credit are Staples® Credit Card, Best Buy® Store Card and Goodyear Credit Card.
• Good credit (700-749): Good credit opens you up to some of Citi’s more attractive credit card offerings. You can get one of the best cashback cards on the market, Citi Double Cash Card, if you have at least good credit. Other cards that require at least good include Citi Simplicity Card, Citi Diamond Preferred and the Citi Rewards+ Card. And if you’re a frequent American Airlines flyer, the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® also requires at least good credit while offering 2 miles / $1 spent at gas stations and restaurants and on America Airlines purchases (1 mile / $1 on all other purchases).
• Excellent credit (750 and up): You’ll be eligible for all of Citi’s cards with a score in this range, assuming your income and other information check out. Some excellent-credit-only offerings include Citi Prestige (5 points / $1 spent on purchases at airlines, travel agencies and restaurants and 50,000 bonus points for spending $4,000 in the first 3 months) and Costco Credit Card (cash back oriented, offering 1 - 4% cash back on different spending categories).
• Other requirements: It takes more than just a good enough credit score to get Citi credit card approval. In particular, you need enough income to pay the monthly bills, along with your existing debts. You’ll also need a valid Social Security number (or ITIN) and U.S. mailing address.

Citi might send a pre-qualified credit card offer to potential customers, but while this increases your chances for approval, it does not guarantee it. If you have received such an offer, visit Citi’s web page and enter your invitation code and last name to apply. Also, keep in mind that applying for a Citi or any other credit card triggers hard inquiries and can temporarily lower your score - the more inquiries over a short period of time, the more damage to your score. So it’s best to know where you stand before applying for any credit card. You can check your credit score and track your progress for free, right here on WalletHub.

You can have as many Citi cards as you want, as long as your credit and income are good enough to get approved for each. And considering how many good Citi cards there are, for a range of different needs, it’s no wonder people would want more than one. For example, you could use Citi ThankYou Premier to save on travel, Citi Diamond Preferred for 0% purchases and Citi Double Cash for everyday cash back. But you should be smart about your applications. You don’t want to bite off more than you can chew and begin missing payments. That would be very bad for your credit score. Even just having a lot of hard inquiries on your credit report in a short time will hurt your credit. And you don’t want to get rejected either. 

Here’s how many Citi credit cards you can have:

• You can have an unlimited number of Citi cards, as long as you’re approved for each one.
• You’re allowed to have more than one of any Citi card.
• Rumor has it you need to wait at least 8 days between applications for any two Citi credit cards in order to be approved for the second. And you supposedly have to wait at least another 66 days before applying for a third. But Citi Customer Service says they have no information on such a rule.
• Each additional Citi card you apply for will become slightly harder to get, as your income will need to support more potential spending. Having lots of income and excellent credit will help your odds.
• If you want to get as many Citi cards as possible, your best bet is to apply for one a year. A hard inquiry from a credit card application only can hurt your credit for 12 months. 

If you’re not approved for a card, that’s not necessarily the end of the line for you. There’s something called “reconsideration,” where you call customer service and ask them to take a second look at your application. If you have a bunch of Citi cards already, Citi might be willing to reduce the credit on some of them and give it back to you on a new card. 

You can apply for a Citi credit card online, in a branch, or by calling (888) 201-4523. Applying for a Citi card online is the best approach because you can access the Citibank website anytime, and you may receive an instant decision. In some cases, however, Citibank may need additional information to process the request. You can check your Citi credit card application status online or by calling (888) 201-4523.

How to Get a Citi Credit Card

Online

1. Visit the Citibank website and navigate to the credit cards section.
2. Compare the available options and pick a Citi credit card.
3. Select “Learn More & Apply Now” to see the card’s full details.
4. Click the “Apply Now” button to be redirected to a secure online application form.
5. Fill out the application with your personal information, read though the terms and conditions, and hit “Agree & Submit.”

By Phone

If you want to apply for a Citi credit card by phone, simply call Citibank at (888) 201-4523 and tell a customer service representative which card you’d like to apply for. You will have to provide some personal information, such as your full name, address, and Social Security number.

You can also call (800) 325-2865 to reach the Citi phone line for people who are hearing impaired.

In a Branch

To apply for a Citi credit card in person, you can visit one of Citibank’s 700 physical locations in the U.S. To find the branch closest to you, use Citibank’s online branch locator tool.

It is worth noting that most Citibank credit cards require good credit or better for approval. This means you will need to have a credit score of at least 700 to qualify, in most cases. You can check your latest credit score for free on WalletHub.

To get Citi Easy Deals, you must have a Citi Simplicity® Card or a Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card. Those are currently the only cards eligible for Citi Easy Deals, which is a free program offering discounts on products and services as well as access to local deals. If you’re a Citi Simplicity or Citi Diamond Preferred cardholder, it’s definitely worth joining since it’s free and the discounts are easy to use. You can sign up on the Citi Easy Deals site with your first and last name, zip code, and the last 4-digits of your card number.

There are three tiers to the Citi Easy Deals program: Base, Enhanced, and Plus. The tiers are based on how much you spend on your eligible card each year overall. The higher the tier you’re a part of, the more discounts you have access to.

For more information, check out WalletHub’s in-depth look at the Citi Easy Deals program.