Citi Credit Cards

You can check which Citi cards you pre-qualify for online. To do so, you’ll need to give Citibank some personal information, like your name, address and last four digits of your Social Security Number, so they can check your credit. The credit check is a soft inquiry, meaning it won’t hurt your credit score in any way. Once you submit your information, you’ll almost immediately find out which Citi cards you’d have a good chance of approval for. 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.

Here’s 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 score.
5. Click “See your card offer.”

You’ll now be able to see any cards for which you have good approval chances. If you’d like, you can apply for any of those cards right away.

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.

To check your Citi credit card application status, use Citi’s online tool or call 1-888-201-4523 (800-645-7240 for business cards). Citi may ask for your application ID, zip code, phone number, birthday and/or Social Security number to confirm your identity. Your Citi card application status could be pending for up to 30 days. If approved for an account, your card should arrive within 14 days of the decision. Citi does not offer expedited delivery.

Here’s how to check your Citi credit card application status online:

1. Visit Citi’s status check page.
2. Input your application ID and zip code, or your phone number, zip code and birthday.
3. Click “check your status.”
4. Receive your Citi application status on the screen: approved, denied or still pending.

To check your Citi credit card application status by phone, call 1-888-201-4523. Press “1” for English. Then, press “1” for the Costco Visa Card or “2” for other cards. Enter your Social Security number. Get your application status from the Citi representative.

In the unfortunate event that your Citi credit card application ends up being denied, you can still ask for reconsideration. The number is 1-888-201-4523. It’s a long shot, and you’ll have to prove your situation is better than it appeared on your application. But there’s no harm in trying.

Citi Preferred Tickets is a program that gives Citi credit card and debit card users exclusive access to an allotment of tickets to live events. It’s part of Citi Private Pass, a broader program that helps Citi customers enjoy events and experiences, including concerts, sporting events, fine dining and more. 

Citi Preferred Tickets are a good option for popular shows that are likely to sell out fast, as Citi cardholders often get access to presales. You may also be able to score VIP seating, artist meet-and-greets, and more. But Citi Preferred Tickets don’t get you much of a discount, if any.  

Here is what you should know about Citi Preferred Tickets:

• Citi Preferred Tickets allows you to access select seats at certain concerts, sporting events, family entertainment, and upscale dining establishments.
• Current Citi Preferred Ticket offers include artists such as Dierks Bentley, Nicki Minaj & Future, and Lady Antebellum & Darius Rucker.
• To access the Preferred Tickets feature, visit citiprivatepass.com.
             
  You should see a list of events. If you find an event you’d like to attend, click the event image. Then click “Buy,” and you will be redirected to either LiveNation.com or TicketMaster.com to complete your purchase. You will need your passcode – the first 6 digits of your Citi card number – to access your tickets. 
• In addition to preferred tickets, you can also get pre-sale tickets and VIP packages using the Private Pass program. You can access those features, if available, when you select the event you wish to attend.

Whether Citi Preferred Tickets is a good deal depends largely on your entertainment preferences. If you frequently attend live events and like the idea of getting first crack at the best seats or even VIP treatment, that might outweigh the possibility of getting a discounted ticket elsewhere.

If grabbing great seats is not a priority, you’re better off going straight to the ticket vendor’s website. There, you’re not restricted to paying for your tickets with just a Citi card. And you can get seats anywhere in the venue, not just where they’re reserved by Citi. 

Also, keep in mind that these events usually take place in large cities. If you don’t live near one, you might not find much value in Citi Preferred Tickets or the other Private Pass features.

You can easily add a Citi travel notification to your account online. Just sign in, click “Services” followed by “Travel Services,” and select “Add a Travel Notice.” Then, enter your travel information and submit. It’s best to set a Citi travel notification for your credit card or debit card any time you’re taking a trip. This will prevent your account from being suspended due to suspected fraud when you’re in an unusual area. You’re never required to add a travel notice to your Citibank account, but it’s always a good idea for both foreign and domestic travel.

What exactly constitutes “travel” comes down to your judgement. You don’t need to set an alert every time you drive to the grocery store. But if you’re visiting a place well outside your daily geographic radius, it’s a good idea.

Here’s how to set a Citi travel notification:

1. Sign into your Citi account online.
2. Click “Services,” then “Travel Services.”
3. Select “Add a Travel Notice.”
4. Enter your destinations as well as the dates of your departure and return.
5. Verify the phone number and email address that Citi has on file are up to date.

A travel alert lets Citi know that charges from a new location don’t mean you’re a victim of fraud. So it helps you avoid Citi putting a temporary hold on your card while you’re away. You can cancel or update your Citi travel notification at any time by logging in and changing your information. It only takes a few minutes and could potentially prevent a major inconvenience on your trip.

If your card is declined while traveling, you can call customer service at 1-800-950-5114 and enter your card number to speak to a representative who can help. Internationally, you can make a collect call to 210-677-0065.