There are new Citi credit card rules that restrict earning a signup bonus to once per 24 months per brand. What does this mean? You won't be able to earn a Citi ThankYou credit card signup bonus if you opened or closed ANY Citi ThankYou card within the past 24 months. You could say that's a bit of a moot point since there hasn't been a Citi ThankYou Premier card signup bonus since April 2016 (see No Citi ThankYou Premier Bonus and Harder to Get Citi Signup Bonuses Again), but this rule also applies to Citi's other cobranded cards, such as Citi AAdvantage cards and Citi Hilton cards.
New Citi Prestige ThankYou Signup Bonus Rules Language:
“Bonus ThankYou points are not available if you have had ThankYou Preferred, ThankYou Premier or Citi Prestige cards opened or closed in the past 24 months.”
New Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select Signup Bonus Rules Language:
“American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles are not available if you have had any Citi / AAdvantage card (other than a CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage card) opened or closed in the past 24 months.”
Old Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select Signup Bonus Rules Language:
“American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles offer is not available if you have had a Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® MasterCard® opened or closed in the past 24 months.”
Citi AAdvantage Executive World Elite MasterCard Bonus Rules Language Remains the Same:
“American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles offer is not available if you have had a Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® MasterCard® opened or closed in the past 24 months.”
CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum Select Bonus Rules Language Remains the Same:
“American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles offer is not available if you have had a CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World MasterCard® opened or closed in the past 24 months.”
FAQ
What If I Recently Applied for a Citi card before this new language was added? Do I Still Receive the Signup Bonus?
Yes, you should receive the signup bonus if you signed up under the old rules, assuming you were eligible for the bonus given the rules you signup up under. It's always a good idea to take a screenshot of the terms you sign up under, in case of any issues receiving the signup bonus.
What If I've Had a Citi AAdvantage card since 2013, with No AAdvantage Cards Opened or Closed Since Then?
Even with the new language, you should be eligible for a different Citi AAdvantage card if you haven't opened or closed any AAdvantage cards opened or closed in the last 24 months.
Is There a Way to Signup for the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select with the Old Bonus Terms?
So far, the 50K Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select listed on our Best Travel Credit Cards page still works, and uses the old terms under which you're eligible for the signup bonus if you have not had a Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select MasterCard opened or closed within the past 24 months. This is not an affiliate link, and it could be pulled at any time.
So the CitiBusiness AAdvantage and Citi AAdvantage Executive Card Are Not Subject to the New Rules?
It seems that way for now, at least–there is still the restriction that you can't earn the signup bonus if you opened or closed that same card within the past 24 months.
2016 Seems Pretty Horrible for Travel Credit Card Bonuses and Frequent Flyer Program Devaluations…
Yes, there have been a number of changes both from credit card issuers seeking to limit churning of their credit cards and devaluations from various frequent flyer programs in 2016:
- Chase 5/24 Rule (in general Chase will not approve you for a new card if you've opened 5 new credit card accounts of any type within the past 24 months)
- AMEX Business Card Signup Bonuses Become Once in a Lifetime
- MileagePlus Award Changes: Increased Change Fees, Stopover Changes
- Alaska: Why Emirates First Class Awards Increased 100 Percent with No Notice
- American AAdvantage 2016 Award Chart Devaluation
- British Airways Devaluation: Bye Bye 4500 Avios Awards in U.S.
So yes, there have been quite a few negative changes for consumers this year, although it's understandable from the business standpoint, especially for the card issuers, why these changes are being made so as to increase profitability. But on the miles and points earning side, there are still opportunities to earn miles via category bonuses and retention bonuses. And at least for my family, it's made sense to buy miles when good AAdvantage buy miles bonuses have been offered.
Will the New Citi Card Bonus Rules Affect You?
Related Posts
Citi Prestige Retention Offers and Tips
Cancel the Citi Prestige or AMEX Platinum Card?
60K Citi AAdvantage Executive Card Worth It?
Citi ThankYou Points Transfer Rules
HT: Reddit
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