[False Alarm] Citi Card Apps No Longer Have 24 Month Language?

by Harlan 25 Comments

Update: Not sure what’s going on but I see the 24-month language on some application pages. I’m wrong and nothing has changed. I got excited and jumped. Going to close this for now. Sorry for the false alarm! 

Just a quick post.

Citi has been limiting card sign-up bonuses per family of “brands” to every 24 months – with a clock that resets if you open OR close an account within that family. The 3 brands are:

  • American Airlines
  • Hilton
  • ThankYou points

So for example, if you opened or closed the Citi Hilton Reserve within the previous 24 months, you could NOT get the sign-up offer on the Citi Hilton no annual fee card. Period.

But it looks like that restriction has shifted:

citi 24 months

“New accounts only”

Now it says, “This offer valid for new accounts only.”

What does that mean?

So… “new accounts” could mean:

  • If you’ve ever had that card, you can’t get it again OR
  • Each card is considered a new account, regardless of how many times you’ve earned the sign-up bonus

I checked an AA card, a Hilton card, and a ThankYou card (the Prestige, above), and they all have this new line in the T&Cs.

If it’s the latter, that’s obviously awesome.

as

Cuz then you could get another bonus

My inkling is that you can now earn the sign-up bonuses again. Of course, there aren’t any data points yet.

But if that’s what it means – exciting! I hope Chase and Amex will reconsider their positions, too. And god knows Citi needs to do something to catch up to the Sapphire Reserve. Come on, Citi. Fight for market share! Even US Bank is catching up.

Bottom line

If Citi is indeed letting peeps earn sign-up bonuses again without the 24-month restriction they’ve had for a while now, this is great news!

But Citi being Citi, it could also mean a new account as in brand new (haha, get it? I’m feeling punny). AKA once per lifetime, like Amex. But it seems one card in the brand doesn’t affect the others any more, so that seems to’ve definitely changed. So if you have one Hilton card, you can get the other one now – and earn the sign-up bonus on it.

Thought this was interesting and wanted to share. What’s your take on it? Is Citi finally loosening? 

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About Harlan

Just a dude living in Memphis, traveling, and working toward financial independence.

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  3. I signed up for the Citi AA card, exact language, 50,000 bonus after $3000 spent….NO bonus, and they told me because I have had the card in the past. Obviously just 1 dp, but its the case. I have opened a CFPB, but not to confident.

    Reply

      • Have you noticed the language for Chase? This is in the BA Visa link. I thought I was good to go to reapply since it had ben over 24 months since I got the bonus Avios from my last BA Visa card, but now with the below language, I’m wondering if I shouldn’t have applied?

        Replying to this offer: If you omit any information on the form, we may deny your request for an account. Chase cardmembers who currently have or have had a Chase credit card in any Rewards Program associated with this offer, may not be eligible for a second Chase credit card in the same Rewards Program. Chase cardmembers currently receiving promotional pricing, or Chase cardmembers with a history of only using their current or prior Chase card for promotional pricing offers, are not eligible for a second Chase credit card with promotional pricing. You must have a valid permanent home address within the 50 United States or the District of Columbia. The information about the costs of the card described in this form is accurate as of 3/21/2017. This information may have changed after that date. To find out what may have changed, write to us at Cardmember Service, P.O. Box 15043, Wilmington, DE 19850-5043.

        Reply

  5. You have to click on apply now and use mobile. You will see the 24 language. Also “new account”! Language has been there forever. Just means no rewards on existing accounts.

    False alert

    Reply

  6. So I am assuming I would NOT get the Citi Hilton 40k bonus since I currently have the same card (Citi hhonors no fee card). I will hit Citi Hilton 24 months in August, but offer will probably be long gone by then.

    Reply

    • No, you couldn’t get the bonus, unfortunately. Unless they leak a link with no 24-month language, but I feel like that’s unlikely, too.

      Reply

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