Dead: Citi ThankYou Preferred: 5% TYP on all purchases for 6 months

DW applied online and got the message to call in for instant decision. CSR confirmed application info and offered $11.7K but quickly asked if she wanted more. I didn't provide a direct answer and while thinking CSR offered $15K. DW has no other Citi Cards and reported ~$300K HHI. Still weighing when to personally apply. Still have one small CL Citi card, so hopefully not blacklisted from CCR days.

tuphat said:   Has anyone confirmed that paying taxes with this card at Official Payments or similar service providers is coded as a 5%-eligible purchase?

I paid lots of taxes with the Chase AARP card, want to see if I can replicate with this card.

I don't have a direct answer to your question, but it would be disastrous for Citi to either recode as a cash advance or otherwise not to pay rewards for tax payments, even at a 5% rate. IIRC, the IRS actually uses credit card rewards as an incentive to make online tax payments. I'm sure whatever MCC an online tax payment site uses, transactions are practically guaranteed to show as eligible purchases in a non-specific rewards category.

I doubt Citi will screw around with this.

ETA: Note that I'm just speaking generically. If Citi notices activity it doesn't like, the outcome will be far worse than the concerns mentioned above.

tuphat said:   For those of us that didn't get an instant decision on online application, is there a phone number to call to check status, etc.?

Also: any experience re-allocating existing Citi credit limits from other cards to this one?
Application status check number: 1-888-201-4523. If no decision yet, and you don't know it, get your application ID here.

Immediate decision number (sometimes): 1-866-606-2961. The fastest way for them to look up your application is by app id.

ETA: I said "sometimes" because for both my and my wife's applications, Citi sent a letter saying that they weren't able to "verify some of the required credit information." Enclosed with the letter was a 4506-T form with some information filled out. The form had to be completed, signed, and returned to Citi. Citi would in turn transmit the information to the IRS. Upon receipt from the IRS (which has something like 25 days to respond), the application process with Citi would continue.

Instead of mailing the information back to Citi, I was able to fax it to 1-866-706-5137. I included a cover sheet referencing the application ID, the letter from Citi, and the completed 4506-T form. Unfortunately, Citi places a tracking number on the 4506-T, so I had to wait to receive the letter with the enclosed 4506-T, which came about a week after I applied, before faxing the information back to them.

echip said:   bbr said:   jimmax said:   I plan to use this card to pay my mortgate using ChargeSmart. No one has answered whether Citi will treat it as a regular purchase or cash advance. I guess I'll have to try it myself then report it back here.

I lowered my cash advance limit to $0 and made a CS payment. It went through, but I won't know for sure if it worked until I get the statement.

You don't have to wait until you get the statement. Just log online and look under:
View All Account Activity

Then you can select to view by Transaction Type:
All Transactions,
Purchases,
or Cash Advances, etc.

Transaction Type: 2
Merchant Category: BUSINESS SERVICES,NOT ELSEWHERE CLASSED

This is the same transaction type # as my other purchases. So I would assume that means it's okay.

Edit: It also shows up as a purchase when sorted by purchases. I guess that means it's a go!

Anyone has any experience with Citi denying because of the maximum number of Citi Cards you can have? How many cards they let you have? I have 5 Citi Cards right now.

am i right in assuming Am3x purchases are off limits? happy to discuss via PM/etc

tuphat said:   came back and said she was increasing my limit from $15k to $30k, so re-allocation would not be neededHmm, nice. How many thousands in CitiBank CLs did you have before this application?

I am curious also...have you had any replies. I received mine last week and am hesitant on purchasing AMEX gift cards.

motuwallet said:   BingBlangBlaow said:   
citi said: APPLY NOW
Offer ends on 5/3/12

where did you see this?

Go to the "rewards credit cards" section and click on the banner.

For some reason Citi hates me, they never approve me for any cards. Starting to think I'm blacklisted for some reason.

Edit: Too many inquiries (lamest reason ever). Asked for reconsideration, will hear back in 48 hours. Anyone know who they pulled from?

had to call, but got approved for $11.7 CL.

Thanks to whoever pointed out that this deal ends 5/3. Would've missed out otherwise.

capnkidd said:   11.7k here. I was hoping for double that because i did not want to go more then 3.5x my credit limit to hope to not get flagged.

hoping to use the 5% to pay a chunk of the mortgage.

Edit: Is 3.5x CL a magic number?

bbr said:   capnkidd said:   11.7k here. I was hoping for double that because i did not want to go more then 3.5x my credit limit to hope to not get flagged.

hoping to use the 5% to pay a chunk of the mortgage.


Is 3.5x CL a magic number? Because I'm well over that and my first statement hasn't closed yet. Whoops! Yes, but remember that Citi rounds at the second digit after the decimal. So the effective limit is 3.44x your credit limit.

Ever hear the expression: "Discretion is the better part of valor?" Substitute "possible delay of AA" for "valor." Why risk prematurely ending a good deal by being so blatant?

wxl31 said:   For those who have gotten it, is this a Visa or Mastercard?
When I applied -- I haven't received the card yet -- the application had Visa pre-filled in. I'd thus expect a Visa card.

defjukie said:   had to call, but got approved for $11.7 CL.

Thanks to whoever pointed out that this deal ends 5/3. Would've missed out otherwise.

There used to be a banner saying the offer would expire 5/3, however I don't see that expiration date anymore.

yOyOYoo said:   There used to be a banner saying the offer would expire 5/3, however I don't see that expiration date anymore.

still there

I am mad, only got a 3K CL, asked for a higher CL and was sent a letter saying can only up the CL after 6 months. I am gonna try again,, and say I want a 11.7K CL.

8.3k CL here..identical to my Thankyou Premier CL.

can you elaborate on how you paid your student loans with this card?