Citi Diamond Preferred keeps bugging me to convert to Citi Double cash. Question.

[Anonymous]

My question has to do with whether or not making the switch screws with my average age of credit. Do I lose the 8 years that I have on the Diamond preferred? Will the Double Cash be counted as a whole new account?

[Anonymous]

I don't think so, as long as you make sure that it is a PC (product change) and not a case of closing the Diamond Preferred and applying for a new DC. If you do a PC, you get to keep all that history.

But maybe someone else with experience PCing a Citi card can weigh in, just to be 100% sure.

[Anonymous]

In my case, Citi kept all of the credit history and only changed the account number in the bureau. One thing I have learned on this website is the only given in credit is that there isn't any.

[CreditUnionFan]

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@Anonymous wrote:

My question has to do with whether or not making the switch screws with my average age of credit. Do I lose the 8 years that I have on the Diamond preferred? Will the Double Cash be counted as a whole new account?

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With most issuers, a product conversion / upgrade from one VIsa/MC to another Visa/MC only involves a new account number on the report, but retains other details regarding the account history. 

When the account undergoes a Product Conversion (PC), there is usually no sign-on bonus. Right now I'm seeing offers to upgrade from a TY Preferred to the TY Prestige. The upgrade offer says nothing about the 40k (or more) TY bonus that new applicants get for the Prestige card. 

In the case of the Double Cash card, since there is no sign-up bonus, converting to it only means you lose out on the introductory balance transfer offer, but keeping in mind that many issuers will offer balance transfer checks after the fact, converting a Diamond Preferred to Double Cash gets you a better card while letting you keep the account history without losing a lucrative sign-up bonus. It looks like a good deal.

[Anonymous]

Good information here.

[RonM21]

I don't think it hurts it either. I had the Diamond preferred first, but they weren't pushing me to convert. They just kept sending me offers for the DC, and I eventually cracked. So now I have both.

[Anonymous]

Thank you, everyone.