topic Re: Applying for a CC with CitiBank (not IIB) in Credit Card Applications

Applying for a CC with CitiBank (not IIB)

Anonymous — Thu, 19 Dec 2019 16:05:20 GMT

I want to get a CC with a big bank--like CitiBank--after having burned Chase, BofA, and WF in 2014, but some folks have been approved five years after BK, and others haven't. None of the pre-approval websites work for me, and I've been advised against opening a secured card (with BofA) given that I already have high-limit, non-secured cards of which none are with a big bank.

Should I wait seven and half years before I apply?

Should I open a checking/savings account at CitiBank, and apply through the branch manager?

Which Citi CC has the best approval odds to one day being upgraded to the Citi Prestige or AAdvantage Platinum Select Worl Elite?

Re: Applying for a CC with CitiBank (not IIB)

Scupra — Thu, 19 Dec 2019 16:57:46 GMT

What is the reason you want a card with Citi? I don't understand aquiring a card just because it is with a big bank. If your signature is up to date, work on lowering utilization and apply once your profile is AZEO. Good luck!

Re: Applying for a CC with CitiBank (not IIB)

JR_TX — Thu, 19 Dec 2019 17:06:39 GMT

If citi is not IIB then I think you might be able to get back in with them at 5 years post DC “provided” your EQ and EX are both clear of too many new accts and inqs in the last 6-12 months. Ideally no more than 1 HP and new acct in the last 12 months for better result. Citi is well known to double pull and use both EX and EQ and they are very sensitive to inqs and new accts especially more so since you have a PR/BK on file.
They were IIB on mine but I got back in 7 years post DC with scores of 750s and 0 HP and new acct within 12 months.
Good Luck!

Re: Applying for a CC with CitiBank (not IIB)

Scupra — Thu, 19 Dec 2019 17:15:30 GMT

@JR_TX wrote:
If citi is not IIB then I think you might be able to get back in with them at 5 years post DC “provided” your EQ and EX are both clear of too many new accts and inqs in the last 6-12 months. Ideally no more than 1 HP and new acct in the last 12 months for better result. Citi is well known to double pull and use both EX and EQ and they are very sensitive to inqs and new accts especially more so since you have a PR/BK on file.
They were IIB on mine but I got back in 7 years post DC with scores of 750s and 0 HP and new acct within 12 months.
Good Luck!

Can I ask what type of SL you received? I picked up the Costco visa but learned Citi doesn't give CLI's to people who have a BK reporting. Did you find the same issue? TIA!

Re: Applying for a CC with CitiBank (not IIB)

AverageJoesCredit — Thu, 19 Dec 2019 17:28:17 GMT

I agree with @Scrupa , lower uti first. Also, imo, you are way past need for a Credit One in your profile

Re: Applying for a CC with CitiBank (not IIB)

JR_TX — Thu, 19 Dec 2019 19:10:43 GMT

@Scupra wrote:
@JR_TX wrote:
If citi is not IIB then I think you might be able to get back in with them at 5 years post DC “provided” your EQ and EX are both clear of too many new accts and inqs in the last 6-12 months. Ideally no more than 1 HP and new acct in the last 12 months for better result. Citi is well known to double pull and use both EX and EQ and they are very sensitive to inqs and new accts especially more so since you have a PR/BK on file.
They were IIB on mine but I got back in 7 years post DC with scores of 750s and 0 HP and new acct within 12 months.
Good Luck!
Can I ask what type of SL you received? I picked up the Costco visa but learned Citi doesn't give CLI's to people who have a BK reporting. Did you find the same issue? TIA!

Yep I couldn't get a CLI with my BK still reporting! Always "declined due to presence of BK" got tired of asking already. Good thing I got a good SL of $11K.

Re: Applying for a CC with CitiBank (not IIB)

Anonymous — Thu, 19 Dec 2019 21:27:43 GMT

Thanks everyone!! My goal is to get back in with a big bank to one day get a high-tier card with nice travel perks. I'll just wait and widlle down the UTIL on all cards down to 2%-4% before I apply with CitiBank while watching Hard Pull inquiries drop to just one or two over twelve months (August 2020).

Actually, I was going to close the CreditOne card, but was advised not to close it so as to keep my score on the rise until I reapply for the AmEx Platinum card in March 2020 direclty before applying for a used car loan with my CU. Ultimately, I'd like to qualify for the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, but getting back in with Chase doesn't seem likely after having included them in BK. Thanks again everyone for weighing in.

Re: Applying for a CC with CitiBank (not IIB)

CH-7-Mission-Accomplished — Thu, 19 Dec 2019 23:13:55 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Thanks everyone!! My goal is to get back in with a big bank to one day get a high-tier card with nice travel perks. I'll just wait and widlle down the UTIL on all cards down to 2%-4% before I apply with CitiBank while watching Hard Pull inquiries drop to just one or two over twelve months (August 2020).

Actually, I was going to close the CreditOne card, but was advised not to close it so as to keep my score on the rise until I reapply for the AmEx Platinum card in March 2020 direclty before applying for a used car loan with my CU. Ultimately, I'd like to qualify for the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, but getting back in with Chase doesn't seem likely after having included them in BK. Thanks again everyone for weighing in.

I can tell you about my experience with Citibank.

At two years post-discharge I applied for a secured card for $1000 -- and they declined me for the secured card. At 3 years post-discharge, I again applied for a $1000 secured card and got it. It's secured for 18 months and then supposed to become unsecured (classic) card. They do not upgrade these cards to the high end travel cards, etc. What's funny is at the 18 month point I got a letter from Citibank telling me they would not unsecure my ($1000 card) for another 12 months! I told them to close it. By this time I had about 300K in credit limits, AZEO, only showed a $5 balance on that one card. I also called them and asked them their "policy" on issuing unsecured cards for those with a BK7 reporting, and they told me that 7 years was the soonest. I would not be surprised if they are like Chase and make you wait until the BK7 is off your report. They also declind me for a Costco card due to BK7 5 years post-discharge.

Citibank is not BK friendly in my experience.

Since you did not IIB Amex, I know they will let you back in at 5 years (or 5 years and some months) post filing. Someone else can chime in. But as others have said, get those balances down. If you have a BK7 reporting, you really are going to raise alarm bells if you care carrying balances on your cards. Just my gut.

I burned BofA for 5K and decided to apply for a secured card with them at about 3 years post filing. Surprisingly they approved me for a $500 card. I think it was secured for one year. At the point it unsecured, I got them to CLI me to 5K -- but since then they have refused all CLI requests. I have talked to them and they basically said since I burned them 5K is all they want to give me -- at least for now. Frankly I was very surprised to get the 5K limit.

You have a high limit Discover.

If you can get into Navy Federal, you can possibly get a 15k LOC and other cards so your total exposure is approximately 80K.

Most of us want to get in with the big name "prestigious" credit cards, but in my experience, most of them are not BK7. Do not waste your time on Chase until the BK is off your reports, and if you IIB'd them it may be 20 years. AMEX is great if you did not IIB them and you wait that 5-plus-something months. US Bank is not BK friendly. I currently have 80K in limits with Cap 1, and they have been very good to me. They are a huge bank but seen as a bit more lowbrow than Chase and others.

Congrats on what you have accomplished already. You are doing better than 90% of the folks who have filed.

Re: Applying for a CC with CitiBank (not IIB)

CH-7-Mission-Accomplished — Thu, 19 Dec 2019 23:17:01 GMT

Did I read correctly in your sig that you already have an AMEX gold? That's great.

I see you IIB'd Chase, so don't waste an inquiry until 10 years after your BK filing and the BK is off your credit reports.

Re: Applying for a CC with CitiBank (not IIB)

Anonymous — Fri, 20 Dec 2019 00:20:10 GMT

Thank you so much for sharing your experience!!! Yes, I was somehow approved for the Amex Gold on the same day I was approved for the Discover card in late August, 2019, so I must have been lucky. The Amex pre-approval site says I'm pre-approved for the Hilton, Bonvoy, and Delta cards, but I'm holding out for the Platinum card in March, 2020.

BofA said I was approved for a secured card, but I was told by this community that I don't need a secured card given the higher CL cards I already have, so I didn't apply for it. Sounds like I should consider myself lucky to have gotten this far. I'll bring my Util down to between 2-4% by March 2020, and will "try" not to apply for anything else while gardening until my inquiries fall to four HPs in August 2020. Discover denied me today for a CLI after they increased it by $4K last month. Capital One told me I might be eligible to upgrade my "Venture One" card to the "Venture" card in March 2020.

I think I merely need to wait another two more years before I apply for an entry-level legacy card with CitiBank to eventually hike the upgrade trail to one day get the Citi AAdvantage or Thank You Preferred given that Citi was the only bank I didn't burn in the BK7 in 2014.

Again, thanks for sharing your experience!! Clearly, I just need to be patient after three approvals and two CLIs over the last four months.

Re: Applying for a CC with CitiBank (not IIB)

Anonymous — Fri, 20 Dec 2019 01:38:17 GMT

@CH-7-Mission-Accomplished wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
Thanks everyone!! My goal is to get back in with a big bank to one day get a high-tier card with nice travel perks. I'll just wait and widlle down the UTIL on all cards down to 2%-4% before I apply with CitiBank while watching Hard Pull inquiries drop to just one or two over twelve months (August 2020).

Actually, I was going to close the CreditOne card, but was advised not to close it so as to keep my score on the rise until I reapply for the AmEx Platinum card in March 2020 direclty before applying for a used car loan with my CU. Ultimately, I'd like to qualify for the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, but getting back in with Chase doesn't seem likely after having included them in BK. Thanks again everyone for weighing in.
I can tell you about my experience with Citibank.

At two years post-discharge I applied for a secured card for $1000 -- and they declined me for the secured card. At 3 years post-discharge, I again applied for a $1000 secured card and got it. It's secured for 18 months and then supposed to become unsecured (classic) card. They do not upgrade these cards to the high end travel cards, etc. What's funny is at the 18 month point I got a letter from Citibank telling me they would not unsecure my ($1000 card) for another 12 months! I told them to close it. By this time I had about 300K in credit limits, AZEO, only showed a $5 balance on that one card. I also called them and asked them their "policy" on issuing unsecured cards for those with a BK7 reporting, and they told me that 7 years was the soonest. I would not be surprised if they are like Chase and make you wait until the BK7 is off your report. They also declind me for a Costco card due to BK7 5 years post-discharge.

Citibank is not BK friendly in my experience.

Since you did not IIB Amex, I know they will let you back in at 5 years (or 5 years and some months) post filing. Someone else can chime in. But as others have said, get those balances down. If you have a BK7 reporting, you really are going to raise alarm bells if you care carrying balances on your cards. Just my gut.

I burned BofA for 5K and decided to apply for a secured card with them at about 3 years post filing. Surprisingly they approved me for a $500 card. I think it was secured for one year. At the point it unsecured, I got them to CLI me to 5K -- but since then they have refused all CLI requests. I have talked to them and they basically said since I burned them 5K is all they want to give me -- at least for now. Frankly I was very surprised to get the 5K limit.

You have a high limit Discover.

If you can get into Navy Federal, you can possibly get a 15k LOC and other cards so your total exposure is approximately 80K.

Most of us want to get in with the big name "prestigious" credit cards, but in my experience, most of them are not BK7. Do not waste your time on Chase until the BK is off your reports, and if you IIB'd them it may be 20 years. AMEX is great if you did not IIB them and you wait that 5-plus-something months. US Bank is not BK friendly. I currently have 80K in limits with Cap 1, and they have been very good to me. They are a huge bank but seen as a bit more lowbrow than Chase and others.

Congrats on what you have accomplished already. You are doing better than 90% of the folks who have filed.

These types of questions I can never contribute to, as I've never been through any kind of financial hardship during my work career, let alone a BK. Just by reading these, it's a tremendous knockdown just with your credit cards and the convenience of using the cards, let alone racking up rewards. So I can only imagine what a BK does financially outside of the loss of credit card convenience.

It seems that most can get back to or close to where they want to be with credit cards over time, with the exception of the issuers who ban or limit use of their cards for life. Getting decent CLs and have rewards cards and the convenience of using them and not having to worry much about utilization is a pretty good achievement once you get to that point. That is certainly climbing to the top of a mountain. Kudos.

Re: Applying for a CC with CitiBank (not IIB)

tpdtopcop — Fri, 20 Dec 2019 01:58:17 GMT

I burnt citi in bk7 in 2008, will they let me back in or do they blacklist?

Re: Applying for a CC with CitiBank (not IIB)

CH-7-Mission-Accomplished — Fri, 20 Dec 2019 02:03:32 GMT

@tpdtopcop wrote:
I burnt citi in bk7 in 2008, will they let me back in or do they blacklist?

Seriously, there's only one way to know. Since I KNOW I won't get approved, I don't know if they have a pre-approval site. But I would check that first. Also, how much did you burn them for? You would liklely do better getting one of their co-branded cards first (like Costco) and giving it two years and then applying directly. This is just an opinion. You might get approved immediatelhy for the card you want.

Re: Applying for a CC with CitiBank (not IIB)

Scupra — Fri, 20 Dec 2019 03:18:53 GMT

I don’t mean to be harsh so please don’t take it that way.. Stop applying for cards now. You’re applying for cards because you want them and you aren’t utilizing them correctly. You have some pretty big balances and need to focus on reducing your overall utilization. Interest eats rewards insanely quick. Please remember credit is a journey, not a race. You have done some AMAZING rebuilding and IMO don’t need anymore new TL’s.

Re: Applying for a CC with CitiBank (not IIB)

Anonymous — Fri, 20 Dec 2019 03:34:10 GMT

@Scupra wrote:
I don’t mean to be harsh so please don’t take it that way.. Stop applying for cards now. You’re applying for cards because you want them and you aren’t utilizing them correctly. You have some pretty big balances and need to focus on reducing your overall utilization. Interest eats rewards insanely quick. Please remember credit is a journey, not a race. You have done some AMAZING rebuilding and IMO don’t need anymore new TL’s.

Agreed. Apply for cards that will work for you--ones that benefit you and your spending habits for years to come. Space them out and apply for those that only fit. If you do that, you'll have some incredible flexibility when making major and minor purchases while getting "paid" to do so.

Re: Applying for a CC with CitiBank (not IIB)

Anonymous — Fri, 20 Dec 2019 07:38:08 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
I want to get a CC with a big bank--like CitiBank--after having burned Chase, BofA, and WF in 2014, but some folks have been approved five years after BK, and others haven't. None of the pre-approval websites work for me, and I've been advised against opening a secured card (with BofA) given that I already have high-limit, non-secured cards of which none are with a big bank.

Should I wait seven and half years before I apply?
Should I open a checking/savings account at CitiBank, and apply through the branch manager?
Which Citi CC has the best approval odds to one day being upgraded to the Citi Prestige or AAdvantage Platinum Select Worl Elite?

This is my story although I did not file BK....

During Black Friday decades ago, I lost almost everything and I had been out of scene from anything related to the credit. For more than two decades I relied on my wife's credit and I started back three years ago with Cap 1, 1000 CL, since for whatever the reason I did not have credit scores.

Citi - About a year ago, I applied for AA Biz card and received 5k after a couple of recon. No SP CLI for a year...and then x2 auto CLI. I think my avg spending was about 1k per month. I still get some random collection letter for Citi related debt, maybe once a year or two years.

After that encouraging auto CLI, a;pplied for Prestige and got 30k instant approval last month.

BoA - About a year ago, I received a mailer for Cash Reward and got instant approval. But BoA would not open a checking account stating I am prohibited until 2099.. I never had BoA checking, unless it was from other bank merged but they could not provide me details since all records have been discarded long time ago. No CLI link for a year. A few months ago, I managed to open a personal checking after receiving an incentive offer email from BoA. After a year, and after opening a checking account, I noticed a CLI link and received almost x4 CLI. During the year, I only spent a couple of hundreds a month.

Among all the majors, Amex has been the most generous to me offering more than 200k in three years although, from my short memory, Amex was the one lost most than other banks years back. As per Amex, I have been a member since 1986; meaning they still have some records on me.

Re: Applying for a CC with CitiBank (not IIB)

Shooting-For-800 — Fri, 20 Dec 2019 13:29:58 GMT

I was approved instantly last night for Citi Costco VISA for $8k SL.

I burned them with cc and 2nd mortgage in 2013.

I had 4 inq (2 under a year) on my Ex and at least 3 new accounts.

18% utilization (0% offers).

720 Ex Fico8.

Six figure income.

Perfect payment history for last 6 years. No lates reported before BK.

I was preapproved for Home Depot but not any other Citi cards.

I would recommend Navy Fed for all around card.

GL!

Re: Applying for a CC with CitiBank (not IIB)

tpdtopcop — Fri, 20 Dec 2019 21:55:35 GMT

So safe to say the Costco citi pulls Experian?

Re: Applying for a CC with CitiBank (not IIB)

dragontears — Fri, 20 Dec 2019 21:58:43 GMT

No you can not assume citi will only pull EX there are a lot of data points that they frequently double pull or just pull EQ instead

Re: Applying for a CC with CitiBank (not IIB)

CH-7-Mission-Accomplished — Fri, 20 Dec 2019 22:37:56 GMT

They double pulled me both times.