topic Re: What does Citi like to see for CLI? in Credit Cards

What does Citi like to see for CLI?

FalconSteve — Mon, 14 Dec 2020 01:38:39 GMT

My wife has a Citi Double Cash card that we use as our primary non-category card and this Christmas season has resulted in a lot of spend on that card. I've even had to make multiple payments. She only got the card in February and our spend until the last few months was so-so, so I'm not shocked that she hasn't gotten an increase yet, but I want to optimize our chances.

Paying interest is out of the question. However, I want to know if I should let a balance post at the end of the month or should I be continuing to pay it before the statement generates? If I leave a balance, should I be shooting for 1%, 5%, 10%, 30%, or another ratio of the credit line to make them happy?

She has a perfect payment history with this and her scores vary between high 700s and low 800s (Although I think I read that Citi uses their own model).

Re: What does Citi like to see for CLI?

FinStar — Mon, 14 Dec 2020 01:55:45 GMT

There is no requirement to pay any interest in order to obtain or qualify for a CLI. With Citi, there really isn't an actual benchmark, formula or ratio for letting balances report so no need to rationalize a computation to see "what makes them happy."

Usage is definitely factored so if you and DW are frequently using the card, those chances improve considerably. It's profile driven and Citi tends to SP frequently so just keep checking her account to see if it qualifies for a SP CLI. Not sure if you both have checked it recently?

Re: What does Citi like to see for CLI?

thornback — Mon, 14 Dec 2020 02:05:54 GMT

Citi seems to care more about recent inquiries and new accounts (# in the last 6 mos) than anything else. DTI is also a factor. They don't care whether or not you allow their balances to report.

Have you requested a CLI or waiting for an auto CLI? If waiting for an auto - don't, you can request one every 180 days. If you requested but were denied, what were the reasons given for denial?

Their CLIs are often soft pulls -- they'll advise before you proceed with the request if a hard pull is required for some reason.

Re: What does Citi like to see for CLI?

wasCB14 — Mon, 14 Dec 2020 02:06:30 GMT

They took me from $8k to $16k on Prestige when I called once after having $5k post on a statement. Always PIF.

Re: What does Citi like to see for CLI?

FalconSteve — Mon, 14 Dec 2020 02:47:06 GMT

@thornback wrote:
Citi seems to care more about recent inquiries and new accounts (# in the last 6 mos) than anything else. DTI is also a factor. They don't care whether or not you allow their balances to report.

Have you requested a CLI or waiting for an auto CLI? If waiting for an auto - don't, you can request one every 180 days. If you requested but were denied, what were the reasons given for denial?

Their CLIs are often soft pulls -- they'll advise before you proceed with the request if a hard pull is required for some reason.

Good to know that they don't seem to care about balances reporting. I haven't waited for auto-CLI (TD Bank is killing me with the REDcard making me wait for one) and we've been requesting ~2 months.

Unfortunately, I did add her as an AU to my new AmEx, so that will show up as a new account in the next few month... oops. I guess may have just reset the 6 month clock. Oh, well. It's not like we can't get by with the current limit.

I'll have to check what reason(s) they gave for the CLI denial on previous letters, although I vaguely remember them not making a lor of sense (like they picked random reasons that had nothing to do with her profile).

Thank you

Re: What does Citi like to see for CLI?

FalconSteve — Mon, 14 Dec 2020 02:46:24 GMT

@FinStar wrote:
There is no requirement to pay any interest in order to obtain or qualify for a CLI. With Citi, there really isn't an actual benchmark, formula or ratio for letting balances report so no need to rationalize a computation to see "what makes them happy."

Usage is definitely factored so if you and DW are frequently using the card, those chances improve considerably. It's profile driven and Citi tends to SP frequently so just keep checking her account to see if it qualifies for a SP CLI. Not sure if you both have checked it recently?

We tend to check it ~ever 2 statements, but we may do it monthly until my new AmEx shows up on her profile. Thanks for the info

Re: What does Citi like to see for CLI?

FinStar — Mon, 14 Dec 2020 02:48:58 GMT

@FalconSteve wrote:
@FinStar wrote:
There is no requirement to pay any interest in order to obtain or qualify for a CLI. With Citi, there really isn't an actual benchmark, formula or ratio for letting balances report so no need to rationalize a computation to see "what makes them happy."

Usage is definitely factored so if you and DW are frequently using the card, those chances improve considerably. It's profile driven and Citi tends to SP frequently so just keep checking her account to see if it qualifies for a SP CLI. Not sure if you both have checked it recently?
We tend to check it ~ever 2 statements, but we may do it monthly until my new AmEx shows up on her profile. Thanks for the info

Sure. Just keep trying as long as it's SP, it doesn't reset the clock. Only when the CLI is approved.

Re: What does Citi like to see for CLI?

thornback — Mon, 14 Dec 2020 02:53:47 GMT

@FalconSteve wrote:
Good to know that they don't seem to care about balances reporting. I haven't waited for auto-CLI (TD Bank is killing me with the REDcard making me wait for one) and we've been requesting ~2 months.

haha... I've been waiting for TD to give me an auto CLI on my TD Cash card for 3+ years now... I've been refusing to take the HP for it because I don't need a CLI on that card, I just want one.

@FalconSteve wrote:

...and we've been requesting ~2 months. Unfortunately, I did add her as an AU to my new AmEx, so that will show up as a new account in the next few month... oops. I guess may have just reset the 6 month clock.

The new amex won't reset the 6 month clock. What I meant by new accounts/inquiries was that a common denial reason for them is too many new accounts/inquiries in the last 6 months -- but that's for folks with multiple new account or new inquiries (like 3+) - -not just a single new account/inquiry.

After ~9 months of having the card, and no derogatories on her report, I don't have any good guesses as to why they've been denying a CLI.

Is her file young and/or thin? Limited credit/loans in her name perhaps?

Re: What does Citi like to see for CLI?

FalconSteve — Mon, 14 Dec 2020 03:05:22 GMT

@thornback wrote:
The new amex won't reset the 6 month clock. What I meant by new accounts/inquiries was that a common denial reason for them is too many new accounts/inquiries in the last 6 months -- but that's for folks with multiple new account or new inquiries (like 3+) - -not just a single new account/inquiry.

After ~9 months of having the card, and no derogatories on her report, I don't have any good guesses as to why they've been denying a CLI.
Is her file young and/or thin? Limited credit/loans in her name perhaps?

Cool (that a single new account doesn't totally reset the clock). I assume the "human malware" going around the planet might have them being a bit more cautious. There were some other new accounts in January and February, so that explains why they didn't back then, just nothing recent.

Also, neither of us have any non-revolving accounts (no auto loans, no mortgage). We were planning on buying a house before 2020 happened.

It's not shocking that they haven't given one, I just want to make sure we're maximizing our chances.

Re: What does Citi like to see for CLI?

Anonymous — Mon, 14 Dec 2020 03:46:44 GMT

I feel like what lenders "like to see" is pretty standard across the board generally speaking. Heavy spend relative to limit and paying it off monthly overall is the recipe for greatest CLI success as a blanket statement to cover the vast majority out there.

Re: What does Citi like to see for CLI?

FalconSteve — Mon, 14 Dec 2020 04:05:37 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
I feel like what lenders "like to see" is pretty standard across the board generally speaking. Heavy spend relative to limit and paying it off monthly overall is the recipe for greatest CLI success as a blanket statement to cover the vast majority out there.

Generally, yes, but some look at the actual spend and some use statement balances as a shortcut. I guess they could also assume that even if you are spending 2x your limit, but your balance is low, everything is great for them (low risk, plenty of transaction fees from merchants).

Re: What does Citi like to see for CLI?

Anonymous — Mon, 14 Dec 2020 04:35:07 GMT

Oh yeah, I certainly don't think a reported high balance would hurt CLI chances and in some cases may give the lender an incentive to bump a limit up. I tend to think those numbers however are more meaningful on your CR for other (competitor) lenders to see what you've got going on. The lender with which you're reporting or not reporting a high statement balance obviously knows what you're putting through their product monthly and whether or not that warrants a CLI based on their internal criteria.

Re: What does Citi like to see for CLI?

Remedios — Mon, 14 Dec 2020 13:42:14 GMT

Prior to my last CLI, my spend was under $25.00 per month (some months it was $0.00.

First and second request (both in the same week because I roll like that) were denied for number of inquiries (I had 0 on EQ, 2 on EX, TU we-dont-talk-about-TU)

Following week, CLI was approved with no changes on CR, and the amount was higher than previous increase when the card was actually seeing some use.

Re: What does Citi like to see for CLI?

Ficoproblems247 — Tue, 15 Dec 2020 14:58:01 GMT

My DC has been a pain point for me the past couple of months. I have been eligible for my 180+ day SP CLI for a couple of months now, but have been denied. The denial reasons were too many inq, and escalating balances. At the time of my last request I had 4 inq (3 scorable) and something like $200-$300 or so balance on a $47K TCL reporting. I did have 2 new accounts opened in under 6 months since the last time I tried, so I suspect that is the real reason for the denial. It's now past that point so I'm going to give it another try after my next statement cuts in a couple of days and hope for the best. If they give me the SP increase I am going to go all out and take a HP to see how high I can get it all at once. With the amount I've been using the card it's certainly worth a HP to me since it's only at 2K right now. Good luck on getting your increase!

Re: What does Citi like to see for CLI?

FalconSteve — Tue, 15 Dec 2020 17:04:16 GMT

@Ficoproblems247 wrote:
My DC has been a pain point for me the past couple of months. I have been eligible for my 180+ day SP CLI for a couple of months now, but have been denied. The denial reasons were too many inq, and escalating balances. At the time of my last request I had 4 inq (3 scorable) and something like $200-$300 or so balance on a $47K TCL reporting. I did have 2 new accounts opened in under 6 months since the last time I tried, so I suspect that is the real reason for the denial. It's now past that point so I'm going to give it another try after my next statement cuts in a couple of days and hope for the best. If they give me the SP increase I am going to go all out and take a HP to see how high I can get it all at once. With the amount I've been using the card it's certainly worth a HP to me since it's only at 2K right now. Good luck on getting your increase!

I'm sorry you've been dealing with the same thing, but it does make me feel slightly better knowing that I'm not alone. Our SL is $2900 (I keep thinking it is $2500), which was managable until the Christmas shopping season. Now, I find myself using my 1.5% AmEx Cash Magnet (and even a 1% card once or twice) more than I'd like. I'll never understand how AmEx can trust my wife and I with $20k, BB&T with $11k, but Citi with $2.9k. I guess it is what it is. Sometimes MyFICO feels like a support group.

Re: What does Citi like to see for CLI?

Anonymous — Tue, 15 Dec 2020 19:24:03 GMT

Some have reported large Citi CLIs when willing to give up a HP to them. I am not one of those people; my HP only yielded me another $5k on an already low 5-figure limit. The only reason I tried though was after reading about many HP CLI success stories... so if it's worth it to you, that may be an option.

Re: What does Citi like to see for CLI?

Wavester64 — Tue, 15 Dec 2020 19:44:07 GMT

@FalconSteve wrote:
My wife has a Citi Double Cash card that we use as our primary non-category card and this Christmas season has resulted in a lot of spend on that card. I've even had to make multiple payments. She only got the card in February and our spend until the last few months was so-so, so I'm not shocked that she hasn't gotten an increase yet, but I want to optimize our chances.

Paying interest is out of the question. However, I want to know if I should let a balance post at the end of the month or should I be continuing to pay it before the statement generates? If I leave a balance, should I be shooting for 1%, 5%, 10%, 30%, or another ratio of the credit line to make them happy?

She has a perfect payment history with this and her scores vary between high 700s and low 800s (Although I think I read that Citi uses their own model).

As a Citi-Costco card holder, I can honestly say this: If I had a $1 for each time I requested a CLI and was declined, I would have more $ than the CLI Citi gave me each time, which is $0

I know it doesn't answer your question - but Citi is pretty much the ONLY Lender that has never given me a CLI.

So that and my dislike of the CB process with the card, they are going by the wayside come Feb 2021.

Re: What does Citi like to see for CLI?

cashorcharge — Tue, 15 Dec 2020 21:22:41 GMT

@Remedios wrote:
Prior to my last CLI, my spend was under $25.00 per month (some months it was $0.00.
First and second request (both in the same week because I roll like that) were denied for number of inquiries (I had 0 on EQ, 2 on EX, TU we-dont-talk-about-TU)
Following week, CLI was approved with no changes on CR, and the amount was higher than previous increase when the card was actually seeing some use.

Sounds perfectly logical! HAHAHA!

Re: What does Citi like to see for CLI?

UncleB — Wed, 16 Dec 2020 02:00:01 GMT

While it can vary from profile to profile, I'm one of the ones who only use a card for a $2 bag of ice every six months and they are still giving me SP increases.

I will add that early-on I was denied a SP increase due to inquiries (they weren't wrong) but I tried again once most of the HPs were past the six-month mark and they came through.

https://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/Credit-Card-Approvals/Citi-Diamond-Preferred-CLI/m-p/4988685

(Note that the Diamond Preferred mentioned in that old thread is the Double Cash I mention in newer threads.)

Re: What does Citi like to see for CLI?

Wavester64 — Wed, 16 Dec 2020 18:40:43 GMT

@UncleB

>>While it can vary from profile to profile, I'm one of the ones who only use a card for a $2 bag of ice every six months and they are still giving me SP increases.

Good stuff