Applying for a CC with CitiBank (not IIB)

[Anonymous]

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? 

[Scupra]

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! 

[JR_TX]

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!

[Scupra]

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@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!

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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! 

[AverageJoesCredit]

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

[JR_TX]

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@Scupra wrote:

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@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!

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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! 

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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.

[Anonymous]

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.

[CH-7-Mission-Accomplished]

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@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.

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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.

[CH-7-Mission-Accomplished]

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.

[Anonymous]

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.