CITI Cards No longer soft-pull(?)

[MachoHombre]

I have the Citi Costco and Custom Cash.

Last years have been diligent on asking for CLI every six months as allowed.   Always Soft-Pull, typically get a small CLI on the Costco, ocassionally get a small CLI on the Custom Cash.

This month, I happened to note different language on the Custom CLI request form -it wanted to know the amount I wanted and mentioned credit bureau inquiry .....indication that it was no longer a Soft Pull.

So i did the Costco card CLI request, no HP and a small increase.    I did not want to risk a HP on the Custom Cash card so didn't request a CLI.

***It looks like Citi is no longer doing soft pulls on the Custom Cash (and likely other cards).  This is new.   

Anyway, data-point and likely others have more and good information.

[CreditCuriosity]

Sure they do just depends on person and profile.  Can flip for SP to HP or HP to soft over time etc

[Tdatb64]

I just hit my Custom Cash for a CLI a few days ago - same language, soft pull. A "soft pull" is still an "inquiry".

[Vinjints]

You requested a CLI and didn't get a HP. All seems good to me. 

[MachoHombre]

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@Vinjints wrote:

You requested a CLI and didn't get a HP. All seems good to me. 

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If I would have requested a CLI on the custom cash, I'm confident it would have been a HP.   Unlike the last years where it wasn't.    The Costco is still be a soft-pull CLI

[MachoHombre]

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@Tdatb64 wrote:

I just hit my Custom Cash for a CLI a few days ago - same language, soft pull. A "soft pull" is still an "inquiry".

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Were you required to enter the CLI amount requested and taken through the additional verbiage about credit bureau etc.

I had never been asked this before, and same day was not asked this for the Costco CLI

[CreditCuriosity]

Have two Custom cashes both are exact same sreen for me.

[DoppelgangerD]

I'm finally able to request another CLI on my Custom Cash in 10 days.

Better not be a ****ing hard pull or I'll be pissed.

I'm so tired of banks being so ridiculous with the hard inquiries.

I really don't understand how it benefits them to do that.

I've gotten 5 CLIs this year...

3  were soft, 2 hard...

The 2 hard ones were decent increases.

(I really wanted those 2, so I allowed the hard inquiries)

...of the 3 soft ones, 1 was ok, the other 2 were crap.

I've seen others get decent increases without hard inquiries, so my experience is just bad luck within my card lineup I guess.

[Vinjints]

Just checked my Custom Cash and screen shows same as @CreditCuriosity  They explicitly stated they will not obtain a credit bureau report. Gave me another 4k, too, with an instant decision just as they described.

[coldfusion]

They've been primarily performing soft-pull CLIs on their core cards in response to online CLI requests since before the pandemic. 

At least until recently the normal practice was to process the request using a soft pull and if successful they might come back and give you the option to be immediately considered for a larger CLI if you authorized a hard pull without any risk to the just-approved soft pull CLI if you declined. 

Different story however with cards issued through Citi Retail Services, some of them like the ThankYou (ex-Sears Mastercards) use soft pulls but others like the Home Depot card (and Best Buy IIRC) hard pull in response to CLI requests.