CITI World Mastercard Dilemma-Help needed

[Anonymous]

Hi everyone,

I've been educating myself by reading posts here for awhile and I really appreciate the knowledge you guys have contributed and shared with all of us.

I'm running into a situation where I'm not sure what would be the best.

I have had my CITI Dividend Platinum Mastercard for a few years. Yesterday, I received in the mail a new CITI Dividend World Mastercard and it was said to be a replacement for my current card with exact same number. I never requested a product change.

I recalled some information here saying that the World Mastercard won't report CL or High Balance which could be bad for one's credit score. That's why I didn't activate my new card and come here to look for your advice.

I currently have 3 active credit accounts in good standing, never missed a payment:

- CITI Dividend Platinum Mastercard: CL-$5,500, current balance $1,200 and going down

- American Express Blue: CL-$3,000- Never carries a balance, always pay off before statement closed

- Amazon Store Card: CL-$2,100, Current Balance $550 and going down. I got this one just to have a better credit mix and take advantage of Amazon's 2-year no interest offer because I don't have any mortgage, car loan or student loan.

If I now accept the new World Mastercard and it won't report CL or High Balance (as I've been reading here), in my situation it looks like it will help my credit because my current balance on this card won't be going into my FICO calculation. Is this reasoning correct? Or It will hurt my credit because my largest CL will be taken out of my total? In this case, I will have to call CITI and decline the new card.

I don't mind having lower total CL, I just don't want to hurt my FICO scores and my overall credit in the future.

If you have any experience with CITI World Mastercard and know how it actually reports, please help me to make a good decision.

Thank you very much.

[hedgeclipper2]

My Citi Dividend World Mastercard reports its $5,500 limit. It just reports as a "Flexible Spending Credit Card"

And my SO's Citi Hilton Visa Signature with a $12,000 limit reports its limit.  It also reports as a "Flexible Spending Credit Card"

[Anonymous]

Google search "Citi World MasterCard vs Dividend Platinum Select".

That's a current discussion where people like yourself are suddenly receiving an unsolicited upgrade. They're also reporting that this time Citi is insisting that this is a forced upgrade without any option to opt out of the upgrade.

As someone there said, Citi is doing this probably only to increase their revenue since "World" cards have a higher base fee to merchants versus normal cards.

[LTomBerry]

I upgraded my USAA Platinum Mastercard to the World card last year. They report the limit. But every time I get a CLI Credit Karma freaks out for a few months and doesn't report it even though it's on my TU.

[Anonymous]

Thanks everyone for your replies.

I called Citi and I was told I can't opt out. I guess this is how they force the new card on us and collect higher fee from merchants. I'll go ahead and activate the card. It doesn't look like it will do much to my credit. If it reports (as it does for some of you), nothing changes. If it doesn't, I'm ready to accept that. I don't have a choice to opt out anyway.

Thank you all again.

[Anonymous]

Based especially on the latest post (excerpted below) in that thread I cited earlier, this particular Citi World Mastercard upgrade sounds identical to USAA's World Mastercard:

"When I called Citi, I was given a slightly different answer from others I've read, so I thought I would share it to get your reactions.

A CSR told me that the Citi Dividend World MasterCard is an upgrade to "World status" for Dividend Platinum Select cardholders, but it is not a full-fledged World MasterCard. He said that credit limits will continue to be reported because the "no preset spending limit" is not a feature of the Citi Dividend World MasterCard to which Dividend Platinum Select cardholders are being converted. This, he said, is why a booklet with World MasterCard terms and conditions was not sent with the card. I received a Citi Dividend Card Directory of Services booklet (with Citi Dividend Card terms and conditions in it) and a sheet titled "Enjoy your new World MasterCard." There is nothing about "no preset spending limit" in either of these or on the paper to which the card is attached. When I investigated the Citi Dividend World Card online, I didn't find "no preset spending limit" mentioned in the terms and conditions or other materials.

The CSR assured me that nothing in the Dividend Platinum Select terms, conditions and features has changed or been taken away with conversion to a Dividend World card, including 5% for quarterly signup promotions, but World benefits have been added. He explained that because nothing has changed and nothing is being taken away, no written notice is being sent prior to conversion and no opt-out is being offered [...]"

[minimock]

Hmmm...Just got a dividend card last month with the 21 month 0% deal.
Wonder why if they are trying to convert everyone.

[trumpet-205]

Cause they can charge merchant account higher interchange fee.

[minimock]

Understand that part, just don't know why they are still sending out plats if they are trying to switch folks over.

[Anonymous]

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@minimock wrote:
Hmmm...Just got a dividend card last month with the 21 month 0% deal.
Wonder why if they are trying to convert everyone.

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@minimock wrote:
Understand that part, just don't know why they are still sending out plats if they are trying to switch folks over.

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I think one of the criteria for being elible to convert the USAA platinum to the USAA World Mastercard is having a credit limit of at least $ 5,000.

Maybe your Citi account is a platinum level for now because you don't yet meet a certain credit criterium such as possiblely a minimum credit limit ?