@Anonymous wrote:
So I applied again for what was probably the fifth or tenth time for a Citi DC card a few weeks ago. For whatever reason(s), Citi has never issued me a card, despite giant limits across the board on other lenders. Never have been prequalified. Never approved during various sprees over the last couple years when I've opened all the cards I have - that is to say, never approved when I had one card, 3 cards, 5 cards or more; no matter my credit profile or available limits, never approved, never a successful recon either, first citing not enough credit established to more recent the too many inquiries reason.
I think I may have mistyped my SSN on this particular application (I have been known to have an adult beverage and then apply for [all of my] cards). They sent me a letter asking to verify my identity and they have never done that on any previous application while still living at my current address: they asked for a copy of my driver's license, a credit card statement showing my address, and a utility bill or last year's tax return. I sent all of those things in.
Fast forward a week and I was indeed finally approved for my very first Citi card; however, sadly with a $3k limit (which means no visa siggy and virtually an unusable limit with regards to how I normally use my cards).
Because I sent in all that info, there was obviously a live person that approved it. No idea how they came up with that starting limit, though (the credit card statement I chose to send in was of a $25k limit card that showed $12k charged and $12k paid this previous month). If, on the other hand, these increases are too little and too late, you may have no other sensible option but to go for a HP CLI.
Here's my question - I've seen some threads about people getting their Citi cards in the mail and immediately asking for a CLI and sometimes getting them. For the people with whom this stragey worked, were you among those that were instantly approved initlally? Would I be a candidate to do this, considering they appear to dislike me in general and seem to have begrudgingly given me this card in the first place? Or is this going to be another "water the relationship and wait forever for it to grow" situation?
Couple comments:
1) Citi's Double Cash card is a MasterCard, not a Visa. The highest tier offered on the card is currently World Elite MasterCard. Luckily, Citi's been pretty lenient with who they've given Double Cash WEMCs to (I only got a $1700 initial limit with my DC, and mine was issued as a WEMC).
2) I'm not sure if it makes a difference if the approvals are instant or not, but either way it'll a hard pull if you're asking for a CLI upon activation: is this worth it to you? These HP CLIs upon activation have been known to be pretty substantial if you can withstand the second HP, from what I've seen.
3) Citi generally allows for SP CLIs every 6 months. These SP CLIs are usually not enormous (usually between $1500-$2500, from what I've seen), but if you like to conserve your HPs, you always have this as an option.
Personal Cards: Amex Plat | Amex Delta Res | CSR | Citi AA Exec Business Cards: Ink+ | Amex BGR
