Issues with activating new Citi Custom Cash

[ReturnOfTheCredi]

My wife just received her new Custom Cash card today and, upon attempting to add it to her Apple Wallet, it gives a message that we need to call in to verify information.  Okay, fine.  In trying to set it up with online access, we get a message that the account may be restricted by Fraud Prevention Services.  No information as to what prompted this.   They want to send us a verification code but apparently both of our phone numbers given don't meet their verification requirements (they initially asked if either one was a landline).  Anyone else run into this issue?  We finally got it worked out with a supervisor by them calling one of our other phones (not connected to the account, so not sure what this actually does????), but what is the deal with this?  What year are we even in???  They said it happened because we tried to set up the Apple Wallet before logging in on the website.

Of all the other cards we have, we've never had this kind of issue with any of them previously.  Just seems really odd for such a big issuer to be handcuffed with such stone-age level security protocols.

[FinStar]

Specific to Citi, I've always activated any of their cards via the app, desktop or phone before adding them to any mobile wallet -- Samsung Pay or Apple Pay. To me, that's a given knowing how mobile wallet tokenization works 🤷‍♂️  

Other lenders have different security protocols since it's possible to add the card to a mobile wallet (before the physical card arrives) once you've satisfied some verification or ID elements.

[ReturnOfTheCredi]

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@FinStar wrote:

Specific to Citi, I've always activated any of their cards via the app, desktop or phone before adding them to any mobile wallet -- Samsung Pay or Apple Pay. To me, that's a given knowing how mobile wallet tokenization works 🤷‍♂️  

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Allow me to clarify: We activated it in the app. That's how we got to the point of adding it to the wallet.

And what in the world did they need us to have a landline for? They literally said neither of our cell numbers met their verification requirements, nor could they disclose what those requirements were. 🤷🏻‍♂️ 

[EAJuggalo]

It's a Citi issue, not a you issue.  This is the same company that flagged my account for Fraud because I rented a moving truck and got a new address.  After calling them and telling them I was going to use the card to rent a moving truck and gave them the new address I was moving to.  I really think I'm just going to be done with them.  I've now got two other 2% cards so I don't really need theirs for anything.

[Anonymous]

Tough spot. Sometimes verification takes different paths with each lenders. As was mentioned up thread it appears not everyone is the same.

Citi is for sure in the Citi world and I know from experience that I do it their way! Also, there are some other FIs that can test your best behavior.

Won't list them but sometimes other FIs when they update their mobile app it removes all the cards in my Smart Phone Wallet (could scream).

[MrDisco99]

Yeah... this is one of many reasons I don't bother with Apple Pay or anything like that.  I'll just carry my cards with me.

[Rudy1]

Citi may have wanted you to have a landline or to try the land line if you had one because it's most likely Citi ran the phone numbers and waited to see what name/caller id would pop up if the incorrect name didn't pop up or it didn't have a name they may have wanted to try your home phone to see if the correct name popped up.