Update 4/11/23: Citi has made some changes to the rules, Citi family cards now have a 48 month clock similar to the American Airlines cards. This greatly simplifies many of the things we previously discussed in this post. I’ve updated the post now below and removed the no-longer-relevant parts.
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Citi has a rule that once you get the signup bonus on a credit card, you can’t get it again within 48 months. We often get questions in the comments section from people trying to understand the nuances of this rule so I thought I’d explain it here as clearly as possible on each card separately.
Contents
The Rule
On all ThankYou cards (Premier, Preferred, Prestige, Rewards+), American Airlines cards, and Custom Cash you’ll see something like this:
American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles are not available if you have received a new account bonus for a Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® account in the past 48 months.
- You can only get a bonus if you have not received a bonus on this card in the past 48 months.
- Each TY/AA/CC card runs on its own. They don’t lump the family of cards together. E.g. if you got a bonus on the Rewards+ recently, you can still get the Premier bonus.
- There’s no account closure clause. Only getting a new account bonus resets the clock; closing the card does not reset the clock.
Q&A
Card Doubles
1) If I got a card bonus in July 2017, can I apply for the same card in August 2021 while the first card is still open and get the bonus?
Yes, since you haven’t received a bonus a card within 48 months you are eligible for the bonus. Â As long as you get approved for the card, you should get the bonus when meeting the requirements.
Note, there’s no guarantee Citi will approve someone for a second card of the same version as the one they currently have. Many people have had success holding multiples of the same card, especially with AA cards, but this might change and it might not be true for all Citi cards. The Citi Custom Cash explicitly states that they do not approve a customer for more than one Custom Cash card.
Card doubles (business)
2) Is that true for Citi business cards as well – can I have two of the same card, concurrently?
No, the terms indicate that a single business can’t hold two of the same card, and Flyertalk confirms the same. You’ll have to close the card, wait 48 months from close, then apply again to get a second bonus.
Again, for American Airlines cards there is no account closure clause so you can open a new one right away, provided it’s been 48 months from when you received the prior bonus.
(Note, Citi seems to combine all businesses of the same person/loyalty account into one. If you open under one business, you’ll need to wait 48 months from bonus posting to open for another business.)
Workaround
3) Is there any way around the 48 month rule?
You might occasionally bump into a targeted offer or pre-qualified offer which doesn’t have the 48 month verbiage. If you do, go for it!
Didn’t receive bonus
4) What happens if you open or close a card but never got the signup bonus (e.g. didn’t meet the minimum spend requirement)?
Based on the current terms of most Citi cards, it seems that only receiving a bonus impedes you from getting a future bonus. If you opened a card and did not receive a bonus you should still be eligible. (More discussion in this post.)
Business cards
5) Does the 48 month rule apply to Citi business cards?
Yes, those cards show the 48 month rule as well.
Calculating the date
7) How do we calculate the exact date of a new card?
All Citi cards now seem to run based on the date the bonus was received, not the date of card approval.
Final Word
See Strategies For Dealing With Citi’s New Application Rule for more info, and see 17 Things to Know about Citi Credit Cards for general info on applying for Citi cards.
Aside from Citi’s rule for giving signup bonuses, they also have rules as to how many cards you can signup for total (8/65 rule), irrespective on the bonus. We discuss that rule in detail in a separate post.
