[Update] Citi’s Application Rules Explained (8/65 rule)

Update 11/3/23: Added note below about possible new rule which auto-declines applications if there was a hard pull done on your credit report from any bank in the past 5 days. This also may cause a decline for another 60 days since Citi will just use the old credit pull for up to 60 days. (After 5 days you can call reconsideration and ask them to run your credit report again for approval.)

Original Post:

Citi has strict rules on how many card applications they’ll accept from someone. Many people are confused about this, and we’ll try explaining Citi’s rules as clearly as possible.

Note: This post is not about Citi’s 24-month rules regarding how frequently you can get a signup bonus (we have a separate post on that churning rule). Here we’ll discuss when they’ll process your application at all and when they’ll deny you, often without even pulling your credit.

There are still some question marks here – please contribute your own data points in the comments. We’ll try to keep this post updated with any future rule changes as well.

Personal Cards (8/65)

There are two rules to be aware of regarding Citi personal cards:

  • Must wait 8 days after application before applying for another card. While this rule is well known, there are data points of those who got approved for a second card within 8 days, so  this might not be a hard rule (Flyertalk). Based on this, I’d guess that a hard pull will be done for applications within 8 days.
  • No more than 2 Citi applications within 65 days. The real rule is 60 days, but it’s become common to wait 65 as a safeguard since Citi has been known to miscount.

These two rules have borne the short-hand ‘Citi’s 8/65 rule’.

That is, after applying for a Citi card (Day #1), wait eight days before applying for another Citi card on Day #9. Then you’ll have to wait until Day #66 to apply for a third card. Then on Day #74 you can apply for the next one. And so on.

Business Cards

Regarding business cards, the rule is as follows:

  • Must wait 90 days between business card applications. Again, we’ll wait an extra 5 days to be safe.

For example, if you apply for a business card today Day #1, you can apply for another business card on Day #96.

Personal + Business Combo

It appears that both business cards and personal cards combine toward for the 65-day wait. A friend reports that during a recent business card application, Citi didn’t even do a hard pull due to the fact that he had done two personal two applications within the past 60 days. Other reports (1, 2) confirm this as well.

Screen Shot 2017-03-27 at 1.00.28 AM

The 8-day rule is often relaxed when applying for one business and one personal card, meaning that you can apply for a personal and business card on the same day or the same week and don’t have to wait 8 days in between (Frequentmiler and others). This can be the case even when applying for both with your SSN. Being the 8-day rule is a soft rule, it’s difficult to track solid data on this.

You can apply for a business card using an EIN within 8/65 since business applications run separately. Thus, it’s possible to get three cards within 60 days (2 personal and one business) (1, 2, 3). [However, note, there are data points indicating that while EIN applications don’t count your previous SSN applications against you, SSN applications DO count your previous EIN applications against you (1). Hopefully, this makes sense.]

Notes about the Rules

  • Even denials count. For example if you were denied for your second card on Day #9, you still have to wait until Day #66 for the third application. And the same is probably true for business cards: if you were denied a business card, you’ll have to wait 95 days to try again.
  • If your application did not get processed, e.g. if you violated the 8/65 rule, that application will likely not count against you toward your 8/65 (Reddit).
  • The only day that matters is the application date, not the card approval date.
  • All calendar days count, even non-business days.

Other Rules

5-Day Credit Pull Rule

Frequentmiler has some reports indicating a possible new rule which auto-declines applications if there was a hard pull done on your credit report from any bank in the past 5 days. This also may cause a decline for another 60 days afterward since Citi will just use the old credit pull for up to 60 days. (After 5 days you can call reconsideration and ask them to run your credit report again for approval.)

New 1/60 Rule?

In the past few months, some people have been told by Citi that only one new card can be approved per 60-days.

Is there a new 1/60 rule? Based on numerous data points, my understanding is that this is not a firm approval rule. There does seem to be a fraud detection in place when you apply for two cards within 60 days which requires manual intervention. I believe this issue is only when you apply for two of the same cards (e.g. two AA cards), but not when you apply for two separate cards.

Max Hard Pull Rule (6/6)?

Many people mention that Citi does not approve applicants who have six hard pulls on their credit report within the past six months.

There’s not a whole lot of information out there on this rule, but it’s probably a generalization, not a firm rule. There will presumably be a hard pull if you apply when you have more 6/6.

Since this rule tracks pulls, not cards, it’s much easier to get around it by spreading your hard pulls around various credit reports. Most people are usually under 6/6 since even if they do have six hard pull, overall, in the past six months, there will be a few pulls with each credit bureau, not six with a single one.

Max Credit

This isn’t a rule, but some people mention having a hard time getting approved for a card after they have a certain number of cards, or, perhaps, a certain amount of overall credit limit with Citi. This is probably true for a lot of card issuers, and it’s something to keep in mind.

If you have too many cards and high credit limits, consider proactively closing some of them before applying. Or try asking the credit analyst to close out another card in order to get the new one approved.

FAQ

1) You say that denials count. What if I mistakenly applied for a third card within 60 days. Does the 8/65 start over or is the dead application rendered non-existent?

Flyertalk suggests that your clock probably resets anyway, as if it were a real application. Some data points confirm this as well. (I did hear one data point about a Citi business card which would seem to suggest otherwise regarding the 90 day business rule.)

2) Is a product change considered an application toward your 8/65?

Logically, it shouldn’t count since it’s not an application.

3) If you have a targeted offer which doesn’t have the 24-month language, will it bypass the 8/65 rule?

No. It’s subject to 8/65 and it counts against future applications as part of 8/65.

4) Any advice if can’t remember the exact date I applied?

You can figure it out from your application number. The date is written year/month/day in the application number. For example, 201412150000 means you applied on December 15, 2014. (Flyertalk)

5) Is there an easy way to count up 8/65 without adding up the days on the calendar?

Try this.

6) Can I apply for a card I already have to have two of the same card?

You can usually do that with personal cards but not with business cards. That does not mean you’ll get the bonus on the second card. Read more about that here.

Other questions? Drop a comment below.

 

 Other posts worth reading about Citi cards:

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Q
Q (@guest_1740736)
November 20, 2023 18:07

Does (1) requesting or (2) being approved for a credit limit increase on an existing Citi credit card adversely effect the treatment of application of a new Citi Credit Card? For example, if one applies and is immediately approved for a credit limit increase on an existing Citi credit card, does one have to wait eight days before applying for a new Citi credit card without being denied on that new credit card application by default?

Jamie
Jamie (@guest_1736874)
November 14, 2023 17:31

Is there any similar DP on Chase? I was contemplating another CIC/CIU and I just got the Citi Biz? Let me search the site

Brandon
Brandon (@guest_1729918)
November 4, 2023 01:30

I can confirm that I applied for a Citi as personal card and was denied. About 2.5 weeks later I applied for a business card and was approved. However there was no new hard pull on my Experian credit report.

Docfan
Docfan (@guest_1729747)
November 3, 2023 18:49

Does this include cobranded cards like shop your way MasterCard?

ryd994
ryd994 (@guest_1222958)
July 15, 2021 07:37

With the new 3 month language, does anyone have updated DP if this method still works on Premier?

sto0pyd
sto0pyd (@guest_1068523)
October 5, 2020 20:38

Does anyone know if this applies to all Citi cards, including their partnership card? I just got the new Wayfair card 2 weeks ago since their partnership with Comenity ended. I was hoping to get the Premier card for the bonus points and jump into the Citi TYP ecosystem. From what I can see, the TYP is valued at 1.4 – 2 per point, meaning that dining expenses would be at 4.5 per dollar, and if I start using the Double-Cash card as my main driver, I would get > 2% back in value. I don’t want to run another inquiry if it will just be denied since I got a partner card backed by Citi within the past 60 days.

tom m
tom m (@guest_1017489)
July 16, 2020 11:17

excellent credit at 820 but denied by citibank for zero percent if paid 18 months credit for major appliance purchase. they refused to tell me why they pended my application so I withdrew the application. I sent a complaint about the way their representative treated me; she was evasive, nasty and refused to give a reason for pending. I was treated like a criminal and I told the rep to take a flying leap. I would never use citi for anything, they are a bunch of creeps. they hire these young people, pay them low wages and they love to push their weight around on high income, excellent credit people; people tell me they enjoy being able to deny credit and ruin people’s credit scores and they also love to get people pissed and think they can make them squirm; these are some sadistic folks working at citi.

LC
LC (@guest_963800)
April 24, 2020 12:37

Really weird DP and makes me think Citi implemented some new rules. Got Denied last night for Citi Premier card. Been 25+ months since I got bonus last.

always been able to get many citi cards over last 2-3 years through AA loophole… always followed the 1/8, 2/65 and 6 inquiries / 180 days rules…

Denial letter –

During our review, we saw the following
* Your credit report showing too many inquiries in the last 12 months. – There were 8 total including denial application.

* Your credit report showing too many recently oepned accounts. – No accounts last 5 months, 8 accounts opened 7 months ago, 13 total accounts opened in last 12 months

* Your credit report shows too many inquiries – 16 total on credit report, only 8 affecting credit score.

To me, my numbers arent that bad and i am shocked for a denial based on this. Please post if anyone else has any similar datapoints, or if approved with similar stats. Thanks!!

Kafka
Kafka (@guest_968442)
April 30, 2020 16:16
  LC

Rules validated, approved on days 1, 9, 65, and 85.
-All pulled Equifax, under 6/180 with that bureau (though over for cards 2, 3, & 4 if counting all bureaus).
-Only these four cards with Citi ever, banking relationship with Citi established during this period.
-I did have to call recon for the last approval: system auto-denied based on “ratio of lines in the last 12 mo.” Recon customer service was awesome.

Citi has set up incentives for getting multiple cards: you’d need the whole TY family to optimize categories; you’d need multiple Prestiges to get more 4th nights free; etc. Someone trying to go all-in on their system would look similar to someone trying to churn bonuses.

LC
LC (@guest_968450)
April 30, 2020 16:28

ive never had an issue before over the last 24-36 months with Citi cards, but this one isnt making sense to me. I am still waiting on the letter and hopefully that will have more information. Will still try to recon, hoping theres a chance… 840 credit score and did pass all *known* Citi rules.

Mohammad Hajbeh
Mohammad Hajbeh (@guest_769630)
June 12, 2019 18:42

So I was purchasing a ticket from American Airline, and then Citibank offered me $250 off from my first airline ticket purchase if I apply. So when I applied the first time I got an error message, then I applied again in the next day and it works! then after a week I received two of the physical credit cards. Then when I called the customer service and I asked them why did I receive two of them, they said because I apply twice thats why I’ve got two cards, and the bonus was on the first card, and the purchase was on the second card!! I asked to merge credit cards or transfer balance from one card to another, they said its not possible! I read on the internet about ““The 8/65 Rule”
The 8/65 Rule means that you cannot apply for more than one Citi credit card in 8 days and not more than two credit cards in 65 days” . They said its not true, you can apply as many as you want to! :/

In conclusion I couldn’t get the $250, plus I have two credit card from them :/

John Oxford
John Oxford (@guest_768816)
June 10, 2019 11:28

When applying for a second card after eight days will Citibank use the same report they pulled or will they want to do another pull?