Contents
Introduction
In this post we will look at what credit bureau Citibank pulls for credit card applications. We’re only going to look at data from 2014 onwards that is listed on the creditboards credit pulls database.
You can also read other posts in this series by clicking below:
Table Key & Combined Stats
To keep things easy, we will use the following acronyms.
EX = Experian
EQ = Equifax
TU = TransUnion
NI = No information
The number next to the acronym represents the number of data points we have. In total we have 458 data points sourced from the Credit Boards Credit Pull page. Of those applications:
- 241Â or ~52.62% of all applications pulled an Experian credit report
- 175 or ~38.21%  of all applications pulled an Equifax credit report
- 42 or ~9.17% of all applications pulled an TransUnion credit report
Abbrevation | State Name | Credit Bureau Pulled |
AL | Alabama | Â EQ: 1 |
AK | Alaska | Â NI |
AZ | Arizona | Â EX: 3 EQ: 3 TU: 1 |
AR | Arkansas | Â TU: 3 |
CA | California (CA) | Â EX: 48 EQ: 16 TU: 6 |
CO | Colorado | Â EX: 2 EQ: 1 |
CT | Connecticut | Â EX: 3 EQ: 6 TU: 1 |
DE | Delaware | Â EX: 3 EQ: 5 |
FL | Florida | Â EX: 17 EQ: 14 TU: 1 |
GA | Georgia | Â EX: 7 EQ: 3 |
HI | Hawaii | Â EQ: 3 |
ID | Idaho | Â EX: 1 |
IL | Illinois | Â EX: 10 EQ: 13 TU: 1 |
IN | Indiana | Â EX: 3 TU: 1 |
IA | Iowa | Â EX: 2 |
KS | Kansas | Â NI |
KY | Kentucky | Â EX: 4 EQ: 4 |
LA | Louisiana | Â EQ: 1 TU: 2 |
ME | Maine | Â EQ: 1 TU: 1 |
MD | Maryland | Â EX: 7 EQ: 3 |
MA | Massachusetts | Â EX: 4 EQ: 3 |
MI | Michigan | Â EX: 10 EQ: 7 TU: 1 |
MN | Minnesota | Â EX: 1 EQ: 3 |
MS | Mississippi | Â NI |
MO | Missouri | Â EX: 2 EQ: 1 TU: 1 |
MT | Montana | Â EQ: 1 |
NE | Nebraska | Â NI |
NV | Nevada | Â EX: 3 EQ: 3 |
NH | New Hampshire | Â EX: 2 EQ: 4 |
NJ | New Jersey | Â EX: 4 EQ: 1 TU: 1 |
NM | New Mexico | Â EX: 1 |
NY | New York | Â EX: 18 EQ: 14 TU: 8 |
NC | North Carolina | Â EX: 12 EQ: 13 TU: 2 |
ND | North Dakota | Â NI |
OH | Ohio | Â EX: 6 |
OK | Oklahoma | Â EX: 2 EQ: 4 |
OR | Oregon | Â EX: 7 EQ: 3 TU: 1 |
PA | Pennsylvania | Â EX: 22 EQ: 2 TU: 5 |
RI | Rhode Island | Â NI |
SC | South Carolina | Â EQ: 1 |
SD | South Dakota | Â EX: 2 EQ: 1 TU: 1 |
TN | Tennessee | Â EX: 2 EQ: 6 TU: 1 |
TX | Texas | Â EX: 32 EQ: 10 TU: 2 |
UT | Utah | Â TU: 2 |
VT | Vermont | Â NI |
VA | Virginia | Â EX: 5 EQ: 7 TU: 1 |
WA | Washington | Â EX: 8 EQ: 7 TU: 4 |
WV | West Virginia | Â NI |
WI | Wisconsin | Â EX: 3 |
WY | Wyoming | Â NI |
DC | District Of Colombia | Â EX: 3 |
What Happens If Your Report Is Frozen?
If you have a frozen report with Citibank, they are unwilling to pull a different report unless that report is Experian. You can give them a PIN to access the report they want to pull, allowing you to keep that report frozen.
Our Verdict
Citibank will mostly use your Experian report – with Equifax also being quite likely. In rare cases they will pull your TransUnion report instead.
NY – AA Platinum – P1 pulled EX, but P2 pulled EQ
California – Citi Strata Elite, pulled Experian
Alabama – pulled Experian for Strata Elite
California, Aadvantage platinum targeted offer pulled transunion
IL
Pulled Equifax for AA Biz
CA/Calif: AA Business/Biz, All three unfrozen (whoops), only EQ pulled
Logged into Citicards for strata they pulled Equifax. Florida resident. Nice!!!
TX: AA Platinum Select and SYW pulled Experian, had Experian frozen when applying for Strata Premier, they ask me to unfreeze Experian which I did so they still ended up pulling Experian.
AA business pulled EQ with all 3 bureau unlocked.
OH: Thawed Experian while others were locked. Instant approval for Citi Strata Premiere.
IL: Froze experian, equifax pulled
SYW