The Guide to Citi’s Credit Card Application Rules

Citi application rules have varying timelines and affect specific cards differently.
Ariana Arghandewal
By Ariana Arghandewal 
Updated
Edited by Mary M. Flory
citi 8/65 and other application rules

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Citi has an impressive lineup of rewards credit cards with generous welcome bonuses. Whether you’re looking to stock up on transferable Citi ThankYou points or AAdvantage miles, Citi has multiple cards to choose from. The downer? Citi has also begun restricting the welcome bonuses on some of these credit cards. In some cases, if you’ve had a Citi card in the last 48 months, you will not be eligible for another welcome bonus on a similar card.

So, how many Citi cards can you have? There’s a lot that's important to know if you’re contemplating applying for a Citi card any time soon. Here's what you need to know about Citi's credit card and application rules.

What is Citi’s 48-month rule?

Citi’s 48-month rule restricts certain credit card welcome bonuses to once every 48 months. So if you apply for one of the affected credit cards now and decide to cancel the card in two years, you will not be eligible to reapply and receive the bonus again until 48 months after your first application.

Citi credit cards affected by 48-month rule

The good news is that basically all Citi credit cards are impacted by the 48-month rule. An easy way to identify impacted cards is to look for a disclaimer on the card page stating the following: “American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles are not available if you have received a new account bonus for a [card name] account in the past 48 months.” We’ve compiled the complete list of credit cards impacted by this rule:

What are the workarounds?

There are a couple of workarounds to Citi’s 48-month rule, which affects the American Airlines-branded credit cards. If you’re looking for more AAdvantage miles, you can opt for one of the co-branded credit cards, like the AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®.

Another option is to wait out the 48-month period, but avoid resetting the clock by keeping your Citi credit cards open. At least until your second welcome bonus posts.

What is the Citi 8/65 rule?

Citi's 8/65 rule states that applicants are ineligible to apply for more than one Citi credit card in eight days, and not more than two credit cards in 65 days.

Citi credit card rules, recapped

If you’re ineligible for a Citi welcome bonus because of one of the above-mentioned rules, all is not lost. You can still get around these rules and figure out ways to continue earning points and miles in large quantities.

The information related to CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard®, AT&T Access Card from Citi, Citi Prestige® Card, Expedia® Rewards Card from Citi and Expedia® Rewards Voyager Card from Citi has been collected by NerdWallet and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer or provider of this product or service.


How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024, including those best for:

Travel Cards from Our Partners
Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card

on Chase's website

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
5.0
NerdWallet Rating
Rewards rate

1x-5x

5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

Points

Intro offer

60,000

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.

Points
Chase Freedom Unlimited Credit Card

on Chase's website

Chase Freedom Unlimited®
5.0
NerdWallet Rating
Rewards rate

1.5%-6.5%

Enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year). After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

Cashback

Intro offer

$300

Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

on Capital One's website

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
4.7
NerdWallet Rating
Rewards rate

2x-5x

Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options.

Miles

Intro offer

75,000

Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

Miles
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