Citi Credit Card

urban_fox

After reading the recommendations for cashback credit cards, I applied for Citibank Platinum Visa (1% cashback) online. A few days later, I rec'd their credit card agreement forms but they are for Citi Classic Plus Credit card. Now, what I'd like to know is are they one and the same cards?

Reaper

No, it is not as good. Barclaycard did a similar thing to me. If you don't meet their criteria for the card you applied for rather than rejecting you they issue you with a worse one.

While I don't know for sure if it is the same variety (as terms seem to vary going through an affiliate) the details for the card you are getting can be found here.

realaledrinker

My favourite 'cashback' card at the moment is the Co-op Bank Travel card. This gives 'travel points' which are redeemed as a 1% cashback credit to the card when you buy a holiday/travel ticket with Travelcare Direct, the Co-op's travel agency.

This is the scenario:

1. Apply for card.
2. Get accepted - usually a £5K limit with the Co-op.
3. Get them to 'consider' matching your highest limit, e.g. egg, £15K.
4. Success; stooze the £15K for 7 months.
5. IMMEDIATELY GET £150 IN TRAVEL POINTS
6. Pay off 0% deal after the 7 months.
7. But your next holiday from Travelcard Direct & put the deposit on your Travel credit card.
8. Pay no transaction fee on 7.
9. Get £150 credit on your next credit card statement.


THIS IS A TRUE STORY!

Anon

Received a Citi card today - applied for a platinum card with 0% for 9 months (specially selected mailing allegedly), however I have been sent a standard card with 24.9% for BTs (and a low credit limit).

Needless to say, it has been cut half and cancelled as I cannot use to stooze.

Anon

krishna

Well, they really are confused!! Did the same to me today. Rang them up and they first told me that I must have been turned down for the Platinum card so next best card offered. The letter does not indicate that at all, just says application for Citi Classic Plus has been accepted. I told them I thought they were operating unethically and I would be informing a large group of consumers of this. At that point I was put on hold. Then I was told the two cards are effectively the same card. I told them there was nothing on their website about that card and they had provided me with no information on the T&C so I couldn't sign anything, cashback, protection and all. They are putting copy of T&C in post to me. I'll let you know what I find out.

JasonW_2

Was turned down for Sainsburys and Egg, but accepted for a Citi Platinum Card!

Took forever to arrive but was worth the wait. Intend to cancel either this or my tesco card once the 0% rate ends, but Ive hard Citi offer special low APR transfer rates from time to time, so will see how it goes. Used the card once and no problems yet. No statement or any communication since and still dont even know if the card can be managed or monitored online yet!

J

Anon

The offer was for 0% for 9 months on my special invitation on a platinum card, hence my annoyance at getting this one which is next to useless for stoozing if the BT rate is 24.9%! It states under 4.1 (interest charges) that "The standard rates ... blah blah (full rates in a box). It then states that "The standard rates will apply after the promotional period we choose to offer You relating to Balance Transfers, Cash Advances and Purchases has ended." Am I supposed to assume that the promotional offer rates on the application letter was right and assume that I have the 0% until the above kicks in? Is a Citi card the same as a platinum card?

Anon

steveb1967

I have just had the same happen to me. Applied for the platium, got given the "classic card" with no mention of 0%. So I phoned up to cancel/activate the card and asked if my £2000 limit was 0% or not and was told that I would still get it at 0%?!? They would only BT £1800 of that and to get it to my A&L (mbna) card they would have to send me a cheque made out by them with no cash advance charge. I have now sent the cheque to A&L and when it hit's I wil SBT it to my current account and on to savings.
If any of this doesn't happen I will post again.

Good Money Saving
steve b

Big_Billy_2

I had a Citi card with a £500 limit for 18 months, everytime I asked for them to increase my limitand drop my APR from 29% they told me they were unable to. My card would be reviewed automatically.

So I got a copy of my reports from the two main companies, Experian gave me 890 points and Equifax gave me 475.

I called Citi and cancelled my card, it took ages for them to do so. The settlement figure was HIGHER than the outstanding amount because of interest. So after many angry telephone calls, the account is now closed.

So 5 days went by and I got a call from the Retention Team offering me a card with a lower APR, a meer 18%

I told them, Er no, dont ever call me again you motherf*kers., well words very similar to that.

oscarhugo

realaledrinker wrote:

My favourite 'cashback' card at the moment is the Co-op Bank Travel card. This gives 'travel points' which are redeemed as a 1% cashback credit to the card when you buy a holiday/travel ticket with Travelcare Direct, the Co-op's travel agency.

This is the scenario:

1. Apply for card.
2. Get accepted - usually a £5K limit with the Co-op.
3. Get them to 'consider' matching your highest limit, e.g. egg, £15K.
4. Success; stooze the £15K for 7 months.
5. IMMEDIATELY GET £150 IN TRAVEL POINTS
6. Pay off 0% deal after the 7 months.
7. But your next holiday from Travelcard Direct & put the deposit on your Travel credit card.
8. Pay no transaction fee on 7.
9. Get £150 credit on your next credit card statement.


THIS IS A TRUE STORY!

I had a Co-op Travel card last year [for which, incidentally, they gave me a putrid c/limit of £1,000...] and I found I had to watch them like a hawk. The first month's minimum payment was due before the d/d kicked in so I paid it by cheque in-branch at Co-op bank. The cheque was debited to my a/c 2 days later. When the next month's Visa bill arrived, it showed the previous bill as unpaid & bore a charge of 20 quid [or whatever it was]. I rang up & pointed out that I'd paid it in-branch & that my cheque had been cashed. So the matter was passed to the Missing Payments dept. Meantime, the 20 quid charge had put me over my credit limit so that produced ANOTHER charge [of £25, I think] which also had to be rung up [on the SayNoTo0870 number, of course...] and complained about & removed. The previous charge also required TWO phone calls before it was removed. I wasn't hugely enamoured with the Co-op Travel card as a result & it was PDQ cancelled as soon as the stooze-period was up.

Anon

Update - I called today and spoke to a very helpful account manager - although the card sent is Citi Classic and it has a low credit limit (less than £5k) it is still 0% for 9 months. Although a low limit, I have BTd it anyway as it will already have done whatever it will do to my credit rating.

Worth remembering if anyone else has applied for the platinum and got the classic - I have already cut up the card but fortunately had not posted (you need the expiry date to activate the card!).

Don't forget to use the freephone number to call (courtesy of www.saynot0870.co.uk) - 08007837788.

Anon