Citigold Credit Card Funding Dead
Over the past few months I have written about a few different lucrative checking promotions from Citibank. While the details of each offer have differed, Citi has basically been willing to give 40K-50K AAdvantage miles or ThankYou points to customers who sign up for a Citigold account and perform various tasks. That was nice, but it wasn’t even the best part.
In addition to the sign-up bonus, you could also fund the bank account with a credit card up to $100K. While some banks like Chase saw this funding as a cash advance, many other banks didn’t. This meant you could earn credit card rewards on the funding amount as well as the sign-up bonus. Citi even let savings accounts be funded with credit cards as well. (Even though those don’t have sign-up bonuses.)
Change of Policy
As of today it seems Citi is no longer accepting debit/credit cards for bank account fundings. While you may still be able to get a sign-up bonus for select accounts during varying promotions, you won’t be able to earn credit card rewards for funding that account.
Here is what I have been able to find out:
- This change apparently went into effect today.
- There are data points on Reddit, Flyertalk and in the comments on Doctor of Credit.
- While most people were having trouble funding Citigold, this change apparently affects savings accounts as well.
Conclusion
The ability to fund a Citi bank account with a credit card seems to have died. It was a very lucrative opportunity and one I was surprised stuck around for so long. Hopefully many of you were able to fund your accounts before this change went into effect. If you weren’t, the sign-up bonuses are still very good deals on their own if you qualify.
Have you spoken to a Citi CSR today about funding? Do you have any data points to add? Please share in the comments.
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Did you hear anything about a 1099 tax form for the miles/points given by Citi from this promotion?
I opened a Citigold account in Aug. for AA miles and completed requirements for bill pay in Sept, so miles should have posted when the Dec. statement closed. They didn’t, so I called, and they checked into it, saw I qualified and posted the miles within 3 days.
Husband opened his in Sept., completed requirements in Oct. so his miles should have posted at close of January statement. Didn’t, so sent a secure message, referencing an earlier secure message where his application code for AA miles was confirmed. Good thing we had saved that first secure message reply, because when Citi checked, they had awarded him the Thank You points bonus instead – totally different bonus code! Citi corrected it, and his miles also posted. But talk about a screw-up by Citi. So I suggest if you didn’t get your miles or points, send a secure message, and be sure to cite your correct offer code that you were approved for.
I only wish we had put more $$ on the credit card when we both funded our accounts, but we were concerned about how they might post so we didn’t want to go big. And, as they say, timing is everything – we ended up applying for the 30K just before the 50K was announced.
Someone who works at the bank told me they realized from checking blogs like Flyer Talk that people were opening accounts only to generate points. I like FT but sometimes they kill the goose that lays the golden egg.
I did one of the Citigold Accounts last year. Like in August or September. STILL waiting for the points from that. Called recently (What have I got to lose?) and was told, yes, they will post. When? Great question as all they say are 90 days. Hell, it’s been more than 90, but they keep pushing it off. This might have been a decent deal with using a CC to fund the account, but it is such a PITA that now, as far as I am concerned, they have killed it as it is too time wasting and frustrating for the amount of hassle.
Like Shawn, I am surprised though that this deal lasted as long as it has.
[…] H/T: MTM […]
I have confirmed this as of today.
Hi Scott, I applied for my Citi gold account the same time you did…. have your bonus [oints posted yet?
I set mine up last week and as of today when I checked my CC balance it doesn’t show up that I funded the account. Citi Rep did say that it wouldn’t go through until I signed the signature card, which the email for that came today.
Fingers crossed!
Can you still use debit card to pay off CC balances?
I haven’t heard of that changing.
I paid with debit this morning, so that seems to be still working. I funded my new savings acct last night with CC,still showing as pending. Hopefully will go through under the wire……