Citi Credit Cards: Which One to Choose as a Beginner and How to Avoid a Denial

How Citi differs from other banks

Citi, or Citibank, is one of the largest banks in the US and one of the main credit card issuers. Most of its cards run on Mastercard, and some on Visa, such as the Costco partner card. Citi has fewer branches than Chase or Bank of America, but you can apply for a card online and use it without ever visiting a branch.

Citi's main feature is its attention to the pace of your applications. The bank looks not only at your score but also at how many cards and loans you have opened in recent months. If you recently applied to several different banks, Citi may deny you even with a score above 700. That is why it is better to prepare for a Citi application in advance rather than submit it on a whim.

The bank in this article

Citi cards in 2026

The Citi lineup changes often, so below is the general picture as of fall 2026:

Since May 28, 2026, Citi has stopped accepting new applications for the popular Custom Cash, which offers higher cash back in one category. Those who already have the card keep using it. The bank offers Double Cash to new clients. Besides its own cards, Citi issues partner cards with American Airlines and Costco. Their terms depend on the partner. Sometimes the bank allows you to switch an existing Citi card to Custom Cash, but this depends on the specific account.

Citi's rules on the number of applications

Citi does not officially publish these rules, but clients and our managers have seen them in practice for years:

Important: a denial also counts as an application. If Citi denied you, the next application within the same 8 days will most likely be rejected automatically. Based on client experience, applications for Citi business cards may also fall within those 65 days, so it is better not to submit them right after personal ones. In addition, the bank is wary of a large number of hard inquiries in general. Based on client experience, six or more inquiries in six months often lead to a denial. More on how many inquiries is too many in the article how many hard inquiries is too many.

Can you get a Citi card with no history

Yes, but not just any card. To get started, Citi has a secured card, the Citi Secured Mastercard. You make a deposit, and it becomes your limit. The card reports to the bureaus, and with careful payments a history and a score appear within 6–12 months. Double Cash and travel cards are usually not approved without history: the bank wants to see at least a year of careful payments.

The Citi secured card has a downside: moving to a regular card with your deposit returned can take a long time, and the bank has no automatic upgrade on a set schedule. That is why many people start with a secured card at the bank where they already have an account. How to choose a secured card is covered in the article secured credit card.

If you do not have an SSN yet, it is better to check the terms for an ITIN application directly with Citi: the bank's rules have changed, and the answer may depend on the product. It is easier to start with banks that openly accept an ITIN. Which banks these are is covered in the article credit with an ITIN and no SSN.

Which Citi card to start with

Before applying, check pre-qualification on the Citi website. This check is soft and does not affect your score. Pre-qualification is not yet approval, but it shows which cards you have a real chance of getting. More on pre-approvals in the guide pre-approval for cards and loans.

Why Citi denies applications

A separate note about old debts: if you had a charge-off on a Citi card, the bank remembers it for a long time, even after the entry has left your report. In that case an application often ends in a denial. If the reason for a denial is unclear, read the letter from the bank: it lists the main factors. Common reasons are covered in the article why credit card applications get denied.

Citi limits and how to raise them

The first Citi limit is often modest, especially for those with a history shorter than two years. You can request an increase through the app or by phone. Citi usually tells you in advance whether the check will be soft or hard, and you can decline if you do not want an extra inquiry. Your chances of an increase are higher if:

• the card has been open for at least 6 months and all payments were on time;
• you updated your income in the app if it has grown;
• utilization is low across all your cards, not just the Citi card;
• there have been no new cards or denials in recent months.

More on utilization in the guide credit utilization.

Sometimes Citi raises the limit on its own without a request if it sees good behavior on the card: on-time payments, regular purchases and a small balance on the statement date. How banks decide what limit to give is covered in the article high-limit credit card.

How Excalibur helps you prepare for a Citi application

Before applying to a bank with strict rules, it is important to know what the bank will see on your report. An Excalibur Credit Solutions manager will review your three-bureau report for free, count recent inquiries and new accounts and suggest when it is best to apply. If your report has inaccurate, outdated or unverified entries, after payment our technical team works with the bureaus on them. If your history is thin, the manager will tell you about credit lines that help build it. More details on the services page. Results are individual.