Expedite Your New Citi Card: A Quick Guide

Introduction

If you’ve recently been approved for a Citi card, you’re probably itching to get it ASAP to hit the minimum spending requirements for the sign up bonus. Citi is notorious for taking up to two weeks to deliver your card. Intrigued by a loophole to expedite your card? Dive in.

Which Citi Cards Did I Get?

I wanted to amass a bunch of American Airlines miles, and applied for personal and business versions of the Citi Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard (whew, what a mouthful!). Having expedited both cards, this loophole works for both personal and business Citi cards.

Why I Needed My Card ASAP

I was leaving for a trip in a week. With upcoming travel and big purchases, waiting two weeks wasn’t an option for me. I scoured forums, and even spoke to Citi’s customer service 7 times by HUCA-ing to try to expedite my card. Each time, I hit a wall. The template response was that first cards must be delivered by regular mail. No exceptions. Or so they say.

A Counterintuitive Loophole

It turns out that a little patience — just a ‘lil — can be a virtue. The key is to wait for about three days post-approval. Why? Citi takes time to set up your card “account”. Rushing this process will lead you to a dead end of rejection.

1. Call 3-4 days after approval. Use the phone numbers provided below.
2. Don’t mention new approval. When you call, don’t say you’ve been recently approved. This is crucial. Instead, say you’ve misplaced your card and need a replacement. I’ve noticed that many offshore reps follow a template. They are trained to instantly reject your expedite request for newly approved cards, often without even asking for your personal details to pull up your account.
3. State your case. If asked whether it’s a new account, confirm it. But explain why you urgently need the card — for upcoming travel and big purchases.
4. Ask to expedite. Then, ask the rep if they can expedite the replacement card. They’ll usually agree and may even waive the $6 expedite fee.

By following this strategy, the representative is more likely to comply with your request and expedite the card.

My Quick Timeline

• Day 1: Card approved.
• Day 2: Received standard “Your new card will arrive soon” email. Tried to expedite by HUCA-ing and speaking with seven different reps. No bueno.
• Day 3: Being persistent didn't yield dividends, I was rejected again when I called to expedite.
• Day 4: Tried the loophole. Bingo!
• Day 5: Received a second "Your new card will arrive soon” email. Presumably for the expedited card.
• Day 6: Received my expedited card!

Contact Details for Expedite Requests

• For personal cards, call the application status department at 888-201-4523.
• For business cards, reach out to the business card department at 800-347-4934.

Follow the script in the section above to expedite your card.

Conclusion

To skip the usual 7-10 day wait for your new Citi card, tactical phrasing in a phone call and a dash of patience are all you need to expedite your card. Questions? Let me know in the comments below!