AwardWallet receives compensation from advertising partners for links on the blog. The opinions expressed here are our own and have not been reviewed, provided, or approved by any bank advertiser. Here's our complete list of Advertisers.
Offers for the Citi Rewards+® Card are not available through this site. Some offers may have expired. Please see our card marketplace for available offers
Update: In early November 2022, Citi added this 24-month language to some application pages. So, make sure to check and screenshot your application page for proof that this restriction isn't listed.
Quietly and without fanfare, Citi recently dropped the 24-month restriction from the terms and conditions of its Citi Rewards+® Card. If you are looking to reopen this card, this may be a great time to apply since it is unclear how long the restriction will be lifted.
What is the 24 Month Rule
Like the Chase 5/24 rule, the Citi 24-month rules are implemented to minimize card churning. The Citi 24-month rule is simple: If you opened or closed any card in a card family, you will not be eligible to receive a new cardmember bonus on any card in that family for 24 months. In this case, four cards are part of one ThankYou® Points family:
- Citi Prestige® Card — which is no longer available to new cardholders
- Citi Rewards+® Card
- Citi Strata Premier℠ Card
For example, here's how this restriction is listed in the terms of the Citi Strata Premier:
Bonus ThankYou® Points are not available if you received a new cardmember bonus for Citi Rewards+®, Citi ThankYou® Preferred, Citi ThankYou® Premier/Citi Premier® or Citi Prestige®, or if you have closed any of these accounts, in the past 24 months.
Keep in mind that some other cards in the Citi network feature an even more restrictive 48-month rule. The 48-month rule applies to cards like the Citi American Airlines co-brand credit cards and the Citi Custom Cash® Card cards. However, those sign-up bonus restrictions only factor in the card you're applying for — not the entire card family.
What About Other Citi ThankYou Cards
Looking at the other Citi ThankYou cards, it seems that the 24-month rule language is still in place as prominent as ever. A quick glance at the Citi Strata Premier landing page shows that the rule is prominently mentioned at the top of the offer.
Looking at the Citi Rewards+ landing page, the rule can not be found anywhere. We took some time to search through the various T&Cs and FAQs pages of the card and could not find the rule mentioned anywhere. This likely indicates that the removal was not a mere accident but was done purposefully by Citi since every trace of its relation to the Citi Rewards+ has vanished.
Our Take
This is excellent news for Citi ThankYou points fans. It is always good news when restrictions are eased on a card application meaning more people are eligible for a welcome bonus.
If you've opened or closed one of the ThankYou family cards in the past 24 months, now is the time to apply for the Citi Rewards+ since we do not know when Citi may reinstate it.
On the other hand, if you haven't opened or closed a ThankYou card in 24 months, then you are better off applying for the Citi Strata Premier first and then applying for the Citi Rewards+. That way you would be eligible for both welcome bonuses!
The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.