John Miller, Credit Cards Moderator The Citi Diamond Preferred card uses either Experian, Equifax or TransUnion for approval.
While Citi declined to comment on which consumer credit agency it uses to pull credit reports when evaluating credit card applicant creditworthiness, crowdsourced data has indicated the bank relies primarily on Experian for its credit reports but has been known to pull from other credit bureaus, too.
The Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card credit score requirements aren't hard and fast, but you should have good to excellent credit -- a score of 670 or greater -- but scores in the excellent credit tier of 740 or higher have the best shot.
What is the highest credit limit for the Citi Diamond Preferred card? The highest credit limit for the Citi Diamond Preferred card can be over $10,000 for most creditworthy borrowers, according to multiple reports from cardholders on online forums.
Most cards offered by Citi require a good to excellent credit score—670 to over 800. The cards with such requirements are some of the most rewarding cards offered, but there are options if your score is not quite at that level.
Yes, the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card is hard to get, as it requires at least good credit (a credit score of 700+) for approval. On top of that, Citi will also consider your payment history, credit utilization, and annual income to help determine if you qualify.
The easiest Citi card to get is the Citi® Secured Mastercard®, since it's the only Citi credit card that will accept applicants with limited credit (less than 3 years of credit history). This card requires a $200 refundable security deposit, but it has a $0 annual fee.
Good to excellent credit will give you a better chance to qualify for a Citi Diamond Preferred card (a 670–850 FICO score or a 661–850 VantageScore).
If you know you'll need a long time to pay down an existing balance, the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card could be an option. It offers one of the longest 0% intro APR periods on balance transfers available. But other cards with similar 0% intro APR periods offer better terms.
The Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card is a no-annual-fee credit card that includes an exceptionally long intro APR offer on balance transfers, making it one of the top balance transfer credit cards on the market.
The only Citi metal credit card is the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®, designed for frequent American Airlines flyers with good credit or better.
Citi Chairman American Express Card
If you are fortunate enough to score an invite to apply, you can enjoy very generous travel benefits, rumored to include access to private airport lounges, a personal concierge and travel upgrades.
The primary draw of the Citi Diamond Preferred is that it offers a 0% intro APR for 21 months on eligible balance transfers from date of first transfer and 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases from date of account opening. After that, the variable APR will be 18.24% - 28.99%.
It's possible for Citi to use any of the three major credit bureaus for credit card approval: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. More specifically, Citi can use one or two of the three credit bureaus when it reviews credit card applications, depending mostly on your previous relationship with Citibank.
Citibank will mostly use your Experian report – with Equifax also being quite likely. In rare cases they will pull your TransUnion report instead.
Citibank reports a credit card's credit limit, account balance, payment history, and more to all three of the major credit bureaus: TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian. Citibank may use a certain credit bureau more than another, though, depending on the applicant's home state and other factors.
You might get instantly approved for the Citi Diamond Preferred card, especially if you applied online. But if the issuer needs to verify some of the information you submitted, it can take up to 7-10 business days to receive a decision.
Centurion® Card from American Express
A rating of 5 is the best a card can receive. Why it's one of the hardest credit cards to get: The hardest credit card to get is the American Express Centurion Card. Known simply as the “Black Card,” you need an invitation to get Amex Centurion.
Citi Diamond Preferred: It Comes Down to Fees. They both offer a long 0% intro APR period on balance transfers. But the Simplicity features a smaller balance transfer fee, plus late-payment forgiveness.
FICO score ranges
580 to 669: fair. 670 to 739: good. 740 to 799: very good. 800 and above: exceptional.
A 750 credit score is Very Good, but it can be even better. If you can elevate your score into the Exceptional range (800-850), you could become eligible for the very best lending terms, including the lowest interest rates and fees, and the most enticing credit-card rewards programs.
What is the easiest Citi credit card to get? If you are wondering how to get a credit card with a low credit score or limited credit history, the easiest Citi card to go for is the Citi® Secured Mastercard® * The information for the Citi® Secured Mastercard® has been collected independently by Blueprint.
You can apply for a Citi credit card online, in a branch, or by calling (800) 248-4226. Applying for a Citi credit card online is the best approach because you can access the Citibank website anytime, and you may receive an instant decision.
The best Citi credit card for bad credit is the Citi® Secured Mastercard® credit card because it has high approval odds as a secured credit card. It is open to applicants with limited credit, but there are some online forum reports of consumers getting accepted with bad credit. There are no guarantees, though.