NOTE: Citi does not publish a minimum credit score for guaranteed approval. This article is based on information from past successful (and unsuccessful) card_name applicants; your results may differ.
To be approved for the card_name, you are probably going to need some past credit history — this is unlikely to be your first credit card if you haven’t had a credit card before. However, if you’ve had credit for at least a year and have made your payments on time, you might get a thumbs-up for the card_name.
Citi Custom Cash Credit Score Needed / Approval Odds
You’ll probably need at least a 675 credit score to have a chance at approval for the card_name. In general, you could look at the following credit score ranges to assess your approval odds:
- If you have at least one year of credit history and a credit score over 750, your chances of being approved for the card_name are very good — probably 80%-90% of applicants would be approved with those qualifications. If you have greater than two years of credit history and a 750+ score, your chances are even better.
- If you’re between a 725 and 750 credit score, your chances are still good for approval, with probably 70%-75% of such applicants being approved. Again, your chances will be better with at least a year of credit history, and even better with two years or more.
- If your credit score is in the 700 to 724 range, you probably still have a 60%-65% chance of approval, again depending on other factors like length of credit history and income.
- If your FICO credit score is 675 to 699, your approval odds are probably only 50-50, and you might want to wait until you’ve achieved a 700 score before you apply.
Credit Score Is Not Everything!
While your credit score is important, it is not the only factor Citi will look at when considering you for the card_name. Other factors that could make a difference include:
- Length of credit history (as already mentioned)
- Income (the higher the better)
- Credit utilization ratio (the balances on your current credit cards in relation to your total credit limits; lower is better)
- Number of new credit cards you’ve opened in the recent past. There is no guaranteed threshold in terms of how many is too many, but if you’ve opened 3 or more new cards in the last year, Citi may frown upon giving you another one.
Higher Credit Scores Get Higher Credit Limits (Usually)
While the card_name is a great credit card with its 5% cash back in your top spend category, your excitement at being approved will be much higher if you get a high enough credit limit to use the card without worry. Citi is likely to give you at least a $1000 starting credit limit if you are approved, probably even higher, and it could be significantly higher if you have a 750+ credit score and a longer, spotless credit history. No matter what, you’ll definitely be able to max out the 5% cash back category each billing cycle, as it is capped at $500. (Though you still get 1% if you go over.)
Good luck on your approval for the card_name!
Author: Adam Jusko