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Citi 48-Month Rule: What Is It and How Does It Affect You?
July 1, 2025
What Exactly Is the Citi 48-Month Rule?
The Citi 48-month rule restricts how often you can receive a bonus offer for certain credit cards within the same "card family." In practical terms, it prevents you from earning the welcome offer for a specific card—or sometimes even a related card—if you've already received a welcome offer for that same card (or a card in the same family) within the last 48 months.
Think of it as a waiting period. Citi wants to encourage new customers with these lucrative bonus offers, but it doesn't want individuals to repeatedly cycle through cards just for the bonus. Four years is a long time to wait, so understanding this rule is essential before you submit any credit card application.
It's All About the Welcome Bonus
This rule specifically targets the welcome bonus. It doesn't prevent you from being approved for a card if you don't qualify for the bonus. You can still get the card, use its benefits, and earn rewards on spending. However, welcome bonuses can be worth hundreds or thousands of dollars—missing out significantly diminishes a card's appeal.
If you're applying for a Citi card primarily for its welcome offer, verify your eligibility first. There's nothing worse than meeting the spending requirement and discovering you won't receive the bonus.
Why Does Citi Have This Rule?
From Citi's perspective, welcome bonuses represent a high cost of customer acquisition. These offers are designed to attract new customers and incentivize them to try Citi's products. Without such a rule, some individuals might repeatedly apply for the same card, collect the bonus, cancel, and reapply later—all without developing a long-term banking relationship.
The 48-month rule helps Citi manage acquisition costs and encourage long-term customer relationships. Understanding it helps you work within the system rather than against it.
How Does the 48-Month Rule Work?
Understanding the core principle is one thing, but there are two key elements to grasp in practice: the "card family" concept and the timing of the 48-month clock.
Understanding the "Card Family" Concept
This aspect of the rule has been simplified in recent years. Previously, Citi had complex "family" restrictions that could block you from bonuses on related cards if you earned a bonus on one card. Today, the 48-month rule typically applies to each card independently.
For most Citi cards, you're blocked from a bonus only if you received a bonus on that exact same card in the past 48 months. For example, if you earned a welcome bonus on the Citi Strata Premier® Card, you'd need to wait 48 months before earning another bonus on that same card—but you could still be eligible for a bonus on the Citi Double Cash® Card or a Citi AAdvantage card.
That said, some cards do overlap in their restrictions. The application terms will spell out exactly which cards affect your eligibility. You'll typically see language like:
"Bonus ThankYou® Points are not available if you have received a new account bonus for a Citi Strata Premier® or Citi Premier® account in the past 48 months."
Or for co-branded cards:
"American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles are not available if you have received a new account bonus for a Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® account in the past 48 months."
Notice the key difference from past rules: these restrictions now reference specific cards rather than broad card families. Always read the fine print on your specific credit card application to understand which cards, if any, affect your eligibility.
When Does the 48-Month Clock Start?
The 48-month period typically starts after you receive the welcome bonus—not at account opening or when you close the card. It's tied to the event of you successfully earning that bonus. Once it hits your account, the 48-month countdown begins for any subsequent bonus applications within that same card family.
This is an important distinction. If you earned a welcome offer for a Citi AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® three years ago, you'd still have another year to wait before you could be eligible for a bonus on another Citi AAdvantage card. The date you opened or closed the account is irrelevant—only the bonus receipt date matters.
Always check the specific terms and conditions on the credit card application you're considering. Those are your definitive sources for eligibility requirements.
Which Citi Cards Are Affected?
While the rule doesn't apply to every single Citi card, it impacts many of their most popular and lucrative offerings—especially those with significant welcome bonuses.
Travel Rewards Cards
Citi offers a strong suite of travel-focused cards, making them prime candidates for the 48-month rule.
The Citi Strata cards are the flagship ThankYou Rewards lineup, consisting of the Citi Strata℠ Card, the mid-tier Citi Strata Premier® Card, and the premium Citi Strata Elite℠ Card. These cards replaced the older Citi Premier and Citi Prestige cards. The good news: eligibility for each Strata card is considered independently, so earning a welcome offer on the Strata Premier doesn't block you from earning a bonus on the Strata Elite.
[[ SINGLE_CARD * {"id": "7783", "isExpanded": "false", "bestForCategoryId": "15", "bestForText": "Flexible Rewards", "headerHint": "Premium Travel Benefits at a Reasonable Fee" } ]]
Co-branded airline cards like the Citi AAdvantage cards also follow a card-specific pattern. If you get a welcome offer on the Citi AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®, you'll need to wait 48 months before earning another bonus on that same card—but you could still be eligible for the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® since they're considered separate products.
[[ SINGLE_CARD * {"id": "572", "isExpanded": "false", "bestForCategoryId": "15", "bestForText": "Frequent Travelers", "headerHint": "American Airlines Flyers"} ]]
Cash Back Cards
The 48-month rule applies to cash back cards as well, but with an important distinction: many of these cards operate independently.
The Citi Custom Cash® Card and Citi Double Cash® Card are each in their own category. This means earning a bonus on the Custom Cash doesn't affect your eligibility for the Double Cash, and neither affects your eligibility for the Strata cards. This independence allows you to earn multiple Citi bonuses in a shorter timeframe by strategically applying for cards across different categories.
Keep in mind that Citi limits each customer to one Custom Cash card. Always check the specific terms on your credit card application to understand which restrictions apply to your account opening.
[[ SINGLE_CARD * {"id": "580", "isExpanded": "false", "bestForCategoryId": "15", "bestForText": "Reward Enthusiasts", "headerHint": "Straightforward Rewards"} ]]
Business Cards
Citi's business credit cards have their own 48-month rules. The CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard® operates independently from the personal AAdvantage cards. This means you could earn a bonus on both the personal Citi AAdvantage® Platinum Select® and the business version without waiting 48 months between them—they're considered separate products.
The takeaway: always read the fine print on the specific credit card application. Terms vary between cards and change over time.
Common Misconceptions
The 48-month rule generates a lot of confusion. Here are the most common misunderstandings.
Does it apply to product changes? No. When you convert an existing credit card account into a different one without a new application, you're not considered a "new cardmember," so you're not eligible for a welcome bonus anyway. More importantly, a product change doesn't trigger the 48-month clock for bonus eligibility on a future new application.
What if I cancel a card? Canceling a card does not reset the 48-month clock. The clock starts when you receive the bonus and runs for the full 48 months, regardless of whether you keep the card open or close it later. If you got a bonus on a Citi Strata Premier® Card in January 2022 and canceled it in January 2023, you still wouldn't be eligible for another Strata Premier bonus until January 2026.
Does it apply to authorized users? Generally, no. Authorized users don't "open" an account in their name and aren't eligible for the welcome bonus themselves. Being an authorized user on someone else's Citi card doesn't affect your personal 48-month bonus eligibility.
Strategies for Navigating the Rule
Now that you understand the rule, here's how to use this knowledge to your advantage.
Track your bonuses. Keep a simple spreadsheet of when you received welcome bonuses for Citi cards, noting the card type (e.g., "Citi ThankYou Rewards," "Citi AAdvantage"). This lets you see exactly when each family's 48-month clock expires.
Stagger applications across card categories. Since many Citi cards now operate independently for bonus purposes, you can apply for cards in different categories without waiting 48 months. For example, you could earn bonuses on the Citi Strata Premier®, Citi Custom Cash®, Citi Double Cash®, and a Citi AAdvantage card all within the same year—they're separate products with separate restrictions. Just be aware of Citi's general application rules: typically one card approval every 8 days, and two in 65 days for personal cards.
Consider non-bonus value. Sometimes a card's benefits might outweigh the lack of a welcome bonus. Do you heavily use a particular merchant where a Citi card offers strong bonus categories? Does a co-branded card offer elite status benefits, free checked bags, or lounge access that you value? You can also ask about retention offers if you're considering canceling an existing card.
Diversify your portfolio. While you're waiting for the 48-month clock to reset for a Citi credit card, focus on welcome offer from other issuers. Every credit card issuer has its own rules. Chase has the 5/24 rule, while American Express has lifetime bonus language on many cards. Cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card offer strong welcome bonuses with very different restrictions. By understanding each issuer's policies, you can continuously earn bonus offers without long gaps.
Keep in mind that multiple credit card applications in a short period can temporarily impact your credit score due to hard inquiries on your credit report. Space out applications strategically to minimize this effect.
How Kudos helps you choose the right credit card
Kudos Explore shows you Citi's full card lineup alongside competitors from Chase, Amex, and Capital One—making it easy to plan your application strategy around the 48-month rule. You can compare welcome bonuses, see which cards operate in separate families, and filter by rewards type to find cards you're actually eligible for.
Instead of piecing together bonus eligibility from multiple sources, Kudos displays welcome offers, earning rates, and annual fees side by side. This helps you decide whether to wait out the 48-month clock on a Citi card or pivot to another issuer's bonus in the meantime.
Final Thoughts
The Citi 48-month rule is one of the trickier pieces of the credit card rewards puzzle. But by understanding its nuances—what it is, how it works, and which cards it affects—you've gained a powerful tool for optimizing your strategy.
Remember to read the specific terms and conditions for any card you're considering. Those application terms are your definitive source and can change over time. By being informed and strategic, you can successfully earn valuable welcome bonuses and avoid discovering you weren't eligible after the fact.
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Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are those of Kudos alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
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