Consumer complaint received 2026-03-04 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Advertising and marketing, including promotional offers — Didn't receive advertised or promotional terms
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: IL

Complaint narrative:
On XX/XX/year>, I was purchasing a flight to XXXX while logged into my XXXX XXXX XXXX account. During checkout, a promotion was prominently displayed offering XXXX bonus miles and travel benefits after spending {$3500.00} within the XXXX XXXX months upon approval for the Citi XXXX XXXX XXXX AAdvantage credit card. I applied for the card directly through the promotional link displayed on the XXXX XXXX website. After completing the application and qualifying, the card was approved and opened. I immediately used that same newly approved card to purchase my flight. Approximately XXXX week later, after receiving and activating the card, I contacted XXXX customer service to confirm the promotional bonus. The representative advised me to provide proof of the offer via email. I explained that the promotion was displayed directly on the XXXX XXXX checkout page when I applied. He instructed me to take a screenshot and email it to XXXX. I sent the requested documentation along with my account information XXXX separate times and received no response. When I called again, another representative informed me that her supervisor requested I wait XXXX business days for an email response. On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a letter stating that the offer could only be applied to a new account and could not be applied to an existing account. The letter further stated : We are unable to adjust your account based on a new generic online bonus offer. This response is concerning, as I opened the card directly through the promotional link while logged into my account and completed a new application at that time. Additionally, I contacted XXXX XXXX, who confirmed that the credit card application was initiated through their website and that a new account was opened, indicating that I should be eligible for the advertised bonus. Given these facts, I believe the promotion was misleading and has not been honored despite meeting the stated requirements. I respectfully request that this matter be reviewed and corrected, and that the XXXX bonus miles promotion be applied to my account as advertised. If you'd like, I can also help tailor this for submission to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ( CFPB ), Better Business Bureau ( BBB ), or a formal escalation email. tailor to CFPB Here is a version tailored specifically for submission to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ( CFPB ). It is structured clearly, factual, and avoids emotional language while still firmly stating the issue : Company Name : Citibank ( Citi ) Product : Credit Card XXXX XXXX XXXX Credit Card Issue : Promotional bonus not honored / Misleading advertising Complaint : On XX/XX/year>, while logged into my XXXX XXXX XXXX account, I was purchasing a flight when a promotional offer was displayed during checkout. The promotion stated that I would receive XXXX bonus miles and travel benefits after spending {$3500.00} in purchases within the first XXXX months upon approval for the Citi XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX credit card. I applied for the card directly through the promotional link displayed on the XXXX XXXX website. I completed the application at that time, was approved, and a new credit card account was opened. I immediately used that newly approved card to purchase my flight the same day. After receiving and activating the card approximately XXXX week later, I contacted Citi customer service to confirm the promotional offer was attached to my account. The representative requested that I provide proof of the promotion via email. I explained that the offer was displayed on the XXXX XXXX checkout page when I applied. He instructed me to take a screenshot and email it to XXXX. I sent the requested documentation along with my account information a total of XXXX times and received no response. When I called again, another representative advised me to wait XXXX business days for a response from a supervisor. On XX/XX/year>, I received a letter stating that the offer could only be applied to a new account and could not be applied to an existing account. The letter also stated : We are unable to adjust your account based on a new generic online bonus offer. This explanation is inconsistent with the facts. I opened a new credit card account directly through the promotional link on the XXXX XXXX website while logged into my account. Additionally, I contacted XXXX XXXX, which confirmed that the credit card application was initiated through their website and that a new account was opened, indicating that I should be eligible for the promotional bonus. Despite multiple attempts to resolve this directly with Citi, the matter has not been corrected. I believe the promotional offer has not been honored as advertised.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation