Consumer complaint received 2025-10-02 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Trouble using your card — Can't use card to make purchases
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: WA

Complaint narrative:
I recently signed up for a new XXXX XXXX XXXX  which is issued by Citi Bank NA. The card was received and activated during the second half of XX/XX/year> and I have been able to charge hundreds of dollars worth of purchases on the cards, in addition to already making a payment over {$500.00} on the card. 

On XX/XX/year> I tried to make XXXX purchases. XXXX for {$9.00} and another for {$4.00} and the card started to decline. I had to call in and verify my information over the phone. Citibank tried to claim their anti fraud systems detected fraudulent activity on the card, despite the fact that I had entered in all my information correctly including the XXXX digit CVV code. Citi did end up removing the block as I reattempted the purchase while they were still on the phone and the XXXX purchases that initially had declined, ended up being approved. 

On XX/XX/year> I again attempted to make a purchase for around {$29.00} approximately, from a merchant that I've already made multiple purchases from on this card, and was again blocked. 

I had to call into Citibank again to find out why the card is declining. The first representative I spoke with was essentially having me sit on hold for an extended period of time and wasn't really talking or communicating. So I asked to be transferred to someone else, in which she refused to do so and told me if I don't like the call, I can hang up and call someone else. So I called back a second time and asked to speak with a supervisor in the fraud department. 

Someone named XXXX came on the line and I explained the situation to her. She claimed that when I called in previously on XX/XX/XXXX, that Citibank supposedly did not remove the block on my card correctly. I explained to XXXX that this didn't really seem correct because I was able to immediately use the card again, following the removal of the block on XX/XX/XXXX, which included the merchant I was initially being denied from purchasing from. I've also been able to use the card at several other different merchants since the removal of the block on XX/XX/XXXX. I asked her to articulate exactly what it was that was not removed correctly on the card and how I was able to regain access to making purchases if the block wasn't actually removed the first time. 

XXXX stated that the fraud systems must have overlooked the block that she claims was supposedly not removed on XX/XX/XXXX, and just happened to kick into effect again on XX/XX/XXXX. So she couldn't really explain how I was able to regain access to purchasing for the past 4 days other than claiming their fraud system overlooked the purchases. I told her this doesn't really seem accurate to me and it sounds more like they just decided to place a second block on the account again. 

This has been a problem in the past with Citibank blocking a different credit card that I ended up closing with them within the last XXXX years approximately. They would constantly block the card for no reason, even with well established account history. Now that I have this new XXXX XXXX card with them, they are immediately starting the same pattern of attempting to block the card for no reason, and then coming up with bogus excuses as to why it's repeatedly being blocked. 

I believe that this is part of a harassment campaign that has taken place at every single financial institution that I use, whether it be regular banking, or credit cards, credit bureaus, and even past complaints filed with CFPB. All of these little technical problems started occurring on all of my accounts everywhere in the past XXXX years following a harassment campaign with law enforcement in my area. It has become a pattern to where my cards will be blocked for no reason, whether they are debit or credit cards, and regardless of the financial institution. There's never any solid explanation as to why it keeps occurring from any institution that I have complained to or about. Prior to XXXX years ago, I rarely, if ever, had any issues with my payment cards being constantly blocked, especially across multiple financial institutions. Now this is a common occurrence that happens almost on a monthly basis, regardless of the institution.

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 non-monetary relief