Consumer complaint received 2024-10-25 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Other features, terms, or problems — Other problem
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: TX

Complaint narrative:
XXXX. Got new card associated with XXXX, made a few purchases XX/XX/XXXX : XXXX Downloaded citi mobile app, set up account, set up alerts, associate my account with my phone number and email address, add security word 3. Accessed account online ( with computer via web browser ) and set up auto pay 4. Called City to limit data sharing options 4. this is when the problems began : Tried to add card to my mobile wallet on my XXXX. XXXX said call a number to get verification. I called the number. Then : a. They ask me for my card number and security word : I give it b. They ask me if I have another Citi account : no c. They ask me for another mobile phone # to send a code to verify my account as they can't use my mobile number for some reason ( for 48 hours -- the account is " too new '' ) : I give them my work cell. They say they can't text it because it's my company 's phone. 
d. I give them a XXXX XXXX number : they say they can't text it e. I offer for them to send me an email, they decline XXXX They suggest if I " have a secretary at work '' I could hand them the phone and they could say that I'm me -- I explain this isn't XXXX and we don't have " secretaries '' and I work from home g. They suggest if I have a land line they can call that -- I explain I haven't had a land line since XXXX h. I say nevermind, I'll call back next week and deal with it later, thank you -- I end the call ( politely and don't hang up ) i. I login to my account later in the day and it says I can't use my credit card and that I need to call a number j. I call the number and it's explained to me that I must wait for a letter to arrive via US mail and verify a code I receive on the physical letter before I can use my card again k. I try to escalate this with various phone calls and am told there is no way around this I can log into my account on my mobile device and online. I can give citibank money ( pay my bill ) and they trust that it's me enough to take my money, but put a hold on my account all for a feature ( apple wallet ) I don't really need that much but was a nice to have. They didn't tell me they were going to send me a letter. I got penalized for following their process. I did the best I could to give them alternate ways to contact me and they didn't allow it and punished me for it. I fraudulently could have handed the phone to a random person and told them to tell Citi that it was " me '' and they wouldn't have known better ; their suggestion that I use a " secretary '' at my workplace is crazy. 

I'm not the only one with this issue. Citi has restricted use of my card and left me to receive a letter via " snail mail '' all to use my card again when all I wanted to do is activate a feature I don't really need. Yet they are comfortable with taking my money if I pay them and otherwise I can access my account in any other way, provide a security word, email address, etc. 

it's some of the worst customer service i've ever experienced. I would warn people against getting a credit card at XXXX with Citi.

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