Consumer complaint received 2025-05-23 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Closing your account — Company closed your account
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: ID

Complaint narrative:
My wife and I had the same Citibank Mastercard for more than XXXX  years. She was the primary card holder, but I was also on the account and we each had a card. She died XX/XX/XXXX, but since so many of our monthly autopays continued for 27 months, and because I was on the account and had my own card with my name on it, I continued to use our card to purchase around {$120000.00} of various items between her death and XX/XX/XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX, I attempted to use the XXXX rewards points we had built up on this card, was unable to do so online, and called Citibank customer service to remedy. In the course of the call, they asked about the primary, XXXX XXXX, and I explained that she's been dead for 2 years, I've told Citibank this information twice over the phone over the XXXX  years, I'm the account cardholder as well and have used the card for {$120000.00} of purchases, all of that paid off in full and on time, etc. They informed me that, because she's dead, I couldn't redeem any points for gift cards, but only for cash at some pathetic redemption value, and to write their Thank You Points department and request the redemption in cash. I mailed that request letter on XX/XX/XXXX. I also wrote their Customer Service a letter on the same day telling them how appalling it is that because a spouse dies, the survivor, despite putting XXXX of thousands of $ on the card and never being late on payment, is now undesirable to Citibank. I told them that I've moved all my auto-pays over to another XXXX  XXXX card, and specifically that, upon receiving my points-in-cash redemptions and upon paying off my {$9000.00} balance on the XX/XX/XXXX due date, I would likely close this account. On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a letter from Citibank informing me that because XXXX XXXX has been dead for more than 1 year, they refuse to redeem any of the points for cash! That seems pretty fraudulent since it was never explained to me and doesn't appear anywhere on their website. Also on XX/XX/XXXX, I received an alert from a vendor ( an auto-pay I had forgotten to move to another credit card ) that my Citibank payment XXXX been rejected. So on XX/XX/XXXX, I went to check the Citibank account online to find out the amount outstanding, pay that amount, and close the account immediately, out of anger. Upon trying to log in to the Citibank account, I'm unable to do so, and see only a red line notice that the account is closed and to call this phone number. I call the phone number and it's a debt collector! Without ever being informed by Citibank in any form whatsoever -- in writing, via text or email or app, or via phone call -- I learned that not only has Citibank closed this account but has also turned it over to a debt collector ( who's also closed for the next 3 days, by the way )! No late payment! No non-payment, no payment due until XX/XX/XXXX, yet Citibank closes the account without any communication me whatsoever, refuses to communicate with me by blocking access to phone or chat communication based upon the account being abruptly closed, and turns me over to a debt collector! ps : of course, Citibank has, by design, made any effort by me to get statements, recent / outstanding purchases, etc, as they've closed the account and I can't get into the account online.

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