Citibank upgrading fee free Gold to fee free Platinum

[Flashback]

Well, Citibank mustn't like me. I've received my new card, and it's still silver. That's with putting through 6k/month minimum..... oh well.

 

[oz_mark]

Well, Citibank mustn't like me. I've received my new card, and it's still silver. That's with putting through 6k/month minimum..... oh well.

Sometimes banks upgrade low transactors as a way to encourage them to spend more. Also interchange fees on plat cards are higher. As a high transactor they may be covering their costs, so no need to push you up.

 

[serfty]

I have just about decided not to upgrade - the word employed twice was "Currently" - I balance this against "free for the life of the card". :-|

 

[beardoc]

Just checked the mail to find I've received the same old Gold Card. No Platinum upgrade it seems.

I'd love to work out what constitutes criteria for an upgrade - seems that a number of people that consistently use the card over a number of years miss out, but people that just get the card as a secondary card and rarely use it get an upgrade to Platinum.

Not that I'm complaining about anyone else getting the upgrade - I just admit I'm a little mystefied as to why I might not be eligible as well.

 

[vilemerchant]

Got a call from CB last night.

'Mr Vilemerchant, I'm calling you about a special offer we have for you'

Yay, this will be my upgrade I'm thinking. What is it? Some spiel about that freakin CreditShield rort!

 

[orac]

I am not sure what is going on with CitiBank. I am the same as most of the posters in that my Gold card was automatically up-graded to Platinium this month when the new chip enhanced card arrived.

I am normally suspicious of banks/credit card suppliers, etc ,who try to convince you that they are giving you something for nothing as down the track it there is usually a catch somewhere.

Maybe it has something to do with Qantas locking credit cards into sweeping the points directly to Qantas by removing the choice we had (refer the threads on AMEX and Qantas). Talking on a number of occasions this month to AMEX on what is happening and my options, they have been adamant that the same will happen to CitiBank as Qantas "are getting out of the financial sector" and November is the date being mentioned by AMEX call centre staff.

Perhaps this a why CitBank are trying to lock customers into a better Platinum deal before the Qantas direction with AMEX and other cards arrives at CitiBank??

I don't think it is just for our benefit. There has to be something else there. Perhaps the "black helicopters" are among us.

 

[eecchhoo]

Well .. i didn't get my Silver fee free upgraded.. they only sent me a new card with the chip.

I don't use my silver as last year CB waived 1 year for my gold one.

If next year they are not waiving my gold card i'll just use the silver card.

Oh well .. seems like they don't upgrade everyone.

 

[bazzam]

hmmm am beginning to regret my decision to upgrade. Anyone know the likelihood of Citibank allowing me to "downgrade" back to gold?

 

[vbap]

Hi All,

FYI (and sorry if already mentioned) but you can keep your old online userID tied to your new card. Just log on to the old account first, and choose the option to change you user ID (in Account Servcies). Change it to something like <myuseridold>. You can now create your "new" account using the original <myuserid>.

Just tried it with my accounts and it worked fine.

cheers,
vbap

 

[beardoc]

I just called and had a very nice chat to a CSO at Citibank Cards, who told me a few things:

* Just because you got your usual Silver or Gold chip card in the mail does NOT mean that you won't receive an offer of an upgrade to Platinum yet.
* The offers of upgrades to Platinum started in August, and will continue until October. Not all the upgrade offers have gone out, as they are doing them in batches.
* The promotion ends in November.

So maybe I will continue to wait and see if I get an upgrade offer. Despite my concerns, if I can be assured it will remain at the same annual fee that I am getting my Gold card for ("fee-free-for-life") then I will upgrade.

 

[ellein]

Few days ago, I received an envelope from CB and was excited thinking my platinum card arrived. But in the end it was my statement.

Today I received my card! But I am bit reluctant to upgrade. Because i use card pretty much in overseas and this is my only credit card so far, I wonder will I need to pay higher fees / overseas transactions fees on this card as compared to gold card?

 

[alemdohorizonte]

Hi All,

FYI (and sorry if already mentioned) but you can keep your old online userID tied to your new card. Just log on to the old account first, and choose the option to change you user ID (in Account Servcies). Change it to something like <myuseridold>. You can now create your "new" account using the original <myuserid>.

Just tried it with my accounts and it worked fine.

cheers,
vbap

thanks. this worked like a charm

 

[gregff]

Today I received my card! But I am bit reluctant to upgrade. Because i use card pretty much in overseas and this is my only credit card so far, I wonder will I need to pay higher fees / overseas transactions fees on this card as compared to gold card?

I'm not aware of anything in the T&C's that give different transaction fees for o/s from gold. I reckon that it is a good deal $250 Platinum for free! I am guessing that Gold and Silver card holders will get a reduced deal in the future for Qantas FF transfers given what I read on these boards relating the Qantas and that CB are trying to upgrade us to the premium platinum card to ensure we aren't disadvantaged.

 

[bazzam]

I'm not aware of anything in the T&C's that give different transaction fees for o/s from gold. I reckon that it is a good deal $250 Platinum for free! I am guessing that Gold and Silver card holders will get a reduced deal in the future for Qantas FF transfers given what I read on these boards relating the Qantas and that CB are trying to upgrade us to the premium platinum card to ensure we aren't disadvantaged.

I admire you optimism but doubt that Citibank is doing this solely for our benefit. Think of the expense they are going through to run this campaign. They have to prepare new cards, mail them out, take the phone calls and so on. Not cheap. Why would they care that we may get less FF points down the track? In fact if they were to devalue the conversion ratio of gold cards, some of use may have been tempted to pay for Platinum upgrade to ensure that we got a better conversion ratio. By giving this away for free there has to be something big in it for them that we are not privy to at this point. We may only see the rational in 6 months or a year.

 

[gregff]

I figure that they are being forced (through market forces or through Visa or MC) to reissue their cards to be chip containing (else they are going to be hard to use in the UK etc) so it is a good time to upgrade people - and they also win by collecting part of the higher scheme fee for premium cards.
We get plat and possibly a better rewards program, they get extra $. Risk is that merchants pass on a surcharge, but then people will vote with their feet. (There are a lot of premium cards out there - affinity cards - e.g. ALL the quantas ones, probably earth, BP- and all the business cards and its hard to know whether a card is premium until the card is swiped - and then in most cases it is too late to surcharge without cancelling and redoing the transaction - leading to a waste of time! For merchant and customer)

 

[netjock]

I am inclined not to upgrade. I am sure if they try to suck me in now they will also try to suck me in later.

I have fired off an email to see if they can clarify if Annual Fee Free will remain if you upgrade to Platinum and also if any T&Cs will change (other than for travel insurance/purchase protection).

Might be inclined once they clarify their position regarding annual fees.

 

[kpc]

One of the less obvious but important benefits of the Plat card over the Gold card is that you no longer have to speak to India etc

 

[vilemerchant]

I am inclined not to upgrade. I am sure if they try to suck me in now they will also try to suck me in later.

I have fired off an email to see if they can clarify if Annual Fee Free will remain if you upgrade to Platinum and also if any T&Cs will change (other than for travel insurance/purchase protection).

Might be inclined once they clarify their position regarding annual fees.

This has been clarified numerous times in this thread already.

 

[arinko]

One of the less obvious but important benefits of the Plat card over the Gold card is that you no longer have to speak to India etc

The call centre is in the Philippines.

 

[oz_mark]

The call centre is in the Philippines.

Given the accents that's exactly where I thought it was.