Update: One or more card offers in this post are no longer available. Check our Hot Deals for the latest offers.
I wrote about funding a CitiGold checking account with a credit card to earn American Airlines miles and meet minimum spending requirements.
You can no longer fund these accounts with a credit card, but if you qualify, you can still earn the 50,000 American Airlines mile bonus when you meet certain conditions. Just make sure you read the fine print.
But this deal ends March 31, 2016, (this Thursday).
I’ll explain if this deal is still worth it!
How to Earn 50,000 American Airlines Miles With a CitiGold Checking Account
Link: How to Meet Minimum Spending Requirements (and Earn 50,000 American Airlines Miles)
Link: Citigold 50,000 American Airlines Miles Offer (Use Promotion Code “WD3QFS2Y4C”)
This deal is only open to new CitiGold account holders and is technically targeted. So it’s a good idea to call Citi and make sure you qualify. Here’s how to earn the 50,000 American Airlines miles:
- Apply for the account online or call 800-374-9500 to apply by March 31, 2016
- Use promotion code “WD3QFS2Y4C”
- Make at least $1,000 in debit card transactions in the 1st 60 days of opening your account, AND
- Make at least 1 bill payment for 2 or more consecutive calendar months within 60 days of account opening
There is a $30 monthly fee for the CitiGold checking account . But it’s waived the 1st 2 months. And you can cancel or downgrade to another account as soon as the 50,000 American Airlines miles post to your account.
You can NOT use credit cards at all to fund your new account. Instead, use a mobile check or routing and checking account number.
Get 2 Round-Trip Flights in Coach or 1 in Business Class
50,000 American Airlines miles is enough for 2 round-trip domestic coach tickets. Or a round-trip Business Class ticket to the Caribbean, Central America, or Mexico.
Folks on Reddit report it takes ~4 to ~5 months to receive the bonus, so you’ll have to keep the account for that long (and pay ~$60 in monthly fees). But as long as you don’t mind jumping through a few hoops, it’s worth it for 50,000 American Airlines miles!
That said, the easiest way to earn lots of American Airlines miles is by applying for credit cards like the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite™ Mastercard® or Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard®
Because you can transfer Starwood points to American Airlines at a 1:1 ratio, and you’ll earn a 5,000 mile bonus for every 20,000 points you transfer. Apply by March 30, 2016, to earn the better bonus.
Let me know if you get in on this deal!
The same thing happened to me. I opened the account and confirmed with 3 different reps that I was eligible. Then after 5 months had passed and I paid $60 in fees and no sign of bonus miles, I called to check. Today they told me it was a targeted offer and I wasn’t eligible. I got them to refund the fees and close my account but what a hassle and disappointment!!!!!
Hi, when I left a post on this site about Citi not posting the points when I met the conditions laid out for the Citigold account there were numerous other postings about the same issue. However, now there are only a few. I don’t see those posts nor mine. Are they deleted or just in another area? I’ve enjoyed your site for a long time so hope there isn’t a glitch or other issue that would lead to posts being deleted.
I called back and the rep I spoke with said that the reps in charge of opening new accounts over the phone can’t actually check your eligibility. When you ask them if you’re eligible and they say ‘yes’, all they’re affirming is that the promotion is still underway. Only people in the back office can check whether or not you’re individually eligible for the promotion. Hence I was told I was eligible when I opened the account, while in fact I was ineligible since I was not targeted for the promo. I pointed out that this was a flaw in their system! The rep I spoke with said she would escalate my complaint with her supervisor, but it didn’t sound like it would result in a more favorable outcome.
I called in to open an account before the deadline, and gave them the promo code when I did, which I had obtained from your post. The person I spoke with confirmed that I was eligible for the promo, so I went ahead and opened the account and fulfilled the requirements. When the miles never posted to my account, I called to ask about it, and Citi opened an investigation. Two weeks later they informed me that it was a targeted promo, and I was ineligible since I was not originally targeted for it. Is this normal? If I press further, is it possible that I might get them to honor the statement they made when I opened the account? Thanks!
@Matt – Sorry to hear about that! Citi has great customer service, so I’d ask again. Good luck!
If I purchase a money order at Walmart, will that count as Debit transaction?