Citi® Card Benefits - FICO® Score (2024)

FAQs

What FICO score is needed for Citi credit card? ›

Credit requirements: Most Citi credit cards require a good to excellent credit score of 700 to 750+ for approval, but there are options for people with lower scores as well.

What score model does Citi use and why is the score range different from others? There are various score models available in the marketplace. The FICO^® Score we deliver is based on data from Equifax using the FICO^® Bankcard Score 8 model.

Credit bureau used by Citi

Citi pulls credit data from all three credit bureaus depending on the applicant's home state. If you apply for a loan, Citi will review your score from all three bureaus. Citi credit cardholders also get complimentary access to FICO score information through Equifax.

Citi doesn't publish specifics on what credit scores you need in order to be accepted for its cards. But, you'll usually need a good to excellent credit score of at least 670 to be approved for a rewards credit card such as the Citi Rewards+.

The most difficult Citi card to get is the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi, since it's their only consumer card that requires excellent credit to qualify. You also need to join Costco if you're not already a member and earn enough income to afford monthly payments on the card.

You will need a fair to excellent credit score to qualify for the best Citi credit cards. A fair score is generally considered 580 to 669, a good credit score ranges from 670 to 739 and an excellent score is 740 and above.

Citi more than likely will make a hard inquiry upon your credit report when evaluating your application for a credit account. If you remain in good standing with Citi, it will likely help your chances of getting approved for an additional card, but this doesn't guarantee you won't see another hard inquiry.

Why is my FICO® score different from my credit score? Your FICO Score is a credit score. But if your FICO score is different from another of your credit scores, it may be that the score you're viewing was calculated using one of the other scoring models that exist.

Have you seen both of your scores and questioned, “Why is my VantageScore^® different than my FICO^® Score?” It's because there are differences in how each company weighs categories and information within their own scoring models. This can result in slightly different scores.

Most cards offered by Citi require a good to excellent credit score—670 to over 800. The cards with such requirements are some of the most rewarding cards offered, but there are options if your score is not quite at that level.

What is the easiest Citi card to get? ›

The Citi® Secured Mastercard® is the easiest Citi credit card to get because it's the only Citi card that will accept applicants with limited credit (less than 3 years of credit history). The Citi Secured card requires a $200 refundable security deposit, but it has a $0 annual fee.

What credit score do you need to get a Citi Diamond Preferred card? Apply with a good to excellent credit score (a 670–850 FICO score or a 661–850 VantageScore) for your best chance to qualify for a Citi Diamond Preferred card.

The Citi® Secured Mastercard® is the easiest Citi credit card to get because it's the only Citi card that will accept applicants with limited credit (less than 3 years of credit history). The Citi Secured card requires a $200 refundable security deposit, but it has a $0 annual fee.

For a score with a range between 300 and 850, a credit score of 700 or above is generally considered good. A score of 800 or above on the same range is considered to be excellent. Most consumers have credit scores that fall between 600 and 750.

Experian is the most commonly used source that Citi will draw a report from, but there's no guarantee that they won't decide to pull a different or additional report from another reporting agency. If you're not certain your score is good enough to be approved, you can work on improving your credit.

A credit score of about 700+ will likely qualify you for just about any credit card, including those with cash back rewards, lower annual percentage rates (APRs) and more. However, there are plenty of cards you can get with a score lower than this (more on that later).