How Long Do Citi Cards Take to Arrive? [2020]

A common question is “how long will my credit card take to arrive?”

Every issuer can be different and in this article, I’ll focus on how long it takes for Citi cards to arrive. I’ll discuss new approvals, lost and stolen cards, expedited deliveries, and how long you can expect to wait to receive product changes.

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How long do Citi cards take to arrive?

Citi states:

Once your application is approved, you will receive your card within 14 days.

You might also receive an email stating that your card will arrive in 7 to 10 days.

The actual delivery time from Citi can vary, however. A lot of people have received their cards within 7 days (four to five business days). So I would generally expect Citi take about 10 days to issue my credit card.

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Will Citi expedite my credit card delivery?

If you’ve just been approved for a new credit card, Citi will likely NOT allow you to expedite your card for delivery. Some people have had success in the past when requesting expedited delivery but generally Citi appears to decline those requests.

You might have some luck if you explain why you need that card expedited. For example, if you have a large and important purchase on the horizon, you might be able to persuade Citi to expedite your card for that purchase. I just wouldn’t go in expecting Citi to do so, however.

With the launch of the new Citi Prestige in January 2019, we might see Citi implement a new delivery system for its premium cards (but I wouldn’t count on it).

Lost or stolen cards?

If your card has been lost or stolen, Citi will usually send you a replacement card on an expedited basis. Citi actually has a way for you to track your replacement cards via mobile.

Upgrades and product changes

If you’ve upgraded, downgraded, or done a product change with Citi, there’s a good chance that you could be waiting a very long time for your new card to arrive. I’ve had to wait 6+ weeks for cards to arrive after a product change before. I’m not sure what takes so long but product changes seem to be on the bottom of the totem pole when it comes to delivery times.

Here are some cards I’ve had to wait a long time to receive when dealing with product changes and upgrades/downgrades:

• Citi DoubleCash
• Citi Diamond Preferred
• Citi Simplicity
• Citi Platinum Select
• Citi ThankYou Premier

What can you do if forced to wait?

If Citi takes longer than two weeks to issue your new card or they keep dragging things out with a product change delivery, then I suggest that you call in to check on the status of the delivery. You might have to do this on a continual basis but it might be necessary. You might be able to request an expedited delivery at some point if you’ve waited longer than what Citi stated you should expect to wait.

Also, you could try to request some form of compensation for your waiting time. I once was given 1,000 AA miles since my Citi Platinum Select card didn’t arrive before the stated time.

Final word

Citi has a bad reputation when it comes to their IT department and so credit card delivery times can be an issue you face when dealing with Citi. For new cards you should expect to receive them within 7 to 10 days but keep an eye out for how long it takes to receive your card. If it takes longer than what Citi stated it would, definitely call in and inquire about expediting and/or receiving compensation in the form of miles or points.