Citibank AT&T Access More Card - $650 Smartphone Rebate

Gloobnib

Travel Burninator
Via Dr. of Credit - Citibank announced a new AT&T co-branded card that has a $650 SignUp Bonus in the form of a smartphone "rebate":

AT&T Access More Card from Citi - In Depth Review

The timing on this is very fortuitous for me as my employer recently switched from a 'company provided phone/plan' to a 'company provided monthly stipend'. Before I heard of this offer, I was literally ready to buy a (new to me) iPhone 5/6 this weekend and consolidate all of my families' cellular service into a single AT&T Family Share Plan.

After a moderate level of effort perusing the T&Cs (nothing alarming that I could find), I pulled the trigger on this offer today. I was immediately approved for a $7,500 CL and the card will be here within 1 week. The $7500 CL is comparatively paltry for me, as banks typically have been giving me $35K-$50K initial CLs but $7.5K is enough for my immediate purposes.

Before this offer came out, I was on the fence between buying a referbished 5S (32GB for $450ish) or possibly a "like new" 6 (32GB for $700ish). I was quite conflicted between wanting a recent generation 6 to provide a level of future-proofing, versus the somewhat outlandish pricetag. While I would have loved to buy a 6 Plus with the larger screen (and better for my aging eyes), there was no way I could justify to myself the $850 pricetag. With this offer, I'm going to go all-in and get the 64GB 6 Plus for a total cost to me of $295ish dollars ($850 phone cost, less $650 signup bonus, plus $95 Annual Fee).

I will update the thread once I receive the card and/or more details on how to obtain said smartphone, along with any 'gotchas' that I encounter along the way.

Misc Details:
  • Initial CL of $7500
  • FICO Credit Scores: 800 on Equifax, 810 Transunion
  • FAKO Scores: 830 (Citi/Equifax), 730 (Cap1/Transunion), 770 (US Bank/Experian)
  • Hard pull bureau: TBD
 

jleey98

Level 2 Member
Question is... will there be 3x on Amex GC or giftcardmall purchases and no cash advance. Latest data shows some citi cards not posting cash advances for Amex GC purchases at least. It will be interesting to say the least if this is tested and turns out to be true...
 

thepaul500

Level 2 Member
Watching this one. I'm getting this card in place of a 50k Exec IF I can get a Nexus 6 out of it....

If, once you get the purchase link, wouldn;t mind sharing that info would be awesome. Thanks for biting the bullet!
 

sriki

Level 2 Member
I just the for the thank you premier card the day before this came out. So, as soon as the 8 days are up, I'm going for this. Hope, this offer is as good as it seems.
 

BuddyFunJet

Level 2 Member
I bit on this card also. Rather than immediate OK, I got the call in message. When I called, they said they could only approve $2k due to my other cards at Citi. I asked if they could move $20k off my Citi Hilton, they said OK and I now have a workable limit.

If your current limit is low, you might try to move from other cards. I wanted a highish limit to use the online multiplier fully.
 

raenye

Lever 2 Membel
Please update on what is considered retail.
It should be relevant for the no-AF Access card too (2x retail) which we can probably downgrade other Citi cards to.
 

druiddation

Level 2 Member
Watching this one. I'm getting this card in place of a 50k Exec IF I can get a Nexus 6 out of it....

If, once you get the purchase link, wouldn;t mind sharing that info would be awesome. Thanks for biting the bullet!
I'm eager to find that out as well. I see that at&t is listed as an option for purchasing the Nexus 6 but waiting to see if it will be offered from their special link.

I'm also a bit concerned about getting an additional hard pull when signing up for a month of service with them.
 

raenye

Lever 2 Membel
I'm eager to find that out as well. I see that at&t is listed as an option for purchasing the Nexus 6 but waiting to see if it will be offered from their special link.

I'm also a bit concerned about getting an additional hard pull when signing up for a month of service with them.
Can't you have a security deposit instead of an HP?
 

Yeshu

Level 2 Member
I was reading the comments section on DoC's blog and it looks like only post-paid plans are eligible. Now, you can sign up the cheapest post-pain plan and cancel (because you are buying the phone by paying full-price) and there is no contract involved. However, what's concerning is the hard pull associated with getting into a post-paid contract (even if is 1 month contract)..
 
You are correct as I understa it. I would need to sign up for a post paid plan and cancel. I would also need to get the phone unlocked before jumping to Ting. It's a long and pretty convoluted proposition.
Thanks for pointing out that signing up for a plan with AT&T means a hard pull. That's not likely a dealbreaker for me but could be for some people.
 

henrygeorge

Level 2 Member
I know it's a good 6 months off, but I'm holding off on the next iteration of the Nexus phone. I've had a Note 2 phablet for almost 2 years, and I'm ready to go back to a 4.7-5 inch phone. Picking up Nexus to have the option of Project Fi.
 

druiddation

Level 2 Member
I was reading the comments section on DoC's blog and it looks like only post-paid plans are eligible. Now, you can sign up the cheapest post-pain plan and cancel (because you are buying the phone by paying full-price) and there is no contract involved. However, what's concerning is the hard pull associated with getting into a post-paid contract (even if is 1 month contract)..
I was concerned about the same thing. Above raenye asked, "Can't you have a security deposit instead of an HP?" I hadn't considered that before but a lot of people have bad enough credit that at&t has procedures in place for a security deposit in lieu of sufficient credit. Perhaps a credit freeze after getting approved for the Citi card but before signing up for the phone service. Would be a great selling point for the card if at&t could use the same hard pull that Citi used within a certain amount of days. It looks like it could take a bit of time to get your security deposit. Maybe if they let us use a credit card to make the deposit would offset that wait.
 

Yeshu

Level 2 Member
@druiddation , almost all the major providers allow for a security deposit in lieu of a hard pull..The amount varies, but is usually not less than $250. If it is a hassle getting back that amount (in the form of a cheque, for example), I don't know if this card is worth signing up for.

Only reason I would go for this card is to get the next iphone for nearly free. Plus ATT will unlock no-contract phones, I think. Otherwise, there's always ebay. For me, even if isn't unlocked, it is not a problem because I prefer ATT phones and I have always been on the ATT network. I think as more and more folks sign up for this card, we will have more datapoints. Plus DoC will update his blogpost as well, so be on the lookout for that.
 

raenye

Lever 2 Membel
almost all the major providers allow for a security deposit in lieu of a hard pull..The amount varies, but is usually not less than $250. If it is a hassle getting back that amount (in the form of a cheque, for example), I don't know if this card is worth signing up for.
Wait.
3x at AT&T.
Did you just say "extra 750 TY points"?
Can I opt for a significantly higher security deposit? I'm terribly unreliable, I tell you.
 

druiddation

Level 2 Member
Unlocking isn't a major concern. One of my first jobs was with a cell phone company back when there was only an A and B carrier for each area. Their non-customer service attitude that was prevalent led me to the conclusion that I would never sign a cell phone contract (sidenote: I signed my first one 23 months ago). In the past I purchased slightly outdated phones from family and friends. The one time that they couldn't get it unlocked for me I went online and paid $9.99 and it was unlocked within 24 hours.
 

thepaul500

Level 2 Member
grrr, chickened out and applied/approved for another citi exec card instead (highest credit limit from citi yet!!)...I'm so ashamed...hopefully in 8 days we will have a few data points on the card. :)
 

phantasmic

Level 2 Member
i don't know where to talk about this, but some people in this thread seem to be interested in AT&T. TCB is offering $350 cb for a new contract or even NEXT sign up. offer ends tomorrow. of course it excludes iphone 6 and 6 plus but includes older versions. this gives me a better incentive to try out Nexus 6 in case Project Fi is worthwhile.

Edit: just posted over in Other deals just in case that's the right place - https://saverocity.com/forum/threads/350-cashback-for-new-at-t-service-excludes-iphone-6.175959/
 
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Gloobnib

Travel Burninator
I received my card, activated it, and was able to access my 'special offer' link in the Account Management tab for the $650 phone rebate. I was then able to purchase a new iPhone 6 plus at 'standard' retail pricing (see below).

So far so good with this card and this offer. No 'gotchas' as all of the terms/conditions match what most I surmised based upon their initial press release. In short: $2K minimum spend in 3 months. Must buy a new phone direct from AT&T and must activate it for a minimum of 15 days with AT&T. Price and availability of phones appears to be the same as the public-facing AT&T wireless website. I fully expect that I will get a $650 credit on my bill sometime 'soonish'.

FWIW - My teens are already on a family share plan, so I just added my 'new' phone to their existing plan. During the checkout process I was able to provide information on porting the phone #.

Pricing for the phones that I looked at is as follows:

iPhone 6 - $649.99 to 849.99
iphone 6 plus - $749.99 - $949.99
iphone 5c - $449.99
iphone 5s - $549.99 - $599.99

Samsung Galaxy S6 - $684.99 to 884.99
Samsumg Galaxy S6 edge - $814.99 to 1014.99
Samsung Galaxy S5 - $569.99
Samsung Galaxy S5 Active - $579.99

Hope this is useful!
 

thepaul500

Level 2 Member
Thank you Gloobnib!

Any chance you can still see if they have a price for the Nexus 6, or if it is on there at all?
 

Gloobnib

Travel Burninator
Thank you Gloobnib!

Any chance you can still see if they have a price for the Nexus 6, or if it is on there at all?
My link went away after the purchase. But from what I could tell, the phone list/prices were exactly the same as on the Smartphones tab of the attwireless website.
 

Yeshu

Level 2 Member
My link went away after the purchase. But from what I could tell, the phone list/prices were exactly the same as on the Smartphones tab of the attwireless website.
thanks for the datapoint. I think I will apply for this card soon.
 

thepaul500

Level 2 Member
Awesome! Now, this really isnt a better deal than 50k AA miles...but...its something I can actually use/need(?)
 

Gloobnib

Travel Burninator
Awesome! Now, this really isnt a better deal than 50k AA miles...but...its something I can actually use/need(?)
Yeah it is a somewhat unique beast with a 'different' value proposition that most cash back/points cards.

And wouldn't you know it, in my snail mail yesterday I received the targeted Citi Prestige 100K offer. I *think* that was on its way to me before I signed up for this one, but the timing is somewhat curious. Oh well, that offer is too good to pass up, so I'm gonna jump on that one too! It will probably be 30 days or so before I apply for it.

To think, until 10 days ago I was completely dismissing Citi as an issuer since all of their signup bonuses/programs were just kinda 'Meh' to me.
 

Gloobnib

Travel Burninator
I will update the thread once I receive the card and/or more details on how to obtain said smartphone, along with any 'gotchas' that I encounter along the way.
Update: After trying to purchase the phone and port the number, I came across a couple of gotchas that others should be aware of.
  • When buying through your 'personalized link' you cannot select 'pick up in store'; the phone has to be shipped to you.
  • If you elect to port a number at the time of the order, this means you will be without a working phone number for 3-5 days, since they port your number to the new phone and THEN ship the phone to you. Nowhere during the ordering process do they tell you that (unless it is in tiny fine print in the T&Cs). Simply unfathomable that they think anyone would be OK with that.
  • **I highly recommend that you don't port your number using their automated website**. Besides the above issue, my order got stuck in a kafka-esque carrier limbo where neither my old carrier (T-mobile) nor AT&T could could figure out the magic 4-digit code that would allow the port to proceed. Nor could they figure out how to cancel the port request. It literally took 4+ hours, 11 calls, (including 4 'accidental disconnects' from AT&T), and 3 escalations before I was able to get through to somebody at AT&T who suggested the best thing to do would be to just cancel the order and start again.
So I am sort of back to square one. I have a new phone on the way that will have new telephone number associated with it. I will need to take the phone in-store once I receive it and port the number in person. I'm hoping that will proceed a little more smoothly since the in-store people can't hang up on me!
 

Gloobnib

Travel Burninator
I will update the thread once I receive the card...
A few more updates:
  • After the fiasco with porting the number online (see previous post), I asked for a new phone number with my new phone. The new phone shipped overnight (not 3-5 days as the CSR told me) and I was able to activate the new number at home. Same day, I took it into the local AT&T store and they were able to port my old t-mobile number to the new phone in under 20 minutes. Hopefully this won't screw up the 'activate phone for 15 days' requirement for the $650 rebate.
  • I still do not see the CB inquiry on either my Equifax or Transunion reports. So they either pulled Experian or they did a soft inquiry for me (I am an existing Citi customer for 20+ years).
Also, the first month statement closed in the last couple of days and my TYPs posted thusly:
3X on the purchase of the phone (duh)
3x on Amazon purchases (case and screen protector for the phone)
1x at Target (quick way to meet minimum spend)​
 

Cbass98

Level 2 Member
how much did it cost you to activate the phone, etc to be put on the family shared plan? I have Tmo and don't want to activate an entirely new line to do this. what's the cheapest it'll cost me if I add a new line to my buddy's account? thanks.
 

damanjeff6

Level 2 Member
A few more updates:
Also, the first month statement closed in the last couple of days and my TYPs posted thusly:
3X on the purchase of the phone (duh)
3x on Amazon purchases (case and screen protector for the phone)
1x at Target (quick way to meet minimum spend)​
Was the Target charge in store or online?
 

Gloobnib

Travel Burninator
Was the Target charge in store or online?
In-store (redbird)

how much did it cost you to activate the phone, etc to be put on the family shared plan? I have Tmo and don't want to activate an entirely new line to do this. what's the cheapest it'll cost me if I add a new line to my buddy's account? thanks.
As far as I can tell, it didn't cost anything to activate it and add it to our existing share plan. There is a $25/month/line fee for service for smartphones.
 

NannersOahu

Pacifist in the Pacific
Hi-I was looking at different CITI cards and caught the ATT Access Card with
3x TY points for every dollar spent at retail and travel websites
3x TY points for ATT purchase
plus $650 for a new phone

Anyone use this card?

Thanks,
Nanners
 

NannersOahu

Pacifist in the Pacific
Thanks for the merge:D
I just got the card and will be trying GCM for Visas to see if I get 3x TY points. I think it is better than the 1 point I am getting at Simon.
 

NannersOahu

Pacifist in the Pacific
CITI ATT More Access for Gift Card Mall definitely posts as a purchase, but I set my CA to zero just in case. I see Misc/other Retailers on my statement. Still don't know if I am getting the 3 TYPs but will keep everyone posted when I get my next statement. The CITI CSR didn't know either...

I just got a new phone (16GB iphone 6 plus white/gold-$749.99) with the More Access card from an ATT retailer. I think I messed up though. I am due for a new phone bc my contract is up this June. I should have bought a phone that I intended to resell (resell for about $500 (750-650 credit=100. 500-100=400 Cash for me give or take taxes and time) versus a phone for myself. Not bad with 750*3=2250 TYPs as well.

I can easily get this phone unlocked as I paid full price, I once tried to unlock a contract phone with ATT and it was a arduous and fruitless process. Then I could have kept the contract phone (free+state taxes) for myself. Just FYI if you are planning to pick up the phone and have a free contract phone coming up.
 
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