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

[Gloobnib]

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.

I may be mistaken, but I'm pretty sure you have to buy the phone through their online store in order to qualify for the rebate. The T&Cs for the signup bonus state (or stated when I signed up) that you need to purchase through 'your personal link' that is available once you login to the citi website. I'm pretty sure that your purchase gets click-tracked (like when ordering through a portal) when you do it that way. If you buy in-store, there is nothing to click-track.

I tried mightily to find a way to buy in-store, but ultimately I had to buy online and have it shipped to me. Still waiting for the $650 credit to post. Sent a SM to Citi and I got a cut/paste answer saying that the credit will post within 2 cycles of when I complete my minimum spend. So for me, that means sometime in the next 5-6 weeks.

Also, FWIW I bought the 16GB 6-Plus in space grey. You mentioned in another thread that you weren't certain if the 6 plus was popular. I can tell you that it is an extremely popular choice within my company (IT consulting), so hopefully you won't have too much issue reselling if you need to.

 

[NannersOahu]

I may be mistaken, but I'm pretty sure you have to buy the phone through their online store in order to qualify for the rebate. The T&Cs for the signup bonus state (or stated when I signed up) that you need to purchase through 'your personal link' that is available once you login to the citi website. I'm pretty sure that your purchase gets click-tracked (like when ordering through a portal) when you do it that way. If you buy in-store, there is nothing to click-track.
I tried mightily to find a way to buy in-store, but ultimately I had to buy online and have it shipped to me. Still waiting for the $650 credit to post. Sent a SM to Citi and I got a cut/paste answer saying that the credit will post within 2 cycles of when I complete my minimum spend. So for me, that means sometime in the next 5-6 weeks.
Also, FWIW I bought the 16GB 6-Plus in space grey. You mentioned in another thread that you weren't certain if the 6 plus was popular. I can tell you that it is an extremely popular choice within my company (IT consulting), so hopefully you won't have too much issue reselling if you need to.

Oh thank you Gloobnib for the insight!! So after reading your reply...I FREAKED OUT! Then I calmed down and called the CITI people and explained that I click the link and then went to the store to buy the phone. Because unless one is savvy enough to know about click baiting, the process instructions actually pretty vague. So the nice girl at CITI spoke to her nice manager and they gave me a fax number to send my receipt. They will review and hopefully approve the purchase. Interestingly enough, she said they are getting many calls like this and they have realized that the instructions ARE vague. Thank you so much for the info, it saved me so much grief down the line. Especially if I lost the receipt.

I hope that I can resell for a decent price in about 3 weeks. My contract is up so I can unlock a couple of phones with ATT and resell. Then I will just sign another contract and get another phone. I am digging the iPhone6 plus. Nice big screen. Are you in healthcare IT consulting? I work in healthcare IT. Anyway, thanks again...I'm ready to mess around with this CITI More Access card for sure!

Nanners

 

[NannersOahu]

PS Sometimes stupid really does pay off
I will read to comprehend in the future...I hope!!

 

[MilesJunkie]

Informatics eh? I did some Informatics when I contracted for DOD.

 

[NannersOahu]

Informatics eh? I did some Informatics when I contracted for DOD.

Cool MilesJunkie! I work in the private sector and we use the largest certified EHR (HINT:from Madison, Wisconsin). I am hoping that the DOD goes with this product and if so, I hope to find a job as my private sector job is just KILLING.ME.DAILY!

 

[MilesJunkie]

Cool MilesJunkie! I work in the private sector and we use the largest certified EHR (HINT:from Madison, Wisconsin). I am hoping that the DOD goes with this product and if so, I hope to find a job as my private sector job is just KILLING.ME.DAILY!

Haha I hear ya! Was in that field for almost 10 years, so I know it ain't about the quality of the system. It's about if you get the big wigs in DOD to back it. Once they dump billion$ into a program, it's hard for them to justify leaving it - no matter how shitty the system. That's just how they work. STUPID.

I'm no longer in Informatics or contracting. I couldn't beat 'em, so I joined 'em: I'm a govie now.

 

[NannersOahu]

Yay!!I hope to be a govie one day as well. I am on USAJobs just as much as Saverocity

 

[NannersOahu]

Oh thank you Gloobnib for the insight!! So after reading your reply...I FREAKED OUT! Then I calmed down and called the CITI people and explained that I click the link and then went to the store to buy the phone. Because unless one is savvy enough to know about click baiting, the process instructions actually pretty vague. So the nice girl at CITI spoke to her nice manager and they gave me a fax number to send my receipt. They will review and hopefully approve the purchase. Interestingly enough, she said they are getting many calls like this and they have realized that the instructions ARE vague. Thank you so much for the info, it saved me so much grief down the line. Especially if I lost the receipt.

I hope that I can resell for a decent price in about 3 weeks. My contract is up so I can unlock a couple of phones with ATT and resell. Then I will just sign another contract and get another phone. I am digging the iPhone6 plus. Nice big screen. Are you in healthcare IT consulting? I work in healthcare IT. Anyway, thanks again...I'm ready to mess around with this CITI More Access card for sure!

Nanners

DANG! I spoke too soon. So I faxed my receipt in and called CITI to confirm that they received my receipt and would give me the $650 rebate. The CSR said it doesn't work that way. I was pretty upset as the previous person told me something else. After speaking with a manager, he confirmed that many people are going to the stores to pick up the phone and needing to return them. He also said that this offer is fairly new so their own team does not fully understand the way it works. Anyway, he is giving me a $65 statement credit for my inconvenience.

 

[MickiSue]

DANG! I spoke too soon. So I faxed my receipt in and called CITI to confirm that they received my receipt and would give me the $650 rebate. The CSR said it doesn't work that way. I was pretty upset as the previous person told me something else. After speaking with a manager, he confirmed that many people are going to the stores to pick up the phone and needing to return them. He also said that this offer is fairly new so their own team does not fully understand the way it works. Anyway, he is giving me a $65 statement credit for my inconvenience.

nonononono. HUCA till you get someone who actually chooses to honor the offer for you.

If you have to return the phone...good grief, it's worth a trip to the ATT store for the difference between $650 and $65, yes?

This is also a situation where finding out who the CSR for high level complaints is, where tweeting your displeasure may help, and where practicing these words, "I'm sorry, that won't work for me," over and over till the CSR gets tired of hearing them, can help.

 

[NannersOahu]

nonononono. HUCA till you get someone who actually chooses to honor the offer for you.

If you have to return the phone...good grief, it's worth a trip to the ATT store for the difference between $650 and $65, yes?

This is also a situation where finding out who the CSR for high level complaints is, where tweeting your displeasure may help, and where practicing these words, "I'm sorry, that won't work for me," over and over till the CSR gets tired of hearing them, can help.

Oh man alive, you would not know the hell CITI has put me through with this. I literally told a CSR Manager Cindy that she needed to stop being passive aggressive today and she hung up on me! Oh well, I spoke with CITIs Manager Barbara from Kansas and she was able to help me go to the store to purchase. I could not buy a phone outright from ATT website without signing a 2 year contract. How did others get around this?

 

[MickiSue]

Oh man alive, you would not know the hell CITI has put me through with this. I literally told a CSR Manager Cindy that she needed to stop being passive aggressive today and she hung up on me! Oh well, I spoke with CITIs Manager Barbara from Kansas and she was able to help me go to the store to purchase. I could not buy a phone outright from ATT website without signing a 2 year contract. How did others get around this?

I do know the hell that banks can put you through. When we took out a 2nd mortgage for my business, 10 years ago, the mortgage was just in my husband's name, but I made the payments. The CSRs at BoA would NOT talk to me, because my name was not on the mortgage. It WAS on the note, because the house is in joint tenancy.

The only way, literally, I could get anyone to talk to me was to act like a crazy person, as soon as someone refused, and start yelling. It took two months, but finally, a weekend CSR (another tip) at 7 PM CST, gave me the number of the CS department for the high level customers, after I told her about being lied to and refused even the option of sending them the information I wanted to send.

That person, the CS for big shots, didn't believe me about the lies and the obstructionism, until she investigated. So...if you know that you are due something from a bank, keep trying. In the end, it's worth it.

OTOH, as much as I love Alaska Air, I can't stand BoA...I wish they'd go elsewhere for their CC...

 

[Gloobnib]

Updates

• My June statement just closed and the full $650 credit posted to my account. So the signup bonus seems legit and there aren't too many hoops to jump through. Basically you need to buy the phone online through 'your' personal link. Caveat: see my posts up-thread about the issues I had when I tried to port a number.
• So far I have 3x TYPs for the following merchants:
  • AT&T (The complete retail cost of purchasing the phone)
  • Amazon.com
  • Target.com
• I only earned 1x TYP for 'purchases' at Target (brick and mortar)

Not sure yet if/how I will be using this card going forward. Right now I'm leaning towards 'sock-drawer'. I am on the fence about accumulating (MSing) TYPs, but if I do so the bulk of that activity will come from my recently-approved Prestige card (I think).

 

[raccah]

@Gloobnib - how did you buy the phone online and choose a plan that could be canceled quickly enough? I too am a T-Mobile customer, prepaid verity. I will become AT&T of course, but I will only want a 15 day account with AT&T and then switch to one of their prepaid accounts, as there is no value to me to pay the extra money.

Did you signup for a full account and will stay with it? Or did you go with a month by month full non- prepaid account and then cancelled it after 15 days?

 

[Gloobnib]

@Gloobnib - how did you buy the phone online and choose a plan that could be canceled quickly enough? I too am a T-Mobile customer, prepaid verity. I will become AT&T of course, but I will only want a 15 day account with AT&T and then switch to one of their prepaid accounts, as there is no value to me to pay the extra money.

Did you signup for a full account and will stay with it? Or did you go with a month by month full non- prepaid account and then cancelled it after 15 days?

I (gasp) actually am using AT&T as my carrier long-term. Inwound up activating the phone on my teenagers' existing family share plan, upgrading the plan to 10GB a month, and switching my wife from a Sprint as well. So basically we are the best case scenario for AT&T for this promo!

FWIW - for me,AT&T is light years ahead of TMobile in terms of reliability and extent of their network.

Sorry I don't have a magic bullet for you!

 

[raccah]

Well step by step. First I need the card then I can get the phone. Signed up and approved, waiting on the plastic. How long after you spent money did the link arrive? Or was spending not related to the magic arrival of the link? Can I use the link you have already posted BEFORE they send it to me as well, after I receive the card??

 

[Gloobnib]

Well step by step. First I need the card then I can get the phone. Signed up and approved, waiting on the plastic. How long after you spent money did the link arrive? Or was spending not related to the magic arrival of the link? Can I use the link you have already posted BEFORE they send it to me as well, after I receive the card??

You can access the purchase link from your account page as soon as you activate the card. You can buy the phone as soon as you get the link. And the money spent on the phone counts towards the minimum spend requirement AND earns bonus TYPs.

 

[raccah]

You can access the purchase link from your account page as soon as you activate the card. You can buy the phone as soon as you get the link. And the money spent on the phone counts towards the minimum spend requirement AND earns bonus TYPs.

But as you said, make sure to complete the purchase online and not at store - thx!!!

 

[Gloobnib]

But as you said, make sure to complete the purchase online and not at store - thx!!!

Correct. If you follow the link provided to you in your online portal, you will have no choice but to complete the order online (there is no "in store" option). Good luck!

 

[Walmero]

anybody find any more good uses for this in the online categories?

 

[raccah]

Serve and Target.com. Also serve usage with the ATT card as backup works well too. Sure it is 10K a month, so what I get 360K USELESS TYP points! YEah for me!

 

[nrdk]

@raccah useless?

 

[raccah]

Like I asked elsewhere. What is the real use for TYP? Sure there are a few mileage partners, but what else? FlyingBlue and Virgin - sure. Hilton - really? Sure there is the buy AA flights, but I am a UAL guy.

 

[sriki]

Like I asked elsewhere. What is the real use for TYP? Sure there are a few mileage partners, but what else? FlyingBlue and Virgin - sure. Hilton - really? Sure there is the buy AA flights, but I am a UAL guy.

You seem to be answering your own question.

SQ is also a transfer partner as well as others like Cathay and Thai which may or may not make sense for few.

 

[pstravels]

SQ is reason enough to collect.

 

[italdesign]

I asked this on FT and got no response. Has anyone ordered a phone for someone else? Does the ATT service have to be in the primary cardholder's name, or is simply using the link enough?

I want to take advantage of this but have too many inquiries right now. Would like to have DH apply and get it for me.

 

[MarkD]

anybody find any more good uses for this in the online categories?

FT Wiki

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/citi-thankyou-rewards/1674475-citi-t-access-more-credit-card-up-650-credit-phone-purchase-25.html

 

[somdave2005]

Serve and Target.com. Also serve usage with the ATT card as backup works well too. Sure it is 10K a month, so what I get 360K USELESS TYP points! YEah for me!

How does Att card as serve backup work? If your serve card has no money, then it draws from your Att card? If so, this would be rather nice to!

 

[damanjeff6]

How does Att card as serve backup work? If your serve card has no money, then it draws from your Att card? If so, this would be rather nice to!

Edit: guess this is trick isn't for the public.

 

[somdave2005]

Gives me an error, maybe because it's a level 2 post? Either way, I think I can figure it out. This is hot!

 

[Taterman]

Any opinion on how smoothly a pre order purchase of an iPhone 6s will go at midnight on September 12 using the Citi Access $650 rebate link? I can't imagine it working perfectly but I'm gong to try. I'm wondering if I'll even see the iPhone 6s for sale using the link. The pre order aspect might bite me in the butt. I really don't want to wait until the 25th to order it but I might have to.

My other option might be to go ahead a order it regardless and if the rebate doesn't come through, I'll blame it on the pre order craziness and hope they manually credit my account.

I'll report back either way.

 

[BuddyFunJet]

Any opinion on how smoothly a pre order purchase of an iPhone 6s will go at midnight on September 12 using the Citi Access $650 rebate link? I can't imagine it working perfectly but I'm gong to try. I'm wondering if I'll even see the iPhone 6s for sale using the link. The pre order aspect might bite me in the butt. I really don't want to wait until the 25th to order it but I might have to.

My other option might be to go ahead a order it regardless and if the rebate doesn't come through, I'll blame it on the pre order craziness and hope they manually credit my account.

I'll report back either way.

I'll be on the same track. Looking for a pink gold 128.

 

[somdave2005]

My ATT card statement just hit. No 3 x bonus for NW buxx and giftcards.com purchases. Didn't get anything for gift cards bought through paypal either .

 

[Taterman]

Any opinion on how smoothly a pre order purchase of an iPhone 6s will go at midnight on September 12 using the Citi Access $650 rebate link? I can't imagine it working perfectly but I'm gong to try. I'm wondering if I'll even see the iPhone 6s for sale using the link. The pre order aspect might bite me in the butt. I really don't want to wait until the 25th to order it but I might have to.

My other option might be to go ahead a order it regardless and if the rebate doesn't come through, I'll blame it on the pre order craziness and hope they manually credit my account.

I'll report back either way.

iPhone 6s preorder seemed to go without a hitch. I was about two hours past midnight and stock was still available for the one I wanted. The link from the citi website took me straight there and the ordering was simple. The confirmation email even mentioned the Citi Access rebate.

 

[italdesign]

Help me out folks. I'm currently a post paid ATT customer. So not a new customer or adding a line. Just want to keep my existing post-paid plan with new phone. I think that makes me eligible for the rebate. Anyone believes contrary?

 

[sriki]

Help me out folks. I'm currently a post paid ATT customer. So not a new customer or adding a line. Just want to keep my existing post-paid plan with new phone. I think that makes me eligible for the rebate. Anyone believes contrary?

You are right. When you click the link on your Citi account and get redirected to the ATT site, you should see three options, one of which is replace device or something similar to that. That should work though I just added a new line for my account.