[Targeted] Citi Checking Bonus Up To 60,000 American Airline Miles – Doctor Of Credit

Update 4/25/23: Deal is back, subject line is ‘<name>, enjoy all the benefits of being a Citi Cardmember, plus earn up to 60,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles’

Update 1/13/20: Deal is back and valid until 3/31/20

Update 10/21/19: Deal is back, slightly lower debit card spend required than before. Hat tip to nickohrn

Update 7/31/19: Deal is back, this time the maximum is 60,000 miles instead of 75,000.

Update 5/19/19: Deal is back and valid until June 30th, 2019. Maximum bonus is now 75,000 American Airline miles instead of 60,000. Hat tip to @jtgtix

Update 2/21/19: Deal is back and valid until March 31st, 2019. Seems like a unique code is no longer required, but fine print does say you need to have received direct communication from Citi regarding the offer. Hat tip to reader @vinceted

Offer at a glance

• Maximum bonus amount: 75,000 American Airlines
• Availability: Nationwide but targeted
• Direct deposit required: No
• Additional requirements: See below
• Hard/soft pull: Soft pull
• ChexSystems: Yes
• Credit card funding: None
• Monthly fees: $30, avoidable
• Early account termination fee: None
• Household limit: None
• Expiration date: December 31st, 2017 March 31st, 2018 June 30th, 2018 September 30th December 31st, 2018 March 31st, 2019

The Offer

No direct link to offer, sent out via e-mail with the subject line ‘<name>, exciting offer – earn up to 60,000 American Airlines AAdvantage miles’

• Citi has sent out an offer for up to 75,000 American Airline miles when you open a new new regular checking account. The bonus you receive depends on what account package you open:
  • 60,000 miles bonus. Open a Citigold Account Package and make $1,000 in debit card purchases and pay one or more bills for two consecutive months
  • 50,000 miles bonus. Open a Citi Priority Account Package and make $750 in debit card purchases and pay one or more bills for two consecutive months
  • 30,000 miles bonus. Open a Citibank Account Package and make $500 in debit card purchases and pay one or more bills for two consecutive months
  • 5,000 miles bonus. Open a Citi Priority Account Package and make $125 in debit card purchases and pay one or more bills for two consecutive months

The Fine Print

• Valid until December 31st, 2017 March 31st, 2018
• All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them

Avoiding Fees

Citigold Account Package (60,000 mileBonus)

This account has no monthly fee but you need an average monthly balance of $200,000 to be eligible.

Citi Priority Account Package $30 Monthly Fee (50,000 mile bonus)

• The Citi Account Package has a monthly fee of $30, this is waived if you maintain a combined average monthly balance of $50,000 or more in eligible linked deposits, retirement and investment balances. There is no early account termination fee for this account.

Citi Account Package $25 Monthly Fee (30,000 mile Bonus)

• The Citibank Account Package needs $10,000 in combined average monthly balances to remain fee free. Otherwise, there is a $25 monthly fee.

Early Termination Fee

In the past, Citi has not charged any ETF, and none is mentioned for this offer.

Our Verdict

Currently the public bonus is $400 or $600 and that matches up with the 30,000/50,000 mile offers here. You’d need to value American Airline miles above 1¢ per mile (1.33¢ per mile for the 30,000/$300 mile deal or 1.2¢ per mile for the 50,000/$600 deal) for this milage offer to be better. The advantage of the cash offer is that there is also no debit card spend requirement either.

Keep in mind the Citigold & Priority account packages also reduce the annual fee on the Prestige by $100. I think the sweet spot is the 30,000 mile bonus as it’s easier to keep the account fee free, but if you’re willing to just pay the monthly fees then you’d be better offer with the 50,000 mile bonus. Keep in mind Citi is notorious when it comes to slowly posting bonuses. Because it’s targeted I won’t be adding it to the best bonus list. Recently they haven’t been sending out 1099-INT forms for these mile bonuses, but no guarantees that will happen here.

Hat tip to Travelinpoints

Useful posts regarding bank bonuses:

Bonus History

• Update: Deal is back and valid until December 31st, 2018. Hat tip to readers Abey & Quango
• Update: Offer is back and valid until September 30th, 2018. Hat tip to africaking
• Update: Offer is back and valid until June 30th, 2018.  Hat tip to DDG
• Update: Offer is back and valid until March 31st, 2018.