There are many reasons to change your credit card from one product to another, the most common being in order to move from a card that charges an annual fee to one that doesn’t. There are also some cards that you can’t apply for new, but that you can get through a product change (like the Chase Ritz Carlton card) and there may be times that you want to convert a card that’s no longer useful to you to one whose benefits are more appealing.
Citi has long been the most flexible bank when it comes to product changing, as it has allowed customers to do it across families of cards. For instance, you could change from a card that earns Citi ThankYou points to a card that earns American Airlines AAdvantage miles or vice versa. This is something that almost no other issuer allows.
However, we recently got an e-mail from a reader named Amit who wanted to change his AAdvantage Executive Elite card to a no-annual-fee Citi Double Cash, which earns ThankYou points. However, when he called, the rep informed him that he could only downgrade to an “AAdvantage Ally” card, which included AA or (oddly enough) Costco cards. He tried to hang up and call again, but the second rep told him the same thing.
Poking around FlyerTalk and reddit, I’m seeing numerous similar data points. It seems like Citi has either stopped or significantly limited the ability to product change between AAdvantage mile and ThankYou point-earning cards.
I wanted to try this out myself, so I called Citi to ask about changing a Citi Strata Premier card to an AAdvantage card. Two different reps told me the same thing as we heard from Amit, although in reverse: that it was no longer possible. When trying to move my wife’s AAdvantage Platinum Select to a ThankYou point card, I struck out twice as well.
We need data points
It’s too early to tell for sure whether this is just a momentary glitch or a permanent policy change. We’d love to hear from folks who have recently attempted to do the AAdvantage/ThankYou switcheroo, either successfully or unsuccessfully.
Our hope is that this isn’t a permanent change. Citi’s longstanding product change flexibility was a great feature of holding the bank’s cards. It would be a shame to see that eroded.
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Yes, tried to switch my AA Platinum card to a Citi DoubleCash or CustomCash and told I would only have the option to PC (Product Change) to the AA No Annual Fee Mile Up card as I already have the AA Executive card as well. Tried via online chat, phone, and different agent again via the phone. Still no luck on getting the AA Platinum product changed to a cash back product. Second agent stated the available options to product change are likely to change over time.
Just spoke with a rep and they said that there would be more options in the future for PC from AA but they didn’t have a date on when it would happen. I downgraded to mileup in the hopes that double will come back at some point.
Called today (May 15 2025) to PC AAdvantage Platinum and the only two no-fee options offered were the AAdvantage MileUp card and the Costco Card. I asked to confirm that those were the only options and interestingly the rep said, “Yes, at this time, those are the only options. Other cards you see on our website, like Citi Custom Cash, Double Cash, and others, may become available at a later time, but for right now it’s just those two.” They also said something about that ability coming and going.
Since I needed to PC now to get rid of my recently posted annual fee, I chose the MileUp card. The rep also indicated that down the line I could PC the MileUp card to a TYP card when those are offered again.
Who knows if they’re right or if this is a permanent change, but they were under the impression it’s temporary.
Just today tried to PC the AAdvantage Platinum consumer card — denied double cash, but was offered to change to the Rewards + as the only ThankYou point option card. yes, that one — the card that is not open to new applications (!). Citi gonna Citi
Looks like I missed it by a day? I just tried changing my platinum. The chat rep initially gave me a choice between the MileUp, CostCo, and “ThankYou Points +Citi Rewards+.” But when I requested the Rewards plus, they told me it was denied. Gonna try calling later to check options there, or else a retention offer.
In April 2025c was trying to PC from AAdvantage Platinum Select to DoubleCash/CustomCash. Spoke to 4 different agents. No luck. Was offered to downgrade or PC to Cisco card … ended up CX the AA card.
Tried to downgrade citi stratus to rewards + and struck out. Only allowed custom cash or double cash.
Any recent data points on changing from Costco to AAdvantage card? I just got off with a rep and she said that her system was showing that was not an option. However, she also kept calling the it the Double AAdvantage card.
Tried to PC my Mileup Aadvantage to CC. Was denied.
But was offered DC and Costco (?) as alternatives.
Interesting data point. I checked with them on 3/29 on options I have to change to for my AA platinum select, and got the other 2 AA cards and Costco card. After seeing your comment, I reached back out hoping they can let me change it to a double cash but they said the only options I had was the 2 AA cards, Costco card is not an option anymore .
I successfully changed my husband’s AA citi advantage card to a double cash about a month or so ago. was going to try and convert mine to a custom cash. will wait to try that until more data points are in.
same here, annual fee on my AA Advantage card just posted, would love to product change to any typ card but guess I’ll just have to cancel it.
I wonder if this is a necessary step for Citi to start allowing TYP to be transferred to AA…
Exact same as Amit. Tried yesterday. Went with MileUp card.
Upon reflection, this might have something to do with Citi’s sole source agreement with AA. The challenge is the indirect way of changing credit limits on a card type via product changes.
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Phew! Just over a month ago changed my ancient and hardly used AT&T Platinum something or other card to a Custom Cash. No problem then. Looks like I might have gotten in under the wire!
I beleive there’s no issue changing from one Citi branded CB card to another, this moreso has to do with changing the AA cards to a typical Citi CB card.
I posted about this in the Facebook group. I tried to PC a 5 year old AA platinum card to a double cash and was told I wasn’t eligible. Only options were AA cards or Costco card. HUCA and escalated to a supervisor, all three agents had the same response.
Three weeks ago I successfully PCd my AAdvantage Platinum card to Strata Premier.