How To Add A Card To Citi App

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Citi Mobile App adds streamlined card activation to growing list of new features

Published: January 27, 2017

Summary

Citi customers can now activate a new credit card simply by taking a photo of it. A new feature, which launched today, allows card members to activate a Citibank card in-app by using the camera from his or her mobile device to scan the card number.

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Citi credit card scanner

Citibank is the only major U.S. credit card issuer to offer the ability for card members to scan both embossed and non-embossed credit cards within a mobile app.

Streamlining the activation process

Traditionally, a customer activates a new Citi card through the Citi website, the mobile app or by calling a designated toll-free number. Alice Milligan, chief customer and digital experience officer for Citi Global Cards and Consumer Services, touted the ease of the new feature in a press release: "By enabling the ability to scan their cards rather than input 16 digits on a mobile keyboard, it further streamlines the credit card activation process in the palm of card members' hands."

To activate a Citi credit card using the card scanning feature, a Citi customer must do the following:

Download the Citi Mobile app, and tap "Register."
Scan the new card using the mobile device's camera (which will auto-populate the card account number within the registration).
Input the CVV, date of birth and last four digits of a SSN.

Improving the mobile app experience

The addition of the card scanning feature is just one of several innovations recently introduced by Citi to improve card members' mobile app experience. "With more customer logins now occurring through our app than through a browser, we continue to find creative solutions to make their lives simpler and easier," Milligan explained.

These Citi Mobile app enhancements include replacement card mobile tracking, the ability to dispute charges in-app, and enhanced account authentication options.

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Tracy Kerscher-Brackman is a former CreditCards.com products writer.