How to Write a Goodwill Letter to Citi
A Citi goodwill letter is a polite written request asking Citibank, N.A. (which reports as 'CBNA' on your credit file) to remove an isolated late payment from your Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion reports as a one-time courtesy. Citi's goodwill decisions are made by its card-services correspondence team in Sioux Falls, SD — not by phone reps and not by the payment lockbox. If a first mailed request is declined, the standard next step is Citi's Executive Response Unit, which handles CEO-office escalations and has meaningfully broader discretion than front-line servicing. This guide covers exactly where to mail your Citi goodwill letter, what to say, and what to expect.
About requesting a goodwill adjustment from Citi
Citibank is a major global bank and one of the largest U.S. card issuers, running a large co-branded portfolio for retail and travel partners in addition to its own Citi-branded cards. Retail partner cards are issued by Citi Retail Services and may report under that name.
How Citi accounts report to the bureaus
- Revolving Citi-branded card tradelines
- Co-branded retail and travel partner cards reported through Citi Retail Services
- Personal loan and line-of-credit accounts
What actually matters when you dispute with Citi
- Check whether your account reports as Citibank or Citi Retail Services — sending the letter to the wrong division is the most common reason a request goes unanswered.
- Citi sells charged-off balances, so an old account may show both a Citi charge-off and a separate debt-buyer collection tradeline.
- Include the full account number as it appears on your credit report; partner-card numbers often differ from the number on the plastic.
What a response from Citi usually looks like
Expect 30 to 60 days for a written response, with changes often appearing at the next monthly reporting cycle.
Where to send this letter
Citibank, N.A.Customer Service
P.O. Box 6500
Sioux Falls, SD 57117
Citi-branded credit card billing disputes.
Step-by-step: sending a Goodwill Letter to Citi
- Confirm the account is current and the late payment was an isolated event.
- Generate your personalized goodwill letter using the form below.
- Mail the letter via USPS Certified Mail with Return Receipt.
- Wait 30–45 days for a response, then check your credit reports.
What to expect
No guaranteed response — typical replies in 30–60 days, often none at all.
Goodwill adjustments are voluntary. Creditors are not required to respond, and many won't. Plan to send follow-ups (sometimes escalated to executive customer service) and treat each attempt as one shot among several.
Frequently asked questions
Do goodwill letters actually work?
Yes — for isolated late payments on accounts in good standing, success rates are reasonable. They almost never work on charge-offs or repeat lates.
How many goodwill letters can I send?
There is no legal limit. Many people see results only after the second or third attempt, sometimes escalated to executive customer service.
Should I admit fault in a goodwill letter?
Briefly, yes. A short, honest explanation of the hardship works better than excuses or legal threats. The tone is a humble request, not a dispute.
Can I fax a goodwill letter instead of mailing it?
Sometimes. Most creditors don't publish a dedicated fax line for goodwill or dispute correspondence, so mailing is the reliable route. If your statement or the creditor's website lists a billing-inquiries fax number, faxing can be faster — but certified mail gives you a dated return receipt proving the creditor received it. Keep a copy of whatever you send.