Can't Verify Citibank Credit Card

I'm about to give up and dump my Citibank credit card!

I had to replace my broken iPhone with a new one (thanks Apple Store!!!) on Monday this week. I restored the phone from a backup, but noticed none of my Apple Pay credit cards were on the phone.

So I was able to easily add back in two of the three cards I use in the Wallet app and Apple Pay. Then I got to the Citibank credit card, and that's where things went south.(I should state here that this Citi card was previously set up with Apple Pay on my old phone).

Here is the chronology of events regarding this Citibank credit card and Apple Pay:

• Monday -- Tried to set up the card for Apple Pay. It goes thru the normal setup routine..until it gets to the Verification stage. At this point, it asks me how I want to verify: (1) Via phone call (to a phone number I no longer have); (2) Via text message (to the same phone number I no longer have; or (3) Via call Citibank. I had no choice but to call Citibank. Citibank wasn't able to verify the card with me, as they only seem to have my old phone number for a landline phone we dropped a couple of weeks ago. They had no other way to authorize, despite trying a couple of other things. Time spent with them: 45 minutes.
• Tuesday -- Tried again...called Citibank. This time I spoke with some a bit more helpful, but we were still unable to verify the card. When I asked to speak to a supervisor, I was cut off. Time spent: 30 minutes.
• Wednesday -- At it again. I was able to speak with a supervisor this time, who was able to authorize the card. But...something's not communicating between Apple Pay and Citibank, as they weren't getting the verification request from Apple Pay on the Citibank screens. They said they've been experiencing some Apple Pay issues, and gave me a reference number so that I wouldn't have to go thru the authorization steps again..and asked me to call back on Thursday.
• Thursday -- Called Citibank. The doofus I spoke with had never heard of a "reference number" and wouldn't let me give the number I'd been given on Wednesday. He tried verifying the card, but ran into the same brick wall in wanting to verify with a phone number I no longer have. This scenario took about 35 minutes. I then tried calling again, hoping to speak to someone else. This person was very helpful, and I was able to give her the reference number...which she looked up and knew I'd been previously authorized. But...we ran into the same problem as on Wednesday, as her system wasn't showing a verification request from Apple Pay. (This despite me removing the card and reentering it up to the verification step). She said they may still be having Apple Pay problems, and gave me a new reference number, and asked me to try again Friday.

I suspect I'll see the same issues tonite when I try again, but I'll try anyway.