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The Citi® Simplicity® Card is a good choice for debt consolidators who want a long 0% APR period for balance transfers. While this card’s 0% APR period for balance transfers is 21 months, there’s also a 0% APR period for ordinary purchases that lasts 12 months. Although this card offers minimal rewards and benefits, it also has minimal fees, making it a no-fuss option for debt consolidation.
Quick Review
Making a balance transfer is a common method of credit card debt consolidation—but it requires the right card. While the Citi® Simplicity® Card isn’t a great option for everyday borrowing, it’s an impressive choice of balance transfer credit card.
The 0% intro APR lasts for 12 months for purchases and 21 months for balance transfers. That means you won’t be charged interest on your charges for a year, or on transferred balances from other credit cards for nearly two years.
Because of its long introductory APR period and straightforward borrowing terms, this card is one of our picks for the best 0% APR credit cards (and the best choice if you’re looking for a low-maintenance card).
However, if you don’t need to consolidate debt or pay off a large purchase over 12 months, look elsewhere, as the Citi® Simplicity® Card offers no rewards program, potentially high regular APR, and little in the way of benefits.
Citi® Simplicity® Card Important Details
Basic Card Details
- Card issuer: Citibank
- Card type: Mastercard
- Regular APR: 17.74%–28.49% (variable)
- Introductory APR: 0% for 12 months for purchases; 21 months for balance transfers
- Annual fee: $0
- Minimum credit limit: $500
- Rewards: N/A
Additional Information
- Automatic account alerts
- Contactless pay
- Flexible payment due dates
- Digital wallets
- ID theft protection program
- $0 liability on unauthorized charges
- 24/7 direct-to-rep customer service
- Citi® Flex Plan
Citi® Simplicity® Card Feature Breakdown
Fees
- Annual fee: $0
- Balance transfer fee: $5 or 5% (whichever is greater)
- Cash advance fee: $10 or 5% (whichever is greater)
- Foreign transaction fee: 3%
- Returned payment fee: Up to $40
Interest Rates
- Purchase APR: 17.74%–28.49% (variable)
- Intro APR (purchases): 0% for 12 months
- Balance transfer APR: 15.49%–25.49% (variable and based on creditworthiness)
- Introductory APR (balance transfers): 0% for 21 months
- Cash advance APR: 25.99%
- APR for Citi® Flex plan: 15.49%–25.49% (variable and based on creditworthiness)
- Minimum interest charge: $0.50
Rewards
The Citi® Simplicity® Card does not have a rewards program.
If you’re looking for a standard addition to your wallet rather than a 0% APR credit card, the Citi® Simplicity® Card isn’t the one for you. As you need good credit to qualify for a Citi® Simplicity® Card, you can leverage that credit to get a lucrative rewards card instead.
Look for borrowing options that offer credit card miles, cashback rewards, or a credit card points program.
Cash Advance
This card allows cash advances, which is when you get cash from your credit card at an ATM or bank.
The cash advance APR is high at 25.99%, and won’t benefit from a grace period. In other words, your cash advance balance will start gaining interest right away at a high rate, so withdrawing money using this card may lead to excessive interest charges.
In addition, you’ll be charged a cash advance fee of either $10 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever amount is greater.
Balance Transfer
The primary use of the Citi® Simplicity® Card is as a balance transfer credit card. It offers a generous 0% APR period, a flexible balance transfer limit, and 4 months to make your balance transfer after account opening.
Here’s what you need to know about making a balance transfer on the Citi® Simplicity® Card:
- There’s a balance transfer fee of 5% of the transaction amount, with a minimum charge of $5.
- You must initiate your transfer within 4 months of opening your account.
- If you initiated your balance transfer at the time of account opening (i.e., alongside your card application), it will take 14 days to process.
- Your balance transfer total, including the fee, must be less than your available credit limit.
- Transferred balances that aren’t paid off in the 21-month period will begin accruing interest at a rate of 15.49%–25.49%.
- You cannot transfer a balance from another Citi® or affiliated credit card.
Citi® Flex Plan
With this card you have access to the Citi® Flex Plan. The Citi® Flex Plan includes access to two programs: Citi® Flex Loans and Citi® Flex Pay.
Citi® Flex Loan
With Citi® Flex Loan, you can take out a loan using your credit card’s available credit. This loan comes with a fixed interest rate and a fixed monthly payment that lasts for the life of the loan.
As a Citi® customer, you won’t need to complete an application or have a credit check. Instead, you’ll convert part of your credit limit (at least $500) into a personal loan which you pay off at the fixed rate as part of your monthly credit card payments.
There are no loan fees, so this is a less expensive alternative to taking out a cash advance if you need emergency funds from your credit card in excess of $500.
Citi® Flex Pay
Citi® Flex Pay is a flexible payment plan that allows eligible credit card purchases to be paid off over time at a fixed APR that’s lower than your usual interest rate. The payback periods range from 1–3 years. There’s no application or credit check required, but your available credit will be reduced by the amount of the Flex Pay balance.
No Late Fees or Penalty APR
The Citi® Simplicity® card does not charge fees for late payments. It also doesn’t have a penalty APR, so missing a payment won’t result in fines or raised interest rates.
However, missing credit card payments can still have consequences, including hurting your credit score.
Credit Reporting
As Citibank reports to credit bureaus every month, using this card responsibly will help keep your credit report up to date and in the green.
Should You Get the Citi® Simplicity® Card?
FinanceJar verdict
The Citi® Simplicity® Card is a good choice if you need to make a balance transfer and want a no-fuss, inexpensive option. It offers long 0% APR periods, clear borrowing terms, plenty of time to initiate your balance transfer, and almost no fees. As far as balance transfer cards go, it’s one of the best options on the market.
On the other hand, the regular APR of this card has the potential to be high (based on your creditworthiness), and the card doesn’t offer any form of cash back or other rewards. So if you’re looking for a new primary credit card, this isn’t a very good choice.
Who is this card for?
- Debt consolidators: If you’re carrying a large balance on one or many credit cards and want to consolidate your debts, this card is an excellent choice for you. Debt consolidation is an effective method of credit card debt repayment, but requires the right card. While the Citi® Simplicity® card has a balance transfer fee, it offers low-cost, low-maintenance transfers and 21 months to pay them off.
- People planning a large purchase: If you’re planning to make a large purchase and might need extra time to pay it off, this card is a good choice for you. It has a 12-month 0% APR period for purchases, allowing you to pay off your balance over the course of a year without interest. Additionally, the Citi® Flex Pay plan offers alternate repayment options for borrowers who need to fund a large purchase but have passed the introductory APR period.
Comparable Cards
Let’s see how the Citi® Simplicity® Card compares to other cards:
Citi® Simplicity® Card vs. Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card
These Citi® cards both offer 0% APR for 21 months on balance transfers and 12 months on purchases. Neither charges an annual fee.
While they function the same for balance transfers, the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card comes with some perks not offered by the Citi® Simplicity® Card:
- A slightly lower regular APR of 16.74%–26.74% (variable).
- Free FICO credit scores
- Citi® Entertainment (which gives you discounted tickets to thousands of events, including concerts, sporting events, dining experiences and more)
On the other hand, the Citi® Simplicity® Card doesn’t charge late fees or a penalty APR, and it offers the Citi® Flex Plan. Which card best serves your needs depends on your financial situation and what you plan to use it for.
Citi® Simplicity® Card vs. Citi® Double Cash Card
The major advantage of the Citi® Double Cash Card is its cashback rewards program. You earn 2% cash back on purchases: 1% when you make the purchase and 1% when you pay the bill.
There are no rewards categories or earning caps, making it a lucrative and straightforward 2% rewards rate. In addition to rewards, the Citi® Double Cash Card offers 0%APR for 18 months on balance transfers (but not purchases). Balance transfer fees are also lower at 3%.
Overall, the Citi® Double Cash Card is a better borrowing option for everyday use. However, if you need 0% APR on purchases or 3 extra months to pay off a balance transfer, the Citi® Simplicity® Card will better meet your needs.
Citi® Simplicity® Card vs. Discover it® Cash Back Card
Both of these cards offer a 0% introductory APR on balance transfers and no annual fee. The Discover it® Cash Back card has a shorter introductory period of 15 months on purchases and balance transfers, but it offers a lower introductory balance transfer fee of 3%.
In addition, the Discover it® Cash Back credit card charges a lower regular interest rate of 14.99%–25.99% (variable) and has an impressive rewards program. You can earn 5% cash back on purchases in different selected categories each quarter, 1% cash back on all other purchases, and a cashback match for your first year of rewards.
It should also be noted that Discover cards aren’t as widely accepted as Mastercards, making the Discover it® Cash Back a less-than-ideal option for traveling abroad. Otherwise, it’s the better card overall.
