This Citi card promises simplicity, but it delivers something even better — humanity.
Here’s a situation that’s probably familiar. Life has thrown you a curve ball, or five. Suddenly a thousand things to do pop up and before you know it, a couple days have gone by. What’s the date again? Wasn’t there something else you were supposed to do? Oh, the credit card bill! The payment is now a day late — which means the total balance is 30% higher because of the penalty rate. You call. You plead. The robotic representative tells you that rules are rules and “have a nice day.”
Well, you know, that huge bank probably really needed your payment a day ago. Yeah right! Wouldn’t it be nice to be treated like a human being for once?
Sweet Simplicity
By law, banks are allowed to raise your interest rate up to 29.99% if you pay late twice in 180 days, and most of them gleefully take that opportunity. The Citi Simplicity card, however, promises to never charge late fees or penalty rates, ever. We applaud Citi for this feature — because customers are human beings. (But you should really try not to pay late. Even without consequences from the bank, it still negatively affects your credit score.)
The other amazing feature from the Citi Simplicity card is that it boasts an introductory 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for 18 months! That’s right — a year and a half. That’s the longest intro 0% period on the market right now. This card is a fantastic choice for anyone trying to get out of debt or needing to make a huge purchase. Just remember the following about balance transfers:
- You have to transfer the balance in the first 4 months to score the 0% rate.
- Balance transfers still incur a fee of 3%, but that’s probably better than the interest you will pay on that balance over time.
- The balance transferred plus the balance transfer fee can’t exceed your credit limit.
The Citi Simplicity credit card has no annual fee, but it does have a foreign transaction fee.
Perks
There’s no rewards program here — boo. You can’t win them all. But the Citi Simplicity does have some neat extra perks. There’s the usual stuff: 24/7 customer service, purchase protection, extended warranty, car rental insurance, travel and emergency assistance, $0 fraud liability, etc.
Then there’s Citi’s unique services. Citi Price Rewind lets you register a purchase through the website, and then constantly searches online retailers for 30 days to find a lower price. If a lower price is found, Citi credits you the price difference (provided it’s at least $25). Not all purchases are covered. The exclusions list is long, but includes stuff like live animals, fixed structures, jewelry, and online purchases.
You will also get access to Citi Private Pass, which hooks you up with presale tickets to concerts, shows, sports games, or other events. Ever wondered how hot concerts could sell out in less than 60 seconds? Now you know — people with better credit cards than you.
Bottom Line
If you don’t carry a balance, you will probably prefer a rewards card. But if you regularly carry a balance, have a debt to pay off, have a big purchase coming up, or simply like simplicity, then get this card. It’s true to its name.
And don’t forget to check out our list of the best balance transfer cards.
