How Does LendingTree Get Paid?
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How Does LendingTree Get Paid?

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Citi Simplicity® Card Review

Citi Simplicity<sup>®</sup> Card

Citi Simplicity® Card Review

Intro Purchase APR
0% for 12 months on Purchases
Intro BT APR
0% for 21 months on Balance Transfers
Regular Purchase & BT APR
16.99% - 26.99% (Variable)
Editorial Note: The content of this article is based on the author’s opinions and recommendations alone. It may not have been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuer. This site may be compensated through a credit card issuer partnership.

Who is the Citi Simplicity® Card best for?

The Citi Simplicity® Card, issued by our partner Citi, is a great option if you have a large amount of high interest debt that you need to pay down, need time to finance a large purchase, or if you have a tendency to miss your payment due date.

It has a $0 annual fee, but if you use the card for a balance transfer, you’ll incur a balance transfer fee applies with this offer 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum.

Along with offering a long introductory period for balance transfers and a decent period for purchases, the card provides helpful tools, such as automatic account alerts and the ability to choose your payment due date. However, if you do happen to pay your bill late, you will not be hit with late fees or penalty APRs.

Citi Simplicity® Card overview

    • No Late Fees, No Penalty Rate, and No Annual Fee... Ever
    • 0% Intro APR for 21 months on balance transfers from date of first transfer and 0% Intro APR for 12 months on purchases from date of account opening. After that the variable APR will be 16.99% - 26.99%, based on your creditworthiness. Balance transfers must be completed within 4 months of account opening.
    • There is a balance transfer fee of either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
    • Stay protected with Citi® Quick Lock and $0 liability on unauthorized charges
  • Credit needed:
    690 850
    Excellent/Good
  • Citi® Identity Theft Solutions. You can contact a Citi® Identity Theft Solution Specialist to assist you with identifying compromised accounts and advise you on filing police reports and taking steps to recover from identity theft.
  • 24/7 customer service. Get help with almost any account question by calling the customer service number on the back of your card and speaking with a representative at any time.
  • Choose your payment due date. Have the flexibility to change your due date to a day that works for you. There are select available due dates in the beginning, middle or end of the month. Keep in mind, not all dates are available and it may take up to two billing cycles to process your request. You can only change your due date twice a year.
  • Automatic account alerts. Set up alerts to remind you about balance levels, payment due dates and when you go over your limit.
  • Damage and theft protection.
  • Extended warranty. Up to 2 years beyond original manufacturer warranty for qualified purchases.

Intro Purchase APR

0% for 12 months on Purchases

Regular Purchase APR

16.99% - 26.99% (Variable)

Intro BT APR

0% for 21 months on Balance Transfers

Regular BT APR

16.99% - 26.99% (Variable)

Annual Fee

$0

Cash Advance Fee

5% of each cash advance; $10 minimum

Foreign Transaction Fee

3% of each purchase transaction after its conversion into U.S. dollars

Balance Transfer Fee

Balance transfer fee applies with this offer 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum.

Pros and cons of the Citi Simplicity® Card

Pros

  • Intro APR on balance transfers
  • Intro APR on purchases
  • $0 annual fee
  • No late fees or penalty APR

Cons

  • No rewards program
  • No sign-up bonus
  • Balance transfer fee
  • Potentially high APR
  • Excellent/Good credit needed to apply

What we like about the Citi Simplicity® Card

  • Generous intro 0% APR offers

    The Citi Simplicity® Card has two intro APR offers for cardholders:

    • 0% for 12 months on purchases, after which an APR of 16.99% - 26.99% (variable) will apply.
    • 0% for 21 months on balance transfers, after which an APR of 16.99% - 26.99% (variable) will apply.

    These deals can save you quite a bit on interest charges if you need to pay off high-interest debt from another card or if you need to make an expensive purchase and pay if off over time.

  • $0 annual fee

    In addition to its intro offers, the Citi Simplicity® Card has a $0 annual fee, saving you even more money if you need the card for its intro APRs.

  • No late fees or penalty APR

    If you have a tendency to miss payments, know that the Citi Simplicity® Card will not assess late fees or a penalty APR. Typically, if you pay late, a card issuer will hike up your APR as well as charge you a late fee up to $41 each time.

What to watch out for with the Citi Simplicity® Card

  • No rewards or sign-up bonus

    The Citi Simplicity® Card does not come with either a rewards program or a sign up. This is a card you’ll want primarily for its intro APR offers rather than for any type of rewards program or bonus.

  • Potentially high APR

    The Citi Simplicity® Card comes with an APR range of 16.99% - 26.99% (variable). If you are approved at the high end of the APR, be very careful about revolving a balance on this card once you’ve taken advantage of the intro APR offers as the interest charges could make it very expensive to carry any remaining balance.

  • Balance transfer fee

    In exchange for offering a long intro APR balance transfer offer, the Citi Simplicity® Card does charge a balance transfer fee applies with this offer 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum. That fee will be added to the amount you transfer to the Citi Simplicity® Card . For example, if you transfer a $2,000 balance, a $60 fee will be added to what you owe.

    There are credit cards available that don’t charge balance transfer fees; however, those cards typically offer shorter introductory periods on balance transfers than the Citi Simplicity® Card .

Alternate intro APR card to the Citi Simplicity® Card

Compare it to the U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card

| Disclosures
U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card
U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card
on U.S. Bank's secure site
0% intro APR for 20 billing cycles on Purchases
16.74% - 26.74% (Variable)
$0
None
  • Limited Time Offer!
  • 0% Intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 20 billing cycles. After that, a variable APR currently 16.74% - 26.74%.
  • Get up to $600 protection on your cell phone (subject to $25 deductible) against covered damage or theft when you pay your monthly cellular telephone bill with your U.S.Bank Visa® Platinum Credit Card. Certain terms, conditions, and exclusions apply.
  • Choose a payment due date that fits your schedule
  • No Annual Fee
  • Pay over time by splitting eligible purchases of $100+ into equal monthly payments with U.S. Bank ExtendPay™ Plan.
  • Terms and conditions apply.
680 850

How Does LendingTree Get Paid?

LendingTree is compensated by companies on this site and this compensation may impact how and where offers appears on this site (such as the order). LendingTree does not include all lenders, savings products, or loan options available in the marketplace.

The U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card has lengthy intro APR offers on both purchases and balance transfers:

  • Intro purchase APR: 0% intro APR for 20 billing cycles on Purchases. After that, a 16.74% - 26.74% (variable) APR applies.
  • Intro balance transfer APR: 0% intro APR for 20 billing cycles on Balance Transfers. After that, a 16.74% - 26.74% (variable) applies.
  • Balance transfer fee: Either 3% of the amount of each transfer or $5 minimum, whichever is greater

Plus, the U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card has additional benefits, including a $0 annual fee and cell phone coverage for damage or theft up to $600 per claim, with a $25 deductible, for up to two claims (maximum $1,200) per 12-month period, when you pay your cellphone bill every month with your card.

Compare the Citi Simplicity® Card to similar cards

Comparison of four different credit cards
Citi Simplicity<sup>®</sup> Card U.S. Bank Visa<sup>®</sup> Platinum Card Citi<sup>®</sup> Diamond Preferred<sup>®</sup> Card Wells Fargo Reflect® Card
Citi Simplicity® Card U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card Wells Fargo Reflect® Card
Apply Now
on Citibank's secure site
Apply Now
on U.S. Bank's secure site
Apply Now
on Citibank's secure site
Apply Now
on Wells Fargo's secure site
Intro Purchase APR
0% for 12 months on Purchases 0% intro APR for 20 billing cycles on Purchases 0% for 12 months on Purchases 0% intro APR up to 21 months from account opening
Regular APR
16.99% - 26.99% (Variable) 16.74% - 26.74% (Variable) 15.99% - 25.99% (Variable) 15.24% - 27.24% variable APR
Intro Balance Transfer APR
0% for 21 months on Balance Transfers 0% intro APR for 20 billing cycles on Balance Transfers 0% for 21 months on Balance Transfers 0% intro APR up to 21 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers
Regular Balance Transfer APR
16.99% - 26.99% (Variable) 16.74% - 26.74% (Variable) 15.99% - 25.99% (Variable) 15.24% - 27.24% variable APR
Annual Fee
$0 $0 $0 $0
Balance Transfer Fee
Balance transfer fee applies with this offer 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum. Either 3% of the amount of each transfer or $5 minimum, whichever is greater Balance transfer fee applies with this offer 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum. 3% for 120 days from account opening, then up to 5%; min: $5
Welcome Offer
N/A No bonus None N/A
Rewards Rate
N/A None N/A None
Recommended Credit
Excellent/Good Excellent/Good Excellent/Good Excellent/Good
Card Details
Citi Simplicity® Card U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card Wells Fargo Reflect® Card

Is the Citi Simplicity® Card right for you?

For people looking to escape from high-interest debt or who need time to pay off a large purchase, it’s tough to beat the Citi Simplicity® Card . The card offers a lengthy intro APR period on balance transfers and purchases, which can save you a significant amount of money. Additionally, the card offers a $0 annual fee, no late fees and no penalty APR.

Another option worth considering for long 0% intro APRs on balance transfers and purchases is the U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card. It also has a $0 annual fee, as well as offers cell phone insurance when you pay your bill with the card.

However, both cards do charge a balance transfer fee. Know that there are cards that don’t charge that fee, but in return, you’ll most likely get a shorter no-interest time period. Plus, neither of the cards mentioned offer rewards. That said, it’s best to prioritize paying off your full balance before the intro purchase or balance transfer offer ends over earning rewards on new purchases.

Apply Now
on Citibank's secure site