Citi Simplicity® Card review

This card offers one of the longest zero-percent introductory APRs in our database of 500+ cards. No late fees, no penalty rate, no annual fee ever. One of the most consumer friendly, transparent cards on the market we have found.
author Brooklyn Lowery

Citi Simplicity® Card

Citi Simplicity® CardSponsored card
Our Rating:   
Excellent, Good
on Citi's secure website

CardRatings Editor's Analysis: Pros & Cons

  • Enjoy 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months after account opening and 21 months on balance transfers from date of first transfer (all transfers must be completed in first four months.) After that, RegAPR.
  • A great card if you're looking to consolidate and get rid of existing debt without incurring high interest, or planning to make a big purchase you can take your time paying off.
  • This card is exclusively for those at the higher end of the credit score spectrum.
Terms and Limitations Apply.

At CardRatings.com we discuss the most up-to-date news and trends within the credit card space. Since we first pioneered the concept of online credit card reviews in 1998, our team of financial experts has provided comprehensive and unbiased credit card reviews for more than 175 cards, plus hundreds of additional resource articles to help educate everyday cardholders so they can feel more confident about their card choices. All our content is written and reviewed by industry experts. Though our content may occasionally contain references to products from our partners, we maintain strict editorial integrity and advertiser relationships and compensation never influences ratings, reviews or featured products. The difference between editorial content and advertising must always be clearly stated. Learn more.

CITI SIMPLICITY® BENEFITS

Citi is a CardRatings.com advertiser.

There is a great deal to like about the CardName. It offers a straightforward, easy-to-understand package of benefits, well-suited for consumers not caught up in the bells and whistles of cash back and rewards cards. It's a consumer-friendly card aimed at keeping out-of-pocket expenses at a minimum. There is no annual fee, ever, and there are no fees or punitive rate hikes for late payments, ever.

One of the best benefits of this card is that it offers intro 0% APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening, and there's intro 0% APR on balance transfers as well, for 21 months from the date of first transfer (transfers must be completed within four months of account opening). After these intro periods expire, a rate of RegAPR will apply.

Note: BalanceTransferFees. Balance transfer fees are normal though, and this is among the longest of such offers on the market that covers both purchases and balance transfers.

Beyond the financial benefits, Citi Simplicity® offers convenience, starting with fast, personal 24-hour customer service; just say "representative" to get help promptly. You also have the option of setting up your own bill payment schedule on any available due date throughout the month. That can be huge when setting up your monthly household budget.

CITI SIMPLICITY® CREDIT SCORE

Citi® doesn't explicitly share what credit score is needed to receive the CardName; however, this card is reserved for those with CreditScoreNeeded scores. A good FICO® Score is typically anything above 670, according to the credit scoring agency Experian, but having a score above 740 or even 800 may further increase your chances of approval. Please note though that these numbers can vary between different bureaus.

CITI SIMPLICITY® FOREIGN TRANSACTION FEE AND OTHER POTENTIAL DOWNSIDES

If you travel abroad often, you might want to leave the CardName at home as it carries a foreign_fee fee on all foreign transactions. This might not seem like much, but say you spend $2,000 on an international trip; you'd be looking at $60 in fees. This isn't a huge deal if you only travel out of the country every now and then, but there are definitely better options out there if you're looking for a good international companion.

Another thing to note is that although the Citi Simplicity® Card's 12-month introductory 0% offer on purchases and 21 months on balance transfers is highly appealing, as with all introductory offers, it is temporary. And while there are no penalties associated with late payments, those late payments can (and eventually will) affect your credit score, which can, in turn impact your APR on this card or make it more difficult for you to secure another loan or credit card.

Also, the Citi Simplicity® Card is not a rewards card; rather, your reward should be viewed as the money you can save through those intro periods.

If you aren't someone who gets excited about credit cards but likes to keep one in rotation for the sake of diversifying your credit profile, these things likely won't matter to you much, this might still be a good option for you given the lack of annual fee and penalty fees.

CITI SIMPLICITY® CARDHOLDER SCORES

CardRatings conducts a survey annually to learn what actual cardholders think of their cards. Here are the results:

Current Scores Past Scores
Overall Score 69.6 77.1
Features Satisfaction 6.9 7.4
Customer Service 6.8 7.9
Website/App Usability 7.5 8.4
Likelihood of Continuing to Use 7.5 8.4
Recommend to a Friend/Colleague 6.8 7.4

*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.

HOW CITI SIMPLICITY® COMPARES TO OTHER BALANCE TRANSFER CREDIT CARDS

Citi Simplicity® vs. Citi Double Cash®

discontinued

If you are looking for a card that earns flat rate cash back rewards on all purchases, the CardName is a great alternative to the Citi Simplicity® card. Like the Simplicity® card, the Double Cash card has no annual fee so you do not need to worry about justifying an annual expense of just having the card. Both cards have generous introductory 0% APR balance transfer offers, though it's shorter at 18 months for Double Cash (after the into periods, RegAPR APR for the Double Cash and RegAPR APR for the Simplicity® will apply).

Where the Citi Double Cash® card sets itself apart is that it's a cash back rewards earning credit card. On an ongoing basis, cash back is earned at a rate of 2% on every purchase in the form of an unlimited 1% cash back earned when you make a purchase, plus an additional 1% cash back earned as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time. Cash back can then be redeemed at any time with no minimums. The Simplicity® card is not a rewards credit card, so purchases do not earn rewards.

Citi Simplicity® vs. Chase Freedom Flex℠

discontinued

For tiered rewards earning and excellent redemption options, the CardName is a card worth your consideration. With this no annual fee card you can earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in rotating bonus categories each quarter you activate, 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3% cash back on dining and drugstore purchases and unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases. The Chase Freedom Flex℠ card is also offering new cardholders a $200 cash-back bonus for spending $500 within the first three months of account opening.

The cash back you earn with the Freedom Flex℠ card can be used in a variety of ways including redeeming for statement credits, a wide selection of gift cards or on Amazon.com with Shop with Points which allows you to pay for all or part of your eligible order using your cash back rewards. The Citi Simplicity® card, with a similar $0 annual fee, does not earn rewards, which is worth keeping in mind if your decision comes down to these two cards.

There is also an intro 0% APR period on purchases and balance transfers with the CardName at 15 months (then RegAPR) which is slightly longer than the Citi Simplicity® card.

Information related to Chase Freedom FlexSM has been collected independently by CardRatings and was neither reviewed nor provided by the card issuer

IS CITI SIMPLICITY® A GOOD CARD?

If you like to keep your credit cards simple and don't need fancy rewards programs, the CardName is right up your alley.

If you are carrying large balances on multiple credit cards and are drowning in interest payments, this card is an excellent way to consolidate debt and give yourself an 21-month respite from high interest charges on balance transfers. Just be sure to make a plan to pay off that balance before the intro periods end to really make this card work to your benefit.

Survey Methodology: CardRatings commissioned Op4G in September 2023 to conduct surveys among 1,869 cardholders nationwide. CardRatings website analytics from Jan. 1, 2023-Aug. 31, 2023 were used to determine a selection of the most popular cards and additional cards were included to add survey breadth. Responses to each of nine questions were given on a scale of 1-10 and respondents' scores were then averaged under broad topics. To determine the overall score, responses from questions 1-8 were summed and the answer to "How likely are you to recommend this card to a friend, coworker or family member?" was double weighted. “Current Scores” reflect scores from the most recent survey (2023); "Past Scores" reflect scores from the 2022 survey.

Disclaimer: The information in this article is believed to be accurate as of the date it was written. Please keep in mind that credit card offers change frequently. Therefore, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information in this article. Reasonable efforts are made to maintain accurate information. See the online credit card application for full terms and conditions on offers and rewards. Please verify all terms and conditions of any credit card prior to applying.

This content is not provided by any company mentioned in this article. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed here are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any such company. CardRatings.com does not review every company or every offer available on the market.