Citi® Diamond Preferred® review

CITI® DIAMOND PREFERRED® BENEFITS

Citi is a CardRatings advertiser.

With intro 0% APR on balance transfers for 21 months from the date of first transfer (and when made within the first four months) as well as on any new purchases made in the first 12 months from account opening, the CardName is a market leader for innovative intro offers with one of the longest 0% intro APR offers that we know of. After the intro period, RegAPR APR will apply.

Top Diamond Preferred® benefits include:

• 0% introductory APR on balance transfers for 21 months (from date of first transfer, must be completed within four months) and new purchases for 12 months (then RegAPR)
• No annual fee
• Pre-sale tickets and VIP packages to concerts, entertainment and sporting events through Citi Entertainment

This card is all about VIP treatment, giving regular folk a taste of the exclusivity and benefits that the other half typically enjoys. One of the best benefits of this card is access to Citi Entertainment, which takes the "once" out of "once in a lifetime." Get special access to purchase tickets to thousands of events annually, including presale tickets and exclusive experiences for the year's most anticipated concerts, sporting events, dining experiences and more.

FEATURED CARD

 

BankAmericard® credit card

• 0% Introductory APR for 21 billing cycles for purchases, and for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the intro APR offer ends, 15.74% - 25.74% Variable APR will apply. A 3% fee applies to all balance transfers.
• No annual fee.
• No penalty APR. Paying late won't automatically raise your interest rate (APR). Other account pricing and terms apply.
• Access your FICO® Score for free within Online Banking or your Mobile Banking app.
• Contactless Cards - The security of a chip card, with the convenience of a tap.
• This online only offer may not be available if you leave this page or if you visit a Bank of America financial center. You can take advantage of this offer when you apply now.

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Credit Needed:

Excellent/Good

CITI® DIAMOND PREFERRED® BALANCE TRANSFER

Though VIP treatment is nice, especially when it comes to the level of customer service you receive with your financial services, the biggest incentive of the CardName is its lengthy balance transfer period.

This card gives you a year and a half to pay off your balances interest free. Depending on the size of the balance you're working with, this gives you sufficient time to pay off a large debt, or at least greatly pay it down, without worrying about paying interest fees.

Just remember, to take advantage of this offer, all balance transfers must be made within the first four months of opening an account. If you transfer a balance with this offer, after your 0% intro APR expires (21 months), unpaid balances will automatically accrue interest until your balance is paid in full. With a regular APR of RegAPR, you'll want to be sure to pay things down as much as possible before this happens.

Remember, a BalanceTransferFees This is pretty standard for balance transfer credit cards.

CITI® DIAMOND PREFERRED® ANNUAL FEE

Good news – there isn't one! That means all the great CardName benefits we mentioned above come to you at no additional cost. The 21-month intro 0% APR offer on balance transfers with this card is one of the best on the market. To have that type of offer with no annual fee is a huge perk. If you're looking for some extra time to pay off a large balance, what are you waiting for?

CITI® DIAMOND PREFERRED® FOREIGN TRANSACTION FEE

If you're looking for a good credit card to take overseas with you, the CardName probably isn't it. This card charges a foreign_fee fee on all foreign transactions, so if you're a international jetsetter, you might be better off packing a different card.

A foreign_fee fee might not seem like much, but in the grand scheme of things, this fee can really make things add up. Say you travel abroad three times a year, for example, spending on average $3,000 each time. You'd be looking at spending $270 extra in fees.

CITI® DIAMOND PREFERRED® CREDIT SCORE

Citi doesn't explicitly state the credit score needed to qualify for the CardName, however, this card is reserved for those with excellent or good scores. A "very good" FICO score is typically anything above 740, according to the credit scoring agency Experian, and an "exceptional" score is anything above 800. Please note, though, that these numbers can vary between different bureaus.

CITI® DIAMOND PREFERRED® CARDHOLDER SCORES

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

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

HOW CITI® DIAMOND PREFERRED® COMPARES TO OTHER CREDIT CARDS

Citi® Diamond Preferred® vs. Citi® Double Cash

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If you like having a no-annual-fee card but would prefer a card that earns rewards on purchases, the CardName is worth your consideration. Unlike the Citi® Diamond Preferred® card that does not earn rewards on purchases, the Double Cash earns up to 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum balance amount due on time.

The Double Cash card from Citi has a generous 18-month 0% intro APR offer on balance transfers; however, this offer doesn't extend to new purchases. After the intro period, RegAPR APR will apply.

Citi® Diamond Preferred® vs. Citi Rewards+®

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CardName, like the Citi® Diamond Preferred® card, has no annual fee and has an excellent intro 0% APR period. Where the two cards differ is the rewards earning and the length of the introductory bonus periods.

The Rewards+® card earns two points for every dollar spent at supermarkets and gas stations (up to $6,000 in purchases each year) and one point for every dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. The card sweetens the rewards deal even further by rounding up points on every purchase to the next highest 10. For example, when you buy a $3 cup of coffee you get 10 points instead of three. A further perk offered by the Rewards+® card is a 10% "rebate" on the first 100,000 ThankYou Points you redeem each year, and new cardholders can earn 25,000 bonus points after spending $1,500 in purchases within the first three months of opening an account; redeemable for $250 in gift cards at thankyou.com. Plus, earn 5 points per $1 spent on hotels, car rentals and attractions (excluding air travel) booked via the Citi Travel portal through June 30, 2024.

Where the Diamond Preferred® card excels is in the introductory 0% APR offer for 21 months on balance transfers. This is six months longer than the 15 months of 0% intro APR on balance transfers from the date of first transfer offered by the Citi Rewards+® card (then RegAPR). Balance transfer fee applies: BalanceTransferFees

Citi® Diamond Preferred® vs. Citi Simplicity® Card

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The main selling point for both of these cards is their long intro 0% APR offers – as a matter of fact, they're the same! CardName offers 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from account opening and on balance transfers for 21 months from date of first transfers (BalanceTransferFees). All transfers must be completed in the first four months. After that, the variable APR will be RegAPR based on your creditworthiness.

So, what really differentiates these two cards?

With Citi Entertainment, the Diamond Preferred® card is dedicated to helping users gain special access to purchase tickets to thousands of events, including concerts, sporting events, dining experiences and more; whereas, Citi Simplicity® has unique perks regarding payments: no late fees or penalty APR ever — a fairly unheard of concept. The choice between these two cards will boil down to this: which perks match your lifestyle better.

CITI® DIAMOND PREFERRED® POINTS AND OTHER POTENTIAL DOWNSIDES

It’s all about priorities when determining if the CardName is for you. If you’re looking for a low interest card for balance transfers and purchases, this is a great choice. If you’re looking for high-ongoing perks like cash back or airline miles, this isn’t the card for you as it doesn't earn points on purchases.

And though the 0% intro APR period is one of the longest on the market, don’t get blindsided by the APR after the intro offer. Depending on your creditworthiness the APR can shoot up significantly. See terms for the most current APR terms.

IS CITI® DIAMOND PREFERRED® A GOOD CARD?

CardName is good for someone with excellent or good credit who needs a card for everyday purchases without worrying about accumulating interest right away. The intro 0% APR offer of 21 months on balance transfers is one of the best on the market, and with no annual fee and VIP entertainment access, this card might offer enough to be a good trade-off for its lack of ongoing rewards.

Survey Methodology: CardRatings commissioned Op4G in September and October 2022 to conduct surveys among 1,554 cardholders nationwide. CardRatings website analytics from Jan. 1, 2022-Aug. 31, 2022 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 (2022); "Past Scores" reflect scores from the 2021 survey.