The Citi Simplicity® Card has an astonishing 21 month Intro APR period for balance transfers, plus no annual fee, no late fees, and no penalty rates, making it an excellent choice for anyone looking to pay off debt!
Benefit Summary:
- 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers for 21 months – one of the longest intro APRs for balance transfers ever! With reg_apr,reg_apr_type thereafter.
- 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 12 months. reg_apr,reg_apr_type thereafter.
- Free access to your FICO score.
- No annual fee.
- No late fees and no penalty APR.
High interest credit card debt can eat up your funds and make saving money seem impossible. If you’re making multiple payments on different debts each month, you could be losing money due to interest costs. That’s where a balance transfer credit card, such as the Citi Simplicity® Card, could be helpful!
Citi Simplicity® Card
- Annual Fee: $0
- Intro APR: 0% Intro APR for 21 months for balance transfers, APR thereafter. Balance transfers must be made within the first 4 months of account opening. An introductory balance transfer fee of $5 or 3% of the transfer amount (whichever is greater) will be charged.
- Perks: 0% Intro APR for 12 months after account opening on all purchases, APR thereafter; No Late Fees and No Annual Fee
Why We Like This Card
With the Citi Simplicity® Card, you can consolidate multiple debts and benefit from their 0% Intro APR for balance transfers for 21 months, then reg_apr,reg_apr_type APR thereafter. This means that for nearly two years, you won’t have to pay any interest on your balance transfers, and you can simply focus on paying down debt! Hence the credit card name – Citi Simplicity®! If you have high interest debt, not paying any interest for almost two years and solely focusing on paying down the principal can make a huge difference.
This card is ideal for individuals with less than $25,000 in debt, who want to consolidate their debt, and want to focus on paying down their debt without an interest expense. Balance transfers must be completed within the first 4 months of account opening. There is a balance transfer fee of $5 or 3% of the amount of the transfer (whichever is greater), but considering how much money you can save on interest, this fee can be offset with your savings.
In addition, the Citi Simplicity® Card has a 0% Intro APR for purchases for 12 months (then reg_apr,reg_apr_type APR thereafter), also making it useful if you have a large purchase that you want to make without spending a lot on interest. While the length for the Intro APR for purchases isn’t too unusual, the Citi Simplicity® Card has one of the longest intro APRs for balance transfers available, making it great for those looking to consolidate debt and save on interest.
No Annual Fee, No Penalty Rate, No Late Fees!
To help make this card even more affordable, the Citi Simplicity® Card has no annual fee, no penalty rate, and no late fees! Many other cards will charge a penalty rate or late fee if you miss a payment, but you don’t have to worry about those extra costs with this card. It’s important to note that you should still make payments on time, as your credit score could be hurt otherwise.
One downside of the Citi Simplicity® Card is that it doesn’t have any rewards points, which can affect the long-term value of the card. However, by taking away the distraction of rewards points and spending, you can solely focus on paying down your debt and saving money on interest!
Recommended Credit Score
Because of the benefits this card has, the Citi Simplicity® Card is suggested for those with a good, very good, or excellent credit score (670 or above). That being said, there have been cases of individuals with a score in the mid-600s of being approved. You can try increasing your credit score by making payments on time, not maxing out your credit accounts, and monitoring your credit for errors or fraudulent activity.
Quick Review
If your goal is to find a balance transfer credit card with a long 0% Intro APR period, you’ll be hard pressed to find one better than the Citi Simplicity® Card. With 0% interest for balance transfers for 21 months, plus other bonuses like no annual fee, no late fees, and no penalty APRs, the Citi Simplicity® Card takes the cake for balance transfers! In addition, it offers a 0% Intro APR for purchases for 12 months, which will be useful for any large purchases you make after account opening.
Other Great Balance Transfer Cards
Want to learn more about balance transfer credit cards? Here are some other great options to consolidate debt and save money on interest!
Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card
- Annual Fee: $0
- Intro APR: 0% Intro APR for 21 months for balance transfers, APR thereafter. Balance transfers must be made within the first 4 months of account opening. An introductory balance transfer fee of $5 or 5% of the transfer amount (whichever is greater) will be charged.
- Perks: No annual fee; lengthy intro APR for balance transfers.
The Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card totes a lengthy 21-month 0% intro APR for balance transfers (after that APR), giving you plenty of time to focus on paying down debt without worrying about interest payments! It also has a 0% Intro Apr for 12 months for purchases, with APR thereafter. The Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card doesn’t have any rewards, instead allowing you to focus on paying down your debt. However, Citi allows you to have free access to your online FICO® Score, letting you monitor your credit score no matter where you are!
Citi® Double Cash Card
- Annual Fee: $0
- Intro APR: 0% Intro APR for 18 months for balance transfers, then APR thereafter. An introductory balance transfer fee of $5 or 3% of the transfer amount (whichever is greater) will be charged on balance transfers made within the first 4 months.
- Perks: You can earn 2% on eligible purchases by earning 1% cash back when you purchase and 1% cash back when you pay for your purchase. The minimum payment must be met in order to earn cash back.
With the Citi® Double Cash Card, you can earn 2% on eligible purchases by earning 1% cash back when you purchase, and 1% cash back when you pay for your purchase! In addition to earning rewards, the Citi® Double Cash Card is also useful for balance transfers, with a 0% intro APR period of 18 months followed by APR thereafter. On the downside, the intro APR does not apply to purchases, so if you’re planning on making a big purchase and want to utilize a 0% APR, you’ll need to look for a different card. Rewards also expire if this card is not used for twelve months, making it necessary to keep a close eye on your rewards and spending. But if you want a card that’s great for both balance transfers and rewards, the Citi® Double Cash Card could be for you!
Citi Custom Cash℠ Card
- Annual Fee: $0
- Intro APR: 0% Intro APR for 15 months on balance transfers and purchases, with APR thereafter.
- Perks: Earn 5% cash back for up to $500 spent in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, with 1% cash back thereafter and 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases.
With the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card, you can earn 5% cash back for up to $500 spent in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, with 1% cash back thereafter and 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases! This is a super easy rewards system, with no rotating bonus categories or offers to pay attention to. You can also earn $200 cash back when you spend $1,500 on purchases during the first 6 months after account opening, which will be presented as 20,000 ThankYou® Points. This rewards system, combined with a 0% Intro APR for 15 months for balance transfers and purchases (with APR thereafter), makes this card a great choice for those who want to pay down debt and benefit from easy-to-use rewards! On the downside, you could be missing out on potential earnings in your other high-spend categories when compared to other cash-back cards. Make sure you consider what you need most in a credit card when opening a new account.
Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post. The content on this page is accurate as of 3/10/2023; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired.