The Citi Simplicity Card is a very good 0% APR credit card. Citi Simplicity is worthwhile because it has a
$0 annual fee and offers introductory rates of
0% for 21 months on balance transfers and
0% for 12 months on new purchases. But Simplicity isn’t for everyone. You need
good credit to qualify. And a balance transfer fee complicates its long interest-free period.
Below, we’ll explore this card’s many strengths and few weaknesses in greater detail.
Citi Simplicity Review Highlights
Long introductory 0% balance transfer offer
The Citi Simplicity Card has
0% interest for
21 months on balance transfers. The average balance transfer card is interest-free for about
13 months.
Average intro 0% purchase offer
Citi Simplicity now offers
0% for 12 months on new purchases, while the average 0% card also gives you about
11 months.
The balance transfer fee could prove quite expensive
Citi Simplicity charges a
3% intro fee ($5 min) for each transfer in first 4 months, and 5% ($5 min) for each transfer after that. Transferring a balance to Citi Simplicity might be a no-brainer if not for this fee, considering that the average balance transfer card charges
3.12%. So if you want to reduce the cost of an existing balance and get out of debt faster, make sure to
crunch the numbers before pulling the trigger.
$0 annual fee makes it easier to pay off debt
The less you spend on fees and interest, the more you’ll have for monthly debt payments, and the sooner you’ll be debt-free.
Good credit required
You need at least
good credit to have a chance of getting approved for the Citi Simplicity Credit Card. If you don’t know where you stand, you can
check your credit score for free on WalletHub.
High regular APR
The average credit card for people with
good credit charges
24.1%. Depending on your overall creditworthiness, balances that you carry from month to month beyond the initial 0% intro term will accrue interest at a rate that could be
19.24% to 29.99% (V). And since the lower end of that range is reserved for the most qualified applicants, you’ll probably end up overpaying on interest once its 0% intro periods end. We’ve already established that you need
good credit to qualify.
Finally, it’s worth noting why you shouldn’t pay much mind to Simplicity’s lack of late fees. Fees are far from the worst side effect of not paying your bill on time. Rather, you should be more concerned about credit score damage, considering that missing due dates is one of the easiest ways to hurt your credit. Besides, the people who need this type of feature most may not have the
good credit needed to qualify.
So we recommend focusing on interest rates, annual fees and balance transfer fees, if applicable, when deciding whether or not to apply for the Citi Simplicity Card. And if you need some help avoiding late fees, check out WalletHub’s
on-time payment tips.
Below, we’ll go over a couple of things that don’t really qualify to be part of our core review of Citi Simplicity but are important to many cardholders nonetheless.
Learn More About Citi Simplicity
Customer service
The Citi Simplicity customer service phone number is 800-950-5114. Cardholders can also
manage their account online. Citi ranks in the middle of the pack of major credit card companies when it comes to customer satisfaction, but it has made great strides in the last decade.
Pay
You can pay your Citi Simplicity bill online, by phone (1-866-696-5673), by mail (P.O. BOX 9001037 Louisville KY, 40290-1037) or in person at a Citibank branch.
Credit score
The Citi Simplicity credit score requirement is
good credit or better. That means a credit score of 700 or higher is needed to have good odds of getting approved for Citi Simplicity.
Grace period
The Citi Simplicity
grace period is 23 days. The grace period extends from the Simplicity Card’s monthly statement closing date to the account’s due date. During this time, cardholders who always pay their bill in full by the due date will not be assessed interest, when the card’s normal financing terms are in effect.
Citi Simplicity Ratings by Feature
| Feature | Editor’s Rating |
| Introductory Offer - Balance Transfers | 4.5/5 |
| Net Value | 4.2/5 |
| Customer Experience | 3.7/5 |
| Features | 3/5 |
| Regular APR | 2.5/5 |
| Introductory Offer - Purchases | 2/5 |
| Rewards | 0/5 |
