By not charging for late payments or over-limit spending, the Citi Simplicity Card gives cardholders some breathing room when it comes to managing their credit. Plus, with an 18-month 0% introductory APR and a straightforward single rate for purchases, balance transfers, and cash advances, this card is a smart pick for people who carry a balance. In exchange for this flexibility, the Citi Simplicity Card does not have a rewards program.
 | | - 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers and Purchases for 18 months. After that, the variable APR will be 12.99% - 21.99% based on your creditworthiness.
- There is a balance transfer fee of either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
- No late fees - EVER
- No penalty rate - EVER
- No annual fee - EVER
- Save time when you call with fast, personal help, 24 hours a day.
- Go to issuer's official application, terms, and details
| | | | Intro APR for Purchases | Intro APR for Balance Transfer | Regular APR | Annual Fee | 0% for 18 months | 0% for 18 months | 12.99% - 21.99% (Variable) | $0 |
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| Overall Score | 4.5 | |
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| Fees | 5.0 | |
| Benefits | 4.0 | |
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5-point scale (the higher, the better)
Pros and Cons
- 0% intro APR for 18 months
- No late fees
- No penalty interest rate
- No annual fee
Bottom Line
Excellent card for people who carry a balance
No Annual Fee, Late Fee or Penalty Rate
This card charges no annual fee and avoids many of the other fees associated with credit cards, such as a penalty rate for late payments. Other credit cards may raise your monthly interest rate to an APR penalty rate of 29.99% if you are late with a payment. Cards can also charge you a fee and the penalty interest rate if you spend over the credit limit on your card.
The Citi Simplicity does not charge any of these fees. You can use this card without worrying about excess fees on your account.
0% Introductory APR
The Citi Simplicity Credit Card also offers a generous introductory APR. For the first 18 months of this card, you do not owe any interest on your account balance. This applies to both purchases and to balance transfers from other cards.
The card does charge a one-time 3% fee on balance transfers, with a minimum charge of $5. If you transfer over $1,000, you will owe an additional $30 because of the fee. While transfers are not free, the fee is significantly lower than paying interest on a balance for almost two years.
After the first 18 months, this card charges a variable APR of 12.99% to 21.99% based on your creditworthiness. This APR is the same for purchases, balance transfers and cash advances. Typically, cards charge a much higher cash advance APR.
No Rewards
The downside of the Citi Simplicity Credit Card is that it does not offer any sort of rewards program. Your purchases on this card do not generate any points for cash back, hotel visits or travel tickets. The lack of a rewards program means that Citi can keep the fees on this card low. If you pay off your balance in full every month, you are probably better off using a rewards card.
Pros
- No penalty charge on late payments or purchases over the credit line
- No penalty APR for late payments or purchases over the credit line
- 0% introductory APR for the first 18 months
- Low 3% fee on balance transfers
- No annual fee
Cons
- No rewards program
- Only balance transfers made in the first 4 months of the account qualify for the 0% introductory APR
Bottom Line
The lack of most common fees (annual fees, late fees, and penalty rates) and a long introductory APR make this a fantastic card for consumers who carry a balance and are occasionally late with a payment. Cardholders who pay off their balance every billing cycle are better off with a rewards card.
Next Step: View the issuer's official application, terms, and details
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Disclaimer: This content is not provided or commissioned by the company whose products are featured on this site. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or evaluations provided here are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the Advertiser. This site may be compensated through the Advertiser's affiliate programs.
Disclaimer: This content was first published on January 7, 2012. This content may have been updated on March 7, 2013. Information including APR, terms and benefits may vary, be out of date, or not applicable to you. Information is provided without warranty. Please check Citi website for updated information.
