Discover It vs Citi Simplicity
When you're looking for a card that will give you a lengthy period of time to pay off your credit card balances without having to pay interest, both the Discover It and Citi Simplicity are attractive options. These cards give you an introductory 0% APR on balance transfers, but the details vary.
Which one would make the most sense for you? We'll let these credit cards duke it out for your application with this in-depth comparison.
Why Either Card Is a Good Choice
If you have been hankering to make serious inroads in your debt, both of these cards will give you an easy way to do it. With their promotional offer of 0% interest on balance transfers for 14 months (Discover It) or 18 months (Citi Simplicity), you get at least a year to pay down your debt and — if you have hefty balances to begin with — you could save big bucks in the long run in interest charges. After the introductory period, the APR will be 13.49% - 24.49% Variable for the Discover It and 15.74% - 25.74%* (Variable) for the Citi Simplicity.
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And if you plan to make any big purchases with one of these cards, you get 0% APR as you pay them off. Citi Simplicity's promotional rate for purchases lasts 18 months, but Discover It's lasts only 14 months.
Why Citi Simplicity Is Superior
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Disclaimer: The information for the Citi Simplicity® Card has been collected independently by CreditDonkey. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
- The intro period on purchases is longer: The 0% APR introductory rate on purchases is longer than what you'd get with the Discover card. (18 months vs 14 months)
- It's cheaper to use: You'll never have to pay a late fee or an annual fee with this card, and if you miss a payment, you won't get socked with a penalty rate either. The main thing you have worry about is when the 0% APR promotional rate on purchases and balance transfers ends. After that, the card can be useful to have.
- It's accepted at more places: Citi Simplicity can be used wherever MasterCard is accepted. Discover cards have a somewhat limited use as not every merchant accepts Discover.
Why Discover It Is Superior
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Disclaimer: The information for the Discover it® Cash Back has been collected independently by CreditDonkey. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
- You get rewards: With Discover It, you get cash back on your purchases, as much as 5% on certain categories during certain times of the year (on up to $1,500 in purchases), and 1% on all other purchases. Every time you use the card, you're rewarded for using it as long as you use it responsibly and pay off the balance each month (otherwise the interest charges that eventually come into play could wipe out whatever cash back you have earned).
- You may get more use of it over time: This card may be more useful to you over the long term than the Citi Simplicity, which would be primarily attractive to people who are looking to consolidate their debt. Discover It gives you a way to consolidate debt inexpensively and earn rewards on purchases.
- No foreign transaction fee: And with Discover, you won't have to pay a foreign transaction fee when you use it outside the country, whereas the Citi Simplicity will charge you 3% on every foreign purchase.
So, Should You Get the Citi Simplicity or the Discover?
Discover It | Citi Simplicity | |
|---|---|---|
Interest Rates and Fees | ||
| Introductory APR for Purchases | 0% introductory APR for 14 months | 0%* introductory APR for 18 months* |
| Introductory APR for Balance Transfers | 0% introductory APR for 14 months | 0%* introductory APR for 18 months* |
| Purchase APR | 13.49% to 24.49% Variable based on your creditworthiness and other factors | 15.74% to 25.74%* (Variable) based on your creditworthiness and other factors |
| Balance Transfers APR | 13.49% to 24.49% Variable based on your creditworthiness and other factors | 15.74% to 25.74%* (Variable) based on your creditworthiness and other factors |
| Foreign Transaction Fee | No foreign transaction fee | 3% of each purchase transaction in US dollars. |
| Annual Fee | ||
Benefits and Features | ||
| Cash Back Deal | Introductory Bonus Cash Back: Discover will match all the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year (only for new cardmembers). | |
| Cash Back | Cash Back Rewards: 1% cash back on all other purchases. | |
| Bonus Cash Back | Bonus Cash Back: 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in purchases in rotating categories that change each quarter (requires free and easy sign-up for 5% Cashback Bonus)* Limitations apply*. See issuer's website for additional program details. Bonus Categories for 2017: October - December 2017: 5% on up to $1,500 in purchases at Amazon.com & Target Bonus Categories for 2018: January - March 2018: 5% on up to $1,500 in purchases at Gas Stations & Wholesale Clubs April - June 2018: 5% on up to $1,500 in purchases at Grocery Stores July - September 2018: 5% on up to $1,500 in purchases at Restaurants October - December 2018: 5% on up to $1,500 in purchases at Amazon.com & Wholesale Clubs | |
Discover It: Pricing information including interest rates, rewards, benefits and fees was obtained on April 2, 2018 from published websites and is believed to be accurate, but not guaranteed. Citi Simplicity: Pricing information including interest rates, rewards, benefits and fees was obtained on June 19, 2018 from published websites and is believed to be accurate, but not guaranteed. Disclaimer: The information for the Discover it® Cash Back and Citi Simplicity® Card has been collected independently by CreditDonkey. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. | ||
If you're looking for a card that will give you time to pay off a big purchase (for example, if you are about to buy new kitchen appliances), opt for Citi Simplicity as you will get 9 more months of 0% APR on purchases over Discover It. However, you will get no rewards for your big purchases. For more of an everyday card that will serve you well over the long term, you may want to go for the Discover card.
Either card will help you get over your debt hump if you use it responsibly to pay down your balances during the 0% APR promotional period.
Sarah Johnson is the senior editor of CreditDonkey, a credit card comparison and financial education website. Write to Sarah Johnson at sarah@creditdonkey.com. Our data-driven analysis has been recognized by major news outlets across the country and has helped consumers make savvy financial and lifestyle decisions.
Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. This site may be compensated through the Advertiser's affiliate programs.
Disclaimer: The information for the Discover it® Cash Back and Citi Simplicity® Card has been collected independently by CreditDonkey. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
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