Citibank vs Santander Bank

Citibank is a large national bank best for high balance customers. How does it compare to Santander Bank? Read our comparison chart below.

Citibank has over 600 branches across the United States. Service fees and ways to waive are on the high side. Best for high-balance customers who can open one of the elite accounts to earn reward points, get preferred rates, and other perks.

While Santander Bank has over 600 branches in the Northeast. Offers a range of checking and savings accounts, with simple requirements to waive service fees. High balance customers can earn higher interest. Their CDs offer high a APY with $500 minimum opening deposit.

Compare Citibank with Santander Bank, side-by-side. Read on for an in-depth look, including ratings, reviews, pros and cons.

	Citibank	Santander Bank
	OFFER Citi Checking - $1,500 Bonus Read Citibank Review	SPECIAL OFFER 6-Month CD - 4.00% APY - Learn More Read Santander Bank Review
	Benefits and Features
Savings	Citi® Accelerate High-Yield Savings: Available in AA, AE, AK, AL, AP, AR, AS, AZ, CO, DE, GA, GU, HI, IA, ID, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, ME, MI, MN, MO, MP, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NM, OH, OK, OR, PA, PR, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VI, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY and select markets in Florida and Illinois. Citi® Savings: Available in CA, CT, DC, MD, NV, NJ, NY, VA, and select markets in Florida and Illinois.	0.03% APY. $25 Minimum opening deposit. $1 monthly fee, unless 1) You have a Santander Checking Account, or have 2) $100 average daily balance in your savings account.
CD	6-Month Fixed Rate CD - 3.00% APY 9-Month Fixed Rate CD - 3.00% APY 5-Year Fixed Rate CD - 2.00% APY 1-Year Fixed Rate CD - 0.10% APY 3-Month Fixed Rate CD - 0.05% APY	3.50% to 4.00% APY. 6 - 17 months. Minimum deposit of $500, with Santander Checking Account.
Checking
Money Market		0.03% - 0.05% APY. Must be Santander Premier Plus Checking Account holder. Minimum deposit of $25. No monthly fee.
Mobile App	iOS & Android
ATMs	More than 65,000 fee-free ATMs at Citi branches and participating retail locations nationwide, including Target, CVS Pharmacy, Rite aid, Walgreens, Duane Reade and ATMs displaying Allpoint or MoneyPass logo.	Over 2000 ATMs throughout the Northeast, including in many CVS/pharmacy® locations
Customer Service	24/7 Live Customer Service (Telephone)	Mon-Sun 8:00 am - 8:00 pm (ET) (excluding Christmas Day)
IRA CD
IRA Money Market
Locations	645 retail bank branches concentrated in the six key metropolitan areas of New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, and Washington, D.C.	405 branches in the US
	CreditDonkey® Reviews
Savings
CD
Checking
Mobile App
Customer Service
Money Market
Pros & Cons	Pros: Perks for high balance customers Many fee-free ATMs Global presence Cons: No free checking option Higher balance requirements Low savings APY	Pros: Easy to waive monthly fees High APY for CDs Free student checking Cons: Low interest for Premier Plus Checking
Bottom Line	Large national bank best for high balance customers... Read full review	Northeastern bank with low requirements to waive fees... Read full review
		6-Month CD - 4.00% APY 13-Month CD - 3.85% APY 17-Month CD - 3.50% APY
Blank fields may indicate the information is not available, not applicable, or not known to CreditDonkey. Please visit the product website for details. Citibank: Pricing information from published website as of 05/07/2025. This content is not provided by Citi. Any opinions expressed are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by Citi. Santander Bank: Pricing information from published website as of 05/01/2025 based on 02109 zip code.

Which is Better: Citibank or Santander Bank?

Still need help deciding which bank reviews & deals is better? Read the in-depth reviews below. You may also be interested in comparing Citibank or Chase.

In short: Santander Bank's cd and checking are worth mentioning. In particular, the cd is impressive.

Articles on Citibank

Citibank

Citibank offers banking services and credit cards. But service fees and balance requirements are on the high side. Is it the right bank for you?

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Citibank Open Account

Opening a Citi bank account is easy. Take a look at what you'll need, plus find out how to earn a bonus

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Citi Savings Account Interest Rate

Citibank boasts two savings accounts with varying rates and low fees. But which one should you open? Read on for all the details.

Citi High Yield Savings

Citi now offers high-yield savings with one of the best interest rate. But it's only available in select markets. Read this review to see if it's good for you.

Citibank Routing Number

Looking to transfer money in or out of your Citibank checking or savings account? Find your Citibank routing number and learn about money transfers below.

Articles on Santander Bank

Santander Bank Review

If you're in the Northeast, Santander Bank offers solid basic checking and savings options, as well as competitive rates for CDs. Read on to see if it fits your needs.

Which Do You Think is Best?

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