Citi Simplicity review: A straightforward choice for balance transfers

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The Citi Simplicity® Card offers one of the longest intro annual percentage rate (APR) periods for balance transfers, and it also has a few generous perks for those still learning good credit habits. However, it lacks a rewards program and welcome offer, which limits its long-term value compared to other cards.

If your priority is an extended interest-free period for balance transfers, the Citi Simplicity is a top contender. But other cards might be more helpful if you’re looking for a better balance of initial and ongoing benefits. 

How the Citi Simplicity works

The Citi Simplicity is, well, pretty simple. While it doesn’t offer rewards, its primary benefits are twofold: the ability to build credit (which, to be fair, any credit card can do) and a lengthy introductory APR period for balance transfers.

What sets this card apart is its lenient approach to common credit card missteps that typically result in penalties from other card issuers. If your goal is to pay off debt from loans or other cards, the Citi Simplicity is a solid choice.

Citi Simplicity benefits 

The Citi Simplicity has one of the longest balance transfer intro APR periods in the market, so it’s a great option if you have a large debt balance and want to maximize the time you have to pay it off interest-free.

Introductory APR offer

• Balance transfers: 0% intro APR for 21 months
• Purchases: 0% intro APR for 12 months

After the introductory period, a 19.24%-29.99% variable APR based on your creditworthiness applies. Balance transfers must be within four months of account opening. You’ll also have to pay a balance transfer fee — either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater. 

After the first four months, the balance transfer fee is either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.

Having an intro APR period that lasts over a year and a half gives you a chance to pay down that principal balance aggressively, and ideally, your balance will be $0 when that intro period ends. Then, you can continue to use that credit card without paying interest as long as you pay your statement balance on time and in full each billing cycle.

Although shorter, the intro APR on purchases is an added benefit. That said, if not paying interest on a new purchase is more important than not paying interest on an existing debt balance, you can find better purchase APR options. 

For example, the Citi Rewards+® Card, the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card, and the Discover it® Cash Back all offer similar intro APR periods for purchases, plus the ability to earn cash back. 

Additional perks

The Citi Simplicity’s suite of perks is barebones. Some benefits may come in handy, but you’re likely to find them with most credit cards. 

• Automatic account alerts: Get email or phone reminders when your payment due date is approaching or when you’ve exceeded your credit limit.
• Flexible due date: Plan your payment date around payday or whenever is most convenient.
• ID theft protection: Mastercard’s ID protection program offers free monitoring and suspicious activity alerts. 
• $0 fraud liability: You won’t be responsible for unauthorized charges on your account. 
• Contactless pay: You can simply tap and go with this chip-enabled card. 
• Digital wallets: Save your payment info securely on your digital devices for quicker checkout.
• 24/7 customer service: Call the number on the back of your card with any questions — 24/7, 365 days a year. 
• Digital experience: Citi offers a user-friendly mobile app and online portal for easy account management, including balance checks, payment scheduling, and transaction monitoring.

Citi Simplicity rewards 

The Citi Simplicity offers no rewards program. While this is unusual even for cards designed for consumers with less-than-stellar credit, it allows the card to focus on its primary purpose: debt consolidation and repayment.

While the introductory APR for balance transfers is impressive, once that’s over, you’re left with a card that offers little beyond the basic credit-building opportunity — a feature common to almost all credit cards when used responsibly. 

Citi Simplicity fees and charges

The Citi Simplicity Card does not charge an annual fee, which is especially handy for its target cardholder, someone working to pay down debt. It’s worth noting that this is pretty standard for most balance transfer cards.

The Citi Simplicity charges a 3% balance transfer fee (or $5, whichever is greater) if you transfer your balance within the first four months of opening an account. After that, it kicks up to $5 or 5%, whichever is greater. Balance transfer fees are standard across the board, and 3% is on the low side of the average. 

After the introductory APR period ends, the card’s ongoing variable APR (19.24%-29.99%) kicks in. Overall, the Simplicity’s rates are relatively standard compared to other credit cards, but that doesn’t mean they’re good. 

How the Citi Simplicity compares 

The Wells Fargo Reflect® Card is one of Simplicity’s only competitors in terms of intro APR periods. However, like the Citi Simplicity, the Wells Fargo Reflect does not earn rewards.

If you’re willing to compromise a little on the length of that balance transfer offer for better ongoing benefits, consider these alternatives:

• The Citi Double Cash® Card offers 0% intro APR for 18 months on balance transfers (19.24% - 29.24% variable after that). Cardholders also earn unlimited 2% cash back on every purchase — 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases.
• The Discover it® Chrome offers 0% intro APR for 18 months on balance transfers (18.24% - 28.24% variable after that). Plus, cardholders earn 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter. 

To illustrate the trade-offs between these cards, consider this example: If you transfer $10,000 of existing credit card debt to the Citi Simplicity, you’d need to pay $476 per month to clear your balance during the intro APR period. 

Opting for the Citi Double Cash instead would require a higher monthly payment of $555 to zero out your balance during its shorter intro period. The choice ultimately depends on whether or not you can comfortably manage the higher monthly payment in exchange for the rewards and long-term card benefits of the Citi Double Cash. 

Who should consider the Citi Simplicity? 

You should consider the Citi Simplicity if:

• You have significant credit card debt and want to consolidate and pay it off with a long intro APR period.
• You sometimes struggle to make payments on time and would benefit from a card with no late fees or penalty APR.
• You're focused on debt repayment and are willing to skip rewards for a more extended interest-free period.
• You're building or rebuilding your credit and want a forgiving card with no annual fee.

However, if you rarely carry a balance and can manage a slightly shorter intro APR period, you might prefer a card with rewards and more long-term value.

How we rated this card

Every card review we publish undergoes a rigorous editorial process to ensure accuracy and objectivity. Learn more about our methodology here. 

Here are some of the factors that influenced this card’s overall score:

• Intro APR offer: The Citi Simplicity offers one of the longest balance transfer intro APR offers on the market, which significantly boosts its score in this category. 
• Benefits: The card offers some basic benefits, such as automatic account alerts, flexible due dates, and ID theft protection. However, it lacks more premium perks.
• Regular APR: The ongoing APR is similar to other comparable cards. While not particularly low, it's in line with industry standards for this type of card.
• Annual fee: The Citi Simplicity has no annual fee, which is a significant advantage, especially for those focused on debt repayment.
• Balance transfer fee: The card charges a 3% balance transfer fee (minimum $5) for transfers made within the first four months, which is relatively low compared to many competitors. After that, it increases to 5%, which is more standard.
• Rewards: This card has no rewards program, which limits its long-term value. However, this is typical for cards primarily designed for balance transfers.

The bottom line

The Citi Simplicity® Card’s primary benefit is its competitive balance transfer offer and forgiving stance on late payments. It’s an excellent tool if your primary goal is paying off existing debt. 

However, the lack of a rewards program limits its long-term value. If you can accept a slightly shorter balance transfer period, consider exploring cards that provide ongoing benefits beyond debt repayment. 

Editorial disclosure: Opinions expressed are author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included in the post.