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Save money on interest, fees or through cash back.
Citi offers a variety of credit cards with no annual fee. Some of them let you earn cash back on all of your purchases, others let you save money on late payment fees — but most come with a long intro APR period on balance transfers.
If you’re looking to make a large purchase, the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card could be the right card for you. You don’t get many extras, but you get one of the longest intro APR periods on purchases and balance transfers when compared to other cards.
Intro APR period. Purchases come with a 0% intro APR for 18 months following your account opening. Balance transfers have the same, but for 18 months from the date of the first transfer, rather than your account opening. After the intro period expires, a variable APR of 15.24% to 25.24% applies.
Citi Private Pass. Get special access to ticket presales and VIP packages for concerts, sporting events and more.
No signup bonus. If you’re looking to be rewarded with a signup, another card will likely suit you better.
Balance transfer limitations. To use the intro APR period on balance transfers, complete your transfers within four months of account opening.
Foreign transaction fees. Avoid using this card abroad or you’ll pay a fee equal to 3% of each transaction you make.
The Citi Simplicity® Card is aimed at those who are frequently late on their payments. With other credit cards with a single late payment you pay a fee and incur a penalty APR. But with this card, you get none of that — you can rest easy knowing the standard APR is what you’ll get.
No late payment fees or penalty APR.
Intro APR period. Get a 0% intro APR period on balance transfers for 21 months following your first transfer, and on purchases for 12 months following your account opening. After the intro period passes, your APR reverts to 16.24% to 26.24% variable.
Balance transfer limitations. You can only use the intro APR period on balance transfers completed during your first 4 months of card membership.
Foreign transaction fees. Using your card abroad will incur a fee of 3% of each transaction.
Earn flat cash back on all of your purchases with the Citi® Double Cash Card. Aside from earning cash, you get one of the longest intro APR periods on balance transfers.
Cash back. Earn 1% cash back when you make a purchase, and earn another 1% when you pay your balance.
Intro APR period on balance transfers. Use a balance transfer intro APR of 0% for 18 months from the date of your first transfer. After that, a variable APR of 15.74% to 25.74% applies.
No signup bonus. You won’t earn any bonuses on signup that usually come with a flat-cashback credit card.
Balance transfer limitations. The intro APR period on balance transfers only applies to transfers made within four months of account opening.
Foreign transaction fees. This may not be a good credit card for traveling abroad as you’ll pay a fee equal to 3% of every transaction you make.
How to compare top Citi credit cards with no annual fee
To choose the right Citi credit card with no annual fee, consider the following:
Do you want to earn flat cash back on everything you buy? The Citi® Double Cash Card could be an excellent choice — the rate of cash back is slightly above the industry standard, and you can earn an unlimited amount.
Do you want to make balance transfers? When it comes to balance transfers, you can choose from Citi® Double Cash Card or the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card which both have high intro APRs. Or you can choose the Citi Simplicity® Card, which has the longest intro APR period on balance transfers.
Do you often pay late? If you do, the Citi Simplicity® Cardwill save a lot of money on late payment fees and potential penalty APR charges, as the card has neither.
Bottom line
You won’t find a Citi credit card with no annual fee if you’re only looking to earn a signup bonus or use your card abroad. Instead, these credit cards are more suited to earning cash back on all purchases, saving money on late fees and cutting out some interest costs with introductory APRs.
Kliment Dukovski is a writer who specializes in global financial markets and personal finance, with a focus on credit cards. His main goal is to deliver honest and accurate information to help you make the right financial decision. When he's not writing about finance-related subjects, he writes sci-fi stories.
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