Get our weekly newsletter for the latest in money news, credit card offers + more ways to save
Citi — a finder.com advertising partner — 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 periods. Get a 0% intro APR on balance transfers for the first 18 months. After the intro period, you'll have a balance transfer APR of 14.74% to 24.74% variable. Purchases come with a 0% intro APR for 18 months following your account opening, then a variable APR of 14.74% to 24.74% applies.
Citi Entertainmentâ„
. 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 4 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.
Annual Fee
$0
Purchase APR
0% intro for the first 18 months (then 14.74% to 24.74% variable)
Balance transfer APR
0% intro for the first 18 months (then 14.74% to 24.74% variable)
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 13.99% to 23.99% 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 4 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.
Annual Fee
$0
Purchase APR
13.99% to 23.99% variable
Balance transfer APR
0% intro for the first 18 months (then 13.99% to 23.99% variable)
Welcome offer
N/A
Rewards
Up to 2% cash back on purchases (1% when you buy plus 1% as you pay)
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 18 months following your first transfer, and on purchases for 18 months following your account opening. After the intro period passes, your APR reverts to 14.74% to 24.74% 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.
Annual Fee
$0
Purchase APR
0% intro for the first 18 months (then 14.74% to 24.74% variable)
Balance transfer APR
0% intro for the first 18 months (then 14.74% to 24.74% variable)
The information about Citi Simplicity® Card has been collected independently by Finder and and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer.
How we selected our top cards
When choosing our favorite no-annual-fee Citi cards, we compared a number of factors among eligible cards, including rewards capabilities, card fees, introductory offers and ongoing APRs. Among the eligible cards, we chose to highlight those that stood above the others in a given niche.
What’s changed in 2021
Not much changed this year, as Citi continues to offer several great no-annual-fee options for consumers. The Diamond did receive a small reduction to its ongoing APR, cementing it as the go-to introductory APR card on the market.
Citi cards with annual fees, lowest to highest
While there are some great cards with no annual fees out there, you might not find everything you want in a card with one. Here’s a look at Citi’s cards featuring annual fees, arranged from lowest to highest.
Citi Rewards+® Card annual fee
$0
Citi® Double Cash Card annual fee
$0
Citi Simplicity® Card annual fee
$0
Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card annual fee
$0
Citi Premier® Card annual fee
$95
Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard® annual fee
$99 ongoing after introductory period
Citi Prestige® Credit Card annual fee
$495
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, Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card or Citi Simplicity® Card, which all have long intro APR periods on balance transfers.
Do you often pay late? If you do, the Citi Simplicity® Card will 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 credit cards writer. He's written over 600 articles to help readers find and compare the best credit cards. Kliment has also written on money transfers, home loans and more. Previously, he ghostwrote guides and articles on foreign exchange, stock market trading and cryptocurrencies.
How likely would you be to recommend finder to a friend or colleague?
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Very UnlikelyExtremely Likely
Required
Thank you for your feedback.
Our goal is to create the best possible product, and your thoughts, ideas and suggestions play a major role in helping us identify opportunities to improve.
Advertiser Disclosure
finder.com is an independent comparison platform and information service that aims to provide you with the tools you need to make better decisions. While we are independent, the offers that appear on this site are from companies from which finder.com receives compensation. We may receive compensation from our partners for placement of their products or services. We may also receive compensation if you click on certain links posted on our site. While compensation arrangements may affect the order, position or placement of product information, it doesn't influence our assessment of those products. Please don't interpret the order in which products appear on our Site as any endorsement or recommendation from us. finder.com compares a wide range of products, providers and services but we don't provide information on all available products, providers or services. Please appreciate that there may be other options available to you than the products, providers or services covered by our service.