Compare other balance transfer credit cards
The basics
The Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card offers a crystal-clear value proposition: You’ll find one of the best balance transfer promotions on the market, bar none. While the balance transfer intro APR promotion lasts longer than almost every other card out there, the intro rate on purchases is a little less impressive. However, it’s solid enough, especially when the card has no annual fee.
The perks
Annual fee: None.
Before making a balance transfer, one of the last things you want is to pay an annual fee. Not only does the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card offer a long intro APR on balance transfers, it also comes with no annual fee. That means it’s easy to keep your card open even after your intro APR expires.
Intro balance transfer APR: 0% for 21 months.
You’ll receive a 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 21 months from the date of your first transfer. You’ll get this rate on all transfers you complete within the first four months of card membership. After your intro APR expires, your balance transfer APR will revert to 14.74% to 24.74% variable.
This is a market-leading balance transfer intro APR, and it’s the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card’s claim to fame. You even have a large window to make qualifying balance transfers — some other cards allow only 60 days to receive your intro APR.
Intro purchase APR: 0% for 12 months.
You’ll receive a 0% intro APR on purchases for the first 12 months after your account opening. After that, your purchase APR will revert to 14.74% to 24.74% variable.
This is a solid intro APR, but it isn’t topnotch. Several cards offer 0% intro APR promotions for 15 months or more. With the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card, the star of the show is the balance transfer intro APR.
You’ll also like …
Citi® Private Pass®.
Get access to presales and VIP packages for exclusive events: concerts, dining experiences, film screenings, sporting events and more.
Citi® Concierge.
Contact the Citi® Concierge when you need help making arrangements of all kinds: travel itineraries, locating a hard-to-find retail item, making dining arrangements, buying tickets to entertainment events and more.
Citi® Price Rewind.
If you’re not sure whether you’re getting the best price on an item, buy it anyway with your Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card. For 60 days, Citi will search for a lower price elsewhere. If it succeeds, it may reimburse you the extra amount you paid.
Compare Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card vs. Citi Simplicity® Card
What to watch out for
Balance transfer fees.
You’ll receive a stellar intro APR on eligible balance transfers, but you’ll still need to pay a fee of $5 or 5% of the transaction, whichever is greater.
If you don’t want to pay balance transfer fees, consider the Chase Slate® credit card. It lets you transfer balances with no fees during the first 60 days your account is open.
Potentially high APR.
Depending on your credit, you may receive a purchase and balance transfer APR as high as 24.74% variable. The average credit card APR is around 16% variable.
Penalty APR.
Citi may raise your APRs for all balances to 29.99% variable if you make a late or returned payment. This rate may apply to your account indefinitely .
Penalty fees.
Late and returned payments come with fees as high as $35.
Consider other cards if …
You want an excellent intro APR on both balance transfers and purchases.
The Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card leads the field with its impressive intro balance transfer APR promotion, but its intro purchase APR offer is merely solid. Nipping at its heels is the U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card, which offers a 0% APR for 20 billing cycles following your account opening on both balance transfers and purchases — after that, an ongoing APR of 11.99% to 23.99% variable applies.
Citi offers a great option of its own: the Citi Simplicity® Card. This product offers a 0% intro APR for 12 months of card membership on balance transfers and purchases — after that, an ongoing APR of 15.99% to 25.99% variable applies.
You don’t want to pay balance transfer fees.
The Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card is arguably the best balance transfer card on the market, except for one thing: You still have to pay balance transfer fees. Worse, you’ll pay a higher-than-average fee, since many other providers charge only 3%, if any.
With some cards, you can transfer balances free for a certain time. For example, the Chase Slate® credit card lets you transfer balances for free for the first 60 days after account opening. And the Barclaycard Ring® Mastercard® has no balance transfer fees ever.
You want rewards.
Cards with market-leading intro APRs tend not to offer rewards. If you want points, miles or cash back, you’ll probably have to live with a shorter intro APR period.
One of the rare cards that bucks that trend is the Sphere® Credit Card. It offers only 1x points on all spending, but it boasts a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 18 billing cycles following your account opening — after that, a variable APR of 14.49% to 24.49% applies.
For a great mix of rewards and an intro APR, check out the Discover it® Cash Back. It offers up to 5% cash back as well as a 0% intro APR for 14 months following your account opening on purchases and balance transfers — after that, it reverts to a variable APR of 13.99% to 24.99%.
How does a balance transfer work with this card?
What should I know before I apply?
To apply for the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card, you must be at least 18 years old.
Information you’ll need
To complete the application, you’ll need to provide information that includes:
- Your name and residential address.
- Your Social Security number.
- Your email address, phone number and date of birth.
- Financial information like your annual income and income source.
What credit score do I need?
You’ll have a better chance of being approved for the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card if you apply with a good to excellent credit score of 690 or higher.
If you have a high income and excellent credit, your likelihood of approval is strong.
Here are a few other factors that might affect your odds of approval:
- Hard pulls on your credit report.
If you have several hard inquiries — or hard pulls — on your report, it could imply you’re having trouble managing your debt. Citi might think you’re desperate for credit and may be less likely to take you on as a customer. - Factors that tie into your credit score.
Your credit utilization is a major factor Citi considers. The bank prefers a customer with low balances relative to their credit limit. Having many new card accounts may be a red flag too, as it could indicate you’re desperate for credit. It may also give the impression that you’re a flighty customer who’s just hunting for welcome offers.
What do customers say about the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card?
Citi is not accredited with the Better Business Bureau, and it earns an overall F rating. As of August 2018, 98% of its reviews are negative and it has nearly 4,000 customer complaints. Citi cardholders generally complain of rude customer service reps, unexpected account closures and trouble receiving rewards.
Citibank earns a Trustpilot score of 3.5 out of 10. Some negative reviews cite unhelpful customer service, frozen accounts and poor experiences while disputing fraudulent charges. Positive reviews say the customer service reps are very accommodating. Overall, your mileage may vary with Citibank customer support.
How to apply for the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card
- On the Citi website, click Apply Now.
- Complete the application with details like your name, address, annual income, and Social Security number.
- Review and submit your application.
How long will it take to get my Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card?
Because conditional approval is automated on the website, you may get a decision on your application within a few minutes. If there are issues with your application, it may take a few business days to a few weeks to hear back.
After you’re approved, you’ll typically receive your card within seven to 10 business days.
I got the card. Now what?
Make payments on time.
Register an account on the Citi website to pay your balance online. You can also enroll in autopay.
Avoid interest.
After the close of each billing cycle, you have a grace period of at least 23 days to pay your balance. If you do, you won’t pay interest on your purchases.
Avoid fees.
Late and returned payments come with hefty fees of up to $35.
Contact customer service.
If you have questions about your credit card account, call the number on the back of your card. Alternatively, call the general helpline at 1-800-950-5114.
Bottom line
Other cards outshine the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card in rewards and intro purchase APR offers. But if you want a market-leading intro APR on balance transfers, you’ve found the top player.
Frequently asked questions
Images: Citi.com
Balance transfer card ratings
★★★★★ — Excellent
★★★★★ — Good
★★★★★ — Average
★★★★★ — Subpar
★★★★★ — Poor
Our team evaluates credit cards to determine their value against similar cards on the market.
We rank card types — travel, cash back, business — on a set of factors that are most relevant to that type of card. We create these rankings to help you narrow down a credit card that best suits your spending and budget.
