Citi credit cards: Which one is best for you?

The best Citi credit cards

Finder’s credit card experts reviewed all of these cards and compared them against one another based on several factors, including the value they offer versus their annual fee, additional card features and APRs. We’ve ranked the eight best Citi credit cards based on our unbiased evaluations to help you make the right choice for your financial needs. Unlike our competitors, Finder’s credit card experts research and write about all credit cards, including those from providers who aren’t partners on our site.

Best for balance transfers
Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card

Finder Rating: 4.6 / 5

★★★★★

Credit recommended (670-850)Apply nowon Citi's secure site

670
Min. credit score

$0
Annual fee

n/a
Rewards

n/a
Welcome offer

• Info
• Pros & cons
• Details

The Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card has long been the balance transfer card of choice for long intro periods. The simplicity of the card, lack of annual fee and opportunity for intro APR on both purchases and balance transfers means this card should remain high on your list for balance transfer cards.

• Intro APR for purchases and balance transfers. Get a 0% intro APR on balance transfers for an impressive 21 months after account opening, then 13.74% to 23.74% variable after that. You'll also get a 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months following your account opening. After the intro period passes, your rate reverts to an APR between 13.74% to 23.74% variable.
• No annual fee. You won't pay an annual fee to use this card.

• No rewards. The card is excellent for saving money on interest, but you won't earn any rewards on your purchases.
• No signup bonus. There's no bonus to earn upon signup.

Annual Fee	$0
Purchase APR	0% intro for the first 12 months (then 13.74% to 23.74% variable)
Balance transfer APR	0% intro for the first 21 months (then 13.74% to 23.74% variable)
Welcome offer	N/A
Estimated welcome offer value
Rewards	N/A

Best for cash back
Citi® Double Cash Card

Finder Rating: 3.8 / 5

★★★★★

Credit recommended (670-850)Apply nowon Citi's secure site

670
Min. credit score

$0
Annual fee

Up to2%
Cash back

n/a
Welcome offer

• Info
• Pros & cons
• Details

Though it lost some of its shine thanks to stiffer competition through 2020, the Citi® Double Cash Card remains no-annual-fee favorite for cash back. Earning up to 2% back on purchases (1% when you buy plus 1% when you pay your balance) is still higher than the industry average for flat-rate cards, and you'll often find an intro APR on balance transfers with this card.

• Intro APR: 0% on balance transfers for 18 months after account opening. After that, your balance transfer APR will be 13.99% to 23.99% variable.
• Rewards: Superb cash back. Earn Up to 2% cash back on purchases (1% when you buy plus 1% as you pay).

• No intro APR period on purchases. You don't get to save money with a 0% intro APR period on purchases.
• No signup bonus. There's no bonus to earn when you signup for the card.

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
Estimated welcome offer value
Rewards	Up to 2% cash back on purchases (1% when you buy plus 1% as you pay)

Best for general travel
Citi Premier® Card

Finder Rating: 4.3 / 5

★★★★★

Credit recommended (670-850)Apply nowon Citi's secure site

670
Min. credit score

$95
Annual fee

Up to3x
Points

80,000
Points welcome offer

• Info
• Pros & cons
• Details

As far as mid tier travel cards go, the Citi Premier® Card offers just enough perks for the price a year. And since it earns in a variety of everyday categories such as restaurants and gas stations, this is a 'can't-go-wrong' pick. And if you redeem points through the ThankYou Travel Center, your points are worth 25% more.

• Signup bonus: 80,000 bonus ThankYou Points. To earn them, spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of opening your account. These points are worth $800 in airfare when you redeem them through the ThankYou Travel Center.
• Rewards: Wide variety of rewards. 3x points at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, flights and hotels. And earn 1x points on all other purchases.
• Points transfers. Transfer your points to airline and hotel loyalty programs such as TrueBlue and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer.

• Annual fee. You'll pay an annual fee of $95.
• No intro APR period. With this card, you won't get a intro APR period on purchases or balance transfers.

Annual Fee	$95
Purchase APR	15.99% to 23.99% variable
Balance transfer APR	15.99% to 23.99% variable
Welcome offer	80,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months
Estimated welcome offer value	$800 based on Finder's valuation
Rewards	3x points at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, flights and hotels and 1x points on everything else

Best for gas
Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi

Finder Rating: 3.4 / 5

★★★★★

Credit recommended (740-850)Apply nowon Citi's secure site

740
Min. credit score

$0
Annual fee

Up to4%
Cash back

n/a
Welcome offer

• Info
• Pros & cons
• Details

This is an excellent all-around cashback product, provided you don't mind (or even prefer) receiving your rewards in the form of Costco statement credits. Notably, it earns 4% back at gas stations, which is as high as you'll find on a non-travel rewards card that doesn't feature rotating categories. Your 4% cash back will be capped at $7,000 in eligible gas purchases, followed by 1%.

• Annual fee: None with your paid Costco membership.
• Rewards: Great cash back for several categories. Earn 4% cash back on your first $7,000 in eligible gas purchases (then 1%), 3% back on restaurant and travel purchases, 2% back on Costco and Costco.com purchases and 1% back on all other purchases.
• No foreign transaction fees. Use this card freely online with foreign merchants or abroad and you won't pay any foreign transaction fees.

• Limited reward redemption. You can only redeem your rewards once every year.
• No intro APR period. There's no 0% intro APR period on purchases or balance transfer, or a 0% deferred interest on Costco purchases.

Annual Fee	$0
Purchase APR	15.24% variable
Balance transfer APR	15.24% variable
Welcome offer	N/A
Estimated welcome offer value
Rewards	4% at gas stations on up to $7,000 annually (then 1%), 3% at restaurants and on travel, 2% at Costco and 1% on all other purchases

Best for rewards rounding
Citi Rewards+® Card

Finder Rating: 4.1 / 5

★★★★★

Credit recommended (670-850)Apply nowon Citi's secure site

670
Min. credit score

$0
Annual fee

Up to2x
Points

20,000
Points welcome offer

• Info
• Pros & cons
• Details

There isn't another rewards card on the market quite like the Citi Rewards+® Card. That's because rewards earned with this card will be rounded up to the nearest 10 points on every purchase. This makes it a phenomenal card for racking up points on small, numerous purchases.

• Rewards: Best for gas and groceries. Earn 2x points at gas stations and supermarkets. This applies to the first $6,000 in qualifying purchases per calendar year, after which you will earn 1x points.
• Rounding gets you more points. Your points will be rounded up to the nearest 10 points on every purchase.
• A good intro APR. Get a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months after account opening, then 13.49% to 23.49% variable.

• Foreign transaction fees. Because of the 3% foreign transaction fee, this may not be a good card to us with foreign merchants abroad or online.
• Penalty APR. If you miss a payment, Citi may impose a penalty APR of up to 29.99% variable.

Annual Fee	$0
Purchase APR	0% intro for the first 15 months (then 13.49% to 23.49% variable)
Balance transfer APR	0% intro for the first 15 months (then 13.49% to 23.49% variable)
Welcome offer	Earn 20,000 points after spending $1,500 in the first 3 months
Estimated welcome offer value	$200 based on Finder's valuation
Rewards	Earn 2x points at supermarkets and gas stations on up to $6,000 annually, then 1x points after that and on all other purchases

Best secured credit card
Citi® Secured Mastercard®

Finder Rating: 4.2 / 5

★★★★★

Credit recommended (-)Read review

Min. credit score

$0
Annual fee

n/a
Rewards

n/a
Welcome offer

• Info
• Pros & cons
• Details

This is Citi's only secured credit card. It's not the best secured card you'll find, but it's a good choice if you want a product from a reputable provider. One note: this card is for those new to credit, not those with poor credit.

• Annual fee: None.
• $200 minimum security deposit. Other secured cards might require higher security deposits.
• Build your credit. Citi will report your card activity to all three major credit bureaus: TransUnion, Equifax and Experian. With responsible use, you can build your credit.

• Deposit lockdown. Citi will keep your deposit for at least 18 months or unless Citi deems your account eligible and returns your deposit earlier than that.
• No rewards program. You won't earn any rewards on your purchases. This isn't surprising, considering it's a secured card. But it is possible to find other secured cards that do reward you for your purchases.

Annual Fee	$0
Purchase APR	22.49% variable
Balance transfer APR	22.49% variable
Welcome offer	N/A
Estimated welcome offer value
Rewards	N/A

Best value for American Airlines flyers
Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®

Finder Rating: 4.1 / 5

★★★★★

Credit recommended (670-850)Apply nowon Citi's secure site

670
Min. credit score

$99 ongoing
Annual fee

Up to2x
Miles

50,000
Miles welcome offer

• Info
• Pros & cons
• Details

The Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® perhaps the best American Airlines credit card available at the moment thanks to the value it brings versus the price. It allows you to earn a generous signup bonus and solid miles on your purchases without putting a strain on your wallet.

• AAdvantage miles. Earn 2x miles on your American Airlines purchases, at restaurants and at gas stations, and 1x miles on all other purchases.
• Signup bonus. Earn 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $2,500 within your first 3 months of card membership.
• Flight discount. Earn an annual $125 American Airlines flight discount after you spend $20,000 or more with your card every year.

• Annual fee. During the first year you won't pay an annual fee, but starting from the second, you'll pay a $99 each year.

Annual Fee	$0 intro annual fee for the first year ($99 thereafter)
Purchase APR	15.99% to 24.99% variable
Balance transfer APR	15.99% to 24.99% variable
Welcome offer	50,000 miles after spending $2,500 in the first 3 months
Estimated welcome offer value	$750 based on Finder's valuation
Rewards	2x miles on eligible American Airlines purchases, at gas stations and restaurants and 1x miles on all other purchases

What’s changed in 2021?

In 2021, we made room for Citi’s flagship travel card, which offers a unique complimentary-night benefit among a competitive luxury-card landscape. We also added the Citi Rewards+® Card which offer solid everyday rewards and a great reward-rounding mechanic.

How to apply for a Citi card

1. Browse through our listed Citi credit cards and review their details to find one that best suits you.
2. After making your selection, click Apply now.
3. Fill in the application with required information. This typically includes your full name, email address, residential address and phone number, date of birth, Social Security number and total annual income. For a business credit card, enter additional information such as your legal business name, years in business, annual business revenue and federal tax ID. You must be at least 18 years of age to apply.
4. Review and submit your application. After approved, Once approved, you can activate your Citi card online, by phone or through the Citi mobile app.

How many Citi cards can I have?

You can have as many Citi credit cards as you can get approval for. But there is an 8/65/95 rule to keep in mind.

In essence, this rule says you can apply for your second Citi card eight days after you applied for your first card. After that, you have to wait 65 days to apply for your third card. The number 95 means you have to wait at least 95 days between Citi business credit card applications.

Is this the same as the Citi-48-month rule?

No. The Citi 48-month rule is a policy that restricts you from gaining the signup bonus from a card more than once within a 48-month period. Not all cards are affected, so check out the full 48-month rules for more information.

Can I prequalify for a Citi credit card?

Yes, Citi gives you the option to prequalify for a card without a hard pull on your credit. All you have to do is visit Citi’s prequalification page, fill out the form and wait to receive your offer.

Once you choose your card and apply for it, Citi will do a hard pull on your credit.

Types of Citi cards

Citi is known for offering balance transfer credit cards with some of the longest 0% intro APR period. You can also find great travel cards that use the ThankYou rewards program, and cobranded travel cards with American Airlines, Expedia and Costco.

On the downside, Citi doesn’t have a whole lot of small business cards to choose from. You have only two cobranded credit card options — an American Airlines card and a Costco card.

Citi card for bad or fair credit

Unlike other card providers that specialize in cards for building credit, Citi doesn’t offer a credit card specifically for those with bad credit. Instead, Citi offers a secured card for those who are new to credit. It’s an excellent card, but you won’t qualify if you have a bad credit score.

Standout benefits of Citi credit cards

• Rewards. Most Citi credit cards offer rewards. This can either be in the form of cash back, ThankYou points or cobranded miles and points.
• ThankYou rewards program. Some Citi credit cards are part of the ThankYou program, which is similar to Chase Ultimate Rewards and Amex Membership Rewards. If you already bank with Citi and want to get into one of the best travel rewards program, a ThankYou rewards card is the way to go.
• Long balance transfer periods. At one point, Citi offered the longest 0% intro APR period for 21 months on two of its cards. This is slightly lower now, but it’s still on the high end and rarely offered by other card providers.
• Virtual credit cards. Citi is one of the rare card providers that offers virtual credit card numbers to some of its cards. This is an excellent safety feature that hides your actual credit card information when shopping at shady online vendors.
• Citi Entertainment. With Citi Entertainment, you receive discounts on a variety of entertainment events when you book online with your Citi card, plus you get exclusive access to presale tickets and experiences.
• New card tracker. A newer feature for Citi cards is the ability to track the processing and shipping of your new credit card through the Citi app. Best of all, you can view your card number through the card tracker, allowing you to use your card before you receive it in the mail.

Full list of Citi credit card reviews

Bottom line

While travel cards are Citi’s bread and butter, the provider offers a superb cashback product and top-notch balance transfer cards.

If you’re not sure whether a Citi product is right for you, check out market-leading credit cards to compare more options.

Frequently asked questions

How does Citi keep my credit card information secure?
Citi uses advanced technology to keep your information safe online and on mobile. It deploys 128-bit SSL encryption to secure the information you transmit, as well as an SSL certificate that helps you confirm you’re on the correct website. Additionally, the bank uses two-step verification if it needs to confirm your identity.

What should I do if I lose my Citi card?
First, lock your card with Citi Quick Lock. Then call 1-800-950-5114 to report your lost card. Citi will cancel your current account, then issue you a new account number and credit card.

Can I cancel my Citi card without calling?
To cancel your Citi card online you have to chat with a Citi representative. This may not always work, in which case you’ll need to call in to cancel.