It’s great if you need the max time available to pay your balance, and you want a safety net in case you miss a payment.

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Snapshot

4.5

Bankrate rating

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Bottom line

This card is excellent if you need as much time as possible to pay off your balance, or you could use a safety net in case you miss a payment while you’re establishing consistent credit habits. However, its limited intro APR on purchases and long-term value could be deal-breakers.

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Citi Simplicity® Card overview

If you need to pay off credit card debt, the Citi Simplicity Card could be a big help. It’s one of the most forgiving balance transfer credit cards out there, sporting one of the longest intro APR periods currently available for balance transfers with no annual fee, late fees or penalty APR. New cardholders can take advantage of a 0 percent intro APR for 12 months on purchases and 21 months on balance transfers made within the first four months of account opening (18.24% - 28.99% (Variable) APR thereafter).

However, the card doesn’t include a rewards program or welcome offer, so it doesn’t carry the long-term value you’ll find with rewards cards.

If a lengthy intro APR period is your key priority, this card is a great option. However, other cards may be a better fit if you want a combination of initial and long-term value.

Rewards
- This card doesn’t offer rewards, which is typical of balance transfer cards with similar intro APR offers
Expert Appraisal: Typical
See our expert analysis
0% APR offer
- 0 percent intro APR on balance transfers for 21 months on transfers made within the first four months of account opening
- 0 percent intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening
- 3 percent ($5 minimum) intro balance transfer fee for balance transfers completed within the first four months of account opening. After that, a 5 percent fee for each transfer (minimum $5) applies.
- 18.24% - 28.99% (Variable) APR
Expert Appraisal: Exceptional
See our expert analysis
Rates and fees
- No annual fee
- No late payment fees
- No penalty APR
- Foreign transaction fee: 3 percent
- Cash advance fee: either $10 or 5 percent of each cash advance, whichever is greater
Expert Appraisal: Good
See our expert analysis
Other cardholder perks
- $0 liability on unauthorized charges
- Access to Citi Entertainment tickets and Citi Flex Plan alternative payments
- Automatic account alerts
- Identity theft protection
- Payment due date flexibility
- Digital wallet
- Contactless pay
Expert Appraisal: Unimpressive
See our expert analysis

Citi Simplicity pros and cons

Pros

It offers one of the longest intro APR periods for balance transfers currently available.
It’s one of the only cards on the market that doesn’t charge late fees — or a penalty APR — if you make a late payment.
The intro balance transfer fee is lower than the 5 percent fee that several other cards with similar transfer intro APR lengths charge, which can make this card much cheaper than its rivals.

Cons

The card lacks long-term value since it doesn’t earn rewards or have a welcome offer.
The intro APR for purchases doesn’t last as long as it does for balance transfers, although a few competitors have longer intro APRs on both.
If you are trying to reduce credit card debt, the 3 percent foreign transaction fee could be costly (although many balance transfer cards have this fee).

How to save money with a Citi Simplicity balance transfer

The Citi Simplicity's notably long intro APR offer and low amount of fees could save you hundreds in interest compared to competing balance transfer cards. “The primary reasons I chose the Citi Simplicity over other balance transfer cards were the long intro APR and the lack of fees. That allowed me to fit a moderate debt payoff plan into my budget, and no fees were undoing the efforts I made to pay off my balance,” says Bankrate credit cards writer Seychelle Thomas, CFEI®

It is estimated that the average credit card balance is $6,730, according to Experian. Transferring that amount to the Citi Simplicity would have you pay $320.47 monthly for 21 months, plus a $202 balance transfer fee during the intro APR period.

By applying the current average credit card interest rate of 20 percent to the same intro APR timeline, Bankrate's credit card payoff calculator predicts you'd have to pay $382 monthly and $1,301 in interest.

Why you might want the Citi Simplicity

The Citi Simplicity is one of the most competitive balance transfer cards on the market with one of the longest intro APR periods available. Plus, it’s perhaps the most forgiving card for paying off debt since it’s one of the few cards that doesn’t charge late fees or a penalty APR in case you miss a payment.

Intro APR offer: More than a year to pay down transferred balances

This card’s main selling point is its intro APR offer: 0 percent for 21 months (18.24% - 28.99% (Variable) APR after) on balance transfers made within the first four months of account opening.

Not only is this card’s intro APR period on transfers one of the longest on the market, but the card also gives you more time to transfer your balance (four months) than many other cards, which typically only give you 60 to 90 days to transfer your balance.

However, the intro APR on purchases is only 12 months, meaning there will be an entire nine months remaining of your intro balance transfer offer that you’ll need to pay off your purchases in full on top of trying to settle your existing balance.

On the other hand, several competitors provide matching intro APRs of 18 months to 21 months on both purchases and balance transfers. Still, a shorter intro APR on purchases might not be a deal-breaker unless you need more breathing room to pay off any upcoming purchases while you’re trying to settle your balance.

Rates and fees: Very forgiving on card penalties

The Citi Simplicity’s other strength is affordability. While you can find other cards with comparable intro APR offers, they’ll likely have more potential fees than the Citi Simplicity card. In addition to charging no annual fee, this is one of the rare few cards that don’t charge late fees or have a penalty APR. Granted, there is a 3 percent fee for foreign transactions, but that’s pretty common for a balance transfer card.

This makes the Citi Simplicity an especially forgiving card for credit beginners and those managing debt. Although you might not pay a late fee, it’s worth mentioning that missing a payment or the minimum payment might end your intro APR early — and not to mention damage your credit score — so this is a perk that should only be relied on in an emergency.

Why you might want a different balance transfer card

Typical for most balance transfer cards, the Citi Simplicity carries few benefits beyond its intro APR offers. Once its intro offers end, the card won’t provide much ongoing value compared to some other zero-interest cards with rewards and more well-rounded features.

Rewards: Limited long-term value

Like most balance transfer cards with 18-month offers or longer, the Citi Simplicity does not have a rewards program. This shouldn’t be a priority when you’re focused on paying off debt, but it’s a nice bonus since it can help you save on everyday spending and give your card long-term value.

If you don’t need 21 months to pay off your balance and want a card for the long haul, consider a cash back card or a rewards card with a shorter intro APR on balance transfers and new purchases. As long as you are careful not to overspend, earning rewards while paying down debt can help you pay it off faster if you manage your card responsibly.

Learn more: Should you get a balance transfer card or a rewards card with a shorter intro APR?

Cardholder perks: No notable benefits outside low rates and fees

Balance transfer cards often come with a thin portfolio of cardholder perks, and the Simplicity card is no exception. The Citi Simplicity’s benefits don’t offer anything unique, making the card an unremarkable option if you’re looking for more than standard card perks like fraud protection and account alerts. You’ll also have access to Citi Entertainment and Citi Flex Pay Plans, but many other issuers provide similar pre-sale ticket and alternative installment payment features.

If you’re after more popular no-annual-fee card perks, a few balance transfer cards like the Wells Fargo Reflect® Card and the U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card* offer cellphone protection. However, rewards cards will be a better option if you’re looking for more lucrative perks or stronger protections.

We tried it: Here's what our experts say

The Citi Simplicity is undoubtedly a good choice if you need more time to pay off a balance, but you need to think about the long-term value of owning the card, especially because there are no rewards or incentives, such as a welcome offer, that would boost its value.

Bankrate credit cards writer Seychelle Thomas, CFEI ^®, praised the card's intro APR offer on balance transfers, but after paying off her balance, she switched to a Citi card that offers rewards.

Bankrate staff insights

"A balance transfer card with no rewards is a bit of a double-edged sword to me. Don’t get me wrong, the Citi Simplicity absolutely served its purpose by helping me pay off debt and removing the reward-chasing temptation to swipe. But now that the balance is paid off, I don’t actually use the card unless there’s a new balance transfer offer I can take advantage of. The upside is that Citi allows me to switch credit cards to a more rewarding option without changing my account number. It just takes a brief phone call to switch, and you're not stuck with a card you don't need anymore."

Seychelle Thomas, CFEI®, credit cards writer

How the Citi Simplicity card compares to other balance transfer cards

The Simplicity card is one of your best options if you have high-interest credit card debt and need a long period of time to pay it off. However, another card may be better if you need to both pay off debt and finance new purchases.

Learn more: Which cards still offer a 21-month intro APR?

Citi Simplicity® Card

Bankrate Score

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5 4.5

Annual fee

$0

Intro offer

N/A

Rewards rate

N/A

Recommended Credit Score

Good to Excellent (670 – 850)

Discover it® Chrome

Bankrate Score

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 4.0

See Rates & Fees

Apply now

on Discover's secure site

Annual fee

$0

Intro offer

Cashback Match

Rewards rate

1% - 2%

Recommended Credit Score

Good to Excellent (670 – 850)

Wells Fargo Reflect® Card

Bankrate Score

Rating: 4.3 stars out of 5 4.3

See Rates & Fees

Apply now

on Wells Fargo's secure site

Annual fee

$0

Intro offer

N/A

Rewards rate

N/A

Recommended Credit Score

Good to Excellent (670 – 850)

Is this card right for me?

The Citi Simplicity is a great card for anyone with credit card debt that may take several months to pay off, including:

Credit beginners who are learning to manage their credit cards and tackle their debt (due to this card's lack of late fees and penalty APR).
Debt consolidators who need more breathing room and a better late-payment safety net than many other cards.
Anyone who needs a long introductory period for balance transfers (the intro APR offer on balance transfers with the Citi Simplicity is one of the longest on the market).

Learn more: Is the Citi Simplicity worth it?

Alternative picks

The Citi Simplicity card is great for consolidating existing card debt and providing a long introductory period for balance transfers. However, another card could be a stronger pick in the long run since the Simplicity card doesn’t offer a rewards program, long intro APR on purchases or other significant perks that rival cards may.

Citi Double Cash® Card

Best for high cash back rate

BankAmericard® credit card

Best for low potential APR

The information about the U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.

Frequently asked questions

How we rated this card

100+

cards rated

400+

APRs tracked

3000

data points analyzed

40+

perks evaluated

Our proprietary card rating system takes into account a mix of factors when scoring balance transfer and low-interest cards, including each card’s introductory APR, intro APR period length, ongoing APR, balance transfer fee, perks and more.

While balance transfer and low-interest cards share a similar ratings rubric, we weigh features differently based on how a card is categorized. We categorize cards that carry an especially long intro APR offer on balance transfers as dedicated balance transfer cards, while cards that offer an especially low ongoing APR are considered general low-interest cards.

Based on its features, we assigned this card a primary category of balance transfer and tailored our ratings accordingly.

We analyzed over 100 of the most popular balance transfer and low-interest cards and scored each based on how its key features stacked up against those of other cards in the category.

Here’s a breakdown of what gave this card its score:

Compare the best balance transfer credit cards

Written by

Garrett Yarbrough

Writer, Credit cards

Read more from Garrett

Bankrate expert Garrett Yarbrough strives to make navigating credit cards and credit building smooth sailing for his readers. After regularly featuring his credit card, credit monitoring and identity theft analysis on NextAdvisor.com, he joined the CreditCards.com and Bankrate teams as a staff writer to develop product reviews and comprehensive credit card guides focused on cash back, credit scores and card offers.

Co-written by

Ashley Parks

Former Editor, Credit cards

Read more from Ashley

Edited by Editor, Credit cards

* See the online application for details about terms and conditions for these offers. Every reasonable effort has been made to maintain accurate information. However all credit card information is presented without warranty. After you click on the offer you desire you will be directed to the credit card issuer's web site where you can review the terms and conditions for your selected offer.

Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The information, including card rates and fees, is accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information.

Up next

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Wells Fargo Reflect® Card Review

Rating: 4.3 stars out of 5 4.3 Bankrate Score

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Citi Simplicity® Card Review | Bankrate