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This content is not provided by Citibank. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author’s alone and have not been endorsed by Citibank.
Unfortunately, the Citi® Diamond Preferred® doesn't have a rewards program. While there are some features and benefits, the card's main draw is its 0% APR balance transfer for 21 months.
Although this card does not offer a rewards program, cardholders have reported receiving offers for a cash-back rewards card within the Citi family. One option is to switch your existing account from the Citi® Diamond Preferred® card to one that offers cash back, such as the Citi Double Cash card.
The main feature of the Citi® Diamond Preferred® credit card is the 21-month interest-free period. Typically, the average introductory, no-interest period for balance transfers is anywhere from six to 18 months. So, a credit card that gives you up to 21 months to enjoy interest-free while you knock off your debt is less common.
You'll get the most use out of it if you primarily use it for a balance transfer and aim to pay off the balance before the 21 months are up. You have four months after opening your account to complete your balance transfer and enjoy the zero-interest rate.
Once you hit the 21-month mark, the APR kicks over to a APR of 17.24%-27.99% (variable). This rate depends on your creditworthiness, which essentially means how likely you are to pay back your balance.
Besides the zero-percent interest rate on balance transfers, the Citi Diamond Preferred also features a no-interest period for the first 12 months after opening your account.
If you're using the card primarily for a balance transfer, you'll want to proceed with caution, says credit card expert John Ulzheimer. "Be careful not to fall in love with that feature, or you may find yourself deeper in debt with little to no chance of paying off the balance by the end of the grace period," he says.
You'll also want to consider the balance transfer fee, which is $5 or 5% of the amount you're transferring to the new card – whichever is greater. If you are transferring over $1,000 to this card, a $50 fee applies. Note that this is on the higher end of balance transfer fees, which can range from a fixed amount to 2% to 5% of the transferred amount.
Other interest rates and fees to keep in mind: If you're doing a cash advance, the APR is a variable 29.49%. Additionally, a cash advance fee of $10 or 5%, whichever is greater, applies.
And if you're purchasing another country, expect to pay a foreign transaction fee of 3%.
Late on a payment or had your payment returned? If so, you can expect your APR to increase to a variable rate of 29.99%.
If you're curious about the Citi Diamond Preferred credit limit, like any card, the specific limit hinges on your individual, personal situation – think of your existing debt, credit history, credit score, and income.
Besides the Citi® Diamond Preferred® balance transfer, other perks include a free FICO Score check.
You can also enjoy ID theft protection, courtesy of Mastercard. It's something you'll need to enroll in. Once you do, you can receive identity monitoring, alerts on suspicious activity to your account, and around-the-clock access to ID theft resolution specialists.
Unfortunately, while Citi once offered an extended warranty on eligible purchases made with the card, the card issuer halted this benefit several years ago.
As you might expect from major card issuers, Citi offers standard protection features to ensure your personal and financial information is safeguarded. For example, Citi's Quick Lock feature lets you block new charges.
You can also get early fraud warnings. Should Citi's fraud detection team spot any suspicious activity, you'll receive a notification by text, phone, or email right away.
Another way to safeguard your account? You can receive account alerts via phone or email. These can include notifications such as payment reminders, your card balances, and alerts if you've exceeded your credit limit. By keeping an eye on your recent purchases, you can spot any suspicious activity. You can also use virtual account numbers when shopping online.
Citi also offers features on its app, such as biometrics. There is also two-factor authentication, which can help protect your credit card account.
While there are several ways to safeguard and protect your account, it ultimately comes down to being aware of the security features available to you. From there, you can figure out how to make the most of these different ways to safeguard your account. That way, you can put the proper security measures in place.
Overall, the Citi credit card website is easy to navigate, and you can find the information you're looking for. This includes rates and fees, features, and security protection. If you're seeking more details about a card, the FAQ sections include sufficient information on making the most of the card and the minimum credit score requirements.
One standout feature about Citi's credit card website is that it's easy to compare credit cards side by side. At the moment, you can select up to three credit cards in the Citi family, and look at features, any travel perks, APRs, rates, and annual fees.
If you'd like to do the basics on your phone – such as making a payment, checking your FICO credit score, setting a credit freeze, or requesting a card replacement – you can do so on the Citi Mobile app. Citi's app on the App Store boasts 4.9 stars out of 5, based on 3.9 million ratings. Currently, it's ranked in the top 20 (#18, to be exact) in the finance category.
On the Google Play Store, you'll see that it has 4.7 stars, based on 1.25 million reviews and over 10 million downloads. App users who have had a positive experience say it's been fairly easy to make payments. However, some users reported bugs, such as the biometric login not working properly.
If you're curious about applying for the Citi® Diamond Preferred® and want to get a hold of a human, there are several ways to do so. Citi's consumer line is 1-800-347-4934.
There's no way to directly email Citi's credit card division. However, if you're a potential customer with a question or comment, you can use an online form to send a brief message.
Compared to other major card issuers, I've found this query form to be somewhat outdated.
Furthermore, some of the subject categories you can choose from direct you to existing Citi websites. For example, the "new credit card account queries" redirected to Citi's website, which features a range of credit cards in its offerings.
If you're an existing cardholder, Citi's customer service team can be reached via phone (1-800-950-5114), chat, or snail mail.
When we tried out these different channels:
I reached a live agent within several minutes.
The customer service rep was confident in answering my questions about the Citi Diamond Preferred card. However, they got some incorrect information about the minimum credit score.
While polite, they asked several times if I wanted to apply for the card. I kindly refused each request.
I received a response to my online query X days after submitting it.
Calling the consumer line was a bit confusing. Initially, it sounded like the phone number for existing customers, rather than for those looking to apply for a card. It took me a few "menus" before I landed at the right place.
The Citi® Diamond Preferred® card doesn't have a unique Trustpilot or Better Business Bureau (BBB) page. However, Citi as a whole has a BBB score of 1.04 out of 5, based on over 900 reviews. It has a 1.2 out of 5 Trustpilot score, based on nearly 200 reviews, which puts it in the "bad" category.
Five-star reviews highlight great customer service that went above and beyond to resolve issues and address concerns. Those who have a history of on-time payments share that Citi may be open to lowering the cardholder's interest rate, upon request.
On the flip side, dissatisfied customers report a subpar overall experience, including unhelpful customer service. Additionally, there were issues with payments, as well as a potential, alarming instance of fraudulent activity.
Redditors feel that the card is mainly worthwhile for its 21-month zero-interest rate on balance transfers. They also note that once you have taken advantage of enjoying no interest on the balance transfer, you can potentially switch the account to a Citi rewards credit card, like the Citi Custom Cash card, which gives you 5% cash back on your top spending category.
Cardholders like Adam Roberts opened the card and took advantage of the introductory interest rate on balance transfers. While he was able to pay most of it off, he still had a small balance left on it. When it was near the 21-month mark, Roberts moved the remaining amount to a new card with a zero-percent introductory period.
"I also used it to make some decent purchases," says Roberts, who is a software developer based in Los Angeles. "That's because there were zero-interest checks for 12 months. So I paid for a foundation and some construction work with those checks," he says.
To get the most out of the Citi® Diamond Preferred®, which has the main draw of a generous zero-interest balance transfer period, you'll want to keep in mind why you'd want the card in the first place, explains Ulzheimer.
Because the primary purpose of a balance transfer card is to move interest-accruing debt to a card that has no interest for a period, you should use that zero-interest period to aggressively pay down your debt. "Doing this will save you hundreds or thousands of dollars in interest costs," he says.
The key is to pay off the debt before the zero-interest grace period ends. "You may find yourself paying interest retroactive to the day you opened the card, and then what was the point?" he says. "All you did was to delay the inevitable."
We looked at and rated credit cards in the following categories. Here's how our review process works:
Rates and fees: We pored over credit card rates, including the purchase and promotional APR. We also carefully examined fees such as the annual fee, balance transfer fee, and foreign transaction fee.
Features and benefits: We factored in any valuable features and benefits like the rewards structure, base rewards program, sign-on bonus, recurring benefits, and additional perks. Some perks were more related to travel rewards, while others were better suited for general everyday rewards.
Security: With security an increasing concern, we considered various factors in our assessment. This included measures to protect card and personal data. Advanced security measures, such as card freezes and card alerts for suspicious activity and large transactions, are also factored in.
User experience: Different aspects of the user experience, including navigating the card issuer's website, app reviews, and the ease of the application process, are meticulously analyzed and weighed. Other factors include how soon one can use the card and how easy it is to make the most of its features and benefits.
Customer service: We compare the credit card issuer's Trustpilot score and BBB ratings with those of its competitors and industry averages. We also consider the company's various customer service channels (e.g., telephone, chat, email, and physical mail) and evaluate response times and the quality of the customer experience.
You can learn more in our full credit cards methodology.
The Citi® Diamond Preferred® card can be a good option if you're looking for a balance transfer card with a generous 0% intro rate that lasts 21 months. With no annual fee, it can be a great option if you want to focus on paying off existing debt without stomaching high interest fees.
However, like any balance transfer card, it's essential to aim to pay off your balance before the zero-percent interest rate expires. You can pull this off by mapping out how much you'll need to pay each month and sticking to a plan.
If you anticipate more "spendy" months, where your typical expenses are higher-than-usual (i.e., summer vacation, holidays), you can take those months off, and create a, say, 18-month plan.
While Citi doesn't make required credit scores public, most of its cards require good to excellent credit. The Citi® Diamond Preferred® card also requires a good to excellent score, which is anywhere from 670 to 850. If your credit score doesn't fall within this range, you might consider a different card – or spend time building your score before applying.
The Citi credit card that is likely the toughest to get approved for is the Costco Anywhere Visa card. That's because it's one of the few personal credit cards that requires an excellent credit score. While it requires a great score, you'll receive valuable perks, like 5% cashback on gas when you fill up at Costco. You'll receive cashback at Costco, as long as you're an existing Costco member.
Citi® Diamond Preferred® card reviews note that the Citi® Diamond Preferred® is a strong option for balance transfers. While the fee may be on the higher end, at $5 or 5% of the amount, whichever is greater, it can save you a significant amount of money in interest fees. Unfortunately, it doesn't offer rewards or many other perks. Depending on your needs, a cash-back or travel rewards card might be a good fit.
This content is not provided by Citibank. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author’s alone and have not been endorsed by Citibank.
