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Citizens Review
Reviews 293
Citizens
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Citizens
Citizens
Poor
Reviews 293
Michael Graw
Sep. 14, 2022
4 min read
Michael Graw
Citizens Summary
Citizens is a national bank offering private student loans for undergraduate, graduate, law, and medical degree programs. International students can qualify with a US-based cosigner. You can choose your repayment plan, including whether you want to make interest-only payments or defer your payments. Citizens also offers multi-year loan approval, so you can get a new student loan each year of your program without a new application.
Pros
  • Flexible repayment plans
  • Multi-year loan approval
  • Loyalty discount for existing Citizens account holders
Cons
  • Rate not locked in for multi-year loan approval
  • Most branches are in the eastern US

Citizens at a glance

9.2
Editorial score

Online experience

Has learning resources, access to rates, mobile app
10.0

Customer services and support

Multiple ways of reaching lender, wide range of hours
8.0

Repayment flexibility

Offers multiple repayment plans- but no special repayment programs
8.0

Eligibility

Loans available to all credit types, income levels, and students
10.0

Variety of Loan Types

Offers all loan types
10.0

Citizens Citizens Visit Site

Overview

Citizens is a Rhode Island-based bank that has been in business since 1828 and has more than 1,000 branches across 11 states. The bank offers private students loans for degree-granting programs across the country, including undergraduate, graduate, law, and medical programs. It has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.

Suitable For?

Citizens is suitable for undergraduate and graduate students who are enrolled at least half-time in school. Its student loans offer competitive interest rates, especially if you already have a Citizens account and qualify for a 0.25% rate discount. Loans are available for undergraduate and graduate students, including students in law school and medical school.

Citizens serves not only US citizens and residents but also international students with a US citizen or resident co-signer. Since the bank accepts cosigners and allows deferred payments on private student loans, it is suitable for students with little income while in school.

Loan Features

Here are a few key features of Citizens’ private student loans:

  • Multi-year approval: You can be approved for annual loans for up to 4 years, so you don’t need to reapply and undergo a hard credit check at the start of every new school year.
  • Flexible repayment plans: Citizens enables you to choose between making payments immediately, making interest-only payments, or deferring payments until after you graduate.
  • Cosigner release: You can remove a cosigner from your loan after 36 months of consecutive payments.
  • No prepayment penalty: Citizens doesn’t charge fees if you pay off your student loan early.
  • Rate discount: Existing Citizens account holders receive a 0.25% rate discount.

The Application Process

You can request a quote for a private student loan online. Getting a quote does not impact your credit score.

If you want to proceed, you can apply at Citizens online or in person at a bank branch. You will need to submit proof of residence, proof of income, and proof of your enrollment in an eligible degree program. If you have a cosigner, they will need to submit proof of residence and income. You and your cosigner will also need to undergo hard credit checks.

Eligibility Requirements

Citizens requires borrowers to be US citizens or residents. International students can also apply but must have a US citizen or resident cosigner. All applicants must be enrolled for at least half-time in a degree program and have no previous student loan defaults. 

Loan Rates

Citizens offers rates from 5.40% - 15.03% APR, and existing Citizens account holders receive a 0.25% rate discount. Your rate will depend on various factors, including your credit score, whether you have a cosigner, how much you need to borrow, and what repayment plan you select.

Repayment Terms

Borrowers have 3 options to repay student loans from Citizens. You can start making payments immediately, make only interest payments until after graduation, or defer all payments until after graduation. Citizens offers flexible repayment terms.

How Safe Is It?

Citizens has been in business for nearly 200 years and has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. The bank uses encryption and biometric tools to keep your online financial information secure.

Customer Service

Citizens offers customer support by phone, email, and live chat from 9am-4pm (ET), Monday-Friday. You can also visit one of the bank’s more than 1,000 branches to speak with a loan officer in person.

How Citizens Compares


CitizensCollege AveSoFi
APR5.40% - 15.03%
2.94%-12.99%2.99% to 10.66%
Minimum credit scoreN/A640None
Loan amounts$10,000-$350,000$1,000-Full cost of degree$5,000-Full cost of degree
Accepts cosigners YesYesYes
Suitable forInternational studentsStudents with good creditStudents who want flexible repayment options

 

Summary

Citizens offers private student loans with rates from 5.40% - 15.03% APR. This bank’s offering is unique in that it’s open to international students with a US citizen or resident cosigner. In addition, you can be approved for an annual loan for up to 4 years, so you don’t have to reapply at the start of every school year. Citizens offers a selection of repayment options and doesn’t charge prepayment penalties, and you can manage your loan online.

Methodology

This review was created using information from the Citizens website and the Better Business Bureau.

Citizens Citizens Visit Site

Disclosures

ERL Variable Rate Disclosure: Variable interest rates are based on the 30-day average Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) index, as published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. As of May 1, 2023, the 30-day average SOFR index is 4.82%. Variable interest rates will fluctuate over the term of the loan with changes in the SOFR index, and will vary based on applicable terms, level of degree and presence of a co-signer. The maximum variable interest rate is the greater of 21.00% or the prime rate plus 9.00%.

Fixed Rate Disclosure: Fixed rate ranges are based on applicable terms, level of degree, and presence of a co-signer.

Student Loan Rate: Variable interest rates range from 5.40%-15.66% (5.40% -15.03% APR). Fixed interest rates range from 4.99%- 14.85% (4.99%- 14.28% APR).

Loyalty Discount: The borrower will be eligible for a 0.25 percentage point interest rate reduction on their loan if the borrower or their co-signer (if applicable) has a qualifying account in existence with us at the time the borrower and their co-signer (if applicable) have submitted a completed application authorizing us to review their credit request for the loan. The following are qualifying accounts: any checking account, savings account, money market account, certificate of deposit, automobile loan, home equity loan, home equity line of credit, mortgage, credit card account, or other student loans owned by Citizens Bank, N.A. Please note, our checking and savings account options are only available in the following states: CT, DC, DE, FL, MA, MD, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, VA, and VT and some products may have an associated cost. This discount will be reflected in the interest rate disclosed in the Loan Approval Disclosure that will be provided to the borrower once the loan is approved. Limit of one Loyalty Discount per loan and discount will not be applied to prior loans. The Loyalty Discount will remain in effect for the life of the loan.

Investors Bancorp, Inc. Loyalty Discount: To receive the Loyalty Discount for having a qualifying account with Investors Bancorp, Inc., borrowers must contact Citizens by telephone prior to signing the promissory note. Student loan borrowers please call (877) 291-6385 and education refinance borrowers please call (888) 411-2413.

† Automatic Payment Discount: Borrowers will be eligible to receive a 0.25 percentage point interest rate reduction on their student loans owned by Citizens Bank, N.A. when our loan servicer is authorized to automatically deduct payments each month from any bank account the borrower designates. Discount is not available when payments are not due, such as during forbearance. If our loan servicer is unable to successfully withdraw the automatic deductions from the designated account three or more times within any 12-month period, the borrower will no longer be eligible for this discount.

Multi-Year Approval: *The percentage of borrowers is based on all applicants who received a Multi-Year Student Loan from Citizens between October 1, 2021 and October 1, 2022. The percentage represents only borrowers who accepted the Multi-Year Approval offer. It does not include borrowers that qualified for the Multi-Year feature, but did not accept the offer.

Co-signer Release: Borrowers may apply for co-signer release after making 36 consecutive on-time payments of principal and interest. For the purpose of the application for co-signer release, on-time payments are defined as payments received within 15 days of the due date. Interest only payments do not qualify. The borrower must meet certain credit and eligibility guidelines when applying for the co-signer release. Borrowers must complete an application for release and provide income verification documents as part of the review. Borrowers who use deferment or forbearance will need to make 36 consecutive on-time payments after reentering repayment to qualify for release. The borrower applying for co-signer release must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. If an application for co-signer release is denied, the borrower may not reapply for co-signer release until at least one year from the date the application for co-signer release was received. Terms and conditions apply. Borrowers whose loans were funded prior to reaching the age of majority may not be eligible for co-signer release. Note: co-signer release is not available on the Student Loan for Parents or Education Refinance Loan for Parents.

Student Loan Aggregate Limits: You may borrow up to the maximum qualified loan amount or the total cost of education, whichever is lower. Our student loan does have lifetime aggregate limits (including both federal and private loan debt) of: Undergraduate Degree: $150,000, Graduate Degrees: $150,000, MBA and Law: $225,000, Healthcare: $180,000 or $350,000 depending on your degree (Aggregate limits up to $350,000 for MD, DMD/DDS, OD, DO, DPM, PharmD, and DVM degrees. Aggregate limits up to $180,000 for cardiac perfusion, chiropractic, cytotechnology, nurse practitioner, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and physician assistant degree).

Student Loan Repayment: Student borrowers can make full payments or pay interest only while in school or defer payments until after graduation (interest continues to accrue during deferment periods).

Student Lending Eligibility Criteria: Applicants must be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or eligible non-citizen with a creditworthy U.S. citizen or permanent resident co-signer. For applicants who have not attained the age of majority in their state of residence, a co-signer is required. Citizens reserves the right to modify eligibility criteria at any time. Citizens private student loans are subject to credit qualification, completion of a loan application/Promissory Note, verification of application information, and if applicable, self-certification form, school certification of the loan amount, and student’s enrollment at a Citizens participating school.

Student Loan Eligibility: Applicants must be enrolled at least half-time in a degree-granting program at an eligible institution.

Student Loan for Parents Eligibility: The student whose education expenses will be paid for with the loan proceeds must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and must be enrolled at least half-time in a degree granting program at a Citizens-participating school.

Student Loan Repayment: Student borrowers can make full payments or pay interest only while in school or defer payments until after graduation (interest continues to accrue during deferment periods).

This informational repayment example uses typical loan terms for a freshman borrower who selects the Deferred Repayment Option with a 20-year repayment term, has a $10,000 loan that is disbursed in one disbursement and a 10.64% fixed Annual Percentage Rate (“APR”): for a total amount of payments of $24,198.55. Loans will never have a full principal and interest monthly payment of less than $50. Your actual rates and repayment terms may vary.


Michael Graw
Written by
Michael Graw
Michael Graw is a Bellingham, Washington-based writer focusing on finance, tech, and science. His work has been featured in print magazines and high-impact websites. He writes for BestMoney and enjoys helping readers make sense of the options on the market.‎
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Citizens
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Reviews 293
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Excellent
3%
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1%
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4%
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92%
F
formerly frustrated customer
7 days ago
Neyla Valencia from the branch at 800…
Neyla Valencia from the branch at 800 6th Avenue in NYC was awesome. I had experienced so many obstacles with other employees and she simply helped me pay my mortgage with my checking account (rather than from a bank that I no longer work with) - she made things easy and added so much great value - Thank you Neyla!
I
iain gray
16 hours ago
I set up a savings account
I set up a savings account, transferred $1000 which has cleared my current account. Received an email welcoming me to Citizens. The next day after they have my cash, I'm locked out my account, stating to contact customer services when I try to log in. When I contact them they state they have taken the decision to close my account without any explanation. When requesting to access my funds to return to my other account, Im told I cannot, and I have to wait until further correspondence, with no timeline on when that would be. This practice is verging on being illegal, as they are currently withholding $1000 of my own money, with no access to retrieve it, or a timeline on when I will receive it back, and no reason why they are closing a savings account with a relatively substantial amount deposited comparing that the minimum open balance is $1. Customer service also hung up on me when I requested I have access to be able to transfer back to my original account. Luckily I bank with JP Morgan who have been very helpful in supporting, providing information and contacting citizens on my behalf. A worrying time and unpleasant scenario having to deal with a quite hostile customer service team. Avoid.
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adrian gonzalez
14 hours ago
please be sure about open an business…
please be sure about open an business account in this bank... i had terrible experience with it, i just been able to closed the account today and i am so happy finally be out of this nightmare
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roy landrito
15 hours ago
My credit line account was suspended…
My credit line account was suspended due to change in credit report according to them from Equifax. We called Equifax and told us that there was nothing adverse in our credit report. We told Equifax the credit score that Citizens provided but Equifax refuted it and will send us a copy of our credit report. Customer service is terrible. We don't think they are trained how to resolve banking issues. The credit line is very deceptive. You pay interest for 10 years before payment is applied to principal. They bait you with a fixed low interest but somewhere in the contract it contains that interest is not fixed. Be careful of borrowing from this bank. Moreover, the bank held Zelle transfers for 2 to 3 days while your account is charged. Incoming Zelle is not credited to your account immediately.
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customer
2 days ago
This company is the worst place to…
This company is the worst place to trust with your money. The machine at the branch is always down. The customer service people that u call can never help with anything. And I opened my account weeks ago and I still haven't received a card. Please don't trust these people it's the worst bank experience I've ever had
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oliver
3 days ago
I have closed my account …
I have closed my account after a whole year of being unable to withdraw funds, send them anywhere or indeed just do any normal banking. The people try hard but the “system” is horrible, unworkable and full of bugs. Do yourself a favour and avoid this bank.
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robert-jan korf
3 days ago
The interest I have paid so far has exceeded the amount I borrowed
I have encountered a problem with this bank's fee charging practices - I have been paying interest on a loan I took from them, and the interest I have paid so far has exceeded the amount I borrowed, which is fraudulent. When I raised the issue with their customer service team, it took a long time for them to address my concerns. This consistent breach of agreement that I signed when I opened an account with them has eroded my trust in their services. Consequently, I have decided to switch to a more reliable platform in AsllC, which only charges reasonable fees, and has a very friendly customer service team.
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ed kress
6 days ago
Fraud department is horrible
Fraud department is horrible. All four times I had a fraudulent charge I caught myself they never contacted me but they've contacted me about 50 times for different transactions all under $20 dollars. Happened again tonight sat on hold for 90 minutes dealt with them said my card would be active within minutes 11:00 p.m. card still not working set on hold for another hour and 40 minutes just for them to answer my call and instantly hang up. I think it's time to close this account this bank has been getting horrible and horrible with this fraud.
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gina h
8 days ago
Borrower Beware
Took out a HELOC loan. Been paying on this loan the amount due each month early plus principal payments and they apply my whole regular payment(almost $800) to interest! The only thing that gets applied to the principal is the extra I pay. At this rate, it will never be paid off because they’re keeping my whole payment! Come to find out that it is an interest only loan, and they never said a word when we signed up My bad for not looking at the paperwork more carefully, but I think they count on that! Borrower beware, do not take a loan of any kind from this bank!
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kaysey strong
12 days ago
I had two false charges on my account…
I had two false charges on my account disputed and my money was returned. Now I get a notification that the decision was reversed and they took back my money. I now have to fight it put with the Fraud department to get my money back.. I am changing banks immediately.. This bank is horrible.
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patricia adams
14 days ago
Bad bank
Bad bank. If could do a negative scoring I would. I've been with them maybe 15 years with a break for 5 while living in the south. this Bank has gone down. the double postings and it takes days to get correct balance. I have been hit with fraud 5 times in 4 years. Going through now and they didn't even send a letter on any updates and posted the transaction with out any info given. been on hold now for 48 minutes. last time I called it was 58 minutes and I gave up. Going into the bank is not as bad but definitely not good. I will be doing 2 things. contacting my lawyer and changing banks. I will only keep enough to pay off the loan. BTW. Loan department no issues.
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david ashby
16 days ago
Definitely a middle of the road bank
Definitely a middle of the road bank. They are nice - at least at the branches I’ve been to, and I don’t think they charge me any fees as far as a monthly cost for the account or any basic services, and don’t seem to require a minimum balance or direct deposit for that to be true. While I have some complaints myself, I’m honestly surprised they have such a low rating. They seem perfectly average to me. Until today it would have been a 4-4.5. Again, that is based more on the branches around where I live and the people who work there, so.. that isn’t saying a ton about the corporate policies or the culture at HQ where they decide things that make it hard for us peasants to do our thing.. which leads me to… Today I went in to cash a check. They said they couldn’t cash it, unless it’s a citizens check, they can only deposit it unless I have the same amount available in my account - which, I would like to point out is stupid if I can then withdraw that money too (because you’ve lost your assurance it’s going to clear/or you’ll steal my money out of my account), and stupider if I then can’t withdraw my money (because then you’re not cashing it, you’re just depositing it and doing a withdrawal of my other funds - ie. I could withdraw the money first then deposit the check and everything would be the same, therefore, you still aren’t cashing it). Now, this “makes sense” because who knows if a check is going to clear or not…? Well…. In maybe 99+% of cases, only the issuing bank, right? If it’s a personal or business check anything could happen (I mean it’s 2023, so I’m not sure how we haven’t solved this problem yet, but sure, let’s pretend they couldn’t figure it out if it was *Their* money being tied up for 3 days), but annnnyway, that is “fair enough” - it’s definitely still another punishment for the peasants to ensure there is no loss of profits for the big wigs, but that’s pretty normal for any corporation - they actually has a fiscal responsibility to do what is best for the shareholders (not you). But here’s the kicker, it was a certified check - a cashiers check - written not from a bank account, but from the Bank’s Account. As in, the bank has already taken the funds out of the persons account, and They, the bank, wrote me a check… do they think the Bank is going to not have the funds for the check to clear?… it’s a credit union.. it’s FDIC insured money… but they are still going to have a “policy” that hurts me and honestly doesn’t even benefit them because it’s not a personal check that could bounce! I could mail someone cash faster than this… a wire only takes a day.. ACH transfers sometimes clear on day 2, but I’m waiting 3 days for a check to clear that was written From A Bank! Make it make sense… The other one of these foolish “policies” they have and no one in the banks ever seem to question the validity of is one I still can’t fully explain. I went in to despot somewhere right around $600-odd, and about half of it was in rolled coins, and half in paper, mostly $20s, I think. I don’t know why, it’s *probably* not their fault, but the line was to the door, literally, and I waited about 20 minutes to be helped. The teller tells me to scan my card, I do. He proceeds to count out every bill and add up every roll of coins by hand, despite having machines that do that, and there being 12 people behind me in line, who are now looking at me as if I knew he was going to do this and should have.. I don’t know, picked a better time to come to the bank. Anyway, it takes a good 5 minutes for him to count it and then double check it, totaling each denomination, and then getting a grand total, and at this point - and *only* at this point, he says, “can I see your ID?” And I give him a blank stare and say, ‘…no… I didn’t bring my ID…I have my debit card’ he says, ‘I need your ID to make the deposit’ I ask, ‘Why? I’ve made deposits before and never once have I needed it’ he said it was because it was over $500 in cash, and any deposit over $500 requires an ID… If I had $1,500 in cash instead of $300 in coins and $300 in cash I could deposit it into the ATM 20 feet away without ID — but maybe better yet (more asinine) is that — I could have literally deposited the coins (no ID required- under $500), walked out, walked up to the ATM and deposited the cash - no ID required, obviously, because it’s an ATM! I am pretty upset, so I actually point this out to him, and he says that I’m not allowed to just deposit the coins - that he won’t process the deposit of the coins and give me the cash I walked in with back to me, because he felt I basically just said I was going to violate the policy by breaking up the deposit. Which is it? Do you need ID or don’t you? Because I put $2000 in cash into an ATM there a week later, no issue, no hold, nothing. oh, and no ID! Which is it? Do you need to hold my money to be sure the check clears? Or are you going to take my money for 3 days even when you know it will?
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craig warren
19 days ago
Citizen's bank is horrible
Citizen's bank is horrible. I only have a consumer credit card with them but it took me 45 to find a phone number for them that I could actually get a live person. Their website is just as worthless. Tired of the robots answering phones and not giving you options to speak to a live person. Citizens send you in circles and wastes my time. The person that finally answered could not help me change my auto payment account after my bank debit card was stolen. She told me i'd have to go online to do this. Great, your statements don't have an account number on them. I do not like any online service to ask me for my full social security number to create a login. They don't have for your account number, just SS#. Poor Poor service. I'm going to payoff and close my account and refuse to do business with another retailer that only offers citizens.
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michael greene
23 days ago
You HAVE to love when your bank takes…
You HAVE to love when your bank takes it upon themselves to lock your card randomly without telling you so your card declines when you need to pay for something. Then you have to wait 40 minutes to get it unlocked because they don’t have any customer support. TERRIBLE TERRIBLE TERRIBLE BANK
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george benz
23 days ago
Time to switch banks
The only reason I have stay with Citizens is too lazy to change all the linked services, but is relegated to backup. Financial terms are poor. Telephone customer service wait times can be 30 minutes, and when you get through there is an inflexible, script reading zombie who can't help you. On-line banking App is problematic. The local branch personnel are helpful, but the back-office operation is abysmal.
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shawn f
23 days ago
I've had them for 11 yrs …
I've had them for 11 yrs and I've had nothing but trouble them since, it's may now. and I have to call them once a week just to get access to my account online since the app is always "inaccessible" nothing but trouble anymore if I wasn't out of town for work I would have got a new bank by now I've been on hold with them now for 59min and 17sec still no one I've talked to managers, personal support, and basic support I've had people promise to talk me back in the week to help no call, I've had supervisors "expedite" my progess to help me with all this trouble worst bank ever anymore
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doug racca
24 days ago
I deposited a check it’s been 11 days…
I deposited a check it’s been 11 days and I still can’t get any money out so I think I get it is it’s under review but the people who gave me the check has it taken out of your account the very next day they deposited $300 cash and they shut my card off twice when I was trying to use it Try to get an answer it’s impossible don’t use this bank. Trust me. there’s a reason why everybody give them one star.
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alex t
a month ago
92% 1 star. LOLOL..talk about statistical significance! :D
Lol..to think that there's is only an 8% chance of a bank getting above a 1 star review is hilarious. 92% 1 star. My god...the statistical significance is deafening. That said...I'll add another 1 star to the pool. Never received a welcome email with login info. Can't locate account through 'forgot ID' on the portal. Had to go to bank (extremely trashy and unprofessional) and they merely contact the same support that I could over the phone (even though phone support said to go to bank) - awesome run-around. Then they give me some temp ID and PW to enroll (which is what should've been sent to my email with a welcome email to begin with). It was successful so I went home. But after I get home after enrolling online at the bank......again, no welcome email and no LOGIN ID! Same issue, can't locate account with 'forgot ID'. And even though enrollment is setup, customer phone support can't access my account over the phone. And of course, the run-around once again. Go back to bank. This is literally to merely access an account as a new customer. LOLOL
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jay philmont
a month ago
They Lie
I’ve been with Citizens for over 40 years. But I’m leaving them, because of their incompetence. No matter when you call customer service, you will be told: “wait times are longer than normal." So I can only assume that the term “normal” means “in the past.” In illustration of their incompetence: On 5/2/23, I noticed a debit charge on my account, from Amazon, for Amazon Prime service, which I don’t subscribe to. Since I've seen erroneous charges in the past that resolve in a day or so, I made the mistake of calling customer service and asking the representative to investigate the charge, and, to freeze that card, just in case it was more than just a mistake. He said that to investigate, they would have to cancel my card and replace it, which makes no sense. After discussion, I finally gave permission, and he said that a new card would be sent. But it turned out that he had done nothing. No replacement card was ordered and no investigation was initiated. so, he lied. On 5/5, when I called to check on the status of the investigation, I learned that there had been none initiated, and no replacent card sent. I was then told that a replacement card would be sent out on an emergency basis, and would take "2 working days" to arrive. In the past, a new card would appear overnight. But today, working days means weekdays, so, my card, ordered on Friday, might arrive on Tuesday, 5/9. But of course it didn’t. When I called to find out why, I was told that it had NOT been sent on an emergency basis, as promised, and so, would arrive in 3 to 5 “working days.” So, in reality, that probably means Friday. So again, they lied. The latest representative said she would “initiate an investigation.” You can guess how much confidence I have in that happening. So, after more than 40 years of being a Citizens Bank customer, I’ve had enough, and will be taking my banking business elsewhere.
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dan b.
a month ago
Misleading sign up bonuses
I recently opened an account at Citizens Bank, following a sign up bonus offer, according to which if you create an account and deposit a certain amount (hundreds) you get a monetary bonus. I did it, and several months later the bonus didn't arrive. I called the bank and they said that in order to get the bonus, one needs to make another deposit, in addition to the one made when when opening the account! This makes no sense, and was extremely unexpected and their practice is misleading. As of now, my experience with them merits this rating (but if something changes I may update it too).
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dana
a month ago
Literally keep your money in a Kleenex box instead of here
I was an HSBC customer until Citizens Bank bought them out in 2021 and took over my account management without me having ever chosen them as a bank. They have been consistently and unremitting TERRIBLE in every way. I have had to go to the bank in person many times and spend countless hours on hold to get them to do the most basic banking tasks: sign me up for direct deposit from my job. Connect various companies with my account for automatic monthly bill pay. Get a working ATM card in the mail. Send me a box of checks. Not one of these things has happened without me having to personally hassle the bank about completing the task. I am on hold with them right now, and what I plan to say when someone finally picks up is "please close my account and give me all my money to place somewhere else immediately."
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jean swigeart
a month ago
Not happy with citizens bank and how they treat there customers
If I could give them negative stars I would ....first of all there have been several small issues in the past ...but I never said anything ...till last Friday 5-28-23...I went to get on my account s were I found out I no longer had ...I called the sevice line stayed and transferred 5 times for over a hour ...so sat 5-,29-,23 I went to my local branch ...to see what was going on ...note this was 9 am ....the office manager ...Jessica waited on me was extremely rude ...took 2 phone calls while she was supposed to help me ...then told me she had alot of customers to go sit down while she waited on them ...like I'm noone ...I had already waited in line and not 1 but 2 phone calls ...I went over sat down ...finally she called me over after she talked to me very unprofessional ...long story short still didt answer my question s ...I left ...note my husband who is on my account s was there to ....Heard and listened to her talk to me rude ....yesterday I received a email with a survey ...I took it ...with this same event s ....today ...Hallie Griffen called me and at first said how can we improve this ...then she told me that she knows the bank manager and has never had issues with customers ....then Hallie informed me that unruly customers will be excorted out of the bank and will not be waited on and that customers are not always right ....well if that's the case maybe they should exsort there manager s to ... Still never got a answer ...Hallie said oooo it must have been a computer clinch ...what ...so bang your deleted just like that ...o well ...get over it ...
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cindy p
a month ago
If I could give them a zero I would!
If I could give them a zero I would!! if you apply for a credit card that promises a cash back reward, dont expect to see it for atleast 4 months or 4 billing cycles. they have terrible customer service, you can never get a real person to talk to. they also charged me interest even though I paid my entire bill in full and early!!
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emiliano perez ipiña
a month ago
Stay away of this bank. There are many better options.
I had an extremely disappointing experience with Citizens Bank, and I would not recommend this bank to anyone. My account was constantly blocked for no reason, which made it impossible for me to use it. Whenever I called customer service, I was kept on hold for almost an hour, only to be told that they couldn't do anything to help me. Even worse, the customer service representatives were unable to resolve my issues, and I had to call them several times just to get a solution. This meant hours of waiting on hold, only to be told that I needed to visit a branch that was over 50 miles away from my location. This was a major inconvenience, and I found it frustrating that the bank was unable to help me in any meaningful way. To make matters worse, despite requesting the closure of my account three times, it is still open, and I am still being charged monthly fees. This is unacceptable, and I am extremely disappointed with the level of service I received from this bank. Overall, I would strongly advise anyone looking for a reliable and efficient bank to avoid Citizens Bank. Their poor customer service, inability to resolve issues, and unreasonable fees make them the worst bank I have ever dealt with. Save yourself the headache and go elsewhere.
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josephine mahon
a month ago
Customer service good on phone but must…
Customer service good on phone but must stop unlone banking it is wrong to force customers to bank online do not close any banks I live in a big city and no bank can't put in a ck without going on line at least have real bank oneor today's a week and ATM or ITM where you put in a ck with out going over an hour to a real bank it is terrible watchmomtry.com bank customer for over 20 yrs
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aaron epworth
a month ago
Worst bank in history
Worst bank in history
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ezra
a month ago
THIS BANK NEEDS TO COMPLETELY UPGRADE…
THIS BANK NEEDS TO COMPLETELY UPGRADE IT’S COMPUTER SYSTEM NOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and have peoples licenses loged into their system !!!!!!!
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angela fausset
a month ago
If I could give this bank a no stars I…
If I could give this bank a no stars I would. I have never experienced such bad customer service and policies with a bank. I opened up an account, got money transfered over, did the verification, changed all my direct deposits and everything. Days later they decided they didn't want to have a relationship with me. Mind you I already had gone through all the verification stuff. They sent me this vague letter and I have called and called and they can't tell me why they closed my account but yet they have my money. This is unbelievable. I should've looked at reviews before signing up with them. They don't seem to have a good reputation at all. I am still fighting to get my money back.
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cheyenne schneider
a month ago
Worst bank I’ve had goodbye citizens …
I’ve had this bank for over five years now and at first it was great but recently I had a transaction where my account went negative which I have overdraft protection on my account so for my account to go negative should not have happened in the first place, citizens Bank Never sent an email or a notification telling me my bank was overdrafted. I work all day. I don’t have time to check my account every second. my account is already negative and here I am having to pay $35 And then they hit you with another $35 fee the next day if you don’t have that money. This is the last day that I will be banking with citizens bank and I do not recommend them worst bank I have ever banked with.
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ruslan zhukov
a month ago
Joke of an institution
I cannot even put into words how incredibly bad this bank is and my experience with this lender transpired. Let me just start by saying that if you’re looking to get a mortgage from a lender do not, I repeat DO NOT even think about going to this bank. You will be sorely disappointed by them. You see I began my search for an apartment about 6 months ago and finally found one. It made me very excited to find such a great property and for the price I found it listed for. I applied for a pre-approval with Chase bank initially because I’ve banking there for many years. However, I found out through a mortgage officer named Leon Gelzer that Citizens bank participated in programs to help first time homebuyers and grants and assist with closing costs. Leon was very helpful throughout the process and I have only positive things to say about him. To say the least, I was incredibly excited and I decided to obtain a mortgage thru them. The process began with me submitting all the necessary documentation to qualify for a mortgage. Then, I received a commitment letter and handed all my paperwork to the COOP board for approval. One month later was I approved by the board. From that point on l, it should have taken about a week or so get the mortgage approved. However, it did not. Things went from excellent to worse because Citizens switched up underwriters on me. The new underwriter claimed that my DTI (Debt to Income Ratio) was too high due to a loan that was in my name, but I was not paying for it. The funds were coming from a family member’s account into mine. This condition was actually satisfied back in December of last year by the first underwriter working my file. How the hell can the new underwriter say that this is a problem now when it was NEVER listed in the commitment letter? A question I still cannot answer myself, nor can Citizens. I got the president’s office involved in the matter, spoke to Leon’s manager Donna L. Hayes who could have helped me waive or exclude this condition. But, to no avail. I waited and waited for 6 months only to be told that they will not help me and waive this condition. Basically, I wasted my time with them and they refused to help me after my deposit was submitted to the seller. Thank you Citizens bank for the worst customer service I ever experienced.
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nichole chobin
a month ago
HELOC issues, 800# can not help with problems, long wait times
They internally misplaced a HELOC payment that was done online. I had the confirmation# but they transfer was never made. I then received an email with someone's else's account information for a different scheduled HELOC payment. To add further insult, every time you call their 800# customer service line, you are on hold for 20+ minutes every time, get very little assistance, and no resolution to your issue. It's been 2 months for a prior mistake they made and still no resolution.
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jeffrey everett
a month ago
Continuously locked out of my account…
Continuously locked out of my account spending hours bouncing from department to department and no one knows how to resolve issues. VERY POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE
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emily alexander
a month ago
They'll ignore overseas fraudulent transactions, but won't let you buy something in your own town
Citizens Bank has been getting progressively worse for years. They will let some random person who's stolen your card information spend hundreds of dollars overseas without a peep, but if you try to buy a routine thing like groceries or a sandwich in your own town, you have to wonder if the fraud department will block you. If they do, you then you have to spend an hour or more on hold on the phone (while getting disconnected half the time, and this is after a very frustrating menu) getting your card unlocked only to talk to someone who acts like they're working for the FBI.
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george domino
2 months ago
Stay away from this bank
Stay away from this bank. I needed a bank near my home and they were offering a $300 cash credit to open an account and fund by direct deposit within 60 days. I missed the deadline and they told me I was out of luck. No interest in having me fund the account. The Customer "lack of" Service rep even hung up on me, and I wasn't even rude.
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m. kim
2 months ago
One of the worst banks out there
One of the worst banks out there. They will charge you exorbitant fees for minimal service. They will claim that it is to pay for "customer service interactions." Keep in mind that it is nearly impossible to reach a live representative because they hide that from the automated menu, and that when you DO finally get in the queue to speak with a rep, they will regularly have you wait on hold for 20+ minutes before you can speak to someone. They also offer almost nothing for interest rates on savings/checking accounts. Some of the worst customer service possible. Save yourself the hassle and find a better bank or credit union.
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lydia torres
2 months ago
Worst banking experience
Please make sure you confirm that you have a Fixed Rate. They won't tell you is variable. I learned that the hard way. If you have a credit card with them and you try to pay it on the due date they will roll it over to the next day and charge you a $40.00 Fee. Worst banking experience I have had in my 60 years of life. I will get another Heloc and end my relationship with this bank. Called them and had to wait 45 minutes to talk t a service rep ridiculous
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veronica gray
2 months ago
THIS BANK SUCROOKSCKS THEY ARE A BUNCH OF…
THIS BANK SUCKS THEY ARE A BUNCH OF GREEDY GREEDY COORPORATE CROOKS THEY CHARGE 3 DOLLARS FOR USING OTHER ATM'S THEY CHARGE MINIMUM BALANCE FEED ...THEY ARE NOTHO G.LIKE INVESTOR'S WAS ..INVESTORS SOLD US OUT TO THESE CROOKS WHO CARE NOTHING ABOUT US ...CITIZEN'S IS A ROTTON BANK ..THEY ARE GREEDY AND THEY DON"T CARE ABOUT US ..BELEIVE THAT
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sydflj
2 months ago
My daughter took out a student loan…
My daughter took out a student loan that was later given to FirstMark. Both banks are not to be trusted nor do business with. My account was compromised and sent me to late payment and later when I gave my new account number was assured that all was good!! Come the past they did not charge me the payment and allowed it to be delinquent for several months. With proof of all of this no reverse of charges
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vicky schreiber
2 months ago
not happy with their customer service
not happy with their customer service, would not recommend
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paul waldschmidt
2 months ago
Unfortunately the negative review are correct. Large fees, no notice, bad place to do business.
Unfortunately, all the negative reviews are correct. This is a terrible bank to do business with. I rarely leave negative reviews, but Citizens has gone out of their way to earn it. They bought a bank that I used to do business with and had a small balance at. Without notifying me, they started charging large monthly fees for both keeping the account open (eg "dormant account") and also for paper statements. The previous bank I had a relationship with had no such agreement with me, so I would consider this fee change illegal without some kind of notification or agreement put in place. To make it worse, they did not notify me about these fees for several months as they only send paper statements once per quarter. So turning on fees out of the blue, large fee amounts, no notification, and then hiding it by only sending statements every few quarters. It's 2023 for christ's sake, nobody does banking like this anymore.... well, no one but Citizens I guess.
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aleksandra g
2 months ago
Horrified
Horrified. They keep saying that my new account opened online is active ( they have never ever send any email confirmation about that ) and accusing other banks ( I have 9 years history with other banks - and no issues ), my HR department is also being accused of non-transferring funds since Citizens cannot see my direct deposit ( despite the fact that the company confirmed depositing money to Citizens )))..) 11 attempts to contact CSR made ( and they could not care less ), 3.5 weeks with no results and zero balance ))) Keep saying that their account is working ))) Unbelievable. Finally closed.
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rosie
2 months ago
Bank is not in the customer service business
I went to my bank and asked them to redeem a savings bond. The teller said they do not redeem savings bond. I told her that I have an account and she said that HSBC used to redeem them but they do not. I am not a new customer. I have been with this bank for over ten years. I asked the manager and he refused. TreasuryDirect said that a bank manager could redeem the bond at his discretion. This bank did not listen or support me as a customer.
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chris anderson
2 months ago
All i needed was a 1098 to complete my…
All i needed was a 1098 to complete my taxes. I call the customer service number only to be told this is checking and you need to speak with mortgage. So they transferred me only to hung up on over and over and over because i did not have my loan number i was not allowed to speak with an actual person. Shame on this company that does not serve its customers. You create an automated system that prevents there customers from doing business that needs to be done. Citizens bank is worthless and i wish my original mortgage company would have made it known they were gonna sell my mortgage to Citizens Bank, i would have never signed with them. I spent 48 minutes back and forth on the phone while sitting in front of my tax preparer just trying to speak with a human that would help me obtain my 1098, because you're worthless mobile site certainly wouldn't let me see my 1098 either. Citizens bank needs to get it together. Youre not user freindly which makes you obsolete!
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tigidankay bangura
2 months ago
Kelvin Z is the rudest and most…
Kelvin Z is the rudest and most unprofessional customer representative/manager I have dealt with. He reluctantly refused to help in any way. I will not bank with Citizens Bank. DO NOT PUT YOUR MONEY IN THIS BANK AS THEY ARE BOUCH OF THIEVES. Even if, you have 2 to 3 times your spending limit, they will refuse to increase your daily spending limit. Kelvin Z told me CITIZEN BANK does not have all my money available. SAVE YOUR MONEY AND DO NOT BANK WITH CITIZEN BANK.
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pat fincher
3 months ago
Citizens Bank - extremely weak performance in all areas
I was written a check for $5500 on March 16, 2003 in the Oakland County, Mi area. Went to cash it and was told by three branches that they could not cash a 'non customers' check; the check was written on Citizens Bank. Attempted 3 times to call customer service; 1) held for 40 minutes then was cut off 2) held for 20 minutes, was transferred to a manager and was cut off, 3) held for 10 minutes, was transferred to a person who was out of the office; left a message and no response. If you bank at Citizens, I would be careful; they appear on the brink of collapse.
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kj
3 months ago
SKETCHIEST BANK EVER ALLOWED FRAUDULENT ACTIVTY CONTINUOUSLY WITHOUT TRYING TO CORRECT OR MAKE IT RIGHT- SUPER SLOW OFF SHORE CUSTOMER SERVICE- DO NOT BANK!!!
As 1 previous reviewer mentioned, this is seriously the most sketchiest bank!! I'm surprised they operate like this and allow fraudulent charges to go through 11 times?!?!?!, they didn't even think to suspend the account or at least ALERT me of any activity.... Some fraudsters (aka pretty sure it's internal citizens employees) kept taking money out of the account and i had to open up multiple fraud claim cases to get the money back. I did the 1st time back in 2022. this time the perpetrators were consistent with withdrawing the funds 1 at a time daily so it was getting really messy on how much money they were taking and of course citizens as they attempted to credit back the funds one at a time.... the perpetrators kept taking the money back out so it was this neverending cycle of opening up a case back to back. blast them on twitter, instagram, tik tok, whatever you need to do bc thats the only way it will get escalated. still an issue so not even sure if it will get resolved. but they;ve been reported all over the internet to put them on blast. dont use them, jsut go with the big banks like BOA or wells fargo.
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schuyler c
3 months ago
Rude customer service manager that just…
Rude customer service manager that just talks over you refused to listen to why you believe there should be an exception. Customer service reps misinform you and they will not consider correcting it. No way to make loan payment early if you have auto pay but if you don’t have auto pay you loose the interest rate reduction.
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gunnar thorsen
3 months ago
SO TIRED OF CITIZEN'S "CUSTOMER SERVICE"
If I have a problem, the local branch can do NOTHING. All they can do is refer me to a main number. When you call, an automated thingy asks you for your credit card and social security information. Then the automated thingy tells you that "Due to higher than usual volume of calls, your estimated wait time to speak with an agent is....45 MINUTES"! If you don't die from old age before someone picks up and actually get to speak with someone, they will ask you for the same credit card and social security information again, so what's the freaking point of having to give it when you first call? Maybe Citizens could improve its technology and HIRE MORE PEOPLE TO ANSWER THEIR PHONES?
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jim arnold
3 months ago
They knew the tranactions were fraudulent and they processed them anyway…
They caught fraudulent transactions alerted me, and I immediately disputed them while they were pending, but Citizens let them process anyway stealing 1000 dollars from me. I had to file reports with the cpfb and the fdic to get my money back. Don't put your money in this bank it's not safe, I think they are working with the scammers. Maybe that's how they got my data in the first place. Undisclosed leak. This bank sucks.
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justin chou
3 months ago
Monthly Service Charge
Just found out that I was being charged $13 per month for the last 5 months for some service charge. Haven't seen those in 7 years from any of my other banks.
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nichole chobin
3 months ago
As business and personal customer
As business and personal customer, most HORRIFIC customer service I've ever experienced. Most calls transferred offshore to which they can not answer basic questions. Trying to get someone in the US is near impossible. They printed the WRONG POB on a notice and information requested got sent back. I tried to call and confirm what the correct address was, on hold 4x more than 25 minutes each time, and had to Google hunt myself and found the correct PO Box number. They left a digit off of the POB box # on the notice they sent!
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jay
3 months ago
Cranston, RI park avenue
The manager of this branch was extremely rude, as I am in there 3-4 times a week. I was asked to show my ID after already showing it to this branch a few times! We have talked on a few occasions but has “never seen me” in there before. I was beyond insulted.
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naiel moore
3 months ago
They steal your money
They steal your money. I constantly see duplicate charges and then they rig the account up to appear as if they have not. I just put 3200 in my bank and they turned around sent payment back to me saying my account was negative. Not once did my account reflect a negative balance. Bout to change this bank!
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hafez
3 months ago
Terrible bank and customer service
Terrible bank and customer service. Allowed overdraft although I'm not enrolled in the overdraft program and customer service hung up on me several times after 40 minutes of waiting.
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michael reddy
3 months ago
Citizens customer service is useless
My accounts were transfered from Investors to Citizens. They can't seem to find my mortgage account though they still accept my checks. Pretty unbelievable after months of discussing with them.
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j a
3 months ago
Stay away from this bank!
If there were negative stars, that is what this bank deserves! They charge fees over their own fees, to an extent I have never seen! I meant to close my account, they charge a service fee after I withdrew all the funds and then considered the account overdrawn and charged over $100 in fees in a matter of 3 weeks! A horror of a banking experience!
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eric
3 months ago
fraud bank and possibly bankruptcy
No bonus given after 5 months. Had to call them to get it, and they said they will transfer to the good team, waited over 2 hours. A few days later, still no bonus I give up. When it was time to close the account, i decided to use ZELLE to transfer funds, Zelle can't work (error ?) with them. I decided to add external accounts (none of them worked except one account), I verified it and decided to transfer the money, they locked it and asked me to call them. I have no otherway to withdraw my money and in the mean time they charge 9.9$/month ! Yesterday 2H30 on the phone, nobody picked up. Today 1H45, nobody picked up the phone. It looks like a fraud bank, the chat does not work also and nobody answer on FACEBOOK. I hope someone will investigate this bank and fine them. WORSE BANK EVER, don't open it or withdraw your money, they don't deserve customers.
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gunnar thorsen
3 months ago
SAME PROBLEM, OVER AND OVER
I got a Citizens credit card last summer, explained when applying that I lived on a fixed income, was told that the minimum payment due would be $30/month. I set my account up to automatically transfer that amount from my checking account to my CC account every month. Started getting "past due" notices from Citizens, the $30 was NOT the minimum payment! Went to the bank to pay what was owed, canceled the $30 auto-transfer and set my account to automatically transfer $100/month. This worked fine the following month, but then Citizen's pathetic "system" reset the transfer to automatically take $100 PLUS $30. Spent hours at the bank and on the phone to get this fixed, was assured that it was, but it kept happening. I went to the branch again, talked on the phone, was assured that the problem had been resolved. NOPE! A month later, I now see scheduled, the $100 transfer, a $30 transfer, and a SECOND $30 transfer! EXPERTS at Citizens helped me with this. The unauthorized transfers get cancelled/removed and they show up again the following month! The people at Citizens are actually very nice, but my God, their computerized system is garbage. Recently the bank apologized to customers for duplications of transactions that were caused by a computer glitch on a certain day last month. Once my CC balance is paid off, I'm leaving this bank, which should be paying ME for the time that I've lost trying to get them to fix a repeated problem that THEY are causing.
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neil sibulsky
3 months ago
I have a car loan for 3 year
I have a car loan for 3 year, with Citizens Bank, starting December they keep losing my payments that are sent auto pay. I get charged late fees and they lose the checks sent in. But seem to find it after I get charged. Total bulls@$%
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janice sagedy
3 months ago
NOT A HAPPY CAMPER WITH CITIZENS BANK
I was with Roma Bank 25 years, they switch to Investor Bank NO PROBLEM with transfer. Now to Citizens Bank CAN NOT GET ANY OF MY ACCOUNTS. When to Citizens Bank today and the Citizens Bank employee after over one hour could not help me. All I want is to get Citizens Bank on line so I can see my Accounts. Wish they stayed as Investor Bank. Don't know what to do? Maybe switch to small bank?
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ingaro designs
3 months ago
Transfer of my 2 accounts from…
Transfer of my 2 accounts from Investors Bank to Citizens has been a disaster. During the transfer the accounts were down for 3 days. Once back up, I could not set up the online business checking since they never sent the debit card needed to create the account. Using the mobile app is very sketchy and the wait for customer service is 20+ minutes. I don't foresee it getting any better. What a way to welcome new customers. I should have and will now find another bank.
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ricardo burille
4 months ago
The worst bank in the US
The worst bank in the US. This bank is a complete fraud. Every check you deposit will be on hold for 5 business days, they just use your money for days. Customer service does not exist, if you need to call them you will have to wait at least 40 minutes. Completely ridiculous.
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nikolaos fanourgiakis
4 months ago
Very bad service
Their customer service is disgustingly awful. I was an Investors Bank customer, and ever since the acquisition I could have not be any more disappointed. This was an extremely unorganized transition. I just can't wait to leave this damn bank.
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ana
4 months ago
Worst bank ever
Transfer into account made three days ago suddenly disappeared from my account. Called (on hold for an hour, which is always the case w them) and was told that their system was having “problems” with transfers. Which makes no sense. The transfer was in my account for two days then just disappeared. The agent was able to give no reassurance or explanation except that I should wait for it to be fixed. Citizen needs to be investigated. dealing with banks can be hard in general, but they take it to a whole new level. Don’t entrust them with your money. Very disorganized, poor customer service (and obviously not enough agents considering insane hold times), outdated technology, and possibly fraudulent practices. Do yourself a favor and stay away.
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ladonya daniels
4 months ago
Never do business with this company!!!!!
Never do business with this company!!!!!
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andrea celeste
4 months ago
Unfortunately my parents banked at…
Unfortunately my parents banked at Citizens since 1969, when my mother was no longer able to handle her finances we signed a Power of Attorney there and it made little difference. Now that she has died to work thru the probate process to get records is alarming, they claim the account is closed and they don't know if they can give records. Definitely run!
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eleni j
4 months ago
Do NOT bank here
the app times out and you never get the answer to your queries WASTED TIME...the interest rate for accounts is among the lowest - a joke - more like a scam really. PHONE CALLS REQUIRE HOURS OF WAITING. If you need to close an account you must do it in person...even if you've moved thousands of miles away. shall i go on? Do NOT get involved with this bank! It's like going into a deep dark hole.
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betti haviland
4 months ago
This bank is horrible
This bank is horrible! Customer service is no help. They have no compassion! They do not help the little guys at all. If you have money your golden but if you are lower class you are treated like trash.
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theresa obrien
4 months ago
In order to post this review I had to…Think twice before banking here. Disaster to put it mildly
In order to post this review I had to agree light one star. I understand we are still in a pandemic and have been for a while know and with that said I do not go to any business and expect immediate service. I have been a customer of this Citizen Bank for many many years. My local branch has been through several managers and now has no manager. The first manager made me close my second checking account and go back and use sn old account I had direct deposit going to that I planned to close after going into Boston making changes. Thankful I had not done that as of today. This company has many issues with debit cards they assign their customers and when customer goes use card it is malfunctioning. Then you have to take the time going back into a branch getting new debit card only call find out the new debit card is not working properly either. I ask you what financial institution does this to their customer on a regular basis never mind during a pandemic. Heading to branch tomorrow close both accounts and finding a better financial institution.
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diego osorno
4 months ago
Citizens Bank does not listen to…
Citizens Bank does not listen to customer's needs, it's their protocol and that is it, specially business clients. If you own a business that brings in sales higher than $50K in checks monthly, Citizens Bank will make you wait a month before you can deposit a dollar more that month. The office of the president in RI told me today the bank does not want to change any of their procedures. If you have any checks that exceed your sales..good luck, head to an atm or a branch.. two of them were not safe and dirty.
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justin kao mr. kao
4 months ago
Poor Customer Phone Service Hotline
Poor Customer Phone Service Hotline. The phone service customer representative keeps transferring you to different departments. I was simply trying to enroll online account and they wouldn't allow me to do that because they need a US number for verification. When I provided one, it wouldn't allow the system to send the verification code because the system didn't allow it to be sent to any phone. It had to be associated to an old number that was no longer connected to the account. So they said they can't help. I then thought maybe I could make an international wire transfer and they had to transfer me to a specialist. After talking to the specialist, it made it extremely difficult to make this transfer going through a series of security questions and putting me on hold for a lengthy time. This process took at least 5 hours over the phone. Be prepared to go the distance to get access to the funds in your account. I regret informing them that I want to close my account. Perhaps that affected how they treated me. The people I talked to -Jacky - Transferred me to Britney -Britney - Hung up on me -Orlando - Hung up on me -David - transferred me to supervisor Hailey -Hailey Transfered me to Tia -Tia - Hung up on me -Sierro - transfer me to Britney -Much more - but I couldn't understand their name because of their accent. If a Citizens bank representative or anyone would like to know more about this review, I would be more than happy to talk.
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nessa w
4 months ago
I wish I would have read these before I…
I wish I would have read these before I put a check on my account. Been banking with them for 2 years with no issues until I put a check for 10k on my account. I’ve had much larger checks put on and clear in a few days. It has been 2 weeks now and my check still has a hold on it. Had I known I would have went somewhere else and cashed it. They will hold onto your money for as long as they possibly can while you have bills and other things to pay and then attempt to give you overdraft fees. I have currently gotten a lawyer to sue them for all the fees they have been charging me
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chris v
4 months ago
First they have stopped exporting…
First they have stopped exporting online data that supports my QuickBooks accounting, this is just plain stupid. Second when the data is manually exported it does not synch up with the other accounts data and creates hugh work in having to exclude double entries. And customer phone support is pathetic and impossible to get through to. Going back to Chase!
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maria
4 months ago
Nightmare Phone Customer Service
Customer service line is truly a nightmare. Instead of just mind numbing music, it’s an annoying voice telling me every 20 seconds that I could be paying more for additional service or I should use the app —which will not answer my questions. Real people need to be so much easier to access. If you value your hours in the day, go somewhere, ANYWHERE, else
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derek elledge
4 months ago
Absolutely the worst banking experience…
Absolutely the worst banking experience I've ever had. Absolute garbage. They think your money belongs to them. Rarely does anybody speak proper English, and when they do, they have that snotty f***face New England attitude. BEWARE!!!!! AVOID!!!!!!!
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buckiah kcolraw
4 months ago
Customer Service Wait Times Have Become Egregious
It is presently about 9:20 PM. I have been waiting on the phone for exactly four hours and five minutes. I just need to get through to your fraud department so they can unfreeze my debit card. All my plans for this evening have been shot.
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gail kapusnick
4 months ago
Worst. Bank. Ever.
Terrible. I hope people read the reviews. I didn't choose this awful bank, HSBC sold my account to them. I've sat on hold for hours trying to get through to them to cancel my account and give me back my money, to no avail. I've filed a BBB complaint and am now working on a complaint to the Dept. of Consumer FInance.
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thomas
4 months ago
Worst customer service I’ve ever been…
Worst customer service I’ve ever been apart of. Unreal wait time for something that would take one minute to correct, not to mention the wait musi and voice makes me want to jump off a building. Crap banking with shittier customer service. F you citizens.
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shandreka green
4 months ago
Please i’m warning all do not put your…
Please i’m warning all do not put your money in this bank they’ve been holding my income tax money since November 2022, i’ve fallen so far behind on bills i literally had to borrow money to pay my rent they have my money in my account and the checks have been cleared and cashed by the irs they said they might release my funds April 6,2023 this bank will steal your rightfully earned funds do not trust them RUN!!!!!
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sean
4 months ago
Don't waste your time
If you're ever told by Citizens Bank "you have to call the customer service line." DON'T!! Multiple calls all ending the same way. They say they are transferring you but you will be put on hold until you decide to give up and hang up. TWENTY plus minutes on HOLD!
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tammy cox
4 months ago
Worst company ever
Wouldn’t give them a one. They have made multiple mistakes regarding releasing a check from a fire I had. Most of painting and smoke clean up. They refuse to let me talk to anyone that can remedy the issues they have made. Then my banking at my credit union is locked because they cancelled payment on their check and I’d already paid the fire remediation company. I’m a single mother with 2 small children. Have no access to money for food. Yet, have to borrow money to make my house payment to them. Most pathetic customer service ever. Nobody is trained for their jobs. I’m in the process of getting legal counsel so this doesn’t happen to someone else
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ryan sheridan
4 months ago
Customer Service / Fraud Support is AWFUL
Had issue where my credit card I hardly ever used got stolen and charged a bunch of fraudulent charges. Some were removed, but others were not. This bank offers no email or chat support, calls only. And calls can take hours and hours of holding or waiting for a call back. It has been 3 months and they still tell me to keep waiting to get the fraudulent charges removed. "A letter will be mailed to you at a indeterminate time in the future, don't call back" WHAT A JOKE. AVOID THIS BANK / CREDIT CARD.
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katherine shea
4 months ago
THIS BANK IS HORRIBLE - FRAUDULENT FLAGGING OF FRAUD
THIS BANK IS HORRIBLE. They have a bad algorithm in their system and flag the most benign simple purchases as fraud, locking down your account and then there is no one there to answer the phone. I was told these calls are a min 2 hour wait. THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE. Their system is not working correctly and they refuse to acknowledge that someone could pick up the phone and call another department! BEHIND THE TIMES and should shut down. This has happened to me numorous times, like getting groceries, etc. Could be life threatening if they did this to someone wrong place/wrong time. Do not trust them!!!
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mohamed ayyad
4 months ago
Bad bank that practice deceiving…
Bad bank that practice deceiving tactic, toward consumer. they do not answer your calls, they will not honor auto pay when you set it up. when you call them they would not tell you the truth. all their customer service workers work remotely and have bad connections. they are so fast to ruin your credit history do not do business with this bank, there are many other better banks.
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amanda compas
5 months ago
I love citizens, also very trusted bank.
I love citizens. It's a trusted bank. And they don't take sketchy behavior to tolerate. I've had an account with them for years and so has my dad. If I ever have a problem I go there and they always fix the issue. There also very good with student loans
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patrick kenny
5 months ago
I opened an account with Citizens…
I opened an account with Citizens Access in December 2022. After cashing my $8000 check, they closed my account without saying why. They have refused to return the money to me. They are asking that my bank request the money be returned.
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j ker
5 months ago
Citizens bank is going down every year…
Citizens bank is going down every year that goes by. This is the 3rd time my a account has randomly locked im getting pretty tired of fighting to get it unlocked. I'm probably just going to close my citizens bank account after 17 years of service no issues until about a year ago when my local branch closed and nothing but aggravation I ues citizens strictly as a online bank and its getting less satisfying as the years go by find a way to unlock the online a online accounts without speaking to someone would be awesome and put a citizens bank back in the otsego County NY area would great 👍
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jess crew
5 months ago
Completely unresponsive
They detected fraud, texted me which was great, but i have now tried to call back SEVEN times. Each time i am on hold for an entire hour to hear “there are no agents available to take your call.” Then disconnects me. My account is locked and all associated cards. I am PISSED to say the least. Customer service can’t help and i can oNlY tALk tO tHe fRaUd dEpArTmEnT. I am so fed up.
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cynthia monroe
5 months ago
I cannot recommend this bank
Horrible experience as they froze my account without warning and I am unable to get in contact with someone for an explanation and they will have you on hold for a very long time.
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phil c
5 months ago
Worst website ever
Worst website ever! They have changed websites multiple times which causes you to have to completely re-create a profile. Customer service is garbage and takes days to get back to you. STAY AWAY!!
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james
5 months ago
Do not use these scumbags,,,they will…
Do not use these scumbags,,,they will lock your card and then not answer the phone,,,they need to be sued
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enbo gao
5 months ago
Citizens bank is the WORST bank ever
Citizens bank is the WORST bank ever! I have been its customer for about a year. Do not use this bank services because the bank changes clauses randomly and put on more tricky requirements than other banks. For instance, you have to deposit at least once monthly to avoid your account management fees. It does not matter how much money is parked on your accounts. Also, its credit card is not a good deal to have at all. Overall, ZERO star for this bank.
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connie
6 months ago
I opened up a checking account online…
I opened up a checking account online and I transferred the funds into the account and they accepted the money. Within a few days they transferred the money back to my original Bank where I transferred from I called they told told me to deposit the money through the ATM I explained to them I have not even received my ATM card They mailed me a card when I went to deposit the money into the ATM it kept rejecting it I went in and spoke to a teller who had me swipe my card at least 20 times then finally said oh your account is closed we have to open up a new one I was there for a good hour and decided not to deal with them they are horrible poor customer service very unprofessional Do not deal with this Bank stay far far away
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shandreka green
6 months ago
I recently deposited my income tax…
I recently deposited my income tax check and the bank stole my money put my check on hold for 4months please do not trust them they steal money from new customers and lie although IRS gave me the date checks were cashed run
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stacy rogers
6 months ago
Saved our day!
Well, I'm a single father and I have nobody else but my 11 month old son. My check was late and I had nobody to turn to for nothing. So I called and spoke with a representative and she was very understanding and guided me to overdraft protection until my funds come in. Cool, I was worried about that but she really broke it down. Now I can get the things that my son needs and omg I'm so grateful for Citizens Bank. Citizens Bank is my bank and my baby's first bank for life.. They are so helpful and breaking down how things work. Thank you Citizens Bank very much for saving our day.
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brenda buck
6 months ago
Hi I’m speaking on a level of online…
Hi I’m speaking on a level of online contact and in person citizens bank have been my bank for about 7 or 8 years now I recommend them top priority with 5 stars I have had overdrafts complaints about money taken out of my account that was not my fault citizens always understand and work it out and I usually visit the bank in the small cities but I dare you give them a try for your banking needs if I could I would give them 10 stars.THANK YOU CITIZENS BANK AND GOD BLESS ALL OF THE EMPLOYEES AND PLEASE STAY SAFE HAPPY HOLIDAYS
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nomad texas
6 months ago
Should be able to 0 option
Should be able to 0 option. This is the worst experence ever with a bank . Tried to open a simple personal checking account and was met with worst person that decided I was not qualifed??? I have a perfect credit score that ranges from 700 to 800 and they said that because I already have another bank account they were not interested? Profiling? Think you might try a different bank!
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gordon shepard
7 months ago
This is one of the worst banks I have…
This is the worst bank I have ever dealt with, thank goodness my loan is paid and I never have to deal with this “Bottom Feeding” bank again.
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amber h
7 months ago
This bank is a CON
This bank is a CON and should be investigated. HSBC sold all international accounts to this bank, and it is impossible for international customers to get at their money. My father lay DYING in hospital, calling this bank every day to try and get his money back and no-one would close his accounts, send him a card to access his money or give him anyway to access his OWN MONEY. This was a huge stress to him in the last weeks of his life, and lo and behold now the bank won't let me access his money - they have frozen his account. It took me 3 months to get a response of how I could access and its an impossible process. The stress and trauma this has caused me and it caused my late father is criminal.
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linda rouleau
7 months ago
Citizen Bank, Secretly Stealing
I have been with Citizens forever. I go to my local bank and they know my name. I had a checking and savings and I do not do any online banking at all. The savings account just sat idle, knew money was safe and never really checked on it. I used the checking for everything. I then checked a statement and Citizen Bank had started taking out $3.00 from my savings on a regular basis charging me for the statements. When I first noticed, I called and they refunded the charge, but they still charged every statement after that and I had to complain every time and they were no longer helping and said I can change the account status and see the statements online. I explained I do not use the internet to do any online banking. When I went to my local branch they said they could print out my statement for me to save me the reoccuring charge. I did not want to be a constant bother requesting my statements be printed, so I said will close my savings account. They asked how I wanted the funds and I asked for cash, they said they didn't have enough on hand and asked if a bank check would be okay, and I said fine. When I got home I found the check was short by $10.00 and realized they charged me for the bank check. I immediately went back to the bank and one teller was "oh well" that's how it is.. And I insisted I want my entire savings. And I didn't close my account over a $3.00 statement charge to be charged $10.00 to close the account. Especially when I wanted Cash and the bank didn't have the cash on hand. Another teller suggested the bank can put the $10.00 into my checking account, and I said fine.. Imagine charging me for the privilege of giving me a bank check because they were short on cash. If I never noticed Citizen Bank would have succeeded in secretly stealing $3.00 for every statement til the account was empty, and if I didn't notice they would have succeeded in secretly stealing $10.00 for the privilege of being short on cash and offering me a check instead.