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The Citi Diamond Preferred Card offers a very long promotional APR period on balance transfers and purchases. Aside from a few basic benefits, that’s about all there is to it — the intro APRs are its main draw.
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We give the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card 4 out of 5 Stars. Its introductory balance transfer period is one of the longest, and it’s matched by the purchase APR offer. Its balance transfer fee is a notable drawback, however.
The relative lack of additional features isn’t a huge detriment given how balance transfers are its main focus.
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There are plenty of credit cards out there with introductory APR offers lasting a year or more. Once you start looking for offers that span at least a year and a half, however, strong contenders are much harder to find. The Diamond Preferred card is right near the top of that pile.
Its massive balance transfer offer gives you a 0% APR for 18 months. There’s a 3% (minimum $5) balance transfer fee, which is pretty much middle ground.
The card’s intro purchase APR offer is just as long, at 0% APR for 18 months.
After these periods end, the card’s APR reverts to its regular 14.74% – 24.74% (Variable) for both purchases and balance transfers.
And that’s about it. There are no rewards, no annual fee, and only a few simple benefits, so the Diamond Preferred isn’t about to woo your local points junkie or travel enthusiast.
But if it’s a competitive introductory APR offer you’re after, you’ll find it here.
The Citi Diamond Preferred provides no rewards; its introductory APR offer is the main feature.
There are several credit cards that provide points or cash rewards and promotional balance transfer APR offers. Aside from those we listed as alternatives, options include, but aren’t limited to, the Chase Freedom® (Review) and the Discover it® Cash Back (Review). The introductory periods for these credit card offers are seldom as long as the Diamond Preferred’s, but they often still exceed a year.
By now, it’s probably pretty clear that there’s not too much going on with the Diamond Preferred. There are some small perks, but nothing terribly impactful.
Citi may extend an offer for either Citi Flex Pay or a Citi Flex Loan, the issuer’s flexible financing programs, through your email or a banner on your account page.
Both options have their benefits, particularly if you don’t think you can pay for a necessary purchase up front or by the end of the billing period. Just be sure you understand the terms of whichever plan you choose before taking the plunge.
Purchase APR | Balance Transfer APR | Cash Advance APR |
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0% for 18 months, then 14.74% – 24.74% (Variable) | 0% for 18 months, then 14.74% – 24.74% (Variable) | 25.24% (Variable) |
Annual Fee | Foreign Transaction Fee |
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$0 | 3% |
Balance Transfer Fee | Cash Advance Fee |
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3%, $5 minimum | 5%, $10 minimum |
Penalty APR | Late Fee | Returned Payment Fee |
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Up to 29.99% Variable | Up to $40 | Up to $40 |
This is where the Citi Diamond Preferred sells itself.
The card provides an introductory balance transfer APR offer that’s among the longest there is, with a great purchase APR to boot. Unfortunately, there’s a balance transfer fee. Most cards with balance transfer offers seem to charge a fee, and this one is no exception.
Nevertheless, if you’re transferring a balance that you may have trouble paying off with a shorter introductory period, the Diamond Preferred is a good option.
The introductory purchase APR is decent, but the card earns no rewards, so you should probably search elsewhere for a card that provides both in one place if you’re looking to pay off new, large purchases.
The Diamond Preferred charges a foreign transaction fee. That’s not uncommon for a card like this, and it shouldn’t be a big deal, because this isn’t a card you’ll want to bring abroad.
Read more 2021’s Best Credit Cards With No Balance Transfer Fees and 0% APRThis card does a couple things, and it does them well. It’s unfortunate that the card has a balance transfer fee, but the length of the intro period nonetheless makes the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card one of the more notable balance transfer cards that’s currently available. You just have to give it some thought to decide whether it’s right for you.
Is it worth it to pay a transfer fee and have lots of time to pay the balance in full, or should you settle for a shorter intro period with a lower transfer fee, or no fee at all?
Do you already already have a card that offers rewards? This card allows you to pay off a purchase or transfer a balance without interest charges, but you won’t earn any rewards like points or cash back.
Consider carefully.
Whatever you do, make sure you always use the card responsibly and make your payments on time, or you could forfeit the introductory interest rate and face a treacherous penalty APR instead. That would totally defeat the purpose of this Citi credit card.
Aside from its introductory offers, the Diamond Preferred card’s other features don’t require much discussion. There are a few good security perks, and Citi Entertainment can be useful if you love to be out and about. But beyond that, there’s not much else.
You can apply now by following the link below. Once you’re at the application you’ll have to provide a variety of basic background details, outlined below.
Citi will then conduct an inquiry to check your creditworthiness, and you’ll most likely get an instant decision, though the issuer may follow up for more information.
The Citi Diamond Preferred caters to applicants with excellent credit. This credit score range typically encompasses a FICO score of at least 740, and a VantageScore of at least 750.
Take note that you’re not guaranteed to be approved with these scores, though. Other factors, including your income and monthly housing payments, may also influence Citi’s decision. So you could be approved with scores below the “excellent” threshold, or denied even with excellent scores.
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The benefits attached to the card are relatively thin. You’ll be able to check one of your credit scores, utilize Citi Concierge, and receive aid from Citi’s Identity Theft Solutions, should you need it. However there are no shopping or travel protections.
You can see the complete list of benefits right here.
Your credit limit is determined by a few different factors, such as your creditworthiness and various financial details. Citi will review things like your income and credit scores when determining your limit.
It’s good to keep in mind that you can request a credit limit increase. We recommend doing so every 6 to 12 months if you’re unhappy with your current limit.
If you navigate to Citi’s website, you’ll see a spot on the front page where you can input your account details. Once you log in, you’ll be able to navigate to your credit card account. From there, you can see your balance, view your statement, pay your bill, and check out other card features.
The Citi Diamond Preferred is a strong option if you have to transfer a balance, but it may not be the right fit for your situation.
Earlier, we mentioned cards with useful features like lower balance transfer fees, longer purchase APR offers, and strong rewards programs that complement their APRs. We’ll discuss a few of these below, so you can weigh their advantages against those of the Diamond Preferred.
The U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card boasts an introductory APR offer that’s even longer than the Diamond Preferred’s. The balance transfer fee is the same.
The card also provides a small batch of benefits, including several useful shopping and travel protections, that you won’t receive with the Diamond Preferred.
The Citi® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer (Review) has racked up a big following thanks to its flat 2% reward rate, but that’s not its only selling point.
This Citi card is also popular because it delivers a very strong introductory balance transfer APR period. It’s the same length as the Diamond Preferred’s, and with the same transfer fee, it’s certainly a competitor.
Unfortunately, the Double Cash provides no purchase APR offer, so it doesn’t have the same two-in-one appeal for carrying balances as the Diamond Preferred. And take note that if you transfer a balance, interest will be charged on your purchases unless you pay off the entire balance (including any transfers) by the due date.
Spending Rewards |
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The Double Cash doesn’t provide the full 2% cash back at once. You only get 1% back when you actually make a purchase, and then another 1% back when the purchase is paid off.
Still, considering most strong balance transfer credit cards have no rewards, this is a pretty great offer. And besides, using credit cards responsibly means paying down your balance monthly, so you should get that full 2% pretty quickly.
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Sean Messier works to empower individuals with the knowledge required to use credit cards responsibly and to their advantage. His writing- and research-based background has granted him experience in an array of topics, from finance to business and beyond. Sean distills the knowledge accumulated over years of experience in the credit space into consistent, actionable articles, guides, and reviews.
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