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The Citi Simplicity card stays true to its name, offering a straightforward card experience focused on a very long 0% introductory APR period for both purchases and balance transfers.
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The Citi Simplicity® Card – No Late Fees Ever doesn’t come with many big surprises, offering a very simple experience for card users.
The main draw comes from the ability to transfer balances from other cards or loans. It has one of the longer 0% introductory periods for purchases and balance transfers out there, giving you plenty of extra time to help pay down any balances that are collecting interest.
You’ll get:
The Simplicity also has very few fees to bog you down. Keep reading to learn more, and to see if this card is worth it for you.
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We give the Citi Simplicity four out of five Stars. It provides a truly uncomplicated experience, focused on a great introductory APR deal. For the most part, what you see is what you get.
While having no late fees is a nice feature, on the surface, don’t let this fool you into thinking it’s OK to pay late. You may pay interest charges on your balance if you miss a payment, and could lose your 0% intro rate. If they’re late enough, late payments can hurt your credit scores as well.
The Citi Simplicity doesn’t offer any rewards. The true value of the card comes from taking advantage of the long purchase and balance transfer period. The lack of fees, and the occasional promotion Citi offers, make it a bit more enticing.
Looking for a card with rewards? Best Rewards Credit CardsWith this card you’ll get access to a relatively minimal benefits package. While there may not be much, what the Citi Simplicity does have might help you out in some tight spots.
As a Citi cardholder, you may receive offers for either Citi Flex Pay or a Citi Flex Loan, the issuer’s proprietary flexible financing options. Citi will review your account periodically, and offers will typically be extended by email or a banner on your account page if you’re eligible.
Both options can be useful if you don’t think you’ll be able to pay off a necessary purchase within the billing period, but look into the terms and any other applicable details to make sure you’re making the right decision for your situation.
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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None | None | Up to $40 |
So you’ll get a lot of time to pay down a balance when you transfer it over, and and the same bit of time before your new purchases begin to accumulate interest. Just be sure to keep an eye on those term limits, because once those are up, you’ll be charged the regular rates shown above.
Take note that balance transfers must be completed in the first four months of getting the card to qualify for the intro rate. Your 0% period will begin at the date of your first transfer. You’ll want to keep the date of first transfer somewhere safe. That way, you can refer back to it when you need to check on those term limits.
It’s also worth noting that while there is no annual fee, late fee, or penalty APR, there still is a balance transfer fee (keep in mind some cards have no fee for balance transfers). That may give you pause, depending on the amount of each transfer you have planned. So before you transfer over a balance, especially a large balance, make sure you’re getting a deal that’s worth it.
A good way to make sure you have the correct monthly payment, to eliminate the balance by the end of the 0% period, is to divide the balance by the number of months in the period. That would be 18 months, in this case. A wise idea would be to divide by one fewer month to make sure you pay it off before your introductory period is over.
For example, if you transfer a $2,000 balance and have 21 months to pay it off: The total balance is $2,100 after the 5% fee. If you divide $2,100 by 21 months, you get a payment of $100 per month. To pay it off a month early: $2,100 divided by 20 months is $105 per month.
The Citi Simplicity® Card – No Late Fees Ever is well liked among people who don’t much care for interest rates. You’ll get plenty of time to pay off your transferred balances, and without having to pay attention to interest on your purchases.
There are also very few fees to worry about, and you’ll even get a few handy perks.
So if you have another card with a balance that’s accumulating interest, you might want to transfer it over to the Simplicity. While you won’t earn any rewards, it still has its merits.
Although this card gives you plenty of cushion when it comes to carrying a balance, keep in mind that’s never something you want to get in the habit of doing as it can hurt your credit scores.
Simply click the Apply Now button below. It’ll direct you to the card issuer’s website where you can follow the prompts. You’ll need to fill in your personal and financial information, and Citi will perform a hard inquiry on your credit.
You should often hear back instantly if you’ve been approved or not, and Citi will issue your card. In some cases Citi may request more information.
Citi recommends having FICO credit scores in the excellent range (800–850) for the best chances of qualifying. While you don’t necessarily need that rating to get approved, the better your scores, the higher chance there is (obviously).
Aside from credit scores, credit card issuers take other factors into account when determining your creditworthiness, like income. So you may still get approved, even if you’re below that rating. In the end, it comes down to Citi’s discretion.
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Is the Citi Simplicity not the right fit? A little too simple? Maybe one of these cards will suit you better.
The U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card (Review) provides another simple option for a balance transfer card.
While it doesn’t offer any rewards, it does have a 0% introductory APR for 20 billing cycles on balance transfers* for both balance transfers and purchases, rather than having different intro period lengths for each. Following the intro period, your regular rate will be 14.49% - 24.49%* Variable.
There’s no annual fee, and you’ll get a few extra benefits, with cell phone insurance being the most notable. It also requires a lower balance transfer fee than the Simplicity.
So it’ll save you a little something at the cost of a few months. Does that difference sound enticing enough to you?
The Wells Fargo Platinum card is yet another good option for balance transfers.
You’ll get 18 months of 0% interest on both purchases and balance transfers, followed by a rate of 16.49%-24.49% Variable. There’s no annual fee, and with the same intro period as the Simplicity’s, it’s a great deal of time to pay off a balance. The transfer fee is the same as the Simplicity’s as well.
You’ll have access to Visa Platinum benefits, including cell phone insurance (similar to the U.S. Bank card above).
If you’re carrying a balance on a Citi or U.S. Bank card you won’t be able to use their other cards for balance transfers (because you can’t transfer balances between cards from the same issuer). So Wells Fargo might be a good option in those cases. Certainly something to think about.
The Chase Freedom Flex℠ (Review) provides cash back in rotating quarterly categories.
Every three months you’ll earn 5% cash back in select quarterly categories, up to $1,500 spent per quarter (activation required), plus a variety of other categories. The categories can be pretty handy, often including gas stations and grocery stores.
This card also has a long 0% introductory APR for purchases: 15 months, before the regular rate of 14.99% - 23.74% Variable kicks in. While it doesn’t boast the None of the Simplicity, you will earn far more rewards with the Freedom Flex.
There’s also no annual fee, so your only worries should be watching those rotating categories and keeping an eye on the APR term limits.
If you’re looking for a more rewarding option that still gives you a solid amount of time to pay off a balance without accruing interest, this could be the one for you.
Spending Rewards |
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Introductory Bonus Offer |
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Quarter | 2021 Categories | 2020 Categories |
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January – March |
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The Citi® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer (Review) is one of the best credit cards available offering a flat cash back rate.
It earns 2% back on every purchase, with a slight catch. You’ll get 1% when you make the purchase, and the other 1% when you pay it off.
It also has no annual fee, and a long 0% introductory APR balance transfer offer which is the same as the Simplicity’s 18 months. After that your standard variable APR will be 13.99% – 23.99% (Variable).
The Double Cash provides a straightforward, inexpensive option to earn some rewards while still giving you extra time to pay off a large balance.
Spending Rewards |
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The rewards you earn with this card can be redeemed normally as cash back, or they can be converted into ThankYou points. Then, you could transfer them to a partner airline or other Citi card where you might find a better value for them.
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Evan graduated from SUNY Oswego with a degree in journalism and creative writing. In his professional writing career, he strives for precision and comprehension in his work. He’s written news articles, blog posts, and copy, working across a slew of different mediums. With in-depth research and great care for accuracy and detail, he now works to bring you the most up-to-date credit information.
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