What's the Citi Simplicity credit score requirement?

Citi uses all three major credit bureaus to evaluate credit card applications. That doesn’t mean it will pull all three of your credit reports, though. Rather, there’s no telling which bureau(s) Citi will pull from when you apply.

But that shouldn’t be a big deal. Your major credit reports contain nearly identical information. So if one includes negative information, the other two probably will as well. And if there’s a mistake on any of your credit reports, you’ll want to dispute that right away.… read full answer

Besides, it’s pretty much impossible to predict a credit card company’s opinion of your financial past. Each uses its own customized credit score, for one thing, which explains why there is no one “real” credit score.

The easiest Citi card to get is the Citi® Secured Mastercard® because it is the only one that will accept applicants with limited history credit history. This card requires a $200 refundable security deposit but has a $0 annual fee. It also helps build credit history with monthly reporting to the credit bureaus.… read full answer

Aside from the Citi® Secured Mastercard®, which is designed for people with limited or no credit, nearly all other Citi personal and business credit cards aren’t as easy to get. It takes either good credit or excellent credit in order to get approved for cards such as the Citi® Double Cash Card or the Citi Premier® Card.

However, there are a number of store cards that are among the easiest Citi cards to get. Some of the best include the Best Buy® Store Card and the Shell Gas Card.

Citi store cards require at least fair credit for approval. But purchases are limited to the affiliated merchant or its website. The Best Buy® Store Card and the Shell Gas Card are among the many store cards that also have a full-fledged version on either the Visa or Mastercard network, which can be used anywhere the network is accepted. Those cards aren’t as easy to get as the store versions, as they require at least good credit.

Here are some of the easiest Citi cards to get:

• Citi® Secured Mastercard® – Limited History required
• Best Buy® Store Card – Fair credit required
• Shell Gas Card – Fair credit required

The Best Buy® Store Card is only usable at Best Buy, but it’s one of the easiest Citi cards to get because it requires fair credit. It has a $0 annual fee and offers 0% deferred interest for 6 to 24 months on purchases of $299 and up (length depends on price) OR 5% back in rewards on purchases (6% for spending $3,500 on card in a year). Deferred interest means that if you pay in full by the end of the 0% period, you owe no interest. If you carry any balance after that, though, you owe interest all the way back from the purchase date at the card’s regular APR of 25.24% (V).

The Shell Gas Card has a $0 annual fee and offers savings of 30¢/gallon (up to 20 gallons) on the first 5 Shell fuel purchases made by 6/30/2022. Plus, save 10¢/gallon (up to 20 gallons) at the pump every time. There’s a 10% rebate on non-fuel purchases, up to $1,200 per year. The card can only be used at Shell and requires fair credit.

The easiest Citi cards to get come with limitations. They offer low minimum credit limits, high interest rates and few rewards and benefits. And with the Citi store cards, beware of deferred interest promotions. Deferred interest means that there’s 0% interest as long as the balance gets paid in full by the end of the promotion. If it’s not paid in full, the Citi charges interest on the original purchase amount from the date of purchase, at the card’s regular APR.

It may also be beneficial to look outside of Citi to some of the easiest cards to get from other issuers. The Discover it® Secured Credit Card card is just as easy to get as the Citi® Secured Mastercard®, and it even offers rewards.

You need a good credit score for a Citi credit card in most cases. So you’ll have a shot with a credit score of 660+, and your odds will be good with 700+. But it really depends on which card you’re after. Some Citi credit cards require higher scores, and one has no minimum score at all.… read full answer

For example, some of the Citi credit cards that require good credit or better for approval include Simplicity (0% for 21 months on balance transfers), and Double Cash (2% cash back). Among the Citi credit cards you need excellent credit (a score of 750+) to get are ThankYou Preferred (2X points on dining and entertainment), Premier (3X points on travel), and the two Expedia cards. And even people with bad credit can get the Citi Secured Card.

Below, you can see what Citi cards your credit score will allow you to pursue, along with other information about approval.

Here’s what else you should know about the credit score you need for a Citi credit card:

• Bad credit (below 640): You only have one option for a Citi card if you have bad credit. That’s the Citi Secured Mastercard. It doesn’t give any rewards, but it does have no annual fee and can help you rebuild your credit. There’s a $200 minimum security deposit.
• Fair credit (640-699): With fair credit, you have a good shot at getting one of Citi’s various store cards. These cards can only be used at their associated store. Some examples of stores that offer fair credit cards through Citi are Staples, Best Buy and Goodyear.
• Good credit (700-749): Good credit opens you up to some of Citi’s more attractive credit card offerings. You can get the best cashback card on the market, Citi Double Cash, with good credit, or the Citi Simplicity card.
• Excellent credit (750 and up): You’ll be eligible for all of Citi’s cards with a score in this range, assuming your income and other information check out. Some excellent-credit-only offerings include Citi ThankYou Preferred (15-month 0% APR), Expedia+ Voyager (travel rewards) and Citi/AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard (airline miles).
• Other requirements: It takes more than just a good enough credit score to get Citi credit card approval. In particular, you need enough income to pay the monthly bills, along with your existing debts. You’ll also need a valid Social Security number (or ITIN) and U.S. mailing address.

Check your credit score before applying for a Citi credit card. That will tell you which cards you have the best chances of getting. And you can check if you’re pre qualified for any Citi cards on their website.