Lawrence Stone, Former bank manager
@lawrence50
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.
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 card is just as easy to get as the Citi® Secured Mastercard®, and it even offers rewards.

2021's Best Citi Credit Cards
Compare CardsGrace Porter, Member
@grace_porter
The easiest Citi card to get is the Citi® Secured Mastercard®. You don’t need any credit history, and the minimum deposit is $200. There’s also a $0 annual fee, and the APR can be as high as 22.49% (V). However, if you have at least a good credit score, you could try applying for the Citi® Double Cash Card, which has awesome rewards.
Doris Buchanan, Member
@doris_buchanan
The easiest one to get would be the Citi® Secured Mastercard®, since you don't need any credit history. Unless you've got a bankruptcy on your file, you should be able to get approved for that one without any trouble.
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