The Citi Simplicity Card is a very good 0% APR credit card. Citi Simplicity is worthwhile because it has a $0 annual fee and offers introductory rates of 0% for 21 months on balance transfers and 0% for 12 months on new purchases.

Simplicity isn’t for everyone, though. You need good credit to qualify for this card, for one thing, and you won’t earn any rewards if you get it. Plus, you’ll have to pay a balance transfer fee if you decide to take advantage of the long interest-free period.

What I Like About the Citi Simplicity Card

Great balance transfer promotion

The Citi Simplicity Card has 0% interest for 21 months on balance transfers. The average balance transfer card is interest-free for about 13 months.
 

0% intro purchase offer

Citi Simplicity offers 0% for 12 months on new purchases. That could save you a lot of money if you’re planning a big-ticket buy in addition to a balance transfer. 

Still, it’s worth pointing out that the average 0% card also gives you about 11 months without interest. The best cards offer 0% for up to 24 months. So, if you’re mainly interested in a long 0% APR on purchases, you might want to keep looking. 
 

$0 annual fee

Not having to pay an annual fee is certainly better than the alternative, all else being equal. It also saves you $26.75 compared to the average credit card offer, per our database of 1,500+ cards. Perhaps most importantly, though, the less you spend on fees and interest, the more you’ll have for monthly debt payments, and the sooner you’ll be debt-free.

What I Don’t Like About the Citi Simplicity Card

The balance transfer fee could prove quite expensive

Citi Simplicity charges a 3% intro fee ($5 min) for each transfer in first 4 months, and 5% ($5 min) for each transfer after that. Transferring a balance to Citi Simplicity might be a no-brainer if not for this fee, considering that the average balance transfer card charges 3.34%. So if you want to reduce the cost of an existing balance and get out of debt faster, make sure to crunch the numbers before pulling the trigger.
 

Good credit required

You need at least good credit to have a chance of getting approved for the Citi Simplicity Credit Card. If you don’t know where you stand, you can check your credit score for free on WalletHub.
 

High regular APR

The average credit card for people with good credit charges 23.93%. Depending on your overall creditworthiness, balances that you carry from month to month beyond the initial 0% intro term will accrue interest at a rate that could be 17.99% to 28.74% (V). And since the lower end of that range is reserved for the most qualified applicants, you’ll probably end up overpaying on interest once its 0% intro periods end. We’ve already established that you need good credit to qualify.

Below, we’ll go over a couple of things that don’t really qualify to be part of our core review of Citi Simplicity but are important to many cardholders nonetheless.

Learn More About Citi Simplicity

How Can I Contact Customer Service?

The Citi Simplicity customer service phone number is 800-950-5114. Cardholders can also manage their account online. Citi ranks in the middle of the pack of major credit card companies when it comes to customer satisfaction, but it has made great strides in the last decade.
 

How Can I Pay My Citi Simplicity Bill?

You can pay your Citi Simplicity bill online, by phone (1-866-696-5673), by mail (P.O. BOX 9001037 Louisville KY, 40290-1037) or in person at a Citibank branch.
 

Does Citi Simplicity Have a Grace Period?

The Citi Simplicity grace period is 23 days. The grace period extends from the Simplicity Card’s monthly statement closing date to the account’s due date. During this time, cardholders who always pay their bill in full by the due date will not be assessed interest, when the card’s normal financing terms are in effect.
 

What is the Credit Score Requirement for the Citi Simplicity Card?

The Citi Simplicity credit score requirement is good credit or better. That means a credit score of 700 or higher is needed to have good odds of getting approved for Citi Simplicity.
 

Does Citi Simplicity Charge Late Fees?

The Citi Simplicity Card does not charge late fees, but that’s not as big of a deal as you might think. Fees are far from the worst side effect of not paying your bill on time. Rather, you should be more concerned about credit score damage, considering that missing due dates is one of the easiest ways to hurt your credit. Besides, the people who need this type of feature most may not have the good credit needed to qualify.
 
So we recommend focusing on interest rates, annual fees and balance transfer fees, if applicable, when deciding whether or not to apply for the Citi Simplicity Card. And if you need some help avoiding late fees, check out WalletHub’s on-time payment tips.

Citi Simplicity Ratings by Feature

We evaluated every aspect of the Citi Simplicity Card using our 100-point rating system. Below, you can see the card’s scores in each major category, adjusted to a five-point scale

To learn more, check out our in-depth Citi Simplicity Review.