February 28, 2022
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This article was last updated February 28, 2022 . Terms and conditions may have changed. For the most accurate information, please consult the issuer website.
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If you’re looking to pay down credit card debt by transferring a balance from a high-interest card to one with a 0% introductory APR, know that Citi offers balance transfer cards boasting some of the longest intro 0% APRs available. As long as the debt you want to transfer is on a non-Citi credit card, a balance transfer with Citi could give up to almost two years of no interest.
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You’ll need a few pieces of information to get your balance transfer started:
When opening a new Citi credit card online, you should be able to request a balance transfer toward the end of the online application form. You’ll have to enter account details for the card(s) you want to pay off and the amount(s) to be paid.
Be aware that your balance transfer request won’t start to process until your new Citi card has been open for at least 14 days. If there’s a payment due on your old account in the interim, you’re responsible for making it.
You can also call the number on the back of your new card once it comes in the mail and let a Citi customer service representative know you’d like to initiate a balance transfer request. But make sure to check if there’s a deadline for requesting your balance transfer so you don’t miss out on the 0% intro APR as some cards have 60- to 90-day transfer limits.
If you already have a Citi credit card, you can check for balance transfer offers by logging into your online account, hovering over the “rewards and offers” tab and selecting “Offers for you” from the menu that appears.
If you have a balance transfer offer, the next screen should present you with a button saying “transfer now.” Clicking that button will show you the details of your balance transfer offer in a format like this:
Note that your offer might be merely a reduced balance transfer APR, not an intro 0% APR. If so, you’ll have to decide if the lower rate offers enough savings to make it worth the balance transfer fee, or if you’d apply for a new Citi card offering an introductory 0% APR.
If you take advantage of a balance transfer offer on an existing Citi card and initiate a request to pay off another credit card electronically, that process will go through in as quickly as two to four business days, according to a Citi customer service representative.
Meanwhile, if you have an offer on an existing Citi card and ask Citi to send a check to your other lender, that might take up to 10 days.
Finally, if you open a new Citi card and request a balance transfer, that won’t begin processing until your account has been open for at least 14 days.
One of the most common uses for a balance transfer is to pay off debt you’re carrying on a credit card with a high APR. While you can’t transfer balances between two Citi cards, you can transfer debt from pretty much any other credit card issuer to a Citi card, such as American Express, Capital One, Chase, Discover and more.
In addition, you can also use a Citi balance transfer to pay off other types of debt — at least as long as the other lender accepts balance transfer payments either electronically or by check.
Based on our research of cards available through LendingTree, as well as other Citi cards, we gathered some of the most generous balance transfer cards currently available that offer a long intro 0% APR.
The Citi Simplicity® Card comes with an exceptional intro APR period on transferred debt: 0% for 21 months on balance transfers, after which a 18.49% - 29.24% (variable) APR applies.
Note that a somewhat high there is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. Then a balance transfer fee applies with this offer 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum.
There’s an intro APR on purchases, though it’s relatively short: 0% for 12 months on purchases, after which a 18.49% - 29.24% (variable) APR applies.
The annual fee is $0, but there’s a foreign transaction fee of 3% of each purchase transaction after its conversion into U.S. dollars.
You won’t earn rewards with this card, but when it comes to a long 0% intro APR on balance transfers, the Citi Simplicity® Card is hard to beat.
If you need almost two years of 0% intro APR on balance transfers, the Citi Simplicity® Card might just be the card for you.
However, know that in exchange for the long intro period, the Citi Simplicity® Card charges a balance transfer fee that’s on the high side. But if you need to maximize the time you have to work on getting out of debt, this card is a powerful tool.
The Citi Simplicity® Card comes with an exceptional intro APR period on transferred debt: 0% for 21 months on balance transfers, after which a 18.49% - 29.24% (variable) APR applies.
Note that a somewhat high there is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. Then a balance transfer fee applies with this offer 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum.
There’s an intro APR on purchases, though it’s relatively short: 0% for 12 months on purchases, after which a 18.49% - 29.24% (variable) APR applies.
The annual fee is $0, but there’s a foreign transaction fee of 3% of each purchase transaction after its conversion into U.S. dollars.
You won’t earn rewards with this card, but when it comes to a long 0% intro APR on balance transfers, the Citi Simplicity® Card is hard to beat.
If you need almost two years of 0% intro APR on balance transfers, the Citi Simplicity® Card might just be the card for you.
However, know that in exchange for the long intro period, the Citi Simplicity® Card charges a balance transfer fee that’s on the high side. But if you need to maximize the time you have to work on getting out of debt, this card is a powerful tool.
The Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card comes with an exceptional intro APR of 0% for 21 months on balance transfers. After the intro period ends, a 17.49% - 28.24% (variable) APR applies.
A balance transfer fee applies with this offer 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum.
The card’s intro APR on purchases is short: 0% for 12 months on purchases — after, a 17.49% - 28.24% (variable) APR applies.
And while you’ll pay a $0 annual fee to carry the card, beware of the foreign transaction fee — it’s 3%.
Like the Citi Simplicity® Card mentioned above, the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card offers almost two years of no interest on transferred balances. That deal is hard to beat if you’re playing the long game, even though the flip side is a balance transfer fee that’s a bit on the high side.
The Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card comes with an exceptional intro APR of 0% for 21 months on balance transfers. After the intro period ends, a 17.49% - 28.24% (variable) APR applies.
A balance transfer fee applies with this offer 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum.
The card’s intro APR on purchases is short: 0% for 12 months on purchases — after, a 17.49% - 28.24% (variable) APR applies.
And while you’ll pay a $0 annual fee to carry the card, beware of the foreign transaction fee — it’s 3%.
Like the Citi Simplicity® Card mentioned above, the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card offers almost two years of no interest on transferred balances. That deal is hard to beat if you’re playing the long game, even though the flip side is a balance transfer fee that’s a bit on the high side.
The Citi® Double Cash Card comes with an intro APR of 0% for 18 months on balance transfers. However, you won’t get a 0% intro APR period on purchases. After the intro balance rate expires, the APR will be 18.49% - 28.49% (variable).
There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. A balance transfer fee of 5% of each transfer ($5 minimum) applies if completed after 4 months of account opening.The Citi® Double Cash Card does come with a rewards program: Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases.
The annual fee is $0. But if you’re traveling, beware the 3% foreign transaction fee.
If you don’t need quite as long to pay off your balance transfer, the Citi® Double Cash Card offers a solid intro APR period and ongoing value through flat-rate cash back. Plus, the introductory balance transfer fee is quite reasonable, too.
The Citi® Double Cash Card comes with an intro APR of 0% for 18 months on balance transfers. However, you won’t get a 0% intro APR period on purchases. After the intro balance rate expires, the APR will be 18.49% - 28.49% (variable).
There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. A balance transfer fee of 5% of each transfer ($5 minimum) applies if completed after 4 months of account opening.The Citi® Double Cash Card does come with a rewards program: Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases.
The annual fee is $0. But if you’re traveling, beware the 3% foreign transaction fee.
If you don’t need quite as long to pay off your balance transfer, the Citi® Double Cash Card offers a solid intro APR period and ongoing value through flat-rate cash back. Plus, the introductory balance transfer fee is quite reasonable, too.
The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card offers a 0% intro APR for 15 months on balance transfers, after which a 18.49% - 28.49% (variable) APR applies. This card has a high balance transfer fee: 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum. However, cardholders also get a 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases; after, a 18.49% - 28.49% (variable) APR applies.
You can also earn a sign-up bonus: Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
The card offers excellent ongoing value with a cash back program: Earn 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent, 1% cash back thereafter. Also, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Finally, the annual fee is $0 and the foreign transaction fee is 3%.
The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card provides ongoing value in the form of a unique cash back program. If you max out the $500 monthly spend cap on the 5% cash back rate, that’s $25 in cash back. Your top spending category from the following list will automatically receive 5% cash back each month:
The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card offers a 0% intro APR for 15 months on balance transfers, after which a 18.49% - 28.49% (variable) APR applies. This card has a high balance transfer fee: 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum. However, cardholders also get a 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases; after, a 18.49% - 28.49% (variable) APR applies.
You can also earn a sign-up bonus: Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
The card offers excellent ongoing value with a cash back program: Earn 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent, 1% cash back thereafter. Also, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Finally, the annual fee is $0 and the foreign transaction fee is 3%.
The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card provides ongoing value in the form of a unique cash back program. If you max out the $500 monthly spend cap on the 5% cash back rate, that’s $25 in cash back. Your top spending category from the following list will automatically receive 5% cash back each month:
The Citi Rewards+® Card also offers an intro APR on balance transfers of 0% for 15 months, after which a 17.99% - 27.99% (Variable) APR applies.
However, it has a lower balance transfer fee: There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. A balance transfer fee of 5% of each transfer ($5 minimum) applies if completed after 4 months of account opening.
Cardholders also get an intro APR on purchases of 0% for 15 months. After, a 17.99% - 27.99% (Variable) APR applies.
You can also earn a sign-up bonus: Earn 20,000 bonus points after you spend $1,500 in purchases with your card within 3 months of account opening; redeemable for $200 in gift cards at thankyou.com.
As for ongoing rewards: Earn 2X ThankYou® Points at Supermarkets and Gas Stations for the first $6,000 per year and then 1X Points thereafter. Plus, earn 1X ThankYou® Points on All Other Purchases.
The annual fee is $0, and there’s a foreign transaction fee of 3%.
Though the Citi Rewards+® Card doesn’t come with as long an intro APR offer as some of the other Citi cards listed here, it still offers more than a year of no interest on transferred debt.
It also offers rewards on every purchase, and a unique benefit where your rewards are rounded up to the nearest 10 points on every purchase. For example, Citi gives the example of $2 spent at a parking meter being rounded up to 10 points and a $12 spent on drugstore purchases being rounded up to 20 points. If you make lots of small purchases when you’re out and about, that benefit could net you a nice chunk of extra rewards.
The Citi Rewards+® Card also offers an intro APR on balance transfers of 0% for 15 months, after which a 17.99% - 27.99% (Variable) APR applies.
However, it has a lower balance transfer fee: There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. A balance transfer fee of 5% of each transfer ($5 minimum) applies if completed after 4 months of account opening.
Cardholders also get an intro APR on purchases of 0% for 15 months. After, a 17.99% - 27.99% (Variable) APR applies.
You can also earn a sign-up bonus: Earn 20,000 bonus points after you spend $1,500 in purchases with your card within 3 months of account opening; redeemable for $200 in gift cards at thankyou.com.
As for ongoing rewards: Earn 2X ThankYou® Points at Supermarkets and Gas Stations for the first $6,000 per year and then 1X Points thereafter. Plus, earn 1X ThankYou® Points on All Other Purchases.
The annual fee is $0, and there’s a foreign transaction fee of 3%.
Though the Citi Rewards+® Card doesn’t come with as long an intro APR offer as some of the other Citi cards listed here, it still offers more than a year of no interest on transferred debt.
It also offers rewards on every purchase, and a unique benefit where your rewards are rounded up to the nearest 10 points on every purchase. For example, Citi gives the example of $2 spent at a parking meter being rounded up to 10 points and a $12 spent on drugstore purchases being rounded up to 20 points. If you make lots of small purchases when you’re out and about, that benefit could net you a nice chunk of extra rewards.
| Discover credit card | Balance transfer 0% intro APR | Balance transfer ongoing APR |
|---|---|---|
| Citi Simplicity® Card | Intro APR of 0% for 21 months on balance transfers | 18.49% - 29.24% (variable) APR |
| Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card | Intro APR of 0% for 21 months on balance transfers | 17.49% - 28.24% (variable) APR |
| Citi® Double Cash Card | Intro APR of 0% for 18 months on balance transfers | 18.49% - 28.49% (variable) APR |
| Citi Custom Cash℠ Card | Intro APR of 0% intro APR for 15 months on balance transfers | 18.49% - 28.49% (variable) APR |
| Citi Rewards+® Card | Intro APR of 0% for 15 months | 17.99% - 27.99% (variable) APR |
No, it’s a rule across the board that you can’t transfer balances between cards from the same issuer. If you are carrying debt on a Citi credit card and wish to transfer it, consider a balance transfer card from a different issuer.
You’ll be able to transfer up to your credit limit on your Citi card, minus the amount of any balance transfer fees.
Yes, if you have a Citi balance transfer offer available, you should be able to transfer a balance from an American Express card to your Citi card. You’ll be able to transfer a balance from virtually any issuer other than Citi itself.
The above offers and/or promotions may have since changed, expired, or is no longer available. Check the Issuers’ website for more details.
