Citi is an advertising partner of The Ascent and has quite the selection of great credit cards. Both the Citi Simplicity® Card and the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card are popular balance transfer cards. So if you're looking to transfer a balance from another issuer and pay it off, both are worth a closer look. But which one of these two reigns supreme? In this piece, we'll break down the similarities and differences to help you choose the right card.
Citi Simplicity Card vs. Citi Diamond Preferred comparison
As of Jun. 18, 2024
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| Citi Simplicity® Card | Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card |
Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars. 4.00/5Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.5 stars equals Best.4 stars equals Excellent.3 stars equals Good.2 stars equals Fair.1 star equals Poor.We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. | Rating image, 4.25 out of 5 stars. 4.25/5Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.5 stars equals Best.4 stars equals Excellent.3 stars equals Good.2 stars equals Fair.1 star equals Poor.We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. |
Read Full Review | Read Full Review |
Credit Rating Requirement:Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions. Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850) Poor Fair Good Excellent 300-579 580-669 670-739 740-850 Good/Excellent (670-850) | Credit Rating Requirement:Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions. Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850) Poor Fair Good Excellent 300-579 580-669 670-739 740-850 Good/Excellent (670-850) |
Welcome Offer:There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5). Lower intro balance transfer fee | Welcome Offer: N/A |
Rewards Program: N/A | Rewards Program: N/A |
Intro APR: Purchases: 0%, 12 months Balance Transfers: 0%, 21 months | Intro APR: Purchases: 0%, 12 months Balance Transfers: 0%, 21 months |
Regular APR: 19.24% - 29.99% (Variable) | Regular APR: 18.24% - 28.99% (Variable) |
Annual Fee: $0 | Annual Fee: $0 |
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Why Citi Simplicity Card might be the ideal choice
One big attraction of the Citi Simplicity® Card is that it offers an initial discount on its balance transfer fee: 3% ($5 min) for first 4 months, then 5% ($5 min.) If you've got a big balance from another credit card issuer to pay off and want to save on your balance transfer fee, that's an attractive deal. Plus, this card will never charge you late payment fees, annual fees, or a penalty APR.
Apply for Citi Simplicity® Card
When Citi Diamond Preferred could be the better option
The Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card is another balance transfer winner. It could also help you get a better handle on your finances in a different way. This card comes with free FICO® Score access. Since this is the credit score used by the majority of lenders, it's worth keeping an eye on. You also get a long 0% intro APR offer and no annual fee.
Apply for Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card
Credit card comparison
We recommend comparing options to ensure the card you're selecting is the best fit for you. To make your search easier, here's a short list of standout credit cards.
| Offer | Our Rating | Welcome Offer | Rewards Program | APR | Learn More |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Discover it® Cash Back | Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars. 5.00/5Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.5 stars equals Best.4 stars equals Excellent.3 stars equals Good.2 stars equals Fair.1 star equals Poor.We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. | Discover will match all the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year.N/A | 1% - 5% CashbackEarn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases—automatically. | Intro: Purchases: 0%, 15 months Balance Transfers: 0%, 15 months Regular:18.24% - 28.24% Variable APR | |
Chase Freedom Unlimited® Apply Now for Chase Freedom Unlimited® OnChase'sSecure Website. | Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars. 5.00/5Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.5 stars equals Best.4 stars equals Excellent.3 stars equals Good.2 stars equals Fair.1 star equals Poor.We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. | Up to $300 cash backEarn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back. That's 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases. | 1.5% - 5% cash backEnjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases | Intro:0% Intro APR on Purchases and Balance Transfers for 15 months Purchases: 0% Intro APR on Purchases, 15 months Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers, 15 months Regular:20.49% - 29.24% Variable | Apply Now for Chase Freedom Unlimited® OnChase'sSecure Website. |
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card | Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars. 5.00/5Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.5 stars equals Best.4 stars equals Excellent.3 stars equals Good.2 stars equals Fair.1 star equals Poor.We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. | 75,000 Miles75,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening | 2X-5X milesEarn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options. | Intro: Purchases: N/A Balance Transfers: N/A Regular:19.99% - 29.99% (Variable) |
Citi Simplicity Card vs. Citi Diamond Preferred overview
Time to dive deeper into these two excellent Citi cards -- will we find a clear winner? These two have a lot in common, but a few differences, too.
Long 0% intro APR offers
Winner: Tie. You'll get 21 months of 0% intro APR with both cards.
Both these cards are well-suited for balance transfers because each one comes with a long 0% intro APR offer. Both cards offer 21 months of 0% intro APR on balance transfers and 12 months of 0% intro APR on new purchases. That means you could use either of them to finance a big purchase as you'll get a year to pay before interest comes into play. Carrying a balance could still get expensive, so try to pay it down before the intro period ends.
- The Citi Simplicity® Card's go-to APR is 19.24% - 29.99% (Variable)
- The Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card's go-to APR is 18.24% - 28.99% (Variable)
No annual fee
Winner: Tie. Neither card charges an annual fee.
The Citi Simplicity® Card comes without an annual fee. This will save you money, particularly if you're using it to pay off a big balance. This card is also lacking late fees, so if you accidentally make a late payment one month, you won't be penalized for it.
There's no annual fee on the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card either, which also makes it a great choice for a money-saving balance transfer. This commonality means we can't use this category to adjudicate a winner for this comparison, though.
Welcome offer
Winner: Citi Simplicity® Card. You'll get a lower balance transfer fee as a welcome offer.
Neither of these two Citi cards offers traditional welcome bonuses. A credit card welcome offer often consists of a chunk of rewards points, miles, or cash back that you earn as a new cardholder. You usually do this by reaching a certain spending threshold within a certain timeframe.
Instead, the Citi Simplicity® Card's welcome offer consists of a lower balance transfer fee. You'll pay 3% ($5 min) for first 4 months, then 5% ($5 min.). This is a decent welcome offer, especially if you're using this card to get out from under existing credit card debt.
Conversely, the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card has no welcome offer at all. Its balance transfer fee is 5% ($5 min.) of any balances moved to the card, regardless of when you initiate that transfer.
Rewards and perks
Winner: Tie. Neither card offers rewards, and they share a similar range of perks.
Yes, another tie. Why? Well, neither the Citi Simplicity® Card nor the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card has a rewards program to speak of. This isn't to say that neither card has worthwhile benefits beyond helping you pay off a balance or finance a large purchase, though.
The Citi Simplicity® Card lets you choose your own payment due date, so you can fit it into your budget more easily. The Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card has this perk, too. Plus, it comes with free FICO® Score monitoring. It also offers access to event tickets and dining experiences through Citi® Entertainment.
Although neither card offers rewards, they are both fine examples of balance transfer cards. If you're struggling to get out from under credit card debt, reducing the amount you pay in interest is more important than earning rewards on your spending.
What everyone else is saying
Reddit users have called out the fact that the slightly lower go-to APR could make the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card the one to pick for some folks, while the lack of late fees and lower balance transfer fee means others might prefer the Citi Simplicity® Card.
Users on the myFICO forums noted that both of these cards could be a good way to lower your credit utilization ratio (the amount of credit you're using relative to how much you have). This was in response to another user who wondered which card to keep (they had qualified for both).
Final take
Ultimately, the choice is yours here. If you need a long 0% intro APR offer to pay down existing debt or finance a large purchase, you can't go wrong with either of these Citi cards. That said, if you're hoping to keep track of your FICO® Score as you reduce your debt, look to the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card. And if you want a lower balance transfer fee, the Citi Simplicity® Card might be the pick for you. And if neither sounds right, use our credit card comparison tool to find your next card.
Apply Now for Citi Simplicity® Card
OnCiti'sSecure Website.
Ratings Methodology
2024 Award Winner
Citi Simplicity® Card
Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.5 stars equals Best.4 stars equals Excellent.3 stars equals Good.2 stars equals Fair.1 star equals Poor.We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.5 stars equals Best.4 stars equals Excellent.3 stars equals Good.2 stars equals Fair.1 star equals Poor.We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Credit Score:Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Poor
Fair
Good
Excellent
300-579
580-669
670-739
740-850
Credit ScoreFalling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR
Purchases: 0%, 12 months
Balance Transfers: 0%, 21 months
Regular APR
19.24% - 29.99% (Variable)
Rewards
N/A
Annual Fee
$0
Welcome OfferThere is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).
Lower intro balance transfer fee
This is one of our favorite cards for balance transfers. It has 0% intro APR for 21 months on balance transfers and a discounted balance transfer fee for the first four months. That combo makes it one of the most generous balance transfer offers we’ve seen. Plus, you can choose from any available payment date. That way, you can set up automatic payments that are aligned with your paycheck.Read Full Review
- Great intro APR
- No annual fee
- No late fees
- No penalty APR
- No rewards
- Foreign transaction fee
- No Late Fees, No Penalty Rate, and No Annual Fee... Ever
- 0% Intro APR for 21 months on balance transfers from date of first transfer and 0% Intro APR for 12 months on purchases from date of account opening. After that the variable APR will be 19.24% - 29.99%, based on your creditworthiness. Balance transfers must be completed within 4 months of account opening.
- There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).
- Stay protected with Citi® Quick Lock.
Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card
Rating image, 4.25 out of 5 stars.
4.25/5Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.5 stars equals Best.4 stars equals Excellent.3 stars equals Good.2 stars equals Fair.1 star equals Poor.We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Rating image, 4.25 out of 5 stars.
4.25/5Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.5 stars equals Best.4 stars equals Excellent.3 stars equals Good.2 stars equals Fair.1 star equals Poor.We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Credit Score:Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Poor
Fair
Good
Excellent
300-579
580-669
670-739
740-850
Credit ScoreFalling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR
Purchases: 0%, 12 months
Balance Transfers: 0%, 21 months
Regular APR
18.24% - 28.99% (Variable)
Rewards
N/A
Annual Fee
$0
Welcome Offer
N/A
This card sets itself apart with an incredible 21-month 0% intro APR offer on qualifying balance transfers and no annual fee, making it a top pick for anyone looking for ample time to pay off credit card debt. Plus, you can choose from any available payment date. That way, you can set up automatic payments that are aligned with your paycheck.Read Full Review
- Great intro APR
- No annual fee
- Free credit score monitoring
- No rewards
- Foreign transaction fee
- High balance transfer fee
- 0% Intro APR for 21 months on balance transfers from date of first transfer and 0% Intro APR for 12 months on purchases from date of account opening. After that the variable APR will be 18.24% - 28.99%, based on your creditworthiness. Balance transfers must be completed within 4 months of account opening.
- There is a balance transfer fee of either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
- Get free access to your FICO® Score online.
- With Citi Entertainment®, get special access to purchase tickets to thousands of events, including concerts, sporting events, dining experiences and more.
- No Annual Fee - our low intro rates and all the benefits don’t come with a yearly charge.
