Citi Balance Transfer: How-To + Best Cards

One way to avoid accruing interest on an unpaid credit card is to transfer its balance to a balance transfer card. Citi is one issuer with a roster of popular balance transfer cards, many of which offer a 0% introductory annual percentage rate (APR) period. This means you won’t pay any interest on the transferred balance for the duration of the offer period — which can be up to 21 months.

Taking advantage of one of these offers is relatively straightforward, whether you’ve already got a Citi card or not. But before you decide to pursue a balance transfer with Citi, make sure you account for balance transfer fees and have a plan for paying off the transferred balance before the intro APR period ends and interest starts accruing.

Why choose Citi for a balance transfer?

There are a couple of reasons transferring a balance to a Citi balance transfer card might be a good idea. For instance, you can move one or more balances with a high APR to a Citi card with a low regular APR or a 0% introductory APR offer. This could help you save a bundle on interest and potentially get out of debt faster if you do it right.

Another use for balance transfers is credit card consolidation. If you have balances spread across multiple cards, keeping track of how much you owe, what interest rate each card charges, and when payments are due is tough. Consolidating to a single credit card makes it easier to see what you owe and often leads to one monthly payment and rate instead of several.

Balance transfer introductory APRs are temporary. Because a card’s APR reverts to its regular purchase and transfer rate after the intro period, you should also pay attention to its variable APR. You want to avoid moving debt from a credit card with a lower variable APR to a credit card with a higher rate, even if the higher-rate card has a 0% intro APR offer.

How much is Citi’s balance transfer fee?

The amount you’ll pay to transfer a balance depends on which Citi card you have, but in most cases, Citi’s balance transfer fee is $5 or 5% of the transferred amount, whichever is greater.

The fee can be lower in some cases. For instance, Citi cards sometimes offer an introductory balance transfer fee of $5 or 3% of the transferred amount, whichever is greater. This potentially lower fee typically applies in the first four months of account opening. However, after the first four months, the fee typically switches to the more common amount: $5 or 5% of the transfer.

In addition to balance transfer fees, balance transfers often have a separate APR from purchases. For Citi, these two rates are usually the same, but not always. After the introductory period ends, your balance transfer APR could be even higher than the purchase APR on some credit cards. Be sure to consider both the intro APR and regular rate before starting a balance transfer.

Best Citi balance transfer credit cards

Citi offers some solid balance transfer credit cards, with long intro periods and the potential for promotional balance transfer fees. Citi balance transfer cards have 0% intro APR offers ranging from 15 to 21 months, depending on the card.

Which Citi balance transfer credit card is best for you depends on what balance transfer offer you qualify for and how you plan to use the card for everyday purchases.

For example, some of Citi’s balance transfer cards — like the Citi Custom Cash^® Card — offer the ability to earn points or cash back on spending, but other Citi cards don’t have many perks beyond the balance transfer offer. If you’re simply looking for a place to park your balance interest-free, a card with no rewards should be sufficient. But if you plan to use your card on purchases, I recommend making sure you’re getting something back on that spending.

Before choosing, remember to keep the balance transfer fee and duration of the intro offer period in mind. If you can’t afford the fees on your transfer or if you won’t be able to pay off your balance before the variable APR kicks in, then that offer might not work for you.

Here are all of Citi’s current balance transfer card offers:

How to do a balance transfer with Citi

Starting a balance transfer with Citi is straightforward, especially if you already have a Citi credit card. If you don’t have a Citi card, it only takes a few additional steps to open a card and initiate a transfer.

If you already have a Citi credit card

• Sign in to your Citi account online or in the app and see if you have a balance transfer offer. You might see a promo ad indicating you have a balance transfer offer when you log in to your Citi account.
• Give information for the credit card you want to transfer a balance from. Here you’ll need to give details for the card you want to transfer a balance from. That usually includes the card issuer's name, your name, the account number, and the balance transfer amount.
• Wait for Citi to initiate the transfer. How long it takes for a transfer to complete can vary significantly; Citi takes two to 21 days to process balance transfers. Once the transfer is complete, you can start making monthly payments on your Citi credit card.

If you don’t already have a Citi credit card

• Prepare for your application. Before you apply for a new credit card, gather your information, including proof of income, I.D. verification (like a Social Security number or taxpayer identification number), and a second form of identification.
• Apply for a Citi balance transfer card online. Fill out the credit card application with your name, address, and income. You can also fill out Citi’s pre-approval form before applying, to see which cards you may be approved for based on your credit profile.
• Submit a balance transfer after your account opening. If you’re approved for the card, you'll be able to sign into your online account and complete this step after your official account opening.
• Provide the information of the credit card you want to transfer a balance from. Here you’ll give information for the card you want to transfer a balance from. You’ll need the original card issuer’s name, your name, the account number, and the amount you want to transfer.

FAQs

Bottom line

Citi offers multiple balance transfer credit cards that can help you consolidate and pay off your credit card debt. Most come with 0% APR intro periods lasting as long as 21 months for balance transfers on some cards and carry fees of around 5% or $5 (whichever is greater). Some (but not all) of Citi’s balance transfer cards even earn rewards and welcome offers.

Still, these cards aren’t targeted at consumers looking for ongoing perks. But if your priority is finding a credit card with a lengthy 0% APR intro period or you just want more options to choose from than you’ll get with most issuers, a Citi balance transfer credit card could be ideal.

But if you’re not sure about Citi’s current roster of offers and want to shop around a little more, check out our best balance transfer credit cards for more options.

Extra Long Intro APR on Purchases & Qualifying Balance Transfers

Wells Fargo Reflect^® Card

4.9

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Wells Fargo Reflect^® Card

Apply Now

Rates and fees

Current Offer

Benefit from a long introductory APR period on purchases and qualifying balance transfers

Annual Fee

$0

Benefits and Drawbacks

Benefits

• 0% intro APR for 21 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers, then 17.24%, 23.74%, or 28.99% Variable APR
• Up to $600 Cell phone protection when you pay for the cell phone with your card (subject to a $25 deductible)
• $0 annual fee
• The ongoing APR may still be competitive compared to other cards

Drawbacks

• No rewards for spending
• 3% foreign transaction fee
• 5%, min: $5 balance transfer fee
• Limited list of card perks

Card Details

• Select “Apply Now” to take advantage of this specific offer and learn more about product features, terms and conditions.
• 0% intro APR for 21 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers. 17.24%, 23.74%, or 28.99% variable APR thereafter; balance transfers made within 120 days qualify for the intro rate, BT fee of 5%, min: $5.
• $0 Annual Fee.
• Up to $600 of cell phone protection against damage or theft. Subject to a $25 deductible.
• Through My Wells Fargo Deals, you can get access to personalized deals from a variety of merchants. It's an easy way to earn cash back as an account credit when you shop, dine, or enjoy an experience simply by using an eligible Wells Fargo credit card.

Author Details

Bob Haegele

Bob Haegele is a seasoned personal finance writer, leveraging his bachelor's degree in information technology from Marquette University to dissect complex financial topics.

Author Details

Steve Miller

Steve Miller is a Senior Editor at FinanceBuzz and has worked in the personal finance, legal, and academic publishing fields. He's researched and written about topics in credit cards, travel, and economics, in addition to covering subjects in the arts, humanities, and medicine. Steve is based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.