The Citi Flex Pay Program is a popular option for current Citi cardholders who want to offset larger purchases over a set period. Now, Citi is extending its Flex Pay Program to include Amazon purchases. Here’s what you need to know about the addition of Citi Flex Pay to Amazon.com.
“Customers Get the Choice”
Citi Flex Pay offers current cardholders the opportunity to finance purchases made over a pre-defined time period. The program is like American Express’ Pay It Plan It service – another popular option for making multiple payments. Now, Citibank is introducing the option for Amazon purchases made within the last 12 months.
Citibank credit cardholders who use an eligible card to make a purchase of $100 or more at Amazon can now select a repayment option of up to 60 months. Even better, this new offer applies to any purchases made with an eligible Citi credit card within the last year at Amazon.com.
Anand Selva, head of Citigroup’s U.S. consumer bank, says the move is all about choice. “Given the current economic environment”, he states about the COVID-19 pandemic in a recent interview, the new move is about letting “consumers get the choice.” According to Selva, the average Flex Pay customer uses the service to finance about $900.
What is Citi Flex Pay?
Citi Flex Pay is a type of loan Citibank offers cardholders. The Flex Pay program – also known as Citi Flex Loan – allows eligible cardholders to “handle life’s expected and unexpected expenses,” as the credit card giant puts it.
Citi Flex Loans offer several advantages versus a typical personal loan:
- Flex Pay offers a fixed-APR for the duration of the loan
- No application process, as the loan ties into an existing Citibank credit card account
- No hard inquiries and no loan origination fees
- Flexible payment timetables allow users to select their payment amount and terms
To opt into a Citi Flex Loan, an eligible Citi credit cardholder logs into their Citi account and selects the Citi Flex Plan/Flex Loan option. From there, the user can see how much they can borrow and select their terms (based on availability).
As an illustrative example, Citi details a hypothetical $5,000 loan, which the cardholder can select from repayment options of 12, 24, 36, 48, or 60 months. Citi also provides an estimate of the total interest to repay; in this case, up to $106 based on a 60-month repayment option and a fixed APR of 9.99%.
Citi Aims to Win Back Personal Loan Share
According to banking experts, the move by Citi and Amazon is mutually beneficial. Citibank is closely monitoring the estimated $170 billion in loans its current customers have with other banks. The extension of Flex Pay and Flex Loans offers a chance to win back consumers and service the loans themselves.
For Amazon, the additional option to repay large purchases over time helps increase the basket-size each customer accumulates. With additional incentive to purchase more thanks to deferred payments, Amazon hopes for much higher profitability.
Editorial Disclosure – The opinions expressed on BestCards.com's reviews, articles, and all other content on or relating to the website are solely those of the content’s author(s). These opinions do not reflect those of any card issuer or financial institution, and editorial content on our site has not been reviewed or approved by these entities unless noted otherwise. Further, BestCards.com lists credit card offers that are frequently updated with information believed to be accurate to the best of our team's knowledge. However, please review the information provided directly by the credit card issuer or related financial institution for full details.
