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Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card

Cory Santos

| Last updated on February 20th, 2024

Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card

Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card
Excellent-Good
BestCards refers to a variation of FICO Score 9, which is one of many different types of credit scores. A financial institution may use a different score when deciding whether to approve you for a credit card. Please note that the range shown here is our own estimation and not a guarantee of credit needed to be approved for any given card. Recommended Credit: Excellent / Good
Mastercard Processing Network
$0 Annual Fee

Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card

  • 17.99% - 28.74% (Variable) Regular Purchase APR
  • 17.99% - 28.74% (Variable) Balance Transfer APR
  • 29.99% (Variable) Cash Advance APR
  • 0% for 12 months on Purchases Intro Purchase APR

At a Glance

The Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card provides one of the longest 0% intro APR periods on the market for no annual fee.

  • Best Benefits
  • Rates & Fees
  • Why Should You Apply?
  • 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 17.99% - 28.74%, 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.
  • Intro Purchase APR: 0% for 12 months on Purchases
  • Regular Purchase APR: 17.99% - 28.74% (Variable)
  • Intro Balance Transfer APR: 0% for 21 months on Balance Transfers
  • Balance Transfer APR: 17.99% - 28.74% (Variable)
  • Balance Transfer Transaction Fee: 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum.
  • Cash Advance APR: 29.99% (Variable)
  • Cash Advance Transaction Fee: 5% of each cash advance; $10 minimum
  • Penalty APR: Up to 29.99% (Variable)
  • Annual Fee: $0
  • Foreign Transaction Fee: 3%
  • Late Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $41
  • Return Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $41
  • You make frequent purchases to entertainment events and want priority access
  • You're looking for a generous introductory 0% APR period for both purchases and balance transfers

In-Depth Review: Citi Diamond Preferred Card

The Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card stands out with its lengthy introductory APR offers on purchases and balance transfers. This no-annual-fee card from Citi provides up to 21 months of 0% APR and more.

Who Can Benefit from the Diamond Preferred Card?

The Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card and the Citi Simplicity® Card seem the exact same card offer, but there is a subtle difference. The Diamond Preferred features a regular APR a single percentage point lower than the Simplicity. This tiny change makes the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card the ideal Citi credit card for anyone planning on carrying a balance. This is especially true for anyone transferring a significant balance to their new account since they might not be able to pay down that balance to $0 in 21 months.

Introductory APR Offers

If you’re on the right side of the credit score scale and want to move a balance to a card with lower interest payments, the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card is a safe bet. The Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card comes with two lucrative introductory rate offers:

  • 0% intro APR for 21 months on balance transfers
  • 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases

The above-average introductory 0% APR period of 12 months on purchases is a long time to take advantage of zero interest charges, so if you’re considering a large purchase requiring multiple installments, this is one card to keep on your shortlist.

The card also enjoys a 21-month intro APR period on balance transfers, making it one of the market’s better balance transfer credit cards today. The over a year-and-a-half of zero APR on balance transfers requires the transfer to be completed within four months of account opening and incurs a balance transfer fee of $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.

Once the introductory periods end, you can expect a competitive everyday rate that varies based on your creditworthiness and the Prime Rate.

Citi® Benefits

The Diamond Preferred Card also has impressive Citi features and protections. These include:

  • Citi Entertainment:Citi provides cardholders exclusive access to events and ticket presales for popular concerts, sporting events, and more.
  • Citi Lost Wallet:Citi’s Lost Wallet service provides emergency card replacement and emergency cash should your card be lost or stolen.
  • Citi Identity Theft Solutions:Citi provides comprehensive support in identity theft and offers expedited service to help get your life back on track should you fall victim.

Citi allows cardholders to choose a monthly payment due date that works for them. This feature lets you tailor your payments to your schedule, not the bank.

Other Citi features include:

$0 Fraud Liability Virtual Account #s FICO Score Access
Citi Quick Lock Citi ID Theft Protection Fraud Alerts

Mastercard Benefits

Zero Liability Protection Mastercard Global Services ID Theft Protection

Comparison

The Citi Diamond Preferred offers 21 introductory months of 0% APR on balance transfers, but how does it stack up to other offers?

TD FlexPay Credit Card Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card Chase Slate Edge
Annual fee None None None
0% APR on purchases N/A 12 months 18 months
0% APR on transfers 18 months 21 months 18 months
Balance transfer fee Intro fee: $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer on transfers made in the 60 days;. After that: Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater. 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum. Intro fee: $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer on transfers made in the 60 days;. After that: Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.

What We Like About the Card

Intro APR

First and foremost, the introductory 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers is a major advantage. This can save you significant interest charges, especially if you have a large purchase or existing debt to transfer.

No Annual Fee

The lack of an annual fee with the card is another plus. And, although balance transfer cards rarely – if ever – charge an annual fee, seeing “$0” is always a welcome sign.

Things to Consider

Foreign Transaction Fee

The Diamond Preferred card does not perform well abroad due to its foreign transaction fee of 3% of the transaction in U.S. dollars. These fees are applicable when using the card to purchase online or in-store with foreign merchants. While foreign transaction fees may not be a dealbreaker with this card, it can still be frustrating when a major bank card offer does not include “no foreign transaction fees.”

FAQs

  • Citi partners with Experian and FICO to generate credit scores for users, with the bank pulling all three credit bureaus when applying for the Citi Diamond Preferred. Typically, Citibank pulls either Experian or Equifax when you apply for one of its credit cards.
  • Citi has a grace period of 23 days with its credit cards – including the Diamond Preferred Card. There are no grace periods on Balance Transfers and Cash Advances, however.
  • No. The Citi Diamond Preferred and Citi Simplicity  the bank’s two low rate/ balance transfer cards do not earn cash back rewards or ThankYou Rewards points on purchases. Cardmembers do have access to Citi merchant deals, however, which provides savings on purchases with partner brands.
  • Citi require good or excellent credit to successfully apply many of its credit cards – the Diamond Preferred included. This requirement means you should expect to have a FICO credit score of 720 or higher to get the card. 
  • You can call Citi Customer Service at 1-800-950-5114 (TTY: 1-800-325-2865 for hearing and speech impaired services only)
  • The Citi Diamond Preferred Card is a plastic credit card.
  • No, the Citi Diamond Preferred is not metal. The card is a plastic credit card.
  • Citi credit limits typically range from $500 to $2,000 for new accounts, with applicants with excellent credit receiving credit limits as high as $10,000 according to reports.

Citibank Ratings

How does the Citi Diamond Preferred stack up? Here are a selection of expert reviews for the card, as well as an overview of Citi as a bank:

Should You Apply for the Citi Diamond Preferred Card?

Is the Citi Diamond Preferred a good card? If you are looking to pay down existing credit card balances or enjoy a great low everyday APR, than the answer is likely a resounding “yes.”

There is a lot of Citi love in the Diamond Preferred – and it shows in the great features it provides. Beyond the introductory 0% APR on both purchases and balance transfers, the card features Citi’s lowest regular APR – making the Diamond Preferred from Citi an ideal partner for consolidating debt or financing a large purchase. It is this slightly lower APR that is the biggest difference between Citi Diamond Preferred and Simplicity, the card’s balance transfer sibling.

Overall, the Citi Diamond Preferred credit card offers plenty of what you want ina  credit card, but without the interest rate bloat that frequently comes with a rewards program. If you have good or excellent credit and want a versatile balance transfer or low rate credit card, you may have just found your match.  

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