Citigroup is the third largest bank holding company in the United States, and Citibank is the consumer banking entity owned by this behemoth company. Sometimes, size is an advantage. Citibank’s size allows it to have a massive credit card division, branded as “Citi Cards.” The size helps the bank offer some of the best deals available among credit cards. Whether consumers are looking for a credit card with rewards, travel, balance transfer or overall credit card, Citi has options that should be able to fit most needs and many wants.

Keep in mind that rewards are only worthwhile for what I call “Type B” credit card users; those who pay bills in full and on time every month. If you use credit cards to buy things you can’t pay for right away, you will fall deeper in debt and you will pay for any credit card rewards through interest fees, late fees, and worse, high interest rates, particularly if you default. If you can’t pay the bill in full every month, skip this article now.

Citi offers a broad selection of credit cards. Here is a list of the better offers, and with each is a brief review including strengths and weaknesses. If you have a Citi-branded card that you believe should be added to this list, leave a comment below.

Citi consumer cards

Citi® Dividend Platinum Select® Visa® Card. The Citi® Dividend Platinum Select® Visa® Card offers $100 cash back up front to consumers who spend $500 in the first three months of account opening. This card also offers 5% cash back on select purchases in each quarter that you enroll and 1% cash back on all other purchases. Citi includes a 0% introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months, and the Citi® Dividend Platinum Select® Visa® Card has no annual fee.

Citi® Platinum Select® MasterCard. One of the best balance transfer cards on the market today, the Citi® Platinum Select® MasterCard has a 0% introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers for 18 months, with a 3% balance transfer fee ($5 minimum). The purchase APR once the introductory rate expires will be 11.99% to 21.99% (variable), depending on the applicant’s credit history. Only applicants with good credit will be approved for this card. Unfortunately, this card has no real rewards program, so its best use is limited to helping pay down debt through balance transfers to take advantage of the long 0% APR period. The Citi® Platinum Select® MasterCard does not have an annual fee.

Citi ThankYou℠ Premier Card. The Citi ThankYou℠ Premier Card has a nice 30,000 ThankYou point bonus after spending $2,000 during the first three months, and these points can be redeemed for a $300 gift card. This card also offers a 20% reward bonus at gas stations, supermarkets, drugstores, commuter transportation and parking merchants, which means earning 1.2 points for every dollar spent in those categories. Every year you renew the Citi ThankYou℠ Premier Card you receive an annual anniversary bonus. There is a $125 annual fee, but it is waived for the first year.

Citi® Hilton HHonors™ Visa Signature® Card. Frequent visitors of Hilton Hotels will love the Citi® Hilton HHonors™ Visa Signature® Card because it offers 40,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 in the first four months. Those points are good for a one-night stay at a category six Hilton hotel or three nights at a category two Hilton hotel. Cardholders earn six points for each dollar spent at participating Hilton properties, three points per dollar spent at supermarkets, drugstores and gas stations, and two points per dollar spent on all other purchases. There is no annual fee for the Citi® Hilton HHonors™ Visa Signature® Card.

Citi Forward® Card. The only card I know of that rewards responsible credit card behavior, the Citi Forward® Card allows a maximum 2% APR reduction for consumers who stay within their credit limit and make on-time payments. Cardholders can earn 10,000 bonus points after making $650 in purchases and signing up for paperless statements, and 100 bonus points every month the account is in good standing. Cardholders earn five points per dollar on books, music, restaurant and movie purchases. There is no annual fee on the Citi Forward® Card. Finally, Citi extends users of this card a 0% introductory APR on purchases for seven months and on balance transfers for 12 months.

Citi ThankYou℠ Preferred Card. Citi offers 15,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 in the first three months – good enough for $150 in gift cards. During the first twelve months of ownership, cardholders earn five ThankYou points per dollar spent at the pump, drugstores and supermarkets, and one point on all other purchases. Unlike the Citi ThankYou℠ Premier Card, the Citi ThankYou℠ Preferred Card has no annual fee.

Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card. Similar to the Platinum Select, the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card offers cardholders one of the best balance transfer offers available today: a 0% introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers for 18 months. The card includes no rewards program or bonus, but it does feature a low interest rate of 11.99% to 21.99% variable, depending on credit history. However they do offer deals and savings for brand name merchandise if you use their Citi Special program and special access to purchase presale tickets or preferred seating at entertainment events through Citi Private Pass. And, just like most other Citi cards, the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card does not come with an annual fee.

Citi® Platinum Select / AAdvantage® World MasterCard®. Perfect for American Airlines frequent flyers, the Citi® Platinum Select® / AAdvantage® World MasterCard® opens up by offering 30,000 bonus miles after spending $750 in the first four months. Plus an additional 10,000 AAdvantage bonus miles after $5,000 in purchases during the first 6 months of cardmembership* and a one-time $100 statement credit for the first eligible American Airlines purchase made within the first 12 months of cardmembership. Cardholders earn two miles for every dollar spent on eligible American Airlines purchases and one mile for every dollar spent on all other purchases within the first 12 months of cardmembership. After that you can earn one mile for every dollar you spend on all eligible purchases. Miles never expire as long as the account remains active and in good standing. There is a price for these rewards. The Citi® Platinum Select® / AAdvantage® World MasterCard® has a $85 annual fee (which is waived for the first year), so carefully consider whether the rewards you receive will pay for that fee.

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When looking for a new credit card to place in your wallet, there are a variety of factors you should always consider. First of all, credit cards are not for everyone. In order to take advantage of the rewards that some credit cards provides, you should honestly evaluate whether increasing your use of credit cards will lead to increased spending. Besides the personal factors, credit cards come with a variety of interest rates, introductory offers and rewards programs and finding the one that suits your needs can sometimes be difficult.

The Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card is one of Citibank’s most popular credit cards. This card brings a few different features to the table, including a low interest rate and an excellent balance transfer and purchase APR option.

The Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card currently offers an introductory rate for 18 months on both purchases and balance transfers. The 0% introductory APR on balance transfers requires a 3% balance transfer fee ($5 minimum), which is currently the lowest fee available from major credit card issuers, making this card best for taking advantage of a balance transfer opportunity. Once the introductory rate expires, the APR becomes 11.99%, 16.99% or 21.99% depending on your credit history. The better your credit, the lower the APR you’ll receive.

The rewards program bundled with the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card is almost nonexistent, so this should not be your everyday credit card. They do offer special access for Citi cardmembers to purchase presale tickets, preferred seating, VIP packages and other unforgettable live entertainment experiences through Citi Private Pass. The card provides “Citi cash” for each purchase, but you can only redeem these rewards for discounts online through Citi. While most credit card rewards programs offer points or cash back, this program does not.

The benefits of this card lie in the introductory offer, so keep that in mind. If I were to use this card, it would be to transfer a balance from a high-APR card or to purchase items I knew I wouldn’t be able to pay off within the next month.

Outside of the excellent purchase and balance transfer offer, the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card also comes with a few perks that most other credit cards include. Some of the most prominent are:

• $0 liability on unauthorized purchases
• Citi® Identity Theft Solutions
• No annual fee

The Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card may not be the best overall package, but for consumers who need to stretch important purchases over time and for whatever reason can’t save for the purchase in advance, the zero APR introductory period makes this one of the best cards for keeping interest expenses low. If you’re in need of a long balance transfer offer or are thinking of making a big purchase soon and can take advantage of 18 interest-free months, consider the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card.

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