Citi is a big, global brand that has been in Australia since the 1980s. On 1 June 2022, NAB acquired Citi's consumer banking business. This means all credit cards are now provided by NAB, and any contract you may have with Citi is now with NAB. You can find all the details on Citi's website.
Citi is also one of the only credit card issuers in Australia that gives you a way to earn points on bills that normally wouldn't count as eligible transactions. You just need to pay through the Citi PayAll platform.
Get more value: Along with points, Citi Rewards credit cards give you a mix of perks, ranging from complimentary travel and purchase protection insurance to airport lounge passes, a concierge service and even a free night for eligible hotel bookings if you get the high-end Citi Prestige.
Citi balance transfer cards
Citi balance transfer credit cards give you an introductory low or 0% interest rate when you move debt from Australian cards, lines of credit or personal loans not issued by Citi. This sets Citi apart from other credit card brands in Australia that don't let you balance transfer personal loan debt.
But you won't get interest-free days on purchases when you're paying off a balance transfer on a Citi card. So you'll get the most value from the balance transfer offer when you focus on paying it off first.
Citi frequent flyer cards
Citi has two Qantas Frequent Flyer credit cards. It is the only credit card brand in Australia with a credit card linked to the Emirates Skywards frequent flyer program. But the Emirates Citi World Mastercard is not currently taking new applications.
If you're after Qantas Points, you'll earn up to 1.5 per $1 spent with the Citi Prestige credit card when you enrol in Citibank Qantas Rewards. To enrol, activate your card, call 1800 782 948 and say that you want to earn Qantas Points on your card – otherwise you'll earn Citi Rewards points instead.
If you're an Emirates Skywards frequent flyer, the Emirates Citi World Mastercard offers up to 1 Skywards Mile per $1 spent, Emirates Lounge passes and a complimentary chauffeur service. But this card is not currently taking new applications.
Citi low rate cards
Citi offers one low rate credit card: the Citi Clear. It has a 14.99% p.a. interest rate for purchases, which is much lower than the current average standard credit card rate of 20.07% p.a. But this is still at the higher end of the scale for low rate cards in Australia, with some offering rates below 10% p.a.
Citi no annual fee cards
The Citi Simplicity is a $0 annual fee credit card and – as you might guess from its name – it has simple features. As well as no annual fee for life, it offers complimentary insurance options for your shopping. It also has a high interest rate of 21.49% p.a. for purchases, so it's most suited to people who can pay off the card each month to take advantage of interest-free days.
Benefits of getting a credit card with Citi
Each Citi credit card comes with different features, but these are the benefits you'll get with any of them:
Mobile payments
If you want to make payments from your phone or another mobile device, you can add your Citi card to an eligible app and tap to pay.
Apple Pay
Google Pay
Samsung Pay
Fitbit Pay
Garmin Pay
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
Shopping offers
Having a Citi credit card gives you access to deals and special offers at restaurants, shops, hotels, travel booking services and more through Mastercard Priceless.
You can see the latest offers on the Mastercard Priceless websites. Citi may also email you with personalised offers, although it will depend on your account settings.
Citi PayAll
Citi PayAll gives you a way to use your credit card to pay your rent, student fees, childcare costs, property fees or other bills. It's similar to a bank transfer, so you'll need the Australian bank account details for anyone you want to pay.
Plus, you'll earn 1 point per $1 spent with a Citi Rewards credit card, or 0.5 points per $1 spent through Citibank Qantas Rewards or the Emirates Skywards program.
You can set up Citi PayAll payments through the mobile app, or learn more about it on the Citi website.
What's the cost? A fee worth 0.95% of each Citi PayAll transaction usually applies.
Citi credit card instalment plans
If you want to pay off part of your balance over time, an instalment plan with fixed monthly repayments helps make it easier to budget. Citi offers three types of instalment plans depending on the type of spending or balance.
Plan
Description
Citi FlexiBill
Convert retail purchases from your closing balance into a structured payment plan, with a minimum of $500 and monthly instalment repayments.
Citi PayLite
Convert new shopping to a payment plan before it shows up on your statement. You can do this with any eligible purchase over $50.
Citi Quick Cash
Convert a minimum of $500 and up to 90% of your available credit limit into cash for bills, study or anything else you need and pay it off in instalments. This option is similar to a mini personal loan, but make sure you check the rates and fees so you know how much it will cost before you get it.
These plans are subject to eligibility. You can see what's on offer for your account at any time by going to the "My Offers" section when you're logged into your Citi account online or the Citi Mobile App.
Citi's app gives you quick ways to check your balance, use Citi PayAll to pay for bills, add your card directly to Apple Pay or convert purchases or your credit limit into one of the instalment plans on offer.
In October 2023, it was in the top 100 finance apps in the App Store (Australia), with a 4.7 rating from over 17,000 reviews. On Google Play, its rating was 3.5 from over 10,000 reviews.
Eligibility criteria
Before you can apply for a Citi credit card (or any other credit card) there are a few eligibility boxes you need to tick.
Each card has slightly different details for who can apply, but all Citi cards include the following:
Australian residency. You must be an Australian citizen or a permanent resident.
Employment. You should have permanent full-time or part-time employment, or be self-employed.
Credit history. You should have a good credit history and credit score. If you're not sure what's on your credit file, it only takes a few minutes to get a free copy of your report and score.
Age. You must be over 18 years of age.
How long does it take to apply?
It takes less than 10 minutes to apply through Citi's secure website when you have all the details you need to fill in the application form. Once you complete and submit the form, you'll get a response with details of the next steps for your application.
Information and documents you need to apply
Citi credit card applications are made up of a mix of details everyone needs to fill in, and information that's specific to your Australian residency and how you earn income. This includes:
Personal details. Your full name, date of birth, contact details, your family situation and whether you rent or own a home. Plus documents that show proof of address and residency, e.g. your driver's licence, a recent utility bill, your Australian passport, Medicare card or a copy of your visa.
Financial details. Your income and assets, including savings or investment returns. Plus regular expenses such as your mortgage payments, rent, utility bills and supermarket shopping.
Details if you're employed full-time or part-time. Your main occupation, type of employment and your employer's contact details. Plus supporting documentation, such as your two most recent payslips, bank statements showing your income or your most recent Tax Assessment Notice.
If you're employed casually or on a contract. Details about your main occupation and employer's contact details, plus supporting documentation such as your two most recent payslips and Tax Assessment Notices.
If you're self-employed. Your accountant's name, the accountancy firm and their contact number. You also need to include your two most recent Tax Assessment Notices, Income Tax Returns or profit and loss statements as supporting documentation.
If you're retired or on a pension. Details about your finances and supporting documentation such as your most recent pension statement, an annual superannuation statement with an indexed pension amount or three months of personal bank statements showing regular credits or cash deposits.
Get income from a mix of sources? Include as much supporting documentation as possible for your application. Or, call Citi on 13 24 84 to talk about your situation.
Credit card details
During the application, you'll be asked about details of your new credit card. The two key details to look at are:
Credit limit. If you have a credit limit in mind, you can include that as part of the application. Just be aware that Citi will offer you a credit limit based on its assessment of your application, which could be lower than the one you've requested.
Balance transfers. If you're moving a debt to a new Citi card with a 0% balance transfer rate, you need to include the account details and the amount of debt you want to transfer. Just keep in mind that the balance transfer is approved separately and the amount that's transferred depends on the credit limit you get for your new Citi card.
What happens after you apply?
Citi will send you an email with a summary and application reference number. You'll also get details about providing more supporting documentation (if that's needed).
Frequently asked questions
In Australia, Citi used to be known as Citibank. After National Australia Bank (NAB) acquired Citigroup's Australian consumer business, it is exclusively referred to as "Citi".
But with a rewards credit card, you'll see the names Citibank Rewards Program and Citibank Qantas Rewards Program on the terms and conditions.
Citi offers the following repayment options:
BPAY. Citi's Biller Code is 49502 and your Customer Reference Number is your 16-digit credit card number (the one printed on your card).
Australia Post. Pay with cash or EFTPOS at any Bank@Post location.
Transfer from a Citi account. You can transfer money directly from a Citi transaction account or by calling Citi on 13 24 84.
Automatic payments. You can set up regular repayments from an Australian bank account by filling in Citi's credit card Easi-Pay application form. This lets you choose to have the minimum amount, a higher dollar amount or the full amount owed automatically taken from your bank account each month.
Cheque. If you want to pay by cheque, fill in the Remittance Advice section on your credit card statement and mail the cheque to Citi, GPO Box 5427, Sydney NSW 2001.
If you can, always make your repayment a few days before the due date on your statement. This gives it time to be processed and reduces the risk of any issues with late payments.
Always check: Your monthly credit card statement has details about all the ways you can repay what you owe. It also shows how much you owe, the minimum amount you need to pay and the due date for a repayment.
You can check your credit limit through Citi Online, the Citi app or by calling Citi on 13 24 84. If you want to decrease your credit limit, you can do this online or over the phone.
If you want to increase your credit limit, you need to submit a credit limit increase request. You can do this by calling 1800 801 732 and selecting Option 2. Note that you can only request a credit limit increase if you've had your account more than 9 months. Credit limit increases are also subject to criteria and a credit check, which could impact your credit report.
If you can't find your card or think it's been used by fraudsters, call Citi on 13 24 84 from Australia or +61 2 8225 0615 from overseas.
If Citi detects suspicious activity on your account or needs to check on a transaction, you will get a text, email or phone call. You may also be asked to reply to Citi by calling 1300 550 216 or +612 8225 0035.
When you convert part of your Citi credit card balance to an instalment plan, your first monthly instalment will be billed on the second statement after the plan has been set up. Your monthly repayment amount will then be included on your statement as part of the Minimum Payment Amount.
As with any credit card debt, you'll need to pay this minimum amount by the due date on your statement to keep your account in good standing.
If you want to pay off more than the minimum on your statement when you have a Fixed Payment Option, the additional money will automatically be applied to your regular account balance first. If your regular account balance is paid in full, any additional money you pay will go towards your instalment plan balance.
The Citi Dining Program has focused on offering access to exclusive food and wine offers. For example, you could enjoy complimentary tickets to food and wine shows, or VIP access at dining events. The free wine when you dine perk was discontinued as of 1 June 2022.
A cheque-to-self is a way to move funds between accounts held in your name. Before 1 October 2019, Citi was the only issuer in Australia that offered a cheque-to-self option on its balance transfer credit cards. With this option, instead of transferring a balance from one account to another, you would request a cheque that you could use to pay off anything.
But since 1 October 2019, there has been no way to get a cheque-to-self balance transfer in Australia.
Amy Bradney-George was the senior writer for credit cards at Finder, and editorial lead for Finder Green. She has over 16 years of editorial experience and has been featured in publications including ABC News, Money Magazine and The Sydney Morning Herald.
This premium card offers 100,000 bonus Qantas Points, uncapped earn rates and unlimited complimentary airport lounge access through Priority Pass, with a $749 annual fee.
The Citi Premier Qantas offers up to 70,000 bonus Qantas Points, airport lounge access, international travel insurance and a $350 annual fee that could be discounted in future years. Get the lowdown here.
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