- Special offer: 0% p.a. on balance transfers for 28 months with 3% balance transfer fee.
- Low cost: Annual fee of $99, plus low standard purchase rate of 14.99% p.a.
- Extras: monthly cashback offers from your favourite stores with My Cashback, plus 10% off (up to $250) Limited Time Lux Exclusive hotel offers (up to $250, offer expires 1 March 2025)
- Insurances: Purchase Cover Insurance and Extended Warranty Insurance
- Features: up to 44 days interest-free on retail purchases and up to 4 extra cardholders at no additional fee. Eligible with Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Google Pay
- Terms and conditions can apply, so check our review and the PDS for details
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Citi Credit Cards
Citi Clear Credit Card
Updated 1 November 2024
Citi Clear is a VIP on the field 🥇. It has one of the longest interest-free offers on balance transfers - a massive 28 months - with 3% balance transfer fee. The purchase rate is lower than standard, and you’ll get complimentary card insurances and Citi’s My Cashback reward program.
This card is a good fit if you want to get on top of debt, want a card with low costs but a few money-saving extras, or you need a low-interest line of credit.
T&Cs apply. Balance transfer reverts to cash advance rate. Interest-free days won’t apply if you have a balance transfer.
Purchase Rate (p.a)
14.99%
Balance Transfer (p.a)
0% for 28 months
3% balance transfer fee applies.
Reverts to 22.24% p.a.
Annual Fee (p.a)
$99
Pros and cons
- Balance transfer reverts to the high 22.24% p.a. Cash Advance rate. No interest-free days apply to retail purchases while you have a balance transfer
- Does not offer a rewards program that earns points
- You'll need to make use of the card's extras to make the annual fee worthwhile
Creditcard.com.au review
Editor Review
Citi Clear Credit Card
Pauline Hatch
Pauline is a personal finance expert at CreditCard.com.au, with 9 years in money, budgeting and property reporting under her belt. Ask Pauline a Question about this card.
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Editor's Review: What I love about the Citi Clear Balance Transfer credit card
Citi isn’t holding out with its Citi Clear card. It got out the fine china and Nana’s ornate cutlery to dish up a genuinely massive 3-year balance transfer offer, where you’ll pay zero interest for the promotional period. Honestly, I’m excited about what this feature could do to help people move out of debt, especially since Citi is one of the few banks that let you balance transfer a Buy now pay later balance and personal loans like car loans. It opens up a lot of opportunities.
I’m often surprised and impressed by the offers Citi presents with its credit cards and the way it includes a few standard extras that other banks don’t. The Citi Clear card’s big drawcard is the super-long balance transfer offer, so I’ll go through those first.
- The 0% Balance Transfer offer: Balance transfers (where you can transfer over debt from other credit cards) are already a pretty good deal if you’ve got debt to get rid of. Usually, you’ll see 0% interest offers of 6 months or 12, sometimes even 18. Rarely does a card have a whopping 3-year interest-free balance transfer period.
You can transfer up to 80% of your card balance, so take that into account when you’re setting a limit. For instance, if you have $4000 in debt, you’ll need a card with a $5000 credit limit.
Citi is one of the few banks that also allow balance transfers from personal loans and lines of credit (including some Buy now pay later services like Zip Pay - any service that has a BSB/Account number or BPAY Biller Code). That allows a much bigger scope for debt consolidation.
The balance transfer deal makes this card an honest-to-goodness financial tool in a debt-reduction strategy. With that kind of extended timeframe, you can create a workable repayment plan, paying off bite-sized chunks of debt without being snowballed by interest every month.
Other deal-sweeteners and perks
Citi Clear isn’t a rewards credit card, but you can still earn points and cashback using some of Citi’s extras. For instance, you can use Citi PayAll to make online payments that normally don’t earn points, such as rent, childcare and education fees, and taxes. You’ll earn 1 Citi point or 0.5 Qantas points per $1 spent.
And, Citi has introduced its My Cashback program. As you shop using your Citi card, you’ll automatically have personalised cashback offers sent to your app from participating merchants.
Here are some other extras you’ll get with the Citi Clear credit card:
| Feature | How it helps you |
|---|---|
| Insurance | You get Purchase Cover Insurance and Extended Warranty Insurance on eligible purchases. These policies can help you save money on lost, damaged, or stolen items. |
| Free additional cardholders | You can add up to 4 extra cards (cardholders must be over 16). Just be aware that many of the card’s features only apply to the primary cardholder. |
| Citi PayAll | You can earn 1 Citi point or 0.5 Qantas Points per $1 on payments that are normally excluded. Effective 1 November 2023, the Citi PayAll fee changed to 0.95%. |
| Citi Quick Cash | As an alternative to Payday loans and Pay on demand apps, Citi lets you access from $500 up to 90% of the credit available on your card (same-day, if you’re transferring it to a personal Citi account). |
| Citi Instalment Plans | In Buy now pay later fashion, you can break up big purchases into smaller payments with a fixed interest rate over a set term. |
What's not so great
Ultimately the biggest drawback is the caveats around balance transfers, all of which are industry standard (but important to know). First, if you don’t pay off the balance transfer before the interest-free period is over, you’ll be slapped with the cash advance rate of 22.24% - and that sucker is much higher than the card’s standard variable rate of 14.99%.
Second, there are still minimum repayments with balance transfers. Citi expects either $30 or 3% of the balance each month, whichever is greater.
And third, if you have a balance transfer and use your card for a regular purchase, you won’t get the 44 days interest-free period - you’ll pay interest on it immediately. Yes, Citi Clear’s interest rate is lower than standard, but if your goal is to pay off debt then you'll get better overall value if you use it for its balance transfer deal than as a regular credit card.
Moral of the story: use the gift of 28 interest-free months wisely and pay 👏 off 👏 that 👏 debt.
Here are some other terms and fees to know about:
Complimentary insurances. You’re only covered if you use your Citi Clear card to pay for retail purchases . If you have a balance transfer, just make sure you pay back your purchases ASAP to avoid paying interest and to keep your card costs down.
International transaction fee. You’ll pay 3.4% of the amount for any retail transaction or cash advance (money withdrawn from your credit card) from a merchant overseas. There’s also an international cash advance fee of $5 per withdrawal.
Cash advances in Australia. A 3.5% fee (charged at a minimum of $3.50) is charged when you withdraw cash from your card in Australia.
Overall Rating
You can use the Citi Clear card in a multitude of ways: as a first-time credit card user who wants to test the waters with a low credit limit, to keep as a fairly low-cost card that comes with some money-savers like insurance, or to pay off debt using its epic 28-month 0% balance transfer deal. This card is virtually unbeatable in the market for the length of the balance transfer period.
It doesn’t earn rewards points except for payments made through Citi PayAll, but you’re also not paying a rewards-card-sized annual fee, either. The annual fee of $99 is reasonable for the extras you get, and weighs up well if you use all the insurances and the My Cashback program to your advantage.
If you’re after a debt consolidation strategy, the extra-long balance transfer offer (that includes other lines of credit and loans) will likely trump a personal loan with interest, and provide a way out of debt if you’re savvy about the repayments.
User reviews
Rates and fees
Interest rates
Purchase rate 14.99% p.a.
Cash advance rate 22.24% p.a.
Interest free period on purchases up to 44 days
Balance transfer
Balance transfer rate 0% p.a. for 28 months
Balance transfer revert rate 22.24% p.a.
Balance transfer from personal loan Yes
Balance transfer fee 3% one off
Balance transfer limit 80% of approved credit limit
Brands you can't balance transfer from Citi
Credit limits
Minimum credit limit $2,000
Maximum credit limit $100,000
Fees & repayments
Annual fee $99 p.a.
Additional cardholder fee Up to 4 at no extra cost
Foreign transaction fee 3.4%
Minimum repayment 2% or $30 whichever is greater
Cash advance fee 3.5% or $3.50, whichever is greater (Domestic); $5 (International)
Late payment fee $30
Additional features
Complimentary insurance
International Travel Insurance No
Flight Inconvenience Insurance No
Transit Accident Insurance No
Smartphone Screen Insurance No
Purchase Protection Insurance Yes
Extended Warranty Insurance Yes
Rental Vehicle Excess In Australia Insurance No
Overview
Citi Clear Credit Card
Citi Clear credit card makes consolidating and paying off debt easier with a super-charged 28-month 0% p.a. balance transfer offer and low ongoing interest rate on purchases. Plus, you’ll get bonus extras including complimentary insurance covers, Citi cashback offers and more.
Key features
- Special offer: 0% p.a. on balance transfers for 28 months with 3% balance transfer fee.
- Low cost: Annual fee of $99, plus low standard purchase rate of 14.99% p.a.
- Extras: monthly cashback offers from your favourite stores with My Cashback, plus 10% off (up to $250) Limited Time Lux Exclusive hotel offers (up to $250, offer expires 1 March 2025)
- Insurances:Purchase Cover Insurance and Extended Warranty Insurance
- Features: up to 44 days interest-free on retail purchases and up to 4 extra cardholders at no additional fee. Eligible with Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Google Pay
Minimum criteria to apply for this card
-
Be over 18 years old
-
Good Credit and have not applied for multiple credit cards recently
-
Permanent Australian resident
You have your personal details ready to complete the online application
Pauline is a personal finance expert at CreditCard.com.au, with 9 years in money, budgeting and property reporting under her belt. Pauline is passionate about seeing Aussies win by making their money – and their credit cards – work smarter, harder and bigger
Recently Asked Questions
Something you need to know about this card? Ask our credit card expert a question.
Ask a question128 questions (showing the latest 10 Q&As)
Hi There, I was told that Citi can balance transfer from lines of Credit such as Zip Pay and Zip Money? Can I please confirm that?
Hi Joshua, we’ve been told by Citi that they accept balance transfers from accounts with a BSB and Account number or a BPAY Biller Code. You could give them a call or use the online chat to confirm. I’ve generally found them easy to get in touch with. Thanks!
I would like to take advantage of the 0% for 28 months on the citi clear card. If i transfer $6000 from commonwealth bank. if i pay the card off before the 28 months and dont use it to purchase anything - what is the total amount of fees i will be charged?
Hi Michelle, good question! If you transfer $6000 to the Citi Clear Card and pay it off within the 28 months promo period without making any purchases, you'll generally be charged a one-time balance transfer fee upfront which is $60 (1% of the balance transfer amount). I'd recommend checking with Citi directly for the specific fee details based on your transfer amount before proceeding with your application.
Hi Pauline. I’m looking at applying for a balance transfer card, can you please tell me if Zippay/Zipmoney and a small personal loan would be possible to transfer to this card? Thankyou!
Hi Courtnie, interesting question! I looked into this for you and found that Citi is actually one of the few financial institutions that allows balance transfers from personal loans and lines of credit (e.g. Zip Pay). Just make sure you have the biller code when you put in your balance transfer request upon application. I’ve written a detailed guide on transferring BNPL debt that will give you more information.
I submitted a reassessment for my application Ref: 20230914004756270 as I had incorrectly input my expenses value. I have yet to receive a response.
Hi Collette, you’ve actually reached Creditcard.com.au, Australia’s top credit card comparison site. I suggest calling Citi directly at 13 24 84 to check on the status of your application.
I was looking at a Citibank Clear Credit card for the purpose of transferring the balance from another bank's credit card (current 28 month offer). However I am a self funded retiree. Can I just confirm or otherwise that I would not be eligible for this card because I am not receiving a regular income from eg employment? Thank you.
Hi Jeff, Citi lists self-funded retirees in its eligibility criteria, as long as you can show proof of income. You can find the details on our Credit Cards for Pensioners blog. Thanks Jeff!
Can I roll my other 2 credit cards into my already existing citi bank card and start the 36 months interest free card.
Hi Kim, with this card any balances you transfer must be transferred within 90 days from card approval. Hope that answers your question!
How do I apply? there's no 'apply' button.
Hi Benjamin, we’re currently not partnered with the Citi Clear credit card but you can head over to their official website to apply. Alternatively, you can check out some of the other balance transfer cards for more options.
HI Pauline. My question is that I have a debt of 6000$ Credit card and if I gets citi clear credit card and will pay minimum amount for 36 months will i get any interest in that period of time and that minimum payment will count towards the transferred amount?
Hi Waqas, that’s a good question! Because the Citi Clear card currently offers 0 interest on balance transfers for 36 months, this means you won't be charged interest as long as you pay at least the minimum amount stated on your monthly statement. Watch out though, after the promotional period ends, any remaining balance will be subject to a 22.24% p.a. interest rate.
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28 August 20221
Does not recommend this cardmartin ronan
6 December 2021can you help me
Recommends this card