Citibank Bank Review 2024
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At a glance
CDs
Checking
Savings
About Bankrate Score
Overview
Citibank is a good option for savers looking for an institution with global reach and the fullest possible range of deposit and lending products. People who live in areas eligible for Citi’s Accelerate Savings can earn a top-tier APY. But customers will need to contend with several fees, including monthly maintenance fees for several Citibank checking and savings accounts.
Highlights
- 24/7 Customer Service
- Digital Leader
- Large Branch Network
Offers featured here have been sponsored which impacts how, where, and in what order the products appear. Not all offers are displayed on this page.
These are sponsored offers rated highly by us for competitive rates, fees, and minimums.
APY, or annual percentage yield, is the yearly return on a bank or investment account.
APY, or annual percentage yield, is the yearly return on a bank or investment account.
Bankrate Savings rating = 4.9/5
Bankrate scores are objectively determined by our editorial team. Our scoring formula weighs several factors consumers should consider when choosing financial products and services.
APY, or annual percentage yield, is the yearly return on a bank or investment account.
APY, or annual percentage yield, is the yearly return on a bank or investment account.
Bankrate Savings rating = 4.9/5
Bankrate scores are objectively determined by our editorial team. Our scoring formula weighs several factors consumers should consider when choosing financial products and services.
APY, or annual percentage yield, is the yearly return on a bank or investment account.
APY, or annual percentage yield, is the yearly return on a bank or investment account.
Bankrate Savings rating = 5/5
Bankrate scores are objectively determined by our editorial team. Our scoring formula weighs several factors consumers should consider when choosing financial products and services.
Offers featured here have been sponsored which impacts how, where, and in what order the products appear. Not all offers are displayed on this page.
Overall
Citibank is among the world’s largest financial institutions, with well over $1 trillion in assets. It offers a comprehensive selection of banking products, including various certificate of deposit accounts (CDs) and multiple checking and savings accounts. Obtaining competitive yields on savings accounts at Citi will depend on where you live and whether you’re eligible for its Accelerate Savings account.
Citi has more than 65,000 fee-free ATMs. The bank also has more than 600 branches.
And Citi earned Bankrate’s best mobile banking app honor in the 2024 Bankrate awards.
Pros
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Those in eligible markets for the Citi Accelerate Savings are able to earn a competitive yield on their savings accounts.
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As one of the largest banks, Citibank offers unique advantages that come with scale, including global coverage in terms of branches and ATMs.
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Citi’s mobile banking app is very well-regarded.
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Citi tends to have bank account bonus offers available for new customers who open a new account.
Cons
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The yields offered on deposit products are generally on the low side in certain markets.
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Citi’s banking service packages charge monthly fees if accounts fall below minimum balance thresholds.
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The Citi Accelerate Savings account is not available in a number of states.
Citibank banking products
Citibank savings overview
There is no minimum opening deposit. However, there is a $4.50 monthly fee, though it can be waived a couple of ways, including maintaining an average monthly balance of $500.
Having both checking and savings accounts at Citi can help you avoid monthly service fees.
The other savings option, the Citi Savings Account, isn’t known for having a competitive yield.
Pros
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The Citi Accelerate Savings account offers a competitive APY.
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There’s no minimum deposit required to open a Citi Accelerate Savings account.
Cons
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The Citi Accelerate Savings account is available only in select markets; otherwise, customers earn a very small yield.
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It is available only in select markets; otherwise, customers earn a very small yield.
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There’s a $4.50 monthly fee, though there are several ways to waive it.
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CitibankAPYAPY last updated between 9/29 and 10/5.APYAPY last updated between 9/29 and 10/5.National average APYHow do we get this data?Bankrate independently tracks hundreds of APYs and product details for banking institutions nationwide. We retain the historical data of every rate we track in our database. If there are any gaps where we weren’t actively tracking a rate at the time, the graph will reflect the missing data.
Offers featured here have been sponsored which impacts how, where, and in what order the products appear. Not all offers are displayed on this page.
This is a sponsored offer rated 4 stars or higher for competitive rate, fees, and minimums.
APY, or annual percentage yield, is the yearly return on a bank or investment account.
APY, or annual percentage yield, is the yearly return on a bank or investment account.
Bankrate Savings rating = 4.9/5
Bankrate scores are objectively determined by our editorial team. Our scoring formula weighs several factors consumers should consider when choosing financial products and services.
Bank fees
Fee | Charged? | |
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Overdraft fee | None | |
Non-sufficient funds fee | None | |
Monthly maintenance fee | Depends on the account | |
Out-of-network ATM fee | $2.50 | |
Excessive transaction fee | None |
Customer experience
Customer support
Physical presence. There are approximately 650 Citibank branches in the U.S. and it supports customers in more than 160 countries. Account holders have access to more than 65,000 fee-free ATMs in the U.S. and thousands more overseas.
Mixed Customer Satisfaction. Citibank received mixed customer satisfaction scores in J.D. Power’s 2024 Retail Banking Satisfaction Study, though the bank tended towards high satisfaction. For example, while Citi ranked above the region average in California and Florida, it ranked below average in the New York Tri-State area.
Digital experience
Highly rated mobile app. Citibank’s mobile app has a high rating on both the Apple App and Google Play stores. Collectively, more than four million users have reviewed the app. The app can be used to pay friends with Zelle, lock or unlock a card when it’s lost or stolen, set travel notices and even open a new account. Moreover, the app features educational financial tools for spending, budgeting and investing.
App drawbacks. There are occasional delays for transactions to post online, sometimes until the following business day, according to a Bankrate staff member with a Citibank account. Moreover, the transaction descriptions are minimal, making it difficult to connect them to your purchases. The interface is also updated frequently, which can be a good thing, but requires you to do some digging when things are moved around.
Bankrate staff insights
"I have found customer service — both over the phone and in-person at a branch — to be very kind and helpful, and I have never had a problem accomplishing whatever I needed to do," said a Bankrate staff member who uses Citibank personally. "But the chat features on the app makes it unclear whether you’re speaking with a bot or an actual representative. Responses here are significantly delayed and communication is not fluid."
Disclosure: To enhance our product reviews, Bankrate employees often open accounts and provide feedback. They may have been compensated for their time and account maintenance, but this does not affect the integrity of their review.
The above images were last updated on August 20, 2024.
Featured customer reviews
The consumer reviews posted on Bankrate.com ("Bankrate") are individual, subjective opinions of reviewers, and not of Bankrate. Bankrate does not endorse any of the opinions expressed by reviewers or any responses to reviews. Bankrate cannot guarantee or verify the accuracy of the opinions shared by individual reviewers. Some reviews may be edited for length and clarity.
Our editor's take
Citibank’s high-yield savings account is called Accelerate Savings, which is available in select markets. You can fund your account through recurring transfers or through one-time deposits, which you can make as a transfer from another bank or another Citibank account. It may take some time for the funds to show up in your account.
Monthly maintenance fees at Citibank can typically be waived if you meet certain criteria. If you’ve met the requirements but continue to be charged the monthly fee, it may be worth visiting a branch to fix the problem. If the issue persists, it may be worth filing a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and/or closing your account altogether.
About Citibank
Citibank’s roots stretch back to the City Bank of New York, which was established in 1812. By the late 19th century, it had grown into National City Bank, the largest financial institution in the United States at that time. The bank changed its name to Citibank in 1976 and moved to its current headquarters in Sioux Falls, South Dakota in 2011.
Citibank is the retail banking subsidiary of the multinational financial services company Citigroup.
How Citibank compares to other banks
Compare different account types offered by Citibank. Annual percentage yields (APYs) shown were updated between Sept. 29, 2024 and Oct. 5, 2024.
Selected bank
Citibank checking account
Bankrate score
4.0
Bankrate Checking rating = 4.0/5 Bankrate scores are objectively determined by our editorial team. Minimum balances to avoid monthly service fees, whether the bank has a monthly service fee, minimum opening deposit requirements, fees to use out-of-network ATMs and overdraft fees are some of the things that make up Bankrate’s score. |
Most comparable
Chase Bank checking account
Bankrate score
3.8
Bankrate Checking rating = 3.8/5 Bankrate scores are objectively determined by our editorial team. Minimum balances to avoid monthly service fees, whether the bank has a monthly service fee, minimum opening deposit requirements, fees to use out-of-network ATMs and overdraft fees are some of the things that make up Bankrate’s score. |
Search for or select a bank:
Bankrate score
Bankrate Checking rating Bankrate scores are objectively determined by our editorial team. Minimum balances to avoid monthly service fees, whether the bank has a monthly service fee, minimum opening deposit requirements, fees to use out-of-network ATMs and overdraft fees are some of the things that make up Bankrate’s score. |
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APY
APY, or annual percentage yield, is the yearly return on a bank or investment account. APY includes the effects of compounding interest. APYs last updated between Sept. 29, 2024 and Oct. 5, 2024.
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0.00% | 0.01% | |
Minimum balance to open
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$0.00 | $25.00 | |
Citibank offers two checking accounts: Access Checking and Regular Checking. The Access Checking account, a checkless account, comes with a $5 monthly service fee. The Regular Checking account, which comes with unlimited checking, charges a $15 monthly fee. Either fee can be waived if you qualify for a relationship tier or if you maintain at least $250 in direct deposits. Moreover, the fees will be waived for three months after opening the account. Both accounts come with access to more than 65,000 fee-free ATMs nationwide, but the bank charges a $2.50 fee for using an out-of-network ATM. Neither account charges overdraft nor returned item fees. Qualifying for a relationship tier — such as Citi Priority, which requires you to maintain a monthly combined average of $30,000 — comes with extra benefits, including no fees for using non-Citibank ATMs. | Chase Total Checking includes features such as access to more than 15,000 ATMs and 4,700 branches across the U.S. The account has a monthly service fee of $12, which can be waived by meeting certain criteria, such as direct deposits totaling at least $500 each month or maintaining a minimum balance. This account offers customers a mobile app for managing finances as well as services like Zelle for money transfers. | |
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Citibank FAQs
Review methodology
We assign a score to each type of account and its features, weigh them carefully based on importance to account holders and determine an overall score. Read our full review methodology.
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