As a mid range credit card, the Citibank Clear credit card offers up to 55 days interest free and a low interest rate on purchases, however this low rate is let down by the cash advance rate.

What is most bizarre though, is that the purchase interest rate is higher than that of the Citibank Clear Platinum card….a premium card with a lower interest rate that the basic card? Weird.

But back to the task at hand…

The cash advance rate on this credit card is also the default rate for balance transfers. So while the initial rate is great and all payments go towards paying off balance transfers first, the rate is only for 6 months. If you’re not vigilant with payments while the rate is in effect then the 6 months will most likely come and go before you know it.

The rewards program on this card is a definite advantage if you happen to do a lot of traveling. As Citibank is worldwide company, there are over 40,000 restaurants, shops, hotels and other services around the world in which you can get discounts and other benefits from.

All of this comes with an annual fee. Worth it? Maybe. But if you are willing to pay just a little bit more in annual fees then it could be worthwhile looking at the Citibank Clear Platinum card.

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Like the Westpac 55 Day credit card, the Citibank Silver credit card doesn’t really seem to do anything to compete in today’s credit card market so is a bit of a dead end.

There are a variety of features which you would think would make it a valuable card; however they are all just too inconsistent. The annual fee of this Citibank Silver credit card is teamed with overall interest rates for purchases and for cash advances, and up to 55 days interest free.

There is a rewards program on this card which awards one point for every dollar spent using the Silver card and cash back offers, though it just doesn’t really seem worth it when the interest rate is more in line with that of a platinum credit card rather than one that is a step below a gold card.

As a premium card it’s credit limit of $7,500 is quite low. Especially when you consider the next step up is the Citibank Gold credit card which has a credit limit $60,000. It really just highlights how inconsistent the Citibank Silver credit card really is.

The introductory rate on balance transfers for this card is for the first 12 months, after which it increases.

Unfortunately for Citibank this card doesn’t quite cater to the needs of anyone who is looking for a credit card of any kind. Put simply there are just better options out there for every single aspect of this credit card.

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The Citibank Gold credit card has a variety of features that you would expect from a gold credit card which makes it far more balanced and appealing than the Citibank Silver credit card.

Benefits of this card include a complimentary rewards program with the option of cash back, international travel insurance, purchase protection insurance and the availability of either Visa or MasterCard.

An interesting feature that is also available is it that it gives extra protection from fraud through the use of a digital signature and a photo card which is not often seen on a credit card.

As a premium credit card that sits in the middle of the range, the Citibank Gold card’s features are somewhat standard as they are matched with high rates and fees. Like the Silver credit card, the interest rate on purchases and cash advances, however you’ll get  for the first 12 months on balance transfers. This also comes with up to 55 days interest free.

Overall, the Citibank Gold credit card is a much better option than the Citibank Silver card as there are many more features that give it more value for money.

But in terms of premium credit cards, if you don’t always pay your monthly balance in full then there are many other better value options out there so it would pay to have a look around. Your wallet will thank you for it.

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Citibank has teamed up with Emirates airlines to bring you the Emirates Citi Platinum credit card, designed for those frequent flyers who are not so worried about how much they are spending and are looking to capitalize on their expenses.

This airline rewards credit card comes with an extremely high credit limit of $100,000*, plus all the expected insurance benefits (international travel, transit accident, purchase cover and extended warranty)* not to mention a personal concierge service*.

As an added bonus, this card has an excellent balance transfer rate.* which earns it the title of #1 credit card in the Balance Transfer category.

Whether your balance is around $1000, or closer to $10,000, this ongoing interest rate means the savings are there for the taking when you get your Emirates Citi Platinum credit card. But that’s not all.

It also has a bundle of other benefits that you probably wouldn’t expect.

For example, a chauffeur-driven ride to and from the airport each year (when flying with Emirates of course), a double lounge pass per year to any of Australia’s Emirates lounges. Or if you happen to be going to Dubai you’ll get free access to the airport’s Marhaba lounge.

You’ll also earn Skywards Miles (Emirates’ frequent flyer program) at a rate of 3 for every dollar spent on your Emirates Citi Platinum card.

Skyward Miles can be redeemed for international flights on Emirates airlines and it’s partners, as well as Virgin Blue domestic flights, selected hotels, car rentals and merchandise from the Emirates online rewards store – The Emirates High Street.

This does come at a relatively high price (which is unfortunately becoming pretty standard for Platinum credit cards). Citibank charge for cash advances and for purchases on the Emirates platinum card with an annual fee. However it is expected with such a low ongoing balance transfer rate and so many added benefits.

On the whole the Emirates Citi Platinum is a well rounded card with prices that come as no surprise considering the range of benefits available. So if you fly with Emirates regularly, are looking for a platinum card to match your credit card expenses, or most importantly are looking for a credit card that offers low interest rates on balance transfers then this is the airline credit card for you.

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FEATURES SUMMARY

 

 

• Annual fee: Low annual fee
• Purchase rate: Low p.a. purchase rate
• Cash Advance rate: Low p.a. cash advance rate
• Balance Transfer rate: Low p.a. balance transfer rate
• Interest-free days: Up to 55

• Extras:
  • Fraudshield
  • Extended warranty
  • Purchase protection
  • Phone/Internet banking
  • International Travel Insurance

The Citibank Clear Platinum credit card is one of a number of premium credit cards available from Citibank, but when you compare it to most others on the market it doesn’t really seem like a platinum card at all.

This odd choice of name from Citibank has potential to confuse customers. Platinum credit cards tend to be more costly than the Citibank Clear Platinum card, which means those in the market for a cheap credit card may overlook it without realizing just how affordable it is.

It is in fact a really good credit card. It takes out the #1 spot for platinum credit cards, #2 for cash back credit cards and #3 for interest free credit cards in the Editor’s Choice category.

The standard interest rate is low on purchases* and on balance transfers*. The one downfall that can be seen on this card is its cash advance and default balance transfer rate. At that rate you’d only want to use cash advances in a real emergency.

Other benefits of this credit card also include international travel insurance, purchase protection and extended warranties on all products purchased with the credit card. And who could forget the rewards. With over 40,000 rewards partners in over 30 countries around the world, your rewards will follow you anywhere you go.

The main requirement that Citibank has for this card is that you must earn $50,000 or more per year. With up to 55 days interest free*, it is an impressively cheap credit card (when you avoid getting out cash) with great travel and reward benefits that you are unlikely to get anywhere else at such an affordable rate.

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The Platinum credit card is the upper echelon of premium cards available from Citibank. It’s unique to other platinum cards as it has a range of rewards options including the Citi Miles program, the Citi Qantas program, Citi Take Flight cash back and other discounts and offers. So you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to getting rewards that suit your needs. Special Promotion 40,000 bonus reward points.

With a ‘through the roof’ credit limit of up to $100,000, Citibank is obviously predicting a lot of expensive purchases on this card. The risk of offering so much money is compensated for by Citibank with a interest rate for Cash Advances and for purchases, as well as an annual fee which is double that of the Gold card. And, as expected, it comes with a minimum income requirement of $50,000.

However, it does score brownie points for a balance transfer rate for the first 9 months of balances transferred.

The Citbank Platinum credit card also comes with up to 55 days interest free, a 24/7 concierge service, extended warranty on purchases, purchase protection insurance (up to $200,000), international travel insurance, transit accident insurance and a digital signature and photo card to protect you against credit fraud.

Like the Gold card (and unlike the Silver card) the Citibank Platinum card lives up to its name and you actually get what you pay for. But while not being ripped off is great, it’s not enough to make this card the best option by any means.

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In terms of rewards, the BP-Citibank MasterCard is a good simple credit card that offers cash back on a regular expense for anyone that drives a vehicle.

For the first $600 you spend in each statement period at BP, you’ll receive a 5% cash back rebate. All other purchases (up to $5,000) made using the BP-Citibank MasterCard will get a 0.5% cash back rebate.

As an added bonus, if you happen to rent an Avis rental car before November 4th 2009 and use your BP-Citibank credit card to pay for it, you’ll receive an extra 2% discount. You’ll receive all of these cash back rebates monthly as a direct credit to your account at the beginning of your next statement period.

These are all great benefits when looked at as a whole, but when it comes down to it, the card is let down by its interest rate. Cash advances interest rate and purchase interest rate on this cash back credit card. While this is pretty standard for a cash advance rate, this is really high for purchases. However if you can pay off your monthly balance in full you’ll be able take advantage of up to 55 days interest free and won’t be stung by these high interest rates.

The balance transfer offer on this rebate credit card is excellent value for the first 12 months. Not a lot of cards offer such a long introductory period, especially when there are cash back rewards on offer so it is a worthwhile consideration.

Teamed with the high interest rate, this card’s annual fee leads you to expect maybe a few more benefits that you may get on other cards of this price. Nevertheless, used wisely, it can be quite a beneficial cash back credit card.

While fuel prices are not as expensive as they were in the last year or so they are still not cheap, so the benefits and discounts that this card offers are still great value for anyone that drives a car. Although to make the most of this card it would be wise to use the BP-Citibank MasterCard card purely for your fuel and use another low interest credit card for other purchases.

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Citibank’s debit cards are pretty well hidden on the bank’s website so is a little harder to find than most. But when you do find it you’ll see that you can apply for a Citibank Visa debit card through a Citibank Plus Transaction account.

The fee for this account and debit card is low.

This is yet another fence sitter in Australia’s debit card range – not quite expensive, but it’s definitely not free either! But there is some good news… If you arrange to have your regular salary of $3000 or more (per month) credited directly to your Citibank Plus Transaction account, that $5 fee will be waived, and you’ll be $5 richer!

With free internet and phone banking, as well as a monthly statement, you’ll have no problem keeping track of your purchases made online, over the phone, and in retail outlets anywhere in the world.

So not only is it convenient but it’s cheap too, with no ATM fees at Citibank, Westpac, St.George and BankSA ATMs around Australia. Although it is important to note that this excludes St George ATM’s at BP station outlets.

With this bank debit card you’ll also be able to link up to three other high interest savings accounts free of charge. So when you want to use money from these savings accounts to make a purchase online or over the phone, simply transfer the funds from your high interest savings account to your Transaction account you’ll be away laughing.

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