Business Insider's personal finance team compared Citi to the best banks and found it's a standard option.
Citi (Member FDIC) could be a good choice if you live in one of the 42 states that offers Citi® Accelerate Savings because it pays a good interest rate for a savings account from a brick-and-mortar bank. It is also notably featured in our guides for best credit cards.
However, keep in mind that you'll benefit most from Citi products if you have the right combination of accounts to avoid common bank fees and earn Relationship Tier benefits.
You might not like the bank if you find its free structure confusing for banking or only qualify for Citi® Savings when you prefer a high-yield savings account.
Citi Overview
Citi Branch Accessibility
Citi (Member FDIC) is a national bank with around 650 branches sprinkled around the U.S., including California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, South Dakota, Virginia, and Washington, DC. You'll also have access to over 65,000 fee-free ATMs nationwide, plus free ATMs all over the world.
What You Need to Know About Citi Banking
Some of Citi's accounts depend on where you live. For example, the high-yield Citi® Accelerate Savings is only available for residents of certain states.
The bank also has a system called Relationship Tiers. If you maintain a certain account balance, you'll be eligible for Citi Priority, Citigold® Checking Account, or Citigold® Private Client Checking Account, which have more benefits and services. For example, these accounts do not have ATM fees, money order fees, or official check fees.
Your Citi accounts are FDIC-insured for up to $250,000, or $500,000 for joint accounts.
Citi Digital Experience and App Usability
With the Citi mobile app, you can open checking and savings accounts, view your transaction history, make mobile check deposits, use Zelle, initiate online bill payments, and find ATMs. If you have a Citi credit card, you'll also get to check your FICO credit score for free.
The bank's online banking offers similar services. You'll be able to open bank accounts, view online bank statements, find Citi locations, and use online bill pay.
The bank's mobile app experience may not stack up to other big banks, though. According to a J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Online Banking Satisfaction Study, it ranked lower in banking mobile app satisfaction than the study average. For online banking satisfaction, Citi performed better, receiving 6 points above the study average.
The bank's mobile app is rated 4.9 out of 5 stars in the Apple store and 4.7 stars out of 5 stars in the Google Play store.
Citi Customer Support Availability
Citi's customer service is available 24/7 over the phone, which is more convenient than other banks. Some financial institutions only offer customer support from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and limited support on weekends.
You can also chat online with a customer representative from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET.
Citi Fees, Rates, and Financial Benefits
Understanding Citi's Fee Structure
The bank's fee structure is complicated. Citi fees will depend on which bank accounts you have and whether you qualify for Relationship Tiers.
With the bank's standard checking accounts, you'll need to be mindful of monthly service fees, non-Citi ATM fees, money order fees, official check fees, and stop payment request fees.
If you have Citi Priority, the Citigold® Checking Account, the Citigold® Checking Account with a savings account, it'll be easier to waive common bank fees. For example, you'll be able to waive ATM fees, money order fees, and official check fees. However, you'll need to meet minimum balance requirements to get these accounts.
One fee that you won't have to worry about is overdraft fees. The bank eliminated overdraft fees, returned item fees, and overdraft protection fees on bank accounts in 2022. For that reason, Citi is one of the best banks for avoiding overdrafts. A lot of other brick-and-mortar banks haven't eliminated overdraft fees entirely, which makes Citi a stand out in this area.
Citi Savings and CD Rates and How They Compare
Citi® Accelerate Savings rates are comparable to high-yield savings accounts at the best online banks, and a good option if you can waive the monthly service fee. You aren't eligible for this account if you live California, Connecticut, select parts of Florida, select parts of Illinois, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, or Washington, DC.
People who aren't eligible for Citi® Accelerate Savings, have to get Citi® Savings. The Citi® Savings rate depends on your Relationship Tier. Regardless of which tier you're in, the Citi® Savings rate is lower than the average savings account rate. You'll want to choose a different bank to obtain a high savings rate.
Citi Pros and Cons
Citi Pros
- Large nationwide ATM network
- Competitive interest rate on Citi® Accelerate Savings
- Variety of options for checking accounts, savings accounts, and CDs
- Wide range of loan types and credit card options
Citi Cons
- Can't open Citi® Accelerate Savings in California, Connecticut, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Washington, DC, or select parts of Florida and Illinois
- F rating from the Better Business Bureau
Banking Options with Citi
Citi Access Checking
Citi Regular Checking
Citi Priority
Citigold® Checking Account
Citigold® Private Client Checking Account
Citi offers two standard checking accounts: Citi Access Checking and Citi Regular Checking.
If you'd like to get a premium checking account, the bank also offers relationship tiers: Citi Priority, Citigold® Checking Account, and the Citigold® Private Client Checking Account.
To qualify for relationship tiers, you'll need to maintain a high combined average monthly balance across linked bank accounts, retirement accounts, and investment accounts: $30,000 to $199,999.99 for City Priority, $200,00 to $999,999.99 for Citigold, or $1 million or more Citigold Private Client.
Citi® Accelerate Savings
Citi® Savings
Citi has two types of accounts: Citi Savings and Citi® Accelerate Savings.
Citi® Accelerate Savings is a high-yield savings account that pays a competitive rate, and it's clearly superior to Citi Savings — but you can only open an account if you're a resident of certain markets.
Read Business Insider's Citi Savings Rates Review.
Citi Fixed Rate CD
Citi No Penalty CD
Citi Step Up CD
Citi offers three types of CDs: Citi Fixed Rate CDs, Citi Step Up CDs, and Citi No Penalty CDs.
While the bank's abundance of checking and savings account options can be staggering, its CD options are easier to follow. Step Up CDs allow you to earn a higher interest rate at a specified date, while no-penalty CDs do not charge you early withdrawal penalties if you take out money from your account before the term ends.
If you're searching for a competitive interest rate, a 9-month Citi Fixed Rate CD might be worth considering.
See Business Insider's Citi CD review.
Credit Cards with Citi
Citi has a variety of credit cards, including travel credit cards, balance transfer credit cards, cash-back credit cards, and credit cards with 0% APR.
Our best Citi credit cards guide highlights the best options depending on what you're looking for. The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card is our top Citi credit card for 2025.
- Citi Custom Cash Card Review
- Citi Diamond Preferred Card Review
- Citi Premier Card Review
- Citi Double Cash Card Review
- Citi Simplicity Card Review
- Citi Rewards+ Card Review
- Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi Review
- Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select Card Review
- Citi AAdvantage MileUp Card Review
- Citi Advantage Executive Card Review
- Citi Secured Mastercard Review
Citi Business Credit Card Review
If you have a small business, Citi has two types of credit cards. The Costco Anywhere Visa® Business Card by Citi is exclusively for Costco customers, while the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® may be worth exploring if you frequently fly with American Airlines.
- Costco Anywhere Visa Business Card by Citi Review
- CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum Select Mastercard Review
Personal Loans with Citi
Citi Personal Loans may be worthwhile if you already bank with the company. To be eligible for a personal loan at the bank meet Citi's creditworthiness criteria.
See Business Insider's Citi Personal Loans Review.
Mortgages with Citi
Citi offers several types of home loans, including conforming, jumbo, FHA, VA and HomeRun mortgages. The HomeRun mortgage could be a good choice if you're looking for an affordable mortgage option. Through the HomeRun mortgage program, customers may make a down payment as low as 3% with no mortgage insurance requirement.
See Business Insider's Citi Mortgage Review.
Is Citi Trustworthy?
The Better Business Bureau gives Citi a D- rating because it's received several customer complaints on the BBB website and it has failed to respond to many customer complaints.
In November 2023, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau claimed Citi intentionally discriminated against Armenian-American credit card applicants. The CFPB ordered the bank to pay $25.9 million in fees and to applicants who were impacted.
Citi Banking Alternatives
Citi vs. Bank of America
Bank of America is a good choice if you want a larger branch network, because it has locations in 37 U.S. states and Washington, DC. You also might prefer Bank of America for a simpler banking experience, since Citi has a more complex fee structure.
But Citi has a much larger free ATM network, including ATMs in other countries.
You'll probably prefer Citi if you're eligible to open the Citi® Accelerate Savings account, because you'll earn a much higher savings rate than you could with Bank of America savings accounts. As for CDs, the best CD rate between the two banks will depend on which term you choose.
Citi vs. Chase
Chase is another great option if you want a large branch network within the U.S. It has branches in every state except Alaska and Hawaii.
Chase and Citi are both known for offering several checking accounts. The best fit could come down to what you want out of a checking account and whether you can waive the monthly fee on your preferred account.
For example, if you just want a simple checking account, you might prefer Citi Access Checking over Chase Total Checking®. Both offer strong sign-up bonuses to eligible customers, but Citi's account has a lower monthly fee that is automatically waived for the first three months.
Citi vs. Wells Fargo
Again, you may prefer Wells Fargo if you want a larger branch network throughout the United States. It operates in 36 states and Washington, DC. But keep in mind that Citi has more free ATMs, both in the U.S. and abroad.
The best CD rate could come down to which term length you're looking for. Wells Fargo CD rates are decent, but the bank only offers terms up to one year. Meanwhile, Citi has CD terms up to 10 years.
Why You Should Trust Us: How We Reviewed Citi
For our Citi review, we rate bank products and services using our editorial standards.
At Business Insider, we rate products on a scale from one to five stars. For bank accounts, we review different features for distinct types of bank accounts. For example, we'll look at early withdrawal penalties and CD variety specifically for CDs. Meanwhile, for checking accounts, we'll factor in the ATM network size and fees, as well as its overdraft protection options.
We use a weighted average to get our star rating for bank accounts, which means we weigh certain features, like interest rates and fees, at a higher weight percentage than others. We understand that these areas can more heavily impact a person's overall banking experience.
We'll consider factors like annual fees and sign-up bonuses for credit cards, and term lengths for loans. In general, we also look at customer service and ethics.
Citi Review: Overall Rating
| Product: | Business Insider rating (out of 5): |
| Personal Bank Accounts | 3.75 to 4.5 |
| Personal Loans | 3.25 |
| Mortgages | 3.75 |
| Personal Credit Cards | 2.5 to 4 |
| Business Credit Cards | 3 to 4 |
| Trustworthiness | 2 |
| Total | 3.5 |
Citi FAQs
What services does Citi offer?
Citi offers checking accounts, savings accounts, CDs, business bank accounts, personal loans, home loans, and credit cards.
What are the fees associated with Citi accounts?
The fees associated with Citi accounts largely depend on which bank accounts you have. Some fees to look out for may include monthly service fees, ATM fees, money order fees, and official check fees. These fees can commonly be found in Citi checking accounts.
How can I contact Citi customer service?
You can contact Citi customer service by phone or live chat. If you live in California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, South Dakota, Virginia, or Washington, DC, you can also visit a branch.
Does Citi charge overdraft fees?
No Citi has eliminated overdraft fees, returned item fees, and overdraft protection fees on bank accounts.
The post Citi Review appeared first on Business Insider