The Citibank Card: My Long-time Companion
Written: May 22 '01
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Pros: Reliable service, flexible interest rates
Cons: None
The Bottom Line: I recommend Citibank because of their reliable and flexible service. Although they're a large company, they pay attention to individual cardholders' needs.
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| kazu's Full Review: Citibank |
My first experience with Citibank Visa was as a college student. Fresh out of high school and excited about all the pre-approved credit offers I was receiving in the mail, I didn't hesitate to apply for a number of cards -- and didn't hesitate to use them after they arrived.
Eleven years later, my Citibank card (now a MasterCard) is the only one of those original credit cards I still have. The rest have been cut up, cancelled, or relinquished to my parents. Now that I'm a financially responsible adult, I use my Citibank card regularly.
Solid reliability
During more than a decade of use, I've never had a problem with my Citibank card. Bills have always arrived on time, no mysterious charges have shown up on my statements, and customer service has always been readily accessible. Multiple address changes have gone through without a hitch.
My credit limit has been increased when I've requested it, sometimes "just because," and once when I inadvertently went over the limit. I appreciated that.
Flexibility
The best thing about using the Citibank card is its flexibility. A number of years ago I'd been clued in by a friend to the fact that Citibank was willing to negotiate interest rates. When I called their customer service line and inquired about lowering my interest rate, the helpful representative said they were currently running a promotion of 5.9% for accounts with transferred balances. I replied that I didn't have any balances to transfer, and she said she'd "just go ahead and trigger the rate." Wow! The rate decrease was temporary, but it was still a great help.
Years later I called again to ask about having my interest rate lowered. I asked them to match the promotional interest rate offered by a competing card. While they said they weren't able to do that, they did drop my interest rate substantially and permanently. I'm currently at 11.99%, the lowest rate of all my cards.
When Citibank recently transitioned my Visa to a MasterCard, the process was smooth and relatively painless. They notified me well in advance and left my Visa account number active for a lengthy period of time so no purchases were rejected. All purchases, with the old card and with the new, were displayed on the same bill and it was easy to tell which were which.
I should probably knock on wood after writing this review, but I can honestly say that I've had nothing but pleasant experiences with my Citibank card and the problem-free service that has come with it.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
kazu
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Member: Beth
Location: Seattle, WA
Reviews written: 20
Trusted by: 12 members
About Me:
Out standing in my field, chewing clover and waiting for rain.
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