The Citi Diamond Preferred Card focuses on debt management with a long 0% intro APR on balance transfers (around 21 months) and purchases (around 12 months), no annual fee, a choice of payment due date, 24/7 customer service, and ID Theft Protection, but it does not offer typical rewards like cash back or points, making it ideal for paying down existing debt rather than earning rewards.
The key feature of the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card is its intro APR of 0% for 12 months on purchases and 21 months on Balance Transfers. After that, there's an 16.49% to 27.24% (variable) APR. Balance transfers must be completed within four months of opening the account.
Rating: 1.9 out of 5. Editors' Take: A lengthy intro period for balance transfers makes the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card an excellent option for consolidating and paying down high-interest credit card debt, but other low-interest cards are better for new purchases. Explore more about this card: Pros and cons.
Citi Diamond Preferred does not offer airport lounge access or any other travel related perks. It is strictly a balance transfer card for people with at least good credit. If you want a Citi card with airport lounge access, consider the co-branded Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®.
The hardest widely available Citi card to get is generally considered the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi, requiring excellent credit (scores 750+) and a Costco membership, but the truly exclusive, unadvertised Citi cards for the ultra-wealthy, like the Citi ULTIMA Mastercard, are invitation-only and impossible to apply for, making them the absolute hardest.
The best Citi credit card for airport lounge access is the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®, since it offers an Admirals Club® membership. This will get you and up to two guests into over 100 different airport lounges around the world.
To get a credit card with a $100k limit, you generally need excellent credit, high income, and often apply for premium travel cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve or Amex Platinum, or business cards like Brex/Ramp, as traditional cards rarely start that high, though some premium options like Chase Sapphire Preferred can reach it for top-tier users. No preset spending limit (NPSL) cards, like some American Express products, offer flexible limits that can exceed $100k based on your financial profile, making them another path to high spending power.
This card offers free access to cardholders' FICO® Scores. Overall, the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card is a great offer for anyone looking for a simple credit card that offers a long 0% intro APR and no annual fee.
You don't get a free Costco membership with any Citi credit card. While the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi and the Costco Anywhere Visa® Business Card by Citi have no annual fees, you still need to pay the yearly Costco membership fee. Costco Credit Card users do not receive any discounts on membership fees.
The Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card credit score requirement is good credit or better. That means we recommend a credit score of 700 or better to have a shot at getting approved for the Citi Diamond Preferred. You can check your credit score for free here on WalletHub to see if you qualify.
The 2/3/4 rule is a guideline, primarily used by Bank of America, that limits how many new credit cards you can get: no more than 2 in 30 days, 3 in 12 months, and 4 in 24 months, helping to prevent over-application and manage hard inquiries on your credit report. While not universal, it's a useful benchmark for responsible card application, though other banks have different rules (like Chase's 5/24 rule).
If you're looking for the best possible credit limit from a Citi credit card, here are the top picks as reported by real cardholders.
The hardest widely available Citi card to get is generally considered the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi, requiring excellent credit (scores 750+) and a Costco membership, but the truly exclusive, unadvertised Citi cards for the ultra-wealthy, like the Citi ULTIMA Mastercard, are invitation-only and impossible to apply for, making them the absolute hardest.
The Citi Diamond Preferred Card is for consumers with a FICO credit score in the good to excellent range. In other words, you will need a score from 670 to 850.
The top-tier Citi credit card is the Citi Strata Premier® Card. It rewards cardholders with up to 10 points / $1 on purchases and offers an initial bonus of 60,000 points for spending $4,000 in the first 3 months, making it Citi's best rewards card.
No, your Citi credit card does not have lounge access, except for the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®, which offers a complimentary Admirals Club membership. This membership can get you and up to two guests into over 100 Admirals Club and partner lounges around the world.
The American Express Platinum Card® is considered the best travel card for frequent travelers because it offers complimentary entry to the most airport lounges of all premium cards.
Free lounge access credit cards offer complimentary entry to airport lounges, with top choices like the Amex Platinum, Chase Sapphire Reserve, and Capital One Venture X providing extensive networks (Priority Pass, airline-specific, etc.), while some no-annual-fee cards like the U.S. Bank Altitude Connect offer limited annual passes, catering to different travel needs from unlimited luxury to occasional comfort.