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Citibank Review: Checking, Savings and CDs

A financial institution that offers a wide selection of banking products, including multiple CDs, checking and savings accounts.

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Our verdict

Citi offers a wide variety of checking, savings and certificates of deposit (CDs). If you prefer to house your accounts under one roof, Citi Bank is definitely worth considering. Plus, because it has hundreds of physical branches in the US, it’s a solid choice if you appreciate in-person support. That said, the rates on its deposit accounts aren’t the best, and you’ll also have to pay monthly fees if you don’t reach a certain account balance. If you want to speed up your savings rate by earning a competitive rate, you may want to look into online banks that offer better returns instead.

Best for: Those who prefer to manage all their banking in one place.

Pros

  • Diverse range of account options
  • No overdraft fees on checking accounts
  • Large ATM network of 65,000+
  • Robust online and mobile banking services
  • Locations in over 150 countries

Cons

  • APYs low unless you meet requirements
  • Fee waivers require balance or deposit requirements
  • Shaky online consumer reputation
  • Florida and Illinois residents limited availability for savings

Is Citi Bank right for you?

Citibank might be the place for you if you’re looking for comprehensive service and want to cover all your banking needs in one place. Just make sure to check if there’s a location near you, especially if you value in-person support.

Also, keep in mind its savings accounts aren’t available everywhere, so confirm with the bank first before you try opening an account.

How Citi stacks up

If you value account variety and in-person support, Citi has that going for it.

Where it shines

It’s a global bank with a large ATM network and many services.

  • No overdraft fees. Citi’s checking accounts don’t charge overdraft or returned item fees.
  • Large fee-free ATM network. Citi has over 65,000+ fee-free ATMs nationwide.
  • Strong digital banking. Citi’s mobile app and online banking make it easy for customers to manage their accounts remotely.
  • Global presence. The bank’s large global presence makes it great for international banking.
  • Integrated with Zelle. Like many banks and credit unions, Citi is integrated with Zelle, so you can send cash instantly to friends and family.

Where it falls short

If you want to avoid monthly fees without worrying about requirements, you might want to look elsewhere.

  • Low APYs. Citi’s savings and CD rates aren’t as competitive as those offered by online banks like Ally Bank or SoFi.
  • Monthly fees. Most Citi accounts come with fees unless you keep your account balance above a certain amount or meet other requirements.
  • Poor customer reviews. Citi has thousands of negative customer reviews across the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Trustpilot and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) complaint database.
  • Limited availability. While its savings account is available in most states, its availability may be limited for those in Florida or Illinois.

Citi’s checking accounts

Citi allows you to choose between an Access Checking or Regular Checking account, depending on your banking needs. Both accounts don’t come with overdraft or return item fees. And if you plan to keep a balance of at least $30,000 in either of these accounts, you can open a ‘Relationship Tier’ account that lets you enjoy benefits like zero monthly fees.

  • Regular Checking. Comes with a $15 monthly fee, but you won’t have to pay for the first three months or if you meet certain requirements, like maintaining a qualifying Relationship Tier or if you make at least $250 in direct deposits each month. If you meet the deposit requirement, Citi also waives the $2.50 fee for using non-Citi ATMs.
  • Access Checking. Unlike the Regular Checking account that comes with checkwriting privileges, the Access Checking account does not offer checkwriting. However, the service fee is slightly lower, at only $5 per month. And you could also waive that if you meet certain requirements.

Citi’s savings accounts

Similar to Citi’s checking accounts, to get the best perks, you’ll need to be in the Relationship Tier.

Citi’s high-yield savings account, called Accelerate Savings Account, offers up to 3.80% APY in the Relationship Tier.

There’s no minimum deposit to open a savings account with Citi, but if your balance stays at zero for 90 calendar days or more, the account is subject to closure. There’s also a $4.50 monthly service fee, but you won’t get charged for the first three months after account opening. If you own a Citi checking account or maintain an average monthly account balance of $500 or more in the savings account, you can waive the fee as well.

The interest rate on Citi’s savings accounts is variable and can change at any time. Note that Citi’s savings accounts may not be for all Florida and Illinois residents.

Citi’s CDs

Citi offers three types of CDs: fixed-rate CDs, step-up CDs and no-penalty CDs. All its CDs compound interest daily. But if you have a CD with a term of one year or less, Citi lets you choose whether you want the interest to be credited monthly or at maturity.

The minimum opening deposit for Citi’s CDs is typically $500. Interest rates and terms can vary depending on the type of CD and how much you deposit into the account. Check out Citi’s CD rates and review to figure out how much you could earn with these deposit accounts.

  • Fixed-rate CDs. Citi’s fixed-rate CDs have term options that range from three months to five years and APYs up to 3.85% on a 15-month term on a featured offer or up to 4.35% APY on a 7-month term.
  • Step-up CDs
  • No-penalty CDs. With a no-penalty CD, early withdrawal penalties will not apply beginning seven days after account funding. However, rates are on the lower side.

Customer reviews and ratings

Citi has an astonishingly low F rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB). It has failed to respond to multiple complaints, and the government took action against Citi a few years ago for not following the Truth in Lending Act. Simply put, Citi did not reevaluate the APRs on credit cards as frequently as it should have.

On BBB, with nearly 1,000 customer ratings, an overwhelming number of people complained about horrible customer service. Their Trustpilot review isn’t any better. You can also find thousands of complaints filed against Citi on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau database.

That said, the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council gave Citi an “Outstanding” rating, and it’s also a member of the FDIC, so it’s considered legitimate by government-backed institutions.

Compare Citi with leading bank accounts

Compare checking and savings accounts by monthly fee, opening deposit and APY. Select Compare to see up to four accounts side-by-side.

1 - 5 of 20
Product USFSA-CHK Finder Score Fee Minimum deposit to open Annual Percentage Yield (APY) Bonus offer
SoFi logo
Finder score
$0 per month
$0
Up to 3.80%
Get up to $300 cash bonus with qualifying direct deposit. Terms apply. This offer is available until January 31, 2026.
Step logo
Finder score
From $0 per month
$0
4.00% on balances of $0 to $1,000,000
Acorns logo
Finder score
From $3 per month
$0
N/A
Current logo
Finder score
$0 per month
$0
4.00% on balances of $0.01 to $2,000
Get a $50 referral bonus by inviting your friends to join Current. Once the person receives the invite link and makes qualifying deposits of at least $200 within 45 days of opening the account, you and the referred friend each earn $50
BCU PowerPlus™ Checking
BCU logo
Finder score
$0 per month
$0
8.00% on balances of $1 to $15,000
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What is the Finder Score?

The Finder Score crunches over 300 checking accounts from hundreds of financial institutions. It takes into account the product's monthly fees, overdraft fees, opening deposit, customer support options, ATM network and features — this gives you a simple score out of 10.

To provide a Score, Finder’s banking experts analyze hundreds of checking accounts against what we consider is the best option: no monthly fees, no overdraft fees, a large ATM network of 50,000 or more, additional features outside of typical banking services, and the optional perk of earning interest. Accounts that are nearly free to maintain and use are scored the highest, while accounts with costly fees and few features are scored the lowest.

Read the full Finder Score breakdown

{"visibility":"visibilityTable","ctaLabel":"Calculate","tableCode":"savings_calculator_table","nicheCode":"USFSA","fields":[{"name":"PERIOD","value":"1","options":"","label":"Years to save","suffix":"","useSuffixAsPrefix":false,"useDropDownOption":false,"tooltip":""},{"name":"INITIAL_DEPOSIT","value":"1000","options":"","label":"Initial deposit","suffix":"$","useSuffixAsPrefix":true,"useDropDownOption":false,"tooltip":"Select Calculate to see your estimated total balance based on the current APY for each product below"}]}
1 - 6 of 22
Product USFSA Finder Score Account type Annual Percentage Yield (APY) FDIC or NCUA insured amount Minimum balance to earn interest Minimum deposit to open Bonus offer Estimated total balance
SoFi logo
Finder score
Traditional savings,Checking
Up to

3.80%

Up to $250,000
$0
$0
Get up to $300 cash bonus with qualifying direct deposit. Terms apply. This offer is available until January 31, 2026.
$1,038
Raisin logo
Finder score
Traditional savings

4.39%

Up to $250,000
$0
$1
$250 bonus for new customers with a minimum deposit of $25,000 with promo code GET250.
$1,043.90
American Express logo
Finder score
Traditional savings

3.70%

Up to $250,000
$0
$0
$1,037
Barclays Tiered Savings
Barclays logo
Finder score
Traditional savings
Up to

4.40%

Up to $250,000
$0
$0
$1,044
Uphold USD Interest Account
Uphold logo
Finder score
Savings app
Up to

4.40%

Up to $2.5 million
$1
$0
$1,044
Wealthfront logo
Finder score
Cash management account

4.00%

Up to $8M FDIC insurance
$1
$1
$1,040
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What is the Finder Score?

The Finder Score crunches over 250 savings accounts from hundreds of financial institutions. It takes into account the product's interest rate, fees, opening deposit and features - this gives you a simple score out of 10.

To provide a Score, Finder’s banking experts analyze hundreds of savings accounts against FDIC-reported national averages as a baseline. Accounts with rates well over the national average are scored the highest, while accounts with rates well below are scored low.

Read the full Finder Score breakdown

1 - 6 of 16
Product USFSA-CDS Finder Score 6-month APY 1-year APY 5-year APY Minimum deposit to open Bonus offer
Western Alliance Bank 12 months CDs through Raisin
Raisin logo
Finder score
N/A
3.95%
N/A
$1
$250 bonus for new customers with a minimum deposit of $25,000 with promo code GET250.
Raisin logo
Finder score
N/A
N/A
N/A
$1
$250 bonus for new customers with a minimum deposit of $25,000 with promo code GET250.
Alliant Credit Union CDs
Alliant Credit Union logo
Finder score
4.10%
4.25%
3.65%
$1,000
Valley Direct Online CD
Valley Direct logo
Finder score
N/A
4.00%
N/A
$500
SkyOne FCU 48-month callable CD through Raisin
Raisin logo
Finder score
N/A
N/A
N/A
$1
Bask Bank CDs
Bask Bank logo
Finder score
4.45%
4.40%
N/A
$1,000
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What is the Finder Score?

The Finder Score analyzes hundreds of CDs from more than 100 institutions. It takes into account the product's interest rate for available terms and opening deposit requirements - this gives you a simple score out of 10.

Different banks and credit unions offer CDs for various lengths of time, ranging from as short as seven days to as long as 20 years. For our ratings, we consider the term lengths that the FDIC uses in its monthly updates on national rates.

If a bank or credit union doesn’t offer a CD for a specific term used by the FDIC, we don’t penalize it: Instead, we simply don’t rate it. Each of the standard term lengths has its own APY rating based on the FDIC’s average rates.

Read the full Finder Score breakdown

      Bottom line

      If you prefer to house your accounts under one roof — and the monthly balance requirements are feasible for your situation — Citi could let you check banking off your to-do list. But if you’re hoping for a high APY or you want to pick and choose your product mix, shop around for banks that offer more flexibility.

      Frequently asked questions

      Which packages qualify for Citi’s ThankYou Rewards Points?
      Earn ThankYou Rewards with three of its top tier options: The Citibank Account Package, Citi Priority and Citigold packages.

      Which states have branch locations?
      Citi has brick-and-mortar locations in 12 states, including California, Connecticut, DC, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, South Dakota and Virginia.

      Bethany Hickey's headshot
      To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Bethany Hickey as part of our fact-checking process.
      Jamela Adam's headshot
      Written by

      Contributor

      Jamela Adam is a personal finance writer with over three years of experience. Her work has been published in major publications, including Yahoo Finance, Forbes Advisor, U.S. News, Business Insider, GOBankingRates, CNN Underscored, and Chime. Jamela previously worked as a content marketing specialist and helped devise content strategies for major brands in the financial services space. She is also a Certified Financial Education Instructor (CFEI). See full bio

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