Citi® Review: Checking and Premium Checking Options
Written by
Caitlyn Moorhead
Edited by
Melanie Grafil
Commitment to Our Readers
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Citi is an all-in-one bank solution for your financial needs.
CitiĀ®, Member FDIC, offers a premium checking option with access to wealth management advisors, nationwide ATMs, making it a versatile, all-in-one option for your banking needs.
Citi is the fourth largest bank and offers the products and perks of a big bank and the advantages of an online bank. Today, Citi has over 600 branches in the U.S. and over 70,000 fee-free ATMs in its network.Ā
With that in mind, GOBankingRates has ranked Citi among the Best Checking Accounts, Best Premium Checking Accounts and Best National Banks of 2025. If youāre curious about opening an account with Citi, consider how its bank accounts and investment options can support and grow your money.
Citi Checking Account
Citiās basic checking account requires no minimum opening deposit. For a limited time until July 7, 2025, you can earn a $325 cash bonus when opening a new eligible checking account with qualifying Enhanced Direct Deposits and required activities. Here are some key takeaways for Citiās checking account:Ā
- Ability to write unlimited checks as part of basic banking.
- Robust digital online and mobile platforms to allow for convenient account management.Ā
- Fraud monitoring is available to protect you from unauthorized use of your funds.
- The $15 monthly maintenance fee can be waived by having $250 or more in Enhanced Direct Deposits.Ā
- This checking account does require a high minimum balance to avoid fees.Ā
SILVER WINNER
Best For
National Banks
Checking Accounts
Premium Checking Accounts
Mobile App
Account Perks
$0 Minimum Opening Deposit
Citiās basic checking account offers no minimum opening deposit, unlimited check writing, robust digital management tools and fraud monitoring, with the $5 to $15 monthly fee that you can waive if you have at least $250 in Enhanced Direct Deposits.
Fees
Up to $15
APY
N/A
Min Opening
$0
Pros
- Unlimited checkingĀ
- No charge for overdraft protectionĀ
- Access to a robust ATM network
Cons
- Earns no interest rate
- Limited branch availabilityĀ
- Up to $15 monthly maintenance feeĀ
Why We Like Citi
Citi regular checking offers robust digital tools, extensive fee-free network ATM access, and unlimited check writing. The downside of the account is that it lacks interest-free earnings, a monthly fee (waivable), and you may incur ATM out-of-network fees. This is ideal for those who want a regional checking account that offers straightforward banking.Ā
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Citi Premium Checking AccountĀ
Citiās CitigoldĀ® checking account is a premium banking solution designed for clients maintaining a combined average monthly balance of $200,000 or more across eligible linked accounts. Some benefits include waived fees for online transfers, unlimited reimbursement at non-Citi ATMs globally, and access to a dedicated wealth management team. Here are some key takeaways for Citigoldās premium checking account:Ā
- Includes all of the features of the Citi Priority Account
- Unlimited reimbursement on non-Citi ATM fees
- Complimentary financial planning services
- Access to both CitigoldĀ® Concierge and the Citi Personal Wealth Management investment platformĀ
- Must maintain a combined monthly average of $200,000 across linked eligible accounts to meet account requirements
SILVER WINNER
Best For
National Banks
Checking Accounts
Premium Checking Accounts
Mobile App
Account Perks
Unlimited Reimbursement on Non-Citi ATM Fees
Citiās CitigoldĀ® checking offers premium perks like ATM fee reimbursements and wealth management, so long as you maintain a combined $200,000 average balance.
Fees
No monthly service fee
APY
N/A
Min Opening
$0
Pros
- No foreign exchange fee
- Free checks
Cons
- High balance requirementĀ
- No interest earningsĀ
Why We Like Citi
The CitigoldĀ® Checking account is best for clients with large average balances. Online wire transfers, waived fees, and access to a dedicated wealth management team are other available perks.
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Citi Savings Accounts
Each of the Citi banking relationship tiers includes a Citi savings account. The CitiĀ® Accelerate Savings account earns a higher rate than some other competitors. The good news is thereās no minimum deposit required to open the account. Here are some key takeaways:
- Depending on your selected tier, your savings account may be eligible to earn higher interest rates as you save.
- The accounts also allow you to link to Citi or non-Citi accounts and make transfers with AutoSave, which makes saving something you donāt have to worry about.Ā
- All relationship tiers, but the Access Account allows for check writing.
- As far as fees, there are options for waiving them. See Citiās website for details on monthly fees.
- For other account relationship tiers, the same requirements apply for waiving checking monthly service fees also apply to your unlinked savings balance.
Citi is offering a promotional savings interest rate up to three months, with an APY of . This promotion runs until June 30, 2025. At this time, if you open a Citi savings account either online or in a branch, you can receive promotional APY once youāve fulfilled all the requirements. Youāll need $25,000 minimum balance and the maximum interest you can earn is $11,000.
Best For
National Banks
Checking Accounts
Premium Checking Accounts
Mobile App
Account Perks
Earn Higher Interest as You Save
The CitiĀ® Accelerate Savings account offers competitive rates, automatic savings tools and fee waiver options based on balance requirements.
Fees
See Citiās website for details on monthly fees.
APY
Up to
Min Opening
$0
Pros
- Ability to write checks
- No minimum deposit required
- Mobile check deposit
Cons
- Not available in every state
- Monthly fee unless you can get it waived
- Lower APY compared to other small banks
Why We Like Citi
The Citi Accelerate account is best for those whoād like to have access to a physical branch location and can keep at least a $500 balance to avoid the monthly fee.
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Citi CD Accounts
Citi offers a variety of CDs with varying length terms and rates. Citi CDs require a $500 minimum opening deposit but keep in mind that all deposits are FDIC insured up to the applicable limit. Here are a few takeaways regarding Citi CDs:
- Terms are flexible with CDs from three months to five years
- FDIC-insured up to the applicable limit
- Step-up CDs feature automatic rate increases at predetermined intervals
- One drawback is that you are required to deposit $500 to open a CD.
Best For
National Banks
Checking Accounts
Premium Checking Accounts
Mobile App
Account Perks
Flexible CD Terms and High APY Offering
Citi CDs offer flexible terms, FDIC insurance, and step-up rate options, though pay mind to the $500 minimum deposit to open.
Fees
No monthly service fee
APY
Up to
Min Opening
$500
Pros
- Great interest rates on fixed-rate CD terms
- Variety of length terms
- Choices of CDs to choose from
- FDIC-insured up to the applicable limit
Cons
- Early withdrawal penalties (present with most CDs)
- Typically lower interest rates on Citi CDs than other financial institutions
- There can be regional rate differencesĀ
- CDs require a minimum deposit
Why We Like Citi
If youāre looking for a variety of CD rates and lengths, Citi will offer several options including a fixed-rate CD, step up CD and a no-penalty CD. These CD offerings are more robust than other banks and credit unions.Ā
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Banking Experience
GOBankingRates highlighted several of its features based on some of these top factors:
Minimum Opening Deposits
Citi doesnāt require any for its savings or checking accounts, you can open an account and fund it another day if itās more convenient for you.
Range of Checking Products
There are a few checking accounts to choose from, all with different banking features for account holders, ranging from basic needs to top-tier services geared to those with high levels of wealth. The variety of checking options also gives account holders who are growing their wealth the opportunity to stay loyal to the bank and not have to look elsewhere for accounts and services that meet their needs.
Bonus Opportunities
Cash bonuses for opening certain accounts and meeting requirements. While bonus offers may change throughout the year, Citi often offers different levels of cash bonuses. Be prepared to part with a substantial amount of cash for a few months if you want to earn one of these bonuses. Qualifying deposits often are from $10,000 to $300,000.
Mobile and Digital Banking Network
Citi offers an award-winning website and mobile app, which make it easy to manage your accounts from anywhere. Citiās website allows you to complete various banking tasks at your convenience, such as view statements, transfer funds, make credit card and bill payments and find routing and account numbers.
Plus, the app was certified by J.D. Power for providing customers with a mobile banking experience thatās outstanding due to features like voice technology, text messaging, location assistance, digital pay and secure identification methods.
Citiās mobile app has a ranking of 4.9 stars on the App Store and 4.7 stars on Google Play which indicates that it is not only highly rated, but also user-friendly.
How Does Citi Compare?
Before opening an account at Citi, it can help to compare the bank to competing banks. Here are some factors to consider.
SELECTED BANK
MOST COMPARABLE
MOST COMPARABLE
Fees
Fees
Fees
Up to $15
$5 to $35 waivable monthly fee
$7 to $25
APY
APY
APY
N/A
Up to
N/A
Min Opening
Min Opening
Min Opening
$0
$25
$0
SELECTED BANK
MOST COMPARABLE
MOST COMPARABLE
Fees
Fees
Fees
No monthly service fee
$35 waivable monthly service fee
$25 monthly, waivable
APY
APY
APY
N/A
Min Opening
Min Opening
Min Opening
$0
$25
$25
SELECTED BANK
MOST COMPARABLE
MOST COMPARABLE
Fees
Fees
Fees
See Citiās website for details on monthly fees.
Up to $12 monthly service fee ā can be waived
$5 monthly
APY
APY
APY
Up to
Up to for Platinum Savings accounts
Min Opening
Min Opening
Min Opening
$0
$25
$0
SELECTED BANK
MOST COMPARABLE
MOST COMPARABLE
Fees
Fees
Fees
No monthly service fee
Early withdrawal penalty may apply
No monthly service fee
APY
APY
APY
Up to
Up to
Up to
Min Opening
Min Opening
Min Opening
$500
$2,500 to $5,000
$250 to $1,000
Citi vs. Chase
Chase trumps Citi with over 4,700 branch locations ā thousands more than Citiās 600 or so. However, Chase has high monthly maintenance fees; Chaseās highest fee is $25.
Citi vs. Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo has more branch locations than Citi: 5,600 versus Citiās 600 or so. But Citi has a network of over 70,000 ATMs, while Wells Fargo has 11,000 in its network.
Citi vs. Bank of America
Bank of America, Member FDIC, has reasonable monthly maintenance fees, with its highest fees at $25. Citi does not have overdraft fees,but Bank of America does have a $10 fee on some accounts, which could save you a few dollars a month, depending on if ā and how often ā you have overdrafts.
Final TakeĀ
Citi is best for those looking for a bank with a solid reputation and who want to stay with the same bank as they grow their finances. The range of checking account options Citi offers means thereās an account for everyone and thatās one of the reasons GOBankingRates named it one of the Best National Banks, Best Checking Accounts and Best Premium Checking Accounts for 2025.
More on Citi Bank
- Citi Bank Promotions
- How To Open a Citi Bank Account
- Citi Bank Routing Number
- Citi Bank Fees
- Citi Bank ATM Withdrawal and Deposit Limits
Citi FAQ
Here are the answers to some of the more commonly asked questions about Citi.- Is Citi a good bank?
- Citi was rated by GOBankingRates and named to the list of the Best Checking Accounts, Best Premium Checking Accounts and Best National Banks of 2025. It also has a highly-rated mobile app.
- Which is better Citi or Chase?
- Though Chase trumps Citi with over 4,700 branch locations -- thousands more than Citi's 600 branches or so in the U.S., Chase has high monthly maintenance fees, with their highest fee at $25. These are all factors to consider when choosing a bank that best suits your needs.
- What are the disadvantages of Citi?
- Citi has some disadvantages, such as fewer U.S. branches than other national banks and lower than average savings rates.
Rudri Patel and Melanie Grafil contributed to the reporting for this article.
Rates are subject to change; unless otherwise noted, rates are updated periodically. All other information on accounts is accurate as of Dec. 6, 2024.Ā
Editorial Note: This content is not provided by any entity covered in this article. Any opinions, analyses, reviews, ratings or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author alone and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any entity named in this article.
To determine rankings for the Best Checking Accounts of 2025, GOBankingRates looked at the following factors from all banks (excluding neobanks): (1) total assets as sourced from the FDIC; (2) number of branch locations as sourced from the FDIC; (3) minimum deposit to open an account; (4) monthly checking fee ratio (percentage of the minimum to avoid fees compared to the monthly fee itself); (5) APY on the checking account; (6) overdraft fee amount; (7) the average mobile app rating between the Google Play (Android) and Apple stores. All factors were then scored and combined, with the lowest score being the best. Factor (1), (2 and (5) weighed 0.5 times, and Factor (4) weighed 1.5 times. All products and offerings had to be available as of Nov. 1, 2024, to be considered. Rates are subject to change; unless otherwise noted, rates are updated periodically. All other information on accounts is accurate as of Dec. 6, 2024.
To determine the Best Premium Checking Accounts of 2025, GOBankingRates looked at the following factors from the most premier or costly checking product from the top 25 banks (in terms of total assets): (1) total assets as sourced from the FDIC; (2) minimum deposit to open an account; (3) monthly checking fee ratio (percentage of the minimum to avoid fees compared to the monthly fee itself); (4) APY on the checking account; and (6) associated and advertised benefits or perks from these premium products. All factors were then scored and combined, with the lowest score being the best. Factor (1) and (2) were weighed 0.5 times, and factor (6) was weighed 3 times. All products and offerings had to be available as of Nov. 1, 2024, to be considered. Rates are subject to change; unless otherwise noted, rates are updated periodically. All other information on accounts is accurate as of Dec. 6, 2024.
To discover the Best National Banks of 2025, GOBankingRates analyzed the top national institutions, (excluding online banks and neobanks) that have branches in at least 25 states and have over $400 billion in total assets, or both. GOBankingRates considered the following factors (1) total assets as sourced from the FDIC; (2) checking product minimum deposit; (3) monthly checking fee ratio (percentage of the minimum to avoid fees compared to the monthly fee itself); (4) savings product minimum deposit; (5) savings product APY; (6) Bauer rating (out of 5 stars); (7) products/services offered (auto loans, mortgage loans, credit cards, investment services and insurance); and (8) the average mobile app rating between the Google Play (Android) and Apple stores. All factors were then scored and combined, with the lowest score being the best. Factors (1), (2) and (4) were weighed 0.5 times, factor (5) was weighed 2.5 times; and factor (7) was weighed 1.5 times. All products and offerings had to be available as of Nov. 1, 2024, to be considered. Rates are subject to change; unless otherwise noted, rates are updated periodically. All other information on accounts is accurate as of Dec. 6, 2024.
