Citibank Plus - No Fee No Overseas Transaction Fee Account

[Aussie_flyer]

It often takes days for transfers between citibank plus account to a citibank linked credit card. Weird

 

[razors_girl23]

I'm sorry if this has been asked before, but I'm trying to decide what's better value. I have a Velocity Global Wallet and an Amex Platinum Velocity card, but just opened one of these accounts as well. Is it better value to use Citibank and save on fees and get a better exchange rate, or is it better to use the other cards in order to rack up some Velocity points? I'll be spending about $10k AUD in Hawaii in June. Points are important to me (saving for business class flights next year from LAX to SYD), but not the be all end all if I'm going to save a significant amount. I'm not good with figuring out points values etc

 

[legroom]

I have had this problem before too with Citibank. A direct credit from another bank from me showing up in my balance but not available for withdrawal. It was posted but "unavailable" for about 12 hrs if I remember rightly, but was very inconvenient as I was overseas and needed the money. It also seemed quite unprofessional. I have not seen direct credits being listed as unavailable before with other bank accounts - they are always available as cleared funds straight away. And it was not as if the amount was particularly large!

I can live with 12 hrs

4 working days excluding weekends for net banking transfer ?

A sick joke in 2016 IMO

 

[travelislife]

I'm sorry if this has been asked before, but I'm trying to decide what's better value. I have a Velocity Global Wallet and an Amex Platinum Velocity card, but just opened one of these accounts as well. Is it better value to use Citibank and save on fees and get a better exchange rate, or is it better to use the other cards in order to rack up some Velocity points? I'll be spending about $10k AUD in Hawaii in June. Points are important to me (saving for business class flights next year from LAX to SYD), but not the be all end all if I'm going to save a significant amount. I'm not good with figuring out points values etc

This exact question was asked in this thread (http://www.australianfrequentflyer....s/using-credit-card-overseas-worth-73862.html) yesterday.

As I stated in there, almost always better to use your no fee card. The 3% means it costs you $30 for 1000 points if using a 1 point per $ card, 30c per point, pretty bloody expensive. Have a read of that thread where there are few more reasons and clearer explanation. It all comes down to how much you value a point at.

 

[razors_girl23]

This exact question was asked in this thread (http://www.australianfrequentflyer....s/using-credit-card-overseas-worth-73862.html) yesterday.

As I stated in there, almost always better to use your no fee card. The 3% means it costs you $30 for 1000 points if using a 1 point per $ card, 30c per point, pretty bloody expensive. Have a read of that thread where there are few more reasons and clearer explanation. It all comes down to how much you value a point at.

Thank you! Sorry to have doubled up on the question. Still getting my head around the size of this forum!

 

[moa999]

As I stated in there, almost always better to use your no fee card. The 3% means it costs you $30 for 1000 points if using a 1 point per $ card, 30c per point, pretty bloody expensive..

3c per point you mean...
Bad if your buying toasters, break even for some upgrades

 

[thehound]

As I stated in there, almost always better to use your no fee card. The 3% means it costs you $30 for 1000 points if using a 1 point per $ card, 30c per point, pretty bloody expensive. Have a read of that thread where there are few more reasons and clearer explanation. It all comes down to how much you value a point at.

That should be 3c per point, not 30c per point.

 

[legroom]

Some card - Citi Prestige - gives 1:5 for overseas spend.

In that example, that would work out to be 5,000 (non QF) points to be used on SQ, CX etc

Sorry, off topic

 

[travelislife]

3c per point you mean...
Bad if your buying toasters, break even for some upgrades

That should be 3c per point, not 30c per point.

Absolutely correct! Pesky decimal point haha! Personally when I am 'buying' points I don't like paying much over 0.5c per point. Occasionally up towards 1. The issue is you have to look how you are going to redeem them. I would never pay full fare business class so I don't value them off that rate. There is also the fuel surcharges that have to be accounted for as well as the inconvenience of use. Don't get me wrong I love my FF point accumulation but at the end of the day it is just another currency which you can buy so you have to be happy that the price suits your needs.

 

[get me outta here]

Is this just an add on gimmick to this card? The useful base use of the card for o/s transactions etc is still the same by the look of it and this 'offer' can just be ignored?:

https://www.citibank.com.au/aus/banking/everyday_banking/citibank_plus.htm
Get 5% cashback on your Visa payWave purchases under $100, for four months, when you deposit $3,000 or more each month into a new fee-free Citibank Plus transaction account. Each monthly cashback is capped at $1501.
Plus, enjoy fee-free banking everyday with a Citibank Plus transaction account.

Fee-free withdrawals at 3000+ Australian ATMS.

Unlimited fee-free transactions.

Fee-free international money transfers3.

Plus free wine, when you dine5.


CHAT WITH US NOW
APPLY NOW

• BENEFITS
• FEATURES
• HOW TO APPLY

• Pay no account fees or transaction fees with a Citibank Plus everyday account.
• Get a free Visa Debit card, with Visa payWave, so you can shop online, in-store or overseas using your own funds.
• Use any Citibank, Westpac, St. George, Bank of Melbourne or BankSA ATM in Australia, free of charge.
• Access your Citibank Plus account online (desktop, tablet and mobile), through 24/7 phone banking, or at any Citibank branch or Australia Post.
• Pay $0 Citibank fees for any overseas ATM or in-store transactions2.
• Fee-free international money transfers to any bank, anywhere3.
• Enjoy free, instant money transfers to Citibank accounts, in selected countries, via Citibank Global Transfers4.
• Receive a free bottle of wine every time you dine at Citibank Dining Program partner restaurants and pay with your Visa Debit card5.

 

[serfty]

Interesting - I think I'll have a look into this.

 

[serfty]

Interesting - I think I'll have a look into this.

Nah ...only new accounts (those who have not held a Plus account before) and for just 4 months with a maximum rebate of $150 per month.

 

[k_sheep]

I got the same, offer but 3% ... which I jumped on. 3% discount is worth more to me than 1 point / $ for my JQ card.

 

[gregff]

24 hrs after netbank transfer, Citi showed money had arrived but remained ..... not available.
It remains ... not available ..... 4 business days later

Did this get resolved and did Citi give an explanation why the funds were not received as "cleared funds"? I thought telegraphic transfers and pay-anyone transfers were always supposed to be received as cleared funds.

 

[legroom]

Money became available on day 7

"Technical problems" they explained

Verbal apologies

Still waiting for the FOS complaint to be assessed.

Very, very annoying

Did this get resolved and did Citi give an explanation why the funds were not received as "cleared funds"? I thought telegraphic transfers and pay-anyone transfers were always supposed to be received as cleared funds.

 

[get me outta here]

Re: Citibank Everyday Plus - Free overseas ATM withdrawals!

Are people still finding that taking out cash at an ATM on this card is fee free? If not, which atms should I use as a preference? Is it different in different countries?

I love this card and use it almost exclusively while overseas (still use a c/card for any "security deposit" type things for hire cars and hotels etc).

When we were in Vegas in January I used it in all the ATMs inside the casino which were stating "There is a $5 fee to use this ATM". I never once got charged that fee - Citibank only charged me (for example) $400US and converted that to AUD at the exchange rate - no Citibank fee and no extra $5 fee (and the withdrawal wasn't upped to $405USD either).

It's an awesome card and I'm going to get my partner to apply for one before our next O/S trip as well, because he paid a lot of FX transaction fees for withdrawals when we were in USA and South Africa earlier this year.

Don't think I have ever used a Citibank ATM for a withdrawal. Oh, maybe once in Joburg in June, but that was simply because in the arrivals hall we had 10 ATMs to choose from so I picked one with a name I knew... I don't search for Citibank ATMs while travelling, as this card is free to use in any ATM.

 

[awkwardpaws]

Re: Citibank Everyday Plus - Free overseas ATM withdrawals!

When we were in Vegas in January I used it in all the ATMs inside the casino which were stating "There is a $5 fee to use this ATM". I never once got charged that fee - Citibank only charged me (for example) $400US and converted that to AUD at the exchange rate - no Citibank fee and no extra $5 fee (and the withdrawal wasn't upped to $405USD either).

scubabe I did the same in January - I withdrew from the Bellagio ATM with my Citibank Plus since all citibank ATMs in the US were refusing my card with a specific error code (found later that there is some kind of fault with my card).

When transacting on the Bellagio ATM, it has "there is a $5 free to use this ATM", but I did it anyway as Citibank assured me they will refund me this amount.

When I came back to Oz, I checked my statements as if didnt look as if there was a $5 ATM fee, nor was the withdrawal amount upped by $5. But when I calculated the exchange rate, it was obvious that I had a significantly worse exchange rate compared to the days prior or the days after - which I then assumed the USD5 was built in to the AUD amount, ie, my account was deducted by:

(USD withdrawal multiplied by AUD/USD exchange rate) plus (USD 5 multiplied by AUD/USD exchange rate)

So even though it doesnt look as if there was an ATM fee, it may be built in to the amount deducted from your account. I would love to be proven wrong in this, but that is my understanding as per my last trip.

Just to close off the story, Citibank did refund the USD5 (and other ATM fees during the trip due to the faulty card) to my account.

 

[thehound]

This was an absolute cracker - last week I was on a cruise and we docked at Cozumel. There are a couple of independent ATMs inside the port terminal area, both from the same company (can't recall name now). I went to take out $140 USD using the Citi Plus card and the ATM fee was USD$3, whilst the "commission fee" was USD$19! Needless to say I stopped that transaction on that screen...

 

[serfty]

This was an absolute cracker - last week I was on a cruise and we docked at Cozumel. There are a couple of independent ATMs inside the port terminal area, both from the same company (can't recall name now). I went to take out $140 USD using the Citi Plus card and the ATM fee was USD$3, whilst the "commission fee" was USD$19! Needless to say I stopped that transaction on that screen...

Was this commision fee a tithe to the ATM owner?

 

[moa999]

ATM fee and commission fee??