Citibank Plus - No Fee No Overseas Transaction Fee Account

[greenfrog86]

My Westpac and ING cards don't!

Are they visa/mastercard debit or EFTPOS cards?

If your cards were issued before those institutions started issuing chips then all you need to do is call and get a new card issued...

All my cards have chips now except for Citi and almost all of them have PayPass or PayWave now too

 

[oz_mark]

So the debit card is marginal use compared to just getting the normal account transaction card?

I pretty much use it as a normal transaction card, but there are some advantages in it being a Visa/Mastercard. Chargebacks are availabe for one thing. On the other hand, Woolworths force you to use the Eftpos (savings/credit) path.

Are they visa/mastercard debit or EFTPOS cards?

If your cards were issued before those institutions started issuing chips then all you need to do is call and get a new card issued...

All my cards have chips now except for Citi and almost all of them have PayPass or PayWave now too

Maybe. I've had them a while.

 

[greenfrog86]

I pretty much use it as a normal transaction card, but there are some advantages in it being a Visa/Mastercard. Chargebacks are availabe for one thing. On the other hand, Woolworths force you to use the Eftpos (savings/credit) path.



Maybe. I've had them a while.

Yep absolutely. The scheme association is important when using this kind of card overseas to make purchases - EFTPOS is useless!

So the debit card is marginal use compared to just getting the normal account transaction card?

Medhead - there is only one option for the Citibank Plus card... You get a Visa Debit card, however as discussed above you don't get a chip or Visa PayWave. You do however get to use it through the Visa network as also noted above, and have the option of using EFTPOS when making purchases in Australia

 

[medhead]

Medhead - there is only one option for the Citibank Plus card... You get a Visa Debit card, however as discussed above you don't get a chip or Visa PayWave. You do however get to use it through the Visa network as also noted above, and have the option of using EFTPOS when making purchases in Australia

Cheers, I must have read the website wrong. Read it as 2 forms of access, ATM and debit. Didn't consider these as being via the same card.

 

[greenfrog86]

Cheers, I must have read the website wrong. Read it as 2 forms of access, ATM and debit. Didn't consider these as being via the same card.

They're almost always the same thing these days - every bank that issues scheme debit cards in Australia will usually give you one of these cards by default, however you can usually 'opt out' and just get an Eftpos/Maestro card for ATM access in Australia.

In summary, the picture you see on their website (no chip, but Visa Debit) is what you will be issued with this account...

 

[Stephen65]

I applied online Tuesday of last week and got an email asking me to do the proof of ID process at Australia Post. I did that on Monday and today I got another email saying my account is now open. Hopefully the card and pin will arrive soon. So it's been painless so far.

 

[NT2010]

I just did a "test run" on my new Citi-Plus no fee card against the NAB Gold (to be charged foreign exchange fees from August this year) in Singapore a couple of days ago

Withdrawn the same Singapore $100 dollars with both cards, at the same ATM one straight after another:

NAB Gold charged me AUD$79.25 - exchange rate of 1.2618

Citi Plus charged me AUD $78.62 - better exchange rate of 1.2719

So Citi Plus is actually a better alternative to the NAB Gold - note that either of these rates were still better than the Money Changers in the Singapore street which offered an AUD-SGD exchange rate of only 1.25

 

[markis10]

I just did a "test run" on my new Citi-Plus no fee card against the NAB Gold (to be charged foreign exchange fees from August this year) in Singapore a couple of days ago

Withdrawn the same Singapore $100 dollars with both cards, at the same ATM one straight after another:

NAB Gold charged me AUD$79.25 - exchange rate of 1.2618

Citi Plus charged me AUD $78.62 - better exchange rate of 1.2719

So Citi Plus is actually a better alternative to the NAB Gold - note that either of these rates were still better than the Money Changers in the Singapore street which offered an AUD-SGD exchange rate of only 1.25

Thats a good real world comparison!

 

[hummel]

I just did a "test run" on my new Citi-Plus no fee card against the NAB Gold (to be charged foreign exchange fees from August this year) in Singapore a couple of days ago

Withdrawn the same Singapore $100 dollars with both cards, at the same ATM one straight after another:

NAB Gold charged me AUD$79.25 - exchange rate of 1.2618

Citi Plus charged me AUD $78.62 - better exchange rate of 1.2719

So Citi Plus is actually a better alternative to the NAB Gold - note that either of these rates were still better than the Money Changers in the Singapore street which offered an AUD-SGD exchange rate of only 1.25

Thanks for the report, quite interesting as I've just been approved for a Citibank Platinum with the citibank plus account, heading off to Europe start of July so will give it a crack then.

 

[Must...Fly!]

My understanding was the NAB Gold card forex fees were introduced as of 8 June, as per this thread http://www.australianfrequentflyer....ewards/nab-no-longer-offering-gold-38219.html ?

Co-incidentally though, I received my Citi information letter and T-PIN today. Still waiting on the VISA and PIN though (applied 5 June)

 

[NT2010]

My understanding was the NAB Gold card forex fees were introduced as of 8 June, as per this thread ..?

Co-incidentally though, I received my Citi information letter and T-PIN today. Still waiting on the VISA and PIN though (applied 5 June)

My NAB Gold Banking letter stated that the fees will apply from 10 Aug 2012, not June - fees include $4 per overseas ATM cash withdrawel, $1 account enquiry, plus 2% foreign currency transaction fee for cash withdraw/purchase etc.

 

[Cynicor]

I just did a "test run" on my new Citi-Plus no fee card against the NAB Gold (to be charged foreign exchange fees from August this year) in Singapore a couple of days ago

Withdrawn the same Singapore $100 dollars with both cards, at the same ATM one straight after another:

NAB Gold charged me AUD$79.25 - exchange rate of 1.2618

Citi Plus charged me AUD $78.62 - better exchange rate of 1.2719

So Citi Plus is actually a better alternative to the NAB Gold - note that either of these rates were still better than the Money Changers in the Singapore street which offered an AUD-SGD exchange rate of only 1.25

While the street rate in SIN will never match the CC rate on the decent cards, you were given a very poor rate. On Tuesday I was getting 1.265 and today can pick up SGD for 1.268. Was not in town Wed and Thurs but I don't think the rate dropped that much and rebounded, so you may need to choose somewhere else to change cash if you require it.

 

[jingles]

Has anyone signed up and received a non Visa card?

The card for my Plus Account arrived today however there is no Visa logo on it.

It doesn't bother me that much as I can still use it in "Plus" ATMs overseas.

This is the second ATM card Citibank has messed up.
The last was when they issued a card linked to my Online Savings Account, unfortunately they noticed that mistake and cancelled the card

 

[greenfrog86]

Has anyone signed up and received a non Visa card?

The card for my Plus Account arrived today however there is no Visa logo on it.

It doesn't bother me that much as I can still use it in "Plus" ATMs overseas.

This is the second ATM card Citibank has messed up.
The last was when they issued a card linked to my Online Savings Account, unfortunately they noticed that mistake and cancelled the card

That sounds really odd - I've had a Citibank transaction account for many years and have always had a Visa Debit card (well before it was typical amongst the major banks).

Assuming you are over 18, just call them up and ask for a new card...

 

[jingles]

That sounds really odd - I've had a Citibank transaction account for many years and have always had a Visa Debit card (well before it was typical amongst the major banks).

Assuming you are over 18, just call them up and ask for a new card...

I found it odd too as I can not even see an option on their website to have a non-Visa card.

The other thing I found strange was the letter that came with the card was titled "...Replacement Citi Debit Card". I am assuming being a "replacement" has something to do with the card they issued and then cancelled one for my online savings account.

I'm definitely over 18.

I intend to get a replacement, though I don't plan on calling them for a few weeks as I am heading overseas where I want to be able to withdraw cash and don't want to chance having the card I have being cancelled when a Visa card is issued.

 

[Stephen65]

That does sound odd. My card turned up recently and its a Visa debit card with a prominent Visa logo. We're off overseas for a few weeks so I am planning to give it a good workout.

 

[scwappy]

I received a non visa debit card and have not yet received a pin number or anything yet. Will follow up close when I intend on actually using it.

 

[pauly7]

If you get an ATM card issued on the spot at citibank or Citigold centre they can only press eftpos cards not visa debit.....

 

[greenfrog86]

If you get an ATM card issued on the spot at citibank or Citigold centre they can only press eftpos cards not visa debit.....

If that's true its another example of Citibank's complete incompetence and dumb, dumb, dumb systems/processes...

 

[jingles]

I received a non visa debit card and have not yet received a pin number or anything yet. Will follow up close when I intend on actually using it.

Well that's two of us. I am also waiting on my Pin for the card.
If you have a Telephone Pin you can activate the card now.
Even though the letter says you need to wait for the ATM and Telephone pin to activate I was able to activate my debit card with the card number and the same Telephone Pin that I use for my credit card.

I found it strange that the letter which comes with the card says you can use it in PLUS, STAR and NYCE ATMs however there is only a PLUS logo on the card.

If you get an ATM card issued on the spot at citibank or Citigold centre they can only press eftpos cards not visa debit.....

It came in the post.
I guess there may be some restriction or limitation imposed by Visa which stops branches pressing a Visa card.