Citibank Plus

Customer of Citibank for 12 years – Would like to thank Citibank for excellent work and great customer service during past 12 years. You never let me down. Very sad to see it leaving Australia

Used for many OS trips, sad to see it go – Has worked flawlessly for many years and many OS trips. Just got back from Japan and had zero issues with purchases or ATM withdrawals. Has saved us a bucket load on OS transaction fees, ATM fees and exchange rate conversions compared to most other debit/credit cards. Will be sadly missed once NAB complete the takeover of Citibank Bank's Australian operations.

Relied on this junk and got let down in Japan – Card was working fine in NZ so decided to take it to Japan without any cash. Tried to withdraw cash at 7-11 AGM and returned “withdraw declined, contact the card issuing bank”. Knowing the disastrous customer service I wouldn’t even bother to call these morons. Will simply close all accounts and stay clear of it.

Amazing staff – I noticed a CitiPlus Account had been opened without my knowledge so I rang them and I told them what had happened so they are going to sort it out for me to stop this happening to me again.

Never let me down – Best card ever for travelling. Through Europe and England. Load it up and use it. Never had a problem withdrawing and paying for purchases, restaurant etc. No fees at all. Euro or Pounds or $A. Highly recommended.

Debit mastercard fantastic for overseas travel – I use to use a big 4 credit card for overseas and online foreign transactions. I thought the exchange rate was appalling, and the bank making a lot of money out of me. However, when the bank also, to add insult to injury, added a 3% "FX" fee to every foreign currency transaction, I started seeing red. Luckily, I read about Citibank in my brother's… Read more

choice magazine. Now I use my Citibank debit mastercard for all foreign currency transactions. No fees and the exchange rate is so close to the mid market rate that I am unsure of the percentage I am losing. I think half to one percent, but currencies jump around so much I am not sure. Anyway, Thank you Citibank. I no longer feel ripped off every time I do a foreign currency transaction. I don't use the mobile app, but the online banking website is fine.

One of the worst Bank Service Experiences I have come across – I have a citi Bank debit card which I was planning to use on an overseas trip. It would expire during my trip so I called to find out the best way to keep it current. After a long wait I was answered by an overseas agent. She advised me my only choice was to cancel the card and get a new one. Which I found strange other banks can send a new card… Read more

same account detail but with a long expiry period. So I had no choice but to agree to this .When the new card arrived it also came with a cheque for my existing account funds in Oz $ which I would normally change into foreign currency. All my accounts were closed and I would have to go thru re opening them again. I couldn't even login to activate my new card. When I called to complain and ask to speak to a supervisor I was advised I would be connected right away. 10 minutes passed and nobody came on the line. Agent returned and the same thing happened again When I was then passed to a supervisor it was clear it was just another agent. I believe the whole cancellation thing was so the agent would get commission for signing up a new customer. This call centre that citi use is not interested in customer needs, only their needs. By default so then is citi bank

Monumental Incompetence – It has taken 3 months, a dozen phone calls, the completion of an online webform (4 times), a postal letter, and a an (unresolved) complaint just to open an account with these clowns (and the account is still not open). I have literally had to do their jobs for them at every step of the way and they still couldn't find their way out of a cardboard box...

Frustrating beyond words – Overseas without phone connection and impossible to contact this wretched institution which I will not dignify by using the word 'bank'

Worthless account since NAB took over Citibank Australia DO NOT OPEN – NAB executives who now own Citibank Australia business have decided to no longer offer global currency transfer from AUD to IND Indian rupee even thought I have Citibank India account. I have this account for the last 15 years & the only reason kept this account open was the global transfers without any currency conversion or transaction fee. Now… Read more

they have completely removed IND from their currency list. DO NOT BOTHER getting this account you are mich better off going to HSBC.

Citibank Global Currency account – Please DO NOT get this account. I was in Los Angeles and needed more fund so I made a transfer from my other bank account. The amount is still on hold and I can't access the money. Customer service representatives will shamelessly lie to you that it will be resolved in the next 24 hours. Had to lodge a complaint to Australian Financial Complaint… Read more

Authority (Afca) I ended up using my local credit card in US and thus had to incur foreign transaction fees.

Unreliable, second time attempting to open account in last two years – After hearing the benefits of having the citiplus account/card, I definitely wanted to open an account with Citibank. The first time I signed up for the card was two months before travelling-a year and a half ago. I never received the card- after two months, I called on a weekly basis to check the whereabouts and progress of my card/account, and… Read more

received the same reply “it’s in progress” “the account is open, but the card will be with you soon”- the day before travelling I still hadn’t received the card so I cancelled the account, after 2 months of waiting. This time around I provided all required documentation and decided to give Citi A second chance a year later, I had to open a brand new account, it’s passed two weeks and they haven’t approved/confirmed my account- I spoke to them 5 times in the past two weeks- following all protocols,, they stated 1-4 business days the account will be open and I’ll receive my card wishing 1-2 weeks, it’s passed 10 business days, and my account still hasn’t opened. When I spoke to the operators I was met with the same response “You’ve provided all the information needed, please give us 3 business days” I’m leaving for my holiday in two weeks time, I applied one and a half months in advance, and am disappointed again- numerous phone calls later and still no confirmation. I would love to start banking with Citi, but if I can’t even open an account or receive the card to start, I’m assuming banking with them would be even worse. What a headache and disappointment.

5 to 7 days for card - not received – I was told 5 to 7 days to receive my card, today is working day 8 and besides receiving an initial email from Citibank saying they were processing my Citibank Plus account, no other communication has been received. I rang them today and they told me they emailed the processing team and they will receive a response from them tomorrow and ring me. I… Read more

think this is appalling to tell someone 5 to 7 days probably earier to receive card and day 8 my application has not even been proceesed.

No more counter bank cheques! – In the name of 'digitisation' you request it online and they put it in the post! Progress eh? Time to change to a bank that at least has branches - what a depressing thought!

Warning daily limit applies, use with caution, only deposit 1k when travelling – Citibank Plus is ok for travel....if you can find a suitable ATM that doesn't charge fees. The problem is if you load more than $1,000 you cannot take it out in one hit and you need to come in and take it out in $1,000 lots....if you can find the fee free ATM. Best ONLY use as a back up EMERGENCY card to withdraw cash when Overseas. best to… Read more

use 28 degrees card to only pay with credit wherever possible, try never to use cash because exchange rates to get cash are just a rip-off doesn't matter where in the world you are. other cash cards like Qantas and other cards just rip you off with fees and poor exchange rates.

Even better try not spend money and treat these cash cards for emergencies, only walk everywhere whenever possible, book your hotel with at least one meal with your stay and pay by credit card and leave plenty of time and use public transport where ever possible using local prepaid transport cards so you don't get squeezed by unscrupulous rip-off con artists lying to your face like your a stupid tourist.

Avoid using this card or any card with Uber because they price squeeze you in peak times far more expensive than taxis.

ONLY EXCHANGE CURRENCY THAT USE xe.com otherwise they are just ripping you blind with your pants down around your ankles, bent over a barrel being shafted like the dirt you are!!!

Just don't bother – Dont ever get an account with these morons if you ever plan to move abroad ... the sheer foolishness involved in their 'process' is astounding. I just moved back to Australia and wanted to log in to my account and was being sent an OTP to my number in a different country. Contact the customer service and then was asked for "mothers maiden name"… Read more

"address" "passport no" "phone no" and then to list the name of a payee and it was at this stage that iIcould no longer take it....

The worst part.... U have to go through this every time you travel !!!!

Do not waste your time with this bank coz the morons running this business havent got a clue and the customer service geniuses probably cant even spell their role

Horrible customer service – I signed up for this card to take overseas, have not yet left for my trip but have already had to call Citibank 5 times and speak to a customer service officer - none so far have been helpful and all contradict what the previous one has said. They will lock you out of your account and will not notify you of it forcing you to call and wait to be put through to an incompetent customer service advisor

Complete Lack of Customer Service – Having had an account with Citibank over 15 years I attempted to make a payment from the account without success. Upon contacting Citibank I was advised the account was on hold due to an overdue 33c balance. I was unable to make a 33c payment from my online banking account and so was advised by Citibank to pay $1 and the account would be taken off… Read more

hold after 24 hours. After 40 hours I again could not make a payment from the Citibank account. When I called again I was advised that the account had been permanently closed due to poor payment history. At no point did I ever receive any correspondence by mail / email / phone calls alluding me to this status of my account. Now Citibank owe me 67c - which I called them about and they advised that they will now be sending me a cheque in the mail. NO IDEA !!!!!

citibank global currency account – When I found out about this card I thought it was a great option & had planned to use it regularly. This card although being a debit card (with funds available) does not work in gas stations & randomly declines in stores as well. Dispite having USD & AUD accounts ive been charged for conversion fees, had my AUD account debited dispite using the… Read more

account in the USA. I have been on the phone to citi bank several times with issues with this card. I was charged over $50 USD (conversion fee according to bank) for withdrawing funds dispite nominating to use the USD account (previous call to the bank). When I disputed the charge citibank blamed it on the ATM???

I have wasted so much time with this card (on the phone to the bank) & had to use my regular credit card several times when it declined. Its not worth the hassle, especially on your holiday. Next time I'm getting a travel card, will never use citi again there customer service is very poor!

Best option for travelling – Fee free travelling saved us heaps on our holidays and can just be used to paywave as well. When you look at all the options its the best out there by far.

So not fall for this card being better than prepaid travel card – I foolishly listen to people talking about citibank in online forums, think about it before you apply for one of these. It cannot be used in a lot of countries , exchange to the foreign cash to the country/s or foreign prepaid travel card you are going to , much better and cheaper alternative

Much better than travel money cards – Whenever I travel overseas this is my go-to cash card. It's a debit card so using my own money. No fee for using as a Visa card, and best of all no fee for cash advances except if ATM operator charges a fee. Amount debited is anyways within a dollar of my conversion app. Only downside is the Citibank app isn't great, slow to load and can be fussy to log on when overseas. Edited: Citibank app now works flawlessly.

Failed miserably. I got my card and requested another one for my husband, more than a month – Supervisor [name removed] was absolutely useless, staff have got no idea what they are doing. Information provided by one staff contradicts to information they provided me with previously. One stated that application can be emailed, other was in complete denial. Promised to call me on many occasions-never did. I decided that I will transfer my… Read more

money elsewhere. The entire department has got no idea what they are doing.

Ridiculous situation, sick of their inconsistencies and plain lies!!!

Too hard – I got this card to primarily use overseas. The rates and fees made it very attractive. However, it was not explained that you can’t advise them that you are travelling overseas before you leave. If they detect unusual transactions, they contact you via mobile phone and suspend your account until they can. I am not taking my mobile overseas due to… Read more

prohibitive roaming charges. This card won’t work for me. Other Australian banks let you advise them before you leave. The last thing I need is no access to my money when I am travelling. I only wanted to withdraw funds at ATM

First impression failed – Originally my thought to bank with CitiPlus was a nice experience, I was hoping to get a decent service from this Bank. Unfortunately, this Bank has failed me up again compare to any other Big 4 services. I initiated a transfer yesterday afternoon from another bank and my fund has not been cleared yet as of today. I was expecting the fund should… Read more

be cleared via the over night clearing service but got into pending status.

I called the Customer service and requested a quick resolution for my issue but I got told to follow their procedure and wait for another 12-48 hours. What a frustrating process!

Realized of not getting anywhere, straight after the call, I then initiated another transfer onto my different bank and got my business sorted out within seconds. I have made Citibank too big in my eyes but I was wrong.

For Citibank, you need to keep up your work up to this fair standard of banking services:

/***

Transfers completed before 6pm (Sydney/ Melbourne time) Monday to Friday are processed that evening and in the recipient's account the next day. Transfers made after this time, or to some smaller financial institutions, may take one day longer. ***/

Worked very well in Japan – I chose to get a Citibank account before I travelled to Japan because it miraculously had no ATM withdrawal fees and no international transaction fees. I was quite wary because it sounded too good to be true and there are so many negative reviews online. I was pleasantly surprised by the effortless cash withdrawal and card payment in Japan. I… Read more

withdrew from 711 ATMs and was charged no fee. On top of that, the exchange rates were miles better than the foreign exchange shops. I got 83 yen for 1 aud...amazing! It was easy to know the day's exchange rate using the app.

I did notify the bank via my online account before going overseas. And the only drawback is it took me 2 to 3 days to transfer money from my Commonwealth bank account to Citibank. All in All, I highly recommend if you're going overseas!

I thought Australia's banking system couldn't get worse! – Why does it take so long to transfer money to my Citibank account from PayPal when other banks appear to be able to do with by the next day? I went to sleep with the Paypal withdrawal to Citibank completed and the withdrawal to my other bank pending, but woke up to find that only the other bank was credited! I also don't want to be forced to… Read more

use a secure key or OTP. I would prefer an option where I can answer a serious of questions to prove that I am who I am instead. I think Citibank presumes that travelers keep to one SIM which is not a choice built on wisdom.

Finally, beware the horror story of getting emergency cash from Citibank while overseas - literally no option for Western Union or MoneyGram (even through the service provided by MasterCard for free because Citibank does not allow it!) and getting money at a branch will take around five hours!!!

Frustrating – $0 fees. Sounds great on paper. Problem is their phone app is garbage (seriously bad), as is their mobile site, and their desktop site is aging badly. Reversing transactions without explanation, and phone support (to resolve said problems) can be between slow and hanging up on you. You can have your zero fees and free wine, Citi. I went elsewhere because I like being able to actually manage my money with my bank (crazy, right?).

Fee free banking – If you don't like paying bank fees, this is the account for you. Account does everything you could possibly want, and all without paying any fees. Especially good for overseas travel or online shopping.

Best Card For Overseas ATMs – I've had the Citibank Plus account with its Debit card for over four years now. It recently changed from being a Visa Debit card to a Mastercard Debit Card. It has no annual fee, no overseas transaction fees and if you can find a Citibank ATM overseas, no ATM fee either - but you will pay an ATM fee with non Citibank ATMs. Thus it is great for… Read more

overseas travel. Consider - if one is going on an overseas vacation and expects to spend $5000 on accommodation, meals and car hire - then this account and Debit card will save $150 in the foreign exchange fees typically charged by other credit and debit cards. Better that $150 in my pocket, than it just be given to the banks.

The actual currency exchange rate at any minute can be found at the XE,com website. This card uses the Mastercard exchange rate found at www.mastercard.us/en-us/consumers/get-support/convert-currency.html, and the rate is set once per day. So that one can easily compare the Mastercard rate to the true rate - and it is usually pretty good, varying by around 0.5 to sometimes 1.5 cents from the XE.com rate. The Mastercard rate is always very much better than what banks charge for putting money into their debit Travel Cards which nearly always deviate by three to four cents from the XE.com rate. The debit Travel Cards and other similar things like Qantas Cash are thus relatively very expensive on the exchange rate, but they do protect against a major drop in Australian currency - which does happen occasionally.

As part of rewards for this account and debit card, one does get email offers to events, and there are restaurants in Australia where one gets a free bottle of wine for using the card. I don't like wine, so have never tested this aspect out.

Until recently, Citibank were like other banks where you notified them of which countries you were going to before you went. But Citibank changed this last year and you no longer need to notify them. BUT....if they deem a transaction suspicious, they block the transaction and send a One Time Pin (OTP) to your mobile phone, which you have to then enter into somewhere in the Citibank App to unblock the transaction.

Of course this means that one has to have a phone with international phone and data roaming on it, and the Citibank App has to be on it. I raised this issue at the Australian Frequent Flyers site, and while most people hadn't had this action occur to them, it did happen to a couple of people, and they weren't too happy, one chap having to stuff around for 20 minutes to finally unblock the card.

As for me, the Citibank App used to work fine on my two Android 4.3 phones, but one day it stopped working on both, and despite several uninstalls and reinstalls, it won't work. So now I just send Citibank a message on my account site before travelling, telling them that their App doesn't work on my phones and which countries I'm going to. They have responded that that they have noted that information. And I have had no problems using the card on ATMs in recent trips to Bali and Bangkok - though I suspect that if that block were to occur, it would be with a retailer rather than at an ATM. Regardless, I always have the foreign exchange fee-free 28 Degree Mastercard with me, in case the Citibank card is blocked..

On the plus side, this new system does have the advantage that one can go to countries one wasn't planning to go to, and get cash out there. Several years ago we took a train trip to Tijuana from San Diego, and when I got there, realized that I had no way of getting Mexican money out from the ATMs, and didn't all that many US dollars in my pocket. I would have had a far more pleasant visit had the new system been in effect back then.

To summarize,

a. if one wants a Debit card this a very good card for local usage (especially if you like the free bottle of wine with the restaurant meal) , and

b. if one wants a card for overseas usage (especially for getting foreign cash out of ATMs) this is the Must-have card.

Regards.

Brilliant travel debit card – The Citi Plus Debit MC is awesome for travel in Indonesia and Vietnam. Arriving in Ho Chi Minh City Airport is great because as soon as you clear immigration there is a Citi ATM. I was able to get cash at excellent rates (pretty much as you will see on xe.com) and NO FEES. A similar experience in Jakarta, but this time I couldn't find a Citi… Read more ·  1

ATM, but then found out BCA ATMs (which are just about on every street corner) have an agreement with Citi and don't charge fees either. Awesome!

Have also used the debit card for online overseas purchases.

The debit card means that if you account gets skimmed, the maximum you can get scammed is the amount in the account, which is an extra layer of security.

worst banking experience ever – Opened a Citibank account because I plan to travel overseas at the end of the month. A few days after opening I receive an email with a PDF attachment asking me to open it and enter my personal details. Of course I would never open such an attachment so I contact citibank instead. Citibank confirm that they do not send this suspicious attachment… Read more

requesting personal info and ask that I forward the email. I send it on but hear nothing about it since.

Today I received the new card and activate it.

I try to test the card for an online purchase and receive a message "your credit card appears to be issued outside Australia please try a different card". I contact Citibank, I'm told the merchant doesn't accept the master card because it's linked to a debit and not a credit account. I try my NAB debit visa and it works fine. I contact the merchant and they confirm it accepts debit and credit and refer me back to Citibank. I contact Citibank and they suggest I use my NAB card for this merchant! I try to move past this and contact Citibank to set up PayID. Citibank inform me that I need to set this up directly via the PayID website. I have other accounts set up for PayID and know this needs to be done via your bank. I explain this to the representative but she guides me to the PayID website and of course there is nowhere to set up PayID, caught out and not sure what to do she hangs up on me! I call Citibank again this time to close the account. What a complete waste of time and resources. There is no way I can risk travelling overseas with this lack of customer support. I'll pay the extra fees to use my regular account overseas.