Guide to Citibank Checking Accounts: Tiers From Regular to Citigold

Vault’s Viewpoint

• Citibank checking account tiers include Regular, Access, Priority, Citigold and Private Client.
• Most customers will qualify for Regular Checking or Access Checking, which both have most essential checking features and a waivable monthly fee.
• If you plan to manage savings or investments at Citibank (or already do), you may get the higher-tier benefits and fee waivers automatically.

Citibank Checking Account Options

Founded in 1812 as the City Bank of New York, Citibank is one of the oldest financial institutions in the U.S. and the fourth-largest bank by assets today. As a global institution, Citi provides financial services to millions of customers in 160 countries.

With only 600 physical branch locations in the U.S., Citibank doesn’t lead the nation’s banks as far as in-person accessibility goes. However, a lot of online banks have no branches at all, so if you just want to be able to walk into a building and deposit cash or speak to a person from time to time, 600 is still a solid network to choose from. Plus, you have access to 65,000 fee-free ATMs at retail locations across the country. (Fun fact: Citibank was responsible for popularizing the ATM in the U.S. during the 1970s.)

Citi’s history isn’t free of controversy. Most notably, the company faced a seven-billion-dollar fine for its role in the 2008 subprime mortgage crisis. They’ve also paid millions in settlements related to improper foreclosure handling and collusion in the LIBOR interest rate manipulation scandal. It’s up to you how you weigh these considerations when choosing a bank.

Citibank checking accounts are divided into a tiered system that operates similarly to a rewards program. Customers can move up or down in the tiers based on their total balances across all eligible Citibank products. That means in addition to your checking balance, any funds in a linked Citibank savings account, money market account, certificate of deposit or investment account will count towards your total. Different tiers come with different account benefits, which we’ll outline for each account below. New customers can sign up for any tier but must meet applicable balance requirements within three months to stay there.

Although Citibank checking accounts don’t pay interest, keep an eye on current Citi promotions and bonus offers to boost your earnings.

Regular Checking

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APY

N/A

Monthly Service Fee

$15 (can be waived)

Minimum Balance

$0

Expert Take

Regular Checking is like the first rung of the Citibank checking accounts ladder: it gets you started and has all the essential features but not many extras. Use it to write checks, set up direct deposit and manage money through the Citi Mobile App. Most users will start with this account by default until they have a high enough balance to move to the next tier.

While there’s no minimum deposit to open an account, don’t keep it empty for too long, as accounts with a $0 balance for 90 days are subject to closure. You won’t be charged the $15 service fee for the first three months your account is open. After that, you’ll need a $250 “enhanced direct deposit” each month to waive the fee. “Enhanced” means there are a variety of methods that will qualify for this, beyond a traditional payroll deposit—for instance, you can meet this requirement with a P2P Zelle transfer.

Once you’ve been approved for one of these Citibank checking accounts, you’ll be mailed a contactless, chip-enabled debit card. You can also request an ATM-only card, which allows cash withdrawals but not purchases. Regular Checking account holders can withdraw up to $1,500 in cash per day with their ATM or debit card. Citi doesn’t charge overdraft fees or returned item fees on any accounts. You can sign up for optional overdraft protection features like Safety Check and Checking Plus, which automatically transfers funds from your savings account or line of credit if a transaction is going to overdraw your account.

Pros

• No special requirements to access features in this account tier
• Manage money through checks, debit cards, ATM cards, mobile wallets, Citibank online banking or the Citibank app
• Overdraft protection features and no overdraft fees

Cons

• The $15 monthly service fee is fairly high and can only be waived with monthly deposits
• You have to pay to order personal checks, cashier’s checks and money orders
• No extra perks (such as loan discounts or boosted rates on a Citibank savings account)

Who Is This Best For?

Everyday users who need essential checking features

Access Checking

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APY

N/A

Monthly Service Fee

$5 (can be waived)

Minimum Balance

$0

Expert Take

This Citibank checking alternative is dubbed a “checkless account,” since it doesn’t come with check writing abilities—but in nearly all other ways, it’s identical to an Regular Checking account at Citibank. One key difference is that the fee is lower by default, at $5 vs. $15. But the waiver requirement is the same: there’s zero fee for the first 3 months after account opening, and subsequently for every month with $250+ in qualifying direct deposits.

Access and Regular Checking also differ in how they handle overdrafts. Access Checking doesn’t have overdraft protection features like Safety Check or Checking Plus. Instead, it’s set up so that transactions simply won’t be approved if the amount is higher than your available balance at that time.

Pros

• Lower monthly service fee than Regular Checking, with equivalent waiver requirements
• Comes with almost all of the same features and benefits as Regular Checking

Cons

• Checks are not available for this account
• No overdraft protection features (purchases that would overdraw your account will simply be declined)

Who Is This Best For?

Customers who want a simple, low-fee account without checks or overdrafts

Citi Priority Checking

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APY

N/A

Monthly Service Fee

$0

Minimum Balance

$30,000 across eligible Citi accounts

Expert Take

Priority is the first “relationship tier” that customers can bump themselves into. Once your balance crosses the $30,000 threshold across all combined Citi deposit and investment accounts, you’ll be automatically upgraded to the Priority Citibank checking account. If your combined average monthly balance ever drops back below that level for three months in a row, the downgrade re-tiering is also automatic.

Perks for this account include zero monthly fees and free personal checks, cashier’s checks and money orders. Debit and ATM card cash withdrawal limits increase to $2,000 per day; plus, Citi will waive their side of fee charges at non-Citi ATMs (the merchant may still charge their own fee). Priority members qualify for a rate discount on personal loans and mortgages, an interest boost on savings products, waived foreign exchange fees, complimentary financial planning and more.

Pros

• If you also keep savings or investments with Citibank, this is the easiest relationship tier to qualify for
• No monthly service fee or Citi fees for checks, money orders or withdrawals at any ATM
• Get boosted interest rates on savings and discounted rates on loans (specifics vary based on your market)

Cons

• Not an interest-bearing account itself
• Requires $30,000 in a linked Citibank savings account, investment account and/or other combinations of deposit products
• If your balance falls below $30,000 for three consecutive months, you’ll be re-tiered to Regular Checking

Who Is This Best For?

Customers who also plan to save and invest with Citibank

Citigold Checking

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APY

N/A

Monthly Service Fee

$0

Minimum Balance

$200,000 across eligible Citi accounts

Expert Take

Customers with a total account value of $200,000 or more at Citibank will move up to the Citigold account tier. New benefits at this level begin with lifestyle and travel perks—from access to Citigold lounges to a “Culture Pass” you can use at select museums. Customers who enroll in the Subscription Rebate Program can get up to $200 cash back per year on qualifying subscriptions purchased with their Citigold Debit Card.

Along with those benefits, Citigold customers get additional fee waivers—including waived fees on all incoming (and certain outgoing) wire transfers and reimbursements on ATM fees charged by other banks. Daily cash withdrawal limits increase to $5,000 and preferential rates on savings may increase again in this tier. You’ll also get a bigger discount on mortgage interest rates.

Pros

• Lifestyle, travel and concierge benefits that aren’t available in the Priority checking tier
• Complete fee waivers on ATMs globally and on most wire transfers
• Up to $200 in subscription rebates for Costco, TSA Precheck, Global Entry and various streaming services

Cons

• Citigold Checking is not an interest-bearing account
• You’ll need a combined balance of at least $200,000 across eligible Citibank products to qualify for the Citigold tier
• If your balance drops below $180,000 for three consecutive months, you’ll be downgraded to Priority

Who Is This Best For?

Citi clients who are further along in their wealth-building journey

Citigold Private Client Checking

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APY

N/A

Monthly Service Fee

$0

Minimum Balance

$1 million across eligible Citi accounts

Expert Take

Although this Citibank checking account will only be within reach for the most dedicated of Citi customers, you will find their most exclusive benefits in this tier. In addition to all the typical Citigold benefits, customers will receive a Citigold Private Client Debit Card with its own set of travel and lifestyle perks and concierge services. All wire transfer fees are waived and you’ll receive the highest level of preferred mortgage and savings interest rates. Finally, you can access 24/7 private client customer service and personalized guidance from your “wealth team.”

Pros

• Highest level of wealth management benefits for those who can take advantage of them
• Personalized service and 24/7 access to the Citigold Private Client service center
• Up to $400 off eligible subscription services annually

Cons

• Steep $1 million combined balance entry requirement
• Requires an ongoing minimum combined balance of $800,000 to maintain tier membership
• Even at this high tier, it’s not an interest-bearing checking account, and you don’t get cash back or points for debit purchases

Who Is This Best For?

High-balance clients who use Citi’s wealth management services

How To Open Citibank Checking Accounts

If you’re interested in opening a Citibank checking account, you’ll follow this basic process.

1. Consider which checking account tier you want. New customers can sign up directly for the Priority or Citigold relationship tiers and will have three months to bring their combined account balance up to the required amount. You’ll need to call or make an appointment with a Wealth Relationship Manager to join the Private Client tier. If you just want a standard Citibank checking account, opt for Regular or Access.
2. Visit a branch or apply online. During the application, you’ll need to provide information like your address and Social Security number. If you’re applying in person, bring a form of ID and proof of address.
3. Sign up for Citibank online banking once you’ve been approved so you can start setting up your account.

If you want to change your relationship tier later, you don’t have to apply for a new checking account. Simply bring up your combined savings and investment balance totals and your existing account will be automatically transitioned to the next tier.

Alternatives to Citibank Checking Accounts

Citibank Regular Checking vs. nbkc bank Everything Account

The Everything Account from nbkc bank is designed to meet your checking and savings needs at once. Unlike Citibank Regular Checking, it is fee-free by default and pays a competitive APY on balances. However, nbkc is an online-only bank, so the biggest downside compared to Citibank is a lack of in-person branch access and ability to make cash deposits.

Citibank Regular Checking vs. Chase Total Checking

If physical branch access is an important factor for you, Chase Bank has nearly 5,000 of them for you to choose from nationwide, which dwarfs Citibank’s 600. On the other hand, Citibank does offer more fee-free ATMs (65,000 vs. Chase’s 16,000). The monthly service fee is lower at $12 for Chase Total Checking, vs. Citi’s $15, and comes with more options for waiving it. But if you want to keep your checking and savings accounts at the same bank, Citibank has better savings account rates in most markets.

Citibank Regular Checking vs. Discover Cashback Debit Checking

This online-only checking account through Discover doesn’t pay interest itself, but unlike Citibank checking accounts, it does feature cash-back debit card benefits. You can still beat their 1% rewards rate by using one of the best cash-back credit cards, but this account offers a great alternative for those who prefer not to use credit. There’s no monthly service fee and you can withdraw cash at over 60,000 fee-free ATMs nationwide.