Citi Simplicity Credit Card
No annual fee, no late fee, no cash advance fee, no over-limit fee
at Citibank UAE's secure site
Citi Simplicity is excluded from Citi's welcome offer. See rates & fees.
Rewards rate
This is a fee-risk card, not a rewards card. Citi's own published schedule confirms there is no annual fee, no late fee, no cash advance fee and no over-limit fee — genuinely rare in the UAE. It also earns nothing at all, so keep it as a backstop and spend on something else.
What the Simplicity does and does not give you
There is no rewards programme on this card. Citi's Key Facts Statement lists a rewards currency and earn rate for every other card in the range and leaves both blank for the Simplicity. No points, no miles, no cashback, on any category, at any time. It is also excluded from Citi's welcome offer, so there is no sign-up bonus either.
What you get instead is the removal of almost every penalty. The annual membership fee is nil with no spend condition, unlike the Citi Rewards and Cash Back cards which need 9,000 a year to stay free. The 230 late payment fee, the cash advance fee and the 249 over-limit fee are all marked not applicable to this card in Citi's fee schedule. Note carefully what is not waived: the 50 card replacement fee, the 2.99% foreign-currency margin, the balance transfer processing fee, and — most importantly — interest at 3.69% a month.
Rates and fees
- Annual fee
- 0, with no minimum spend condition attached.
- Late payment fee
- 0 — Citi's fee schedule marks the 230 late fee as not applicable to Citi Simplicity.
- Cash advance fee
- 0 — not applicable to Citi Simplicity. Interest still accrues from the withdrawal date with no grace period.
- Over limit fee
- 0 — the 249 over-limit fee does not apply to this card.
- Interest rate
- 3.69% a month (44.28% APR) on retail and cash — the same as every other Citi card. Citi's footnote says 42% APR applies until 01 October 2026.
- Interest-free period
- Up to 52 days on purchases if you clear the statement in full; minimum 21 days.
- Foreign currency fee
- 2.99% processing margin — this one is not waived, and there is no cashback to offset it.
- Balance transfer
- Citi advertises 0% interest for 6 months; a processing fee of up to 6% of the transferred amount still applies.
- Minimum payment
- The higher of 100 or 2.74% of the statement balance, plus finance charges and instalment amounts.
Rates taken from Citibank UAE's Credit Cards Key Facts Statement and the July 2026 Fees & Charges schedule, both of which footnote the late payment, cash advance and over-limit fees as not applicable to Citi Simplicity. VAT of 5% applies over and above any fee that does apply.
Card benefits
No fees, and no spend condition
No annual fee, no late payment fee, no cash advance fee and no over-limit fee — confirmed in Citi's published fee schedule, not just on the product page.
0% balance transfers for 6 months
Move a balance from another bank's card and pay no interest for six months. A processing fee of up to 6% still applies.
4 lounge visits a year
25 selected lounges in the Middle East and internationally, shared with supplementary cardholders. One visit a year without international spend; guests cost USD 32.
Talabat: 20% off once a month
20% instant discount up to 14 on one Talabat grocery or food order a month with code MASTERCARD.
Lowest salary bar at Citi
5,000 a month, the most accessible of any Citi UAE credit card, with a fully digital paperless application.
Instalments and cash loans
Convert big purchases into an Easy Instalment Plan or draw a cash loan from the app, subject to eligibility and the usual processing fees.
Pros and cons
- No annual fee at all, and unlike the Citi Rewards and Cash Back cards there is no minimum spend attached to the waiver
- No late payment fee, no cash advance fee and no over-limit fee — confirmed in Citi's own Key Facts Statement, not just marketing
- 0% interest on balance transfers for six months
- 5,000 minimum salary is the lowest of any Citi UAE credit card
- Still includes 4 lounge visits a year at 25 regional and international lounges, plus the monthly Talabat discount
- It earns nothing — no points, no miles, no cashback on any spend
- No fees is not the same as no interest: carry a balance and you still pay 3.69% a month, 44.28% a year
- Cash advances carry no fee but interest starts from the withdrawal date with no grace period
- Excluded from Citi's welcome offer, so there is no sign-up bonus
- Only 25 lounges, 4 visits a year and no free guest
- 2.99% foreign-currency margin with no cashback to offset it makes this a poor card to use abroad
Is it right for you?
Get this card if
- You want a card that cannot cost you anything in fees, whatever happens
- You have missed payments before and want the 230 late fee off the table
- You earn 5,000 to 8,000 and cannot qualify for Citi's other cards
- You want a six-month 0% window to clear a balance from another bank
Consider skipping it if
- You want rewards of any kind — this card earns nothing at all
- You want the welcome bonus, which excludes Citi Simplicity
- You spend abroad often — 2.99% currency margin with no cashback to offset it
- You want meaningful lounge access: 25 lounges, 4 visits and no free guest
Alternatives to consider
Also free in practice, but pays 3% abroad, 2% on groceries and 1% on everything else with no cap.
Best cashback cards →
No fee in year one and free after on 9,000 of annual spend, with 1.5 points per USD on groceries.
No annual fee cards →
A local-bank entry card worth comparing on fees and cashback caps before you commit.
Best cashback cards →Not sure which way to go? Put them side by side in our card comparison tool or browse the full ranked list.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Citi Simplicity Credit Card have an annual fee?+
No. Citi's fee schedule and Key Facts Statement both show no annual membership fee for the Citi Simplicity, with no minimum spend condition attached.
What fees does the Citi Simplicity actually waive?+
The annual membership fee, the AED 230 late payment fee, the cash advance fee and the AED 249 over-limit fee are all shown as not applicable to the Citi Simplicity in Citi's published fee schedule.
Does the Citi Simplicity earn rewards?+
No. Citi's Key Facts Statement lists no rewards currency and no earn rate for this card. It pays no points, no miles and no cashback on any spend.
What is the interest rate on the Citi Simplicity?+
3.69% a month, or 44.28% a year, the same as every other Citi UAE credit card except Citi Ready Credit. Citi's footnote says 42% APR applies until 01 October 2026. There are no fees on this card, but interest is unchanged.
What is the minimum salary for the Citi Simplicity?+
AED 5,000 a month — the lowest requirement of any Citi UAE credit card.
Does the Citi Simplicity include lounge access?+
Yes, but a limited version: 25 selected lounges in the Middle East and internationally, capped at 4 visits a calendar year and shared with supplementary cardholders. Only one visit a year is available without a non-AED transaction to unlock access, and guests cost USD 32 each.
Can I get the Citi welcome offer with the Simplicity card?+
No. Citi's welcome offer terms explicitly exclude Citi Simplicity cards.
Is there a balance transfer offer on the Citi Simplicity?+
Citi's card comparison page advertises 0% interest on balance transfers for six months. A balance transfer processing fee of up to 6% of the transferred amount still applies under the general fee schedule.
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank or card issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.