Citibank Internet Banking www.citibank.com Review

Overall Rating

Easy menus, and free bill pay means I can budget any way I like (i.e. if funds are tight I can send payments weekly and not have the hassle of mailing 4 separate payments). Flexible scheduling allows for automatic or manual payments. Long list of available EFT clients that get their money FAST. The ability to send papercheck to ANYONE, anywhere, just by entering their name/address in my personal data bank. Citibank have done all the research and follow-up for me when a payment didn't arrive, and in both cases the error was obviously MINE (wrong date on one payment; wrong account number on another), but Citibank sent a letter on my behalf, and all fees were waived and corrected. It took a while to get used to the idea that my money comes out of my account immediately (no waiting 3 days to clear like paper checks), but now I love it. I also love having an accurate record of all payments made to specific payees, and the ability to go through the archives when I need to get information for payments made months ago. My statements are available online, and I can also get copies of my checks. Connection is fast too.

Locally, Citibank branches are few and far between. On the occasion that you need a banker, it's a drive. Online customer service is canned responses, but if you pick up the phone you get a real person. So I would skip the emails. It takes some getting used to the idea that the money is gone immediately and the date you schedule your payment, but it is a much simpler way to bank and schedule payments than other services (we use two other banks as well).

I should mention that I am terrible at math, and I tend to have some creative banking ideas. Citibank web services have been able to accommodate all my banking quirks. Customer service in the bank and on the phone has been excellent. I would never go back to paper checks. I have never had any additional fees or surprises. I have had as many as 50 payees on my schedule, and for a time I had decided to pay them all weekly just to see if it would affect the interest I was paying and leave me more money at the end of the month (I told you I have creative banking ideas). I made LOTS of payments (ie. paying the utility bills 4 x per month in equal increments instead of one check). Anyhow, that experiment went great; no fees, no problems and no hassles from Citibank!

I should mention that I have been a customer since the program was a pilot back in the late 1980's.

I love the flexibility. I work in a field that has a high/low season, and during my off peak I like to reschedule the way I pay, and I like knowing I can change or cancel a payment right up until the date it is scheduled. My husband is with another bank, and he has to give them 3 days notice. With a cancel it usually means something unexpected has come up, not something with 3 days notice!

Thanks CITIBANK!! This is the only service I can say always works as promised. In fact, my web banking experience has far exceeded my expectations.

Let me say, in regards to the negative reviews above; I am not sure what kind of banking you are doing, but this is a personal online banking account. I have opened accounts, closed them, added links to my kids savings for easy transfers, paid bills, set up automatic payments, paid friends for home party sales and checked balances. Except for making deposits, I can't imagine what else you might want to do. Citibank has a separate section for investment banking, which is also available from this website, but it's a separate service.