Today I got a BT offer for my Citibank world master card ;7.9% APR untill paid in full and no transaction fee.
That's interesting. Before taking the offer, it would be a good idea to make sure that they credit payments first to your purchase balance and next to the balance transfer. If they don't, you will be stuck with high interest on everything you buy while the balance transfer balance is getting paid. Kind of defeats the purpose of an awards card if that happens. If they refuse to allocate the payments first to purchases, apply for the plat. card (if you don't already have it) and get the 2.9 intro rate for nine months.
PAY THE CARD OFF TOTALLY BEFORE DOING THE BALANCE TRANSFER... Every card I have pays LOWEST interest rate first, so you have a few thousand sitting there collecting interest @ 15-20% FOR 6-18 MONTHS???
Thanks,Dave and George.I don't have balance on Citibank now.I am not going to use that offer since my current balances already have low APR;8.99% on Nexcard and 9.99% for Amex.
I recently got a Citibank Platinum select with the 2.9% for 9 months offer. They telephoned me after I got the card and said I had a $4000 available balance for transfers. I said I wasn't sure yet where I wanted to make transfers and that I needed some time to figure out just exactly what I wanted to transfer. I asked if I could call them another day, or they could call me in a few days. Here's the juicy part--the representative said, "well, how would this be...." and he proceeded to offer me a check, made out to me, in any amount up to $4000, that would post as a balance transfer at 2.9% until April 2003, almost 2 years. I thought he was making a mistake, but, no, that was the offer. Maybe they were afraid I wasn't going to transfer anything. But 2.9 for 9 months vs. 2.9 for 2 years, that's a pretty easy call. I'm curious to know if it is generally true that if you hold out with these companies in general, they will make increasingly better offers? This Citibank thing sure surprised me! anyway...for whatever it's worth... JB
The check made out to you is a common practice. I have had AT&T Universal offer me the same deal. It is a sign of strength. Your credit must be getting better. Also, the war is on for customers. Credit card companies can still make a bundle, they know 70% of the people will not pay the balance off by the time the offer expires. Many times they will offer the teaser rate again, even before the original amount has been paid off in the hopes you will incur new debt at the lower rate, but the old offer will go up to a higher rate. Then your payment will be applied to the lower rate offer and the higher rate will accumulate higher and higher. www.creditsense.com
SUNDAYS PAPER ~ STORE COUPONS 1.90% BALANCE TRANSFERS CITIBANK PLATINUM SELECT M/C TILL 03/01/2002 **1-800-615-0226** FOR THOSE OF YOU WITH BETTER CREDIT THAN ME.... I WON'T BE APPLYING...I'VE BEEN DENIED BY THEM, TOO MANY TIMES, EVEN WITH THOSE STICKERS SAY SOMETHING LIKE APPROVAL CODE# AND AUTHORIZATION # ON "PRE-APPROVED" LETTERS, AND I CAN'T EVEN GET A "PRE-APPROVED" AMERICANEXPRESS CASH BACK CARD EITHER.