What Is Citizens Bank, and Are Its Credit Cards Right for You?
The cards are mostly solid products, but they all lack welcome offers.
Many or all of the products on this page are from partners who compensate us
when you click to or take an action on their website, but this does not
influence our evaluations or ratings. Our opinions are our own.
Updated · 2 min read
Written by
Lead Writer & Content Strategist
Edited by
Managing Editor
In June 2025, Citizens Bank completely overhauled its suite of personal credit cards. It closed applications to three of its existing credit cards and launched five new ones. The cards are mostly solid products, but they all lack welcome offers, which can be worth hundreds of dollars on other credit cards.
And while you don’t need to be a Citizens Bank member to apply for its credit cards, Citizen Bank’s limited footprint could be a potential drawback. As of 2025, it operated branches in only 14 states and the District of Columbia.
Here’s an overview of credit cards from Citizens Bank.
Need a new credit card? Let us do the work.Just answer a few simple questions and we'll match you with the best cards for you, in minutes.
Terms and conditions apply. Credit products subject to lender approval.
Citizens Amp Mastercard
For those looking to build or rebuild their credit, the Citizens Amp credit card is a terrific option. There’s no credit score requirement to get the card, and you don’t have to put down a security deposit. The Citizens Amp card doesn’t charge an annual fee nor a penalty APR if you happen to miss a few payments. However, you’ll want to make as many on-time payments as possible, if you can: Citizens Bank says good credit habits can qualify you for a credit limit increase or product upgrade in as little as six months.
Citizen Bank’s only balance transfer option, the $0-annual-fee Citizens Spring card, has a 0% intro APR on balance transfers for the first 18 billing cycles (as of this writing). The card charges a balance transfer fee of $10 or 5% of the transfer amount. A no-interest period of 18 months is solid, but it’s not the longest on the market. If you need an extra-long runway for paying off debt, the Citi Simplicity® Card offers 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months and 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 21 months, and then the ongoing APR of 18.24%-28.99% Variable APR. Plus, its balance transfer fee is 3% if you initiate the transfer within the first four months of account opening.
As of this writing, the Citizens Summit is the only no-annual-fee card that earns cash back in Citizens Bank’s portfolio. It’s advertised as an “everyday spending” card and earns 3% cash back on dining out and groceries (excluding Walmart and some superstores). Everything else earns 1.5%. The Citizens Summit also has a 0% intro APR period on balance transfers for 12 months.
Those perks make the Citizens Summit a good card, but you can do better. The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card also earns an unlimited 3% on dining and at grocery stores, plus the same rate on entertainment and select streaming services. Its 0% intro APR period is superior, too: 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months; 19.24%-29.24% variable APR after that; balance transfer fee applies. Finally, the Savor card, unlike the Citizens Summit, has a welcome offer: For a limited time, enjoy a $100 credit to use towards flights, stays and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel during your first cardholder year. Plus, earn a $200 cash bonus once you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.
The Summit Reserve credit card boasts the most perks compared with the others in Citizens Bank’s portfolio — and it has a $295 annual fee to match. You can whittle that number down to $95 if you have a Citizens Quest checking account (which is free to open), or all the way to $0 if you have a Citizens Private Client or Private Bank checking account. Private Client checking requires a $200,000 monthly combined balance across Citizens Bank deposit and investment accounts. Private Bank members must have a multimillion-dollar net worth.
The Summit Reserve’s benefits include the following:
Priority Pass Digital Lounge membership, plus four free visits per year. After that, each visit costs $35 for members and their guests.
Up to $120 in annual travel statement credits. For every month you spend $10 or more on eligible travel purchases per month, you’ll receive a $10 statement credit.
Up to $120 in annual Lyft credits. For every month you spend $25 or more on Lyft rides, you’ll receive a $10 statement credit. Lyft credits expire Jan. 31, 2026.
By using the Summit Reserve’s travel credits and free lounge visits, you’ll defray that $295 annual fee.
If you’re willing to pay a little more, though, you can find even more rewarding premium travel cards. For a $395 annual fee, you can enjoy the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and its many perks: a $300 annual travel credit for bookings made through Capital One Travel, access to Capital One lounges, cell phone insurance and a valuable welcome offer.
🤓Nerdy Tip
Citizens Bank offers a fifth card, the Citizens Summit Reserve, which is available for Citizens Private Bank clients only. To become a Private Bank member, you must have a net worth of $10 million or more, or more than $5 million in liquid assets.
Credit cards no longer available to new applicants
The following credit cards are closed to new applicants as of June 12, 2025. However, existing cardholders may continue to use their cards.
NerdWallet writers are subject matter authorities who use primary,
trustworthy sources to inform their work, including peer-reviewed
studies, government websites, academic research and interviews with
industry experts. All content is fact-checked for accuracy,
timeliness and relevance. You can learn more about NerdWallet's
high standards for journalism by reading our
editorial guidelines.
Limited Time Offer: Enjoy a $100 Capital One Travel Credit
Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card
No Annual Fee
0 Intro APR
NerdWallet rating
4.6
Earn an easy 1.5% cash back on purchases, plus 0% APR for the first 15 months on purchases and balance transfers on this no-annual-fee card. New cardholders can earn a $200 cash bonus, plus a $100 Capital One Travel portal credit!