Citibankcards.com is a hassle but maybe worth it
Written: Apr 27 '01
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Pros: reliable processing of payments, good consumer advocates
Cons: web site is a pain-many error messages and quite slow!
The Bottom Line: Safe and simple, but slow with many error messages
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| dequebec's Full Review: Citibank |
This review is mainly in reference to Citibankcards.com, the online method of paying your Citibank credit cards. This is a free service offered to Citibank cardholders-just cruise on to the web site, and set up a web account using your credit card number and address. Every month, rather than paying your bill via snail mail, you just "click-to-pay".
First of all, this service is free, which is a nice incentive. You even save a little cash in the long run by not having to use stamps. Also, for those of us who tend to forget about our bills until 2 days before the due date, this is a little faster than using US Mail and can help you avoid a late charge (though be aware that even the online version takes a couple of days to process your payment, so don't wait until the due date to pay).
You can see all of your statements, even those from previous months. All charges are clearly labeled with the date and amount charged. You can even see the unbilled total if you want to pay those charges in advance. You are allowed to pay partial amounts if you wish, just as with a regualar credit card payment. For greater security, you are given a confirmation number.
Deviating slightly from the website, I would like to mention that Citibank has always advocated on my behalf when I dispute a charge appearing on my statement that I did not make. Twice, Citibank has deducted this charge while researching the charge, and has settled in my favor in a speedy manner. Customer service representatives were friendly and helpful.
However, the website is very slow. Even when using DSL connections, I often must wait for pages to load, which is odd considering the non-graphic nature of the pages. I am often given internet error messages, saying that the site is responding. In fact, I have received at least one of these messages every time I have logged on during the past 6 or 7 months. What one has to do is keep trying to lad the same page, and eventually it works. But to a first-time user, you may interpret these messages to mean that the site is down, give up, and miss your payment. You then must call and explain the situation to a representative, which is settled in your favor but wastes your time nonetheless.
Additionally, customer service over the web is slow. There is no real-time assistance, and emails responses take a couple days. You would be better off calling, but of course, you will wait while you are placed "on hold".
The bottom line here is that this is a safe and clever site, but the technical crew needs to improve the reliability and speed of the site.
Happy charging,
Jennifer
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
dequebec
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Member: Jennifer
Location: los angeles, CA
Reviews written: 131
Trusted by: 118 members
About Me:
No longer an editor, thanks a bunch Nirav.
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