Reviews

I've been banking with Citibank for a little over 4 years now and am very satisfied with them here's why:

1. Transparent fees. It used to be the case (and for many Czech banks still is the case) that banking over here was a constant penny-pinching exercise, with the bank charging for everything. Every little letter, every 'additional' service like telephone banking, internet banking, every payment made or received, every call made for assistance. I was shocked to hear some banks even charge you to set up a payment online! Well, with Citibank I just pay the 300 CZK per month, and that's it. I probably end up paying a little more than with some of the penny-pinchers, but I find the flat fee much more honest and less of a worry whenever I need to deal with them.

2. Good English language phone service. I can call them anytime (really any time at all) on their local rate phone number and speak with someone who speaks good-enough English, transferring money or asking about the account and credit-card. Wait times are usually less than a minute, though I can't say I often call at peak times--usually I call at weekends or in the evening.

3. Comprehensive Internet banking included. Need I say more? Well, yes, only it's about how I'm surprised that some Czech banks still charge for internet banking. Well, they did when I last looked, admittedly a few years ago. Their internet banking comes with one of those little 'calculators' for generating access keys, which makes me feel much more secure.

4. Credit card service is good. Firstly, they're pretty good at setting a useful limit. Secondly, their credit card services are integrated with their consumer account services, meaning there's no delay or complications when working between the two (making payments, getting decisions on credit limits). (I mention this because I last dealt with Barclays in the UK, where their credit cards section was entirely separate from their banking section.)

Having made those points, I do some small gripes. Their debit card is a Maestro, not an embossed Mastercard or Visa. This means you can't use it for online purchases, plus the numbering on the card wears down easily, making it hard to read. It's often not accepted in shops in the UK and USA, though it will work in ATMs. Having the credit card gets around this but doesn't fix it. They've been trialling embossed debit cards for a year or so now and have still not rolled them out.

Second, they don't have many branches and those tend to be a bit out-of-the-way for me. They've closed the ones in the very centre (Prikope, Rytirska) and the big one on Evropska. Still, I only actually need to visit a branch once a year or less.

Their ATM network also isn't great. I think they bought from a cheap independent ATM network some years ago, anyway they're there if you know where to look - they tend to be in low-down parts of town a bit hidden away. I usually get stung for 30 CZK or so for using a Czech ATM.

Still, I don't let these bother me and am absolutely fine paying a little extra premium to be able to contact them whenever and for whatever, in English, and to find them actually helpful. That's particularly refreshing in Prague!