Citi PayAll Program to Be Shut down

Just spoke with a Citibank representative about my PayAll payment.

The representative informed me that in the next month or two, Citi will be writing to all cardholders to inform them of the closure of the PayAll program. Apparently this is a business decision that will impact all cardholders in Australia who are using PayAll.

Just wanted to inform the community, as I am sure there are many Citi cardholders here who utilise the feature (especially those set up on a 0% fee payment) and get a lot of value out of it. Don't think there is any alternative. It was a good run while it lasted!

We want to let you know we will no longer offer Citi PayAll on Citi Credit Cards effective 20 January 2025.
As a result, Citi PayAll payments with a due date of 20 January 2025 and onwards will not be processed.

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Comments

      • For me it was more of the payall being able to count towards the 10k spend requirement

        • +1

          You can still do 1 x 10k payment before the payall end date.

          Last day to set up a new Citi PayAll payment (7 business days prior to due date 19 January 2025) 9 January 2025

          Last day that Citi PayAll payments will be processed 19 January 2025

          • -1

            @CodeXD: But with fees

            • +2

              @yht: They got it 2 months ago, they've always had fees lol

  • Hopefully someone can get partial refund for annual fee

  • +1

    Damn shame - was loving accumulating all those points and the interest from savings.
    I still have the fee free Premium card (from the old Signature card days).
    Guess it is only a matter of time until NAB kill that off as well

    • +1

      The bank interest from savings was largely killed off when NAB converted it from a 55 day to a 44 day card. The first of the NAB underhandedness they're famous for. The interest you could make from the money in a bank account was basically cut in half instantly they did that. The points were worth more. Now the points are being cut off too, the card is largely worthless. Mine will go in the drawer and basically never be used in favour of the still 55 day, still fee-free and still points earning HSBC Premier instead.

  • Back to churning it is

  • +1

    My pay all comes out 28th. Guess I will miss the Jan one :(

  • +5

    I called up and they said they would do a pro-rata refund and cancel my card. I just paid my annual fee early November.

    • +1

      Why wouldn't you wait until 20 Jan ?

      • Because by then it would be far less likely to get a refund on the annual fee. Best chance is only if you've very recently (as in days ago) paid the annual fee. If you paid the annual fee 2 months ago, I'd wager you've got almost no chance of getting annual fee refund.

    • +1

      Written response from Citibank when inquiring about pro-rata refunds of annual fees:

      "Furthermore, we advise that we only reverse the full/rebate of the
      Annual Fee when the Outstanding Balance was $10 or less when the Annual
      Fee was charged and No Debit Transaction processed after the fee was
      charged."

      • +1

        Pathetic

  • +1

    my sadness is immeasurable

  • +1

    Here's a question - if you cancel part way through the year and get pro rata AF refund, can you keep your priority pass until the end of the membership year or does it get cancelled straight away? This will definitely sway me one way or the other.

    • +1

      From my experience no. Once the card is closed the priority mass membership linked to the card also will get cancelled.

    • Priority pass is connected to the card. When the card cancels, PP cancels as well.

      • Do you know this for certain, or just assuming? I got a renewal on PP recently and it says welcome to a new year of membership. I am suspecting it would only impact the next renewal.

        • Unless something has changed in the last year, it definitely closes.
          They need the card in case you have any extra spends/ pay for an extra guest etc. So when you enter a lounge, and your card doesn't work..no entry (and can only use the card linked to your PP membership).

          • @tunzafun001: I think you are just assuming. I have never handed over my Citi (or any other) card on any lounge visits (at least a dozen), including last week. They simply scan the digital Priority Pass QR code in the app and get me to sign a receipt to say I have visited.

            Unless anyone here has cancelled their Citi card and actually experienced cancellation of PP?

            • @gadgetguy: You've missed the point: the card is linked to the PP. You don't need to show it, but when you go over your entitlements you will be charged onto your card.

              It's up to the bank to notify priority pass that the card has been cancelled. With prior non Citi cards I've had both experiences, an immediate cancellation and a retention of the pass for several months after (from memory this was with St George)

  • +1
    Merged from RIP Citi Payall You Will Be Missed

    received this email 2 hours back

    Important information about changes to Citi PayAll

    Dear Churner ,
    We want to let you know we will no longer offer Citi PayAll on Citi Credit Cards effective 20 January 2025.
    As a result, Citi PayAll payments with a due date of 20 January 2025 and onwards will not be processed.
    Outlined below are key dates to help you understand how this change may impact you.
    Key Dates

    Activity

    Date

    Last day to set up a new Citi PayAll payment
    (7 business days prior to due date 19 January 2025)

    9 January 2025

    Last day that Citi PayAll payments will be processed

    19 January 2025

    Any existing PayAll scheduled payments will be cancelled

    20 January 2025

    Effective date for applicable changes to Terms and Conditions

    20 January 2025

    As we will no longer offer Citi PayAll from 20 January 2025, all references to Citi PayAll in your Terms and Conditions will be removed.
    These changes will be effective from 20 January 2025. The variation notice provides full details of these changes, as they apply to your:

    • Credit Card Terms and Conditions and other Important Information (Terms and Conditions)
    • Citi Rewards and Citi Qantas Rewards Program Terms and Conditions - Citi Premier Credit Card and Citi Prestige Credit Card
    • Financial Table
    These changes form part of, and must be read in conjunction with, the existing Terms and Conditions that govern your account, which can be found at www.citibank.com.au/credit-cards/terms.
    What you need to do
    If you don't have a Citi PayAll payment scheduled:
    You don’t need to do anything as this change does not impact you.
    If you want to set up a new Citi PayAll payment:
    The last day that a new Citi PayAll payment may be set up and processed is 9 January 2025. The payment due date for your scheduled Citi PayAll payment must be no later than 19 January 2025. Any Citi PayAll payments with a due date of 20 January 2025 and onwards will be cancelled.
    The Citi PayAll fee is currently 0.95% as outlined in the Financial Table and is set at the point of scheduling your Citi PayAll payment.1

    TLDR : Citi Payall Bye bye from 20 jan/2025

  • Hadn't heard of this until I got the email but not sure I understand the appeal of it, wouldn't the 0.95% be around what the points are worth anyway?

    • +5

      Don't worry about it. You missed the boat and it's over now anyway, so it doesn't matter.

      • Well, I've still got 2 months

    • You are about 3 years too late..

    • Once upon a time, you can get the signature card free for life, then came the payall that you can set up fee free for years ahead.

      • Well no wonder they had to close it down lol

  • +1

    Get off the gravy train on 19/01/2025, people.

    Thank you Citibank, it was fun while it lasted.

  • +4

    It’s been fun my fellow ozbargainers

    • +14

      I would suggest this card has been the biggest OzBargain deal in the history of this website. If you consider the whole timelime of the deals on OzBargain of this card stretching back to the Sep 2013 days of the Family & Friends FFFL card deal, the 'cheque-to-self' balance transfer lark, all the cash back offers, the free gift cards, the free Fixed Payment Option (FPO) deals, the free travel insurance, the free Diners Club card, the free Priority Pass access, the free PayAll lark… there's way too many freebies to even remember and list… Citibank really was the most innovative credit card issuer in Australia by a mile. Citibank were the gift that kept on giving, in ways that even the most demanding card holder could barely even imagine. There were so many free offers in fact, that when they overlapped each other, it was sometimes impossible to take advantage of them all together at the same time. I remember having to forego some free FPO gift card offers, because I had PayAll running on the card at the same time and I simply couldn't utilise the credit limit I had to take advantage of them both together alongside each other.

      Citibank were a right PITA to deal with, but you put up with them happily because they just kept throwing free money at you. NAB won't do that I assure you.

      • Yeah I would tend to agree! This free card has netted me $1200+ in insurance / extended warranty claims, plus conservatively $30k worth of business class flights from Singapore Airlines, various interest earned on the payall float between savings accounts, plus probably a bunch of other stuff I'm not even remembering. It's been grand!

      • +2

        I would suggest this card has been the biggest OzBargain deal in the history of this website. If you consider the whole timelime of the deals on OzBargain of this card stretching back to the Sep 2013 days of the Family & Friends FFFL card deal

        biggest = longest benefit - i've had mine since April 2007

        I remember having to forego some free FPO gift card offers, because I had PayAll running on the card at the same time and I simply couldn't utilise the credit limit I had to take advantage of them both together alongside each other.

        it was possible to do both :)

      • +2

        Yep i still keep photo of $21k cheque-to-self… lol

    • +1

      Thanks again for the original post! Definitely been the best deal on ozb for me (as well as the Citi fee free for life)

  • Will cancel before the March renewal - card is average apart from the Payall rort

    • Average? Name another completely free credit card with Visa/Mastercard universal acceptance, issued in Australia with reward points earning, travel insurance and airline lounge access thrown in. Struggling? Yeah, then it's a very long way from average even with the 44 day devaluation and the end of PayAll.

      • +2

        Think we are talking about a different card then. Mine is $700 a year

        • -8

          You have the (always 44-day interest free) Prestige version then, which was never a good deal due to the extortionate annual fee and the fact it was never part of the promotional 'family & friends' fee free for life campaign promotion. Getting back to your 'average' description though, what about the Prestige is "average". By the annual fee it is one of the most premium cards in the Australian marketplace only obtainable by those with the highest nett worth and annual income thresholds. By the very definition, that is not average. 'Not worth the money' - very definitely. 'A complete rip-off?' - Yes that too. 'Only for the financially illiterate, vain and stupid?' - probably that too, but "average", no definitely not average.

          • @Legoman: The benefits for $700 are average

            • @digitalane: if you do a lot of flying it would be easy to make back the $700 from prestige pass alone.

              it will go into my churn rotation now that the payall hack is over, the signup is a nice profit even though i don't travel much. wouldn't be suprised if NAB totally can the citi cards in the next fee years tho

              • @realaccount627465746: Yep but most card churners will have PP elsewhere (I have 4) and regular travellers would likely have lounge (in platinum on velocity and Qantas)

            • @digitalane: On it's own, Unlimited Priority Pass costs $469 USD ($720 AUD) per year and that doesn't include the unlimited free guest visits which you get with Citi too.

              https://www.prioritypass.com/join-prioritypass

              Then there's $100 Uber credit per year. Free night's stay with Luxury Escapes + 10% discount + travel insurance + cashback offers etc etc.

              Those of us with Payall were also getting up to $180 a month in Amazon/Apple/Woolies etc gift cards (or the equivalent).

              • +1

                @gadgetguy: I skipped the gift cards and was getting a free first class flight a year!

                With everything else I have gotten around $10000 of value from the card this year

              • @gadgetguy: How do you get $180 worth a month?

                I only do a $15000 payall transaction tho. Due to my limot be $15k

              • @gadgetguy: I haven't used Uber credit but I understand the charge must be $100 or over. I've never been able to use that much in one go. Not really worth for me or am I understanding incorrectly?

          • +1

            @Legoman: I used to have Prestige. It used to be 55 days before it went to 44 days and from then on, they kept whittling the benefits (chaffeur lol). I paid $350 pa as I had home loan with them. I got rid of it as soon as it went to 44 days

            • @burningrage: The Prestige was always 44 day from when the Platinum/Signature Family & Friends offer was available from 1 Sep 2013. I know because I was in a position back then to be eligible for the Prestige and filled out the application for it. Then I noticed the odd 44-day difference between it and the Platinum/Signature offer which were both 55-day. That alone made me scrap my Prestige application and go for the Signature instead. Perhaps the Prestige was 55-day before 2013, but I wasn't looking back that far.

              • @Legoman: Are you saying that you could get the Prestige free for life at that time? The other benefits would outweigh the 44-day vs 55-day difference.

                • @leiiv: Prestige was never fee-free for life but available at 1/2 price if you were their home loan customer. Back then I had 3x Citibank Credit Cards. 2 of them were fee-free-for-life, 1 was not but because of the enormous perks (incl 2pts for $1), I was happy to pay $350. Only when they went back to 44 days, I dropped the card right after I refinanced my home loan away from CB.

              • @Legoman: Nah. It was 55 days before because that's the reason why I dropped it when it went to 44 days. I was with them when it was 44 days for some time because I still had their home loan at the time and you know it does save a lot of money over time with that 11 days difference with offset and stuff.

                As soon as I refinanced my mortgage away from them, I dropped the card.

  • +1

    Still got the free for life, for now. It that goes too, then it's goodbye. Since I won't be using the card much anymore, I will reduce the limit to the minimum after January. Does anyone know what the lowest limit is btw?

    • +1

      This is pretty much the only reason why I still have it. Having said that, somebody did fight NAB about it when they were trying to introduce an annual fee and subsequently, the notice of alteration doesn't mention about new annual fee for those who got the card on "fee free for life" basis.

      • Do you know what happened in that 'fight'? Any details?

    • -2

      Premier = $15,000 min limit. Standard Platinum Rewards was I think $6,000

      • +1

        Premier is $10k

    • +1

      Even with the loss of Payall, if you have the Free for Life Premier (formerly Signature) card, it is still sort of OK.
      It is one of the few remaining c/cards that gives you rewards points, free insurance and Priority Pass at no annual fee.
      If NAB decides to start charging annual fees, that is when it goes in the bin.

      • -2

        I'm willing to be proved wrong, but I think it remains the ONLY card issued in Australia that does all the criteria you list. If there is another, then it's probably an AMEX card and therefore has vastly less acceptance without extortionate surcharge.

        • +1

          Bank of Melbourne Amplify and Macquarie Black I think are also good BUT only free if you have home loan with them.

          • +2
            • @tonester: Of course. How could I have missed that given I am also their customer! Good one.

            • @tonester: HSBC rejects card churners.

            • @tonester: Has an obvious annual fee

              • +3

                @Legoman: No, the HSBC premier doesn't have an annual fee.

                BUT…you don't chose the card, they chose you!

                Let me explain. To be offered the Premier no annual fee card, you must move $9000 a month through your HSBC accounts for 3 months. Then they will email you the offer. This was my Payall circulator…so it was just another side gift of the Premier card.

                It's probably better than the Citi card now as it has lounge pass entry, insurances and it gives a Frequent Values membership (watered down Ent Book). Saved a fair whack with it…golf 2:1 (saves $30 a round), animal park entry $50 off, 2:1 KFC (now over), 2:1 cold rock etc etc

                • @tunzafun001:

                  must move $9000 a month through your HSBC accounts for 3 months

                  Are you sure not 6 months? I've bouncing $9K in-out into my account for 5 months and haven't received any email.

                • +1

                  @tunzafun001: Wow this is insane lol

                  How you can unlock HSBC Premier

                  Option 1: regular money in
                  Maintain regular 'money in' deposits totalling AUD9,000 into your account each month7.

                  Option 2: your savings & investment balance
                  Maintain a minimum combined balance of AUD150,000 equivalent in an HSBC Australia transaction, savings8 or HSBC Invest9 account

                  and there is also a HSBC Premier World Mastercard

                  • @CodeXD:

                    Option 1: regular money in
                    Maintain regular 'money in' deposits totalling AUD9,000 into your account each mont

                    That AU$ 9K 'money in' is "per account", ie. if you're a single account holder.

                    You can also consider a total of AU$ 9K as 'money in', in a :joint arrangement", ie. 2 x separate persons' accounts.
                    This is explained in Page 14 of the Premier Service Guide with examples, eg. AU$ 5K + 4K .


                    and there is also a HSBC Premier World Mastercard

                    It looks OK, considering annual fee, but minimum income requirement could be high for some people.

                    Airport lounge passes — 2 airport lounge passes every year with Mastercard Travel Pass, provided by DragonPass

                    $0 — Annual Fee
                    $75K — Minimum income requirement
                    $10K — Minimum credit limit

                    • @whyisave: Do I have to leave the money in my account?

                • @tunzafun001: So no points earned with hsbc ?

                  • +1

                    @yht: Yep..points.

                    Good partners too (ie. Cathay, Velocity etc)

                    Weird side perks if ever in China (such as free limo pick up at the airport). Never used it, but it's documented.

                    • @tunzafun001:

                      Weird side perks if ever in China (such as free limo pick up at the airport).

                      It won't be so "weird", when I take advantage of this deal :-D

                • +1

                  @tunzafun001: So, once you got the card, can you stop depositing $9000 ?

                  • @yht:

                    So, once you got the card, can you stop depositing $9000 ?

                    You can read the Terms & Conditions — here but it does not elaborate any further about "what will happen, if you take money 'out' after putting 'in' the $9K".

    • +1

      Something interesting I've noted is that this FFFL card, for me, doesn't show up in my credit file. It has a $20k limit but never shows up, so I don't mention it on my frequent churner applications. YMMV, but you may want to look into it.

      • +1

        Mine showing up as “NAB” on my credit history

    • +1

      Citi Premier limit is $10K

      I only found out, a couple of years ago that this limit was brought down from $15K, when this card started affecting mortgage applications.

      • Never knew this… We are talking about the Free for Life card? I thought I was stuck at $15k. Wonder if you drop it to $10k, NAB might drop you off.

        I love that Citi left NAB a turd sandwich!

        The books would look magnificent…All these cards turning over $35k every month for years….

        • Never knew this… We are talking about the Free for Life card? I thought I was stuck at $15k. Wonder if you drop it to $10k, NAB might drop you off.

          Yes, it's the ex-Citi Signature (Family&Friends Deal = Free For Life) card, which is now under NAB and it's called Citi Premier [Mastercard].

          I thought it was stuck at $15K too, until last year, I dropped it down to the lowest limit of $10K.

  • was too good to be true. no surprise it's shutting down. thx for free flights citi.

    • But it was true! And good too! It also lasted for a fair awhile.

      • -1

        3 years, 9.1/2 months + change it will be when they kill it mid-January. From 1 April 2021 to mid-Jan 2025. I don't think anyone was quick enough to have jumped on it straight away back in April 2021 though and fully realised the lark it was to game the offer right out to the end. It took a few months for people to cotton on to the freebies that could be realised and take full advantage. I did my first PayAll on 9 April 2021, but initially I was careful and only did them manually until I felt confident in how it worked to start to automate things. I didn't really start to ramp things up to the rev limiter until around July 2021.

        • I'm one of the late adopters- initially just glossed through due to the relatively high AF and also new to CC churning scene so didn't know any better.

          Just checked my points and I'd be getting approx 700k points in Jan (mine's scheduled early Jan phew!) and planning to convert to SQ Krisflyer. 280k points isn't too bad for AF of $350 + 600!

          • +1

            @Craze: I was a late adopter, but still very pleased with circa 600k points (will convert to SQ).
            For me it will be the $120/month interest that I’m going to miss most.

            For anyone interested, $20k/month invested at 5.5% =$1100/annum.
            40 days interest each month = $120 per month
            Happy days.

            • @cashless:

              For anyone interested, $20k/month invested at 5.5% =$1100/annum.
              40 days interest each month = $120 per month
              Happy days

              I don't get this.

              Invest: 5.5% of $20K = $1100 Yearly
              Interest: $120/month = $1440 Yearly

              • @whyisave: That's correct. $1440/year ($120/month)

                $1100/annum is the annual interest @5.5% on $20k = $3 per day
                But you invest $20k for 40 days each time (the interest free time for the card)
                40 x $3 = $120/month

                • +2

                  @cashless: That doesn't work unless your credit limit is over 2x your payall. If it isn't you need to payback the $20k before another payall comes out so it stays less than a month.
                  Then also depending on your statement date you lose some days from the 40 as well.

                  • +1

                    @knobbs: It helps if you get a credit limit in excess of $50k;)
                    The credit free period is now 44 days, so 40 is easily achievable.

                    • @cashless: Oh sorry you are right it is 44 days so 40 is ok, and yes I see you have over 2x your monthly payall amount which is why your scenario works. Makes it harder to churn other CCs when you have a 75k limit (got onboard the previous 35k monthly limit)

                • @cashless:

                  40 x $3 = $120/month

                  Thanks for the explanation.

                  That interest 'gained' is still subject to tax, unless it's (sic) off-the-books.

                  In any case, that 'gain' that you are pursuing, is only after risking $20K, so unless it's an iron-clad guarantee of 5.5%, I don't know if it can be worth using so much money to chase these little gains, all the while the credit rating agencies are keeping tabs on the person.

                  ( I guess, you will need to have your own home or have no mortgage for this to work ! )

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