Consumer complaint received 2026-05-24 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Fees or interest — Charged too much interest
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: MA

Complaint narrative:
I am submitting this complaint regarding Citibanks imposition and continued maintenance of an approximately 33 % credit card interest rate despite my longstanding creditworthiness and responsible account history. Since XXXX, Citibank has charged me an APR of approximately 33 % on my credit card account. During this period, my credit score has consistently remained within the range of approximately XXXX to XXXX, reflecting strong to excellent creditworthiness and low lending risk. As a result of this extraordinarily high APR, I have paid thousands of dollars in interest charges. I believe this interest rate is excessive, unfair, and predatory, particularly when applied to a consumer with a strong credit profile and responsible payment history. In my view, maintaining such a high APR under these circumstances is financially exploitative and inconsistent with fair consumer lending practices. After reviewing the magnitude of these charges, I contacted Citibank and requested : a substantial reduction of the APR, reimbursement or adjustment of excessive interest charges already paid, and information regarding the basis for maintaining such an elevated interest rate despite my strong credit profile. Citibank denied my request and responded that the interest rate is legal under South Dakota law. Citibank also stated that it previously mailed me disclosures advising me of the APR terms and an opportunity to opt out. However, I do not recall ever receiving such notice. Had I been aware that my APR would increase or remain at approximately 33 %, I would have seriously considered exercising any available opt-out rights, transferring the balance, or closing the account to avoid substantial financial harm. I am concerned that the disclosure process was inadequate and failed to provide meaningful notice of a drastic and financially significant rate increase. Given the severity of the APR and the substantial interest charges that resulted, I believe Citibank should be required to demonstrate that any disclosures were clear, conspicuous, and reasonably calculated to provide actual notice to consumers. In addition, I specifically requested information regarding whether and when Citibank conducted periodic APR reviews as contemplated under the federal CARD Act requirements concerning increased interest rates. Citibank refused or failed to clearly explain : when my APR was reviewed, what factors were considered, whether my creditworthiness and payment history were evaluated, and whether any determination was made regarding reducing the APR. Given my longstanding strong credit score, responsible payment history, and overall low-risk profile, I am concerned that Citibank may not have meaningfully conducted the review process required for elevated APR accounts or may have failed to appropriately reevaluate whether such an extreme and predatory interest rate remained justified. I am also concerned because Citibank has previously been the subject of enforcement action by the Massachusetts Attorney General regarding improper credit card interest practices and APR-related violations. In XXXX, Citibank entered into a settlement involving allegations that consumers were improperly overcharged interest and that APR reductions were not properly implemented under the CARD Act. While my situation may involve different facts, I believe my experience raises similar concerns regarding unfair and predatory interest practices, inadequate consumer notice, and the imposition of excessive APRs on highly creditworthy consumers. I respectfully request that regulators investigate : whether Citibanks disclosures and opt-out procedures were adequate and compliant, whether Citibank properly conducted and documented required APR reviews, whether the continued imposition of a 33 % APR on a consumer with a XXXX credit score constitutes unfair, abusive, or predatory conduct, and whether consumers are being subjected to harmful lending practices through reliance on permissive state banking laws. I am seeking : 1. A substantial reduction of the APR ; 2. Review and reimbursement or adjustment of excessive interest charges ; 3. Production of records relating to alleged mailed disclosures and APR review history ; 4. Any additional relief deemed appropriate by regulators. I have retained supporting documentation, including account statements and correspondence from Citibank. XX/XX/XXXX Initial call to Citi to request interest rate reduction, I was denied and asked to escalate to supervisor. XX/XX/XXXX no callback as promised - called them back- spoke to supervisor to put in formal complaint about predatory interest rate. I was told it would be reviewed by their executive response team. XX/XX/XXXX generic email received from Citi XX/XX/XXXX Emailed Citi requesting refund of excessive interest paid. XX/XX/XXXX Reply from Citi rejecting request XX/XX/XXXX Response to Citi asking for documentation of when my account was reviewed under the CARD act, copies of risk based pricing notice, XX/XX/XXXX Response from Citi advising my request was denied. I was sent a copy of the change in terms notice they allege they sent me in XXXX. They stated 32.49 % interest is legal and denied my request for the other requested records, citing internal property of the bank and records could only be provided via subpoena.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation