FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS - PERSONAL LOANS

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Can't find the answer elsewhere about Citibank Personal Loans? Have a read through our FAQs below for your queries.

General Questions

Most people borrow money to ease their cash flow or to settle their credit card debts.

Below are the most common purposes for a loan:

  • Pay off credit card debts
  • Wealth Planning Wedding expenses
  • New parent expenses
  • Home furnishing or renovation expenses
  • Further education
  • Emergency medical expenses
  • Unanticipated cash needs, etc.

The annualized percentage rate is an index of borrowing cost and is calculated on the basis of 365 days a year, including interest and all related fees/charges, in accordance with the relevant guidelines of the Code of Banking Practice. APR is used as a way for customers to compare interest rates.

Early repayment charge - If a customer decides to settle a loan earlier than agreed in the contract, an extra fee will be imposed to compensate for the interest lost by the bank or financial institution.

Late repayment charge - If a customer's monthly repayment is overdue, additional interest at a fixed rate or prevailing rate on a daily basis will be charged accordingly.

A monthly flat rate is one of the factors in calculating the monthly repayment amount for a loan. Most banks and financial institutions adopt this method to provide a fixed monthly repayment and APR is used as a way for customers to compare interest rates in accordance with the relevant guidelines of the Code of Banking Practice.

Repayment of the Loan is by way of equal monthly installments. Partial repayment of the Citibank Loan is not permitted. Any excessive payment would be used to offset future monthly repayment(s) when they come due. At the discretion of Citibank, such excessive payment can be arranged for refund. If customer opts for early full repayment of the Loan, customer is liable for early repayment fee, the rate of the early repayment fee depends on the loan tenor and the time of early full repayment. Customer is advised to make repayments according to the installment amount by the designated due date.

For early settlement in full for Personal Instalment Loan for whatever reason, an Early Repayment Fee is charged equivalent to 4% of the outstanding principal amount, plus repayment of the equivalent amount of any applicable promotional offers and the monthly interest of the month.

Example (1) for loan tenor of 12 months, Loan amount: HK$100,000, Monthly flat rate: 0.280%, Monthly repayment amount: HK$8,614

No. of Repayment Repayment Amount Repayment Amount for Early Cancellation
Remaining Loan Amount Early Repayment Fee + interest of the month Remaining total interest Breakeven (negative figures indicate the point in time when the amount of interest saved by early repayment becomes lower than the relevant charges)
0 N/A HK$ 100,000.00 HK$ 4,513.34 HK$ 3,368.00 -HK$ 1,145.34
1 HK$ 8,614.00 HK$ 91,899.34 HK$ 4,147.73 HK$ 2,854.66 -HK$ 1,293.07
2 HK$ 8,614.00 HK$ 83,757.10 HK$ 3,780.24 HK$ 2,382.90 -HK$ 1,397.34
3 HK$ 8,614.00 HK$ 75,573.06 HK$ 3,410.87 HK$ 1,952.94 -HK$ 1,457.93
4 HK$ 8,614.00 HK$ 67,347.01 HK$ 3,039.60 HK$ 1,564.99 -HK$ 1,474.61
5 HK$ 8,614.00 HK$ 59,078.73 HK$ 2,666.42 HK$ 1,219.27 -HK$ 1,447.15
6 HK$ 8,614.00 HK$ 50,768.00 HK$ 2,291.33 HK$ 916.00 -HK$ 1,375.33
7 HK$ 8,614.00 HK$ 42,414.61 HK$ 1,914.31 HK$ 655.39 -HK$ 1,258.92
8 HK$ 8,614.00 HK$ 34,018.34 HK$ 1,535.36 HK$ 437.66 -HK$ 1,097.70
9 HK$ 8,614.00 HK$ 25,578.97 HK$ 1,154.47 HK$ 263.03 -HK$ 891.44
10 HK$ 8,614.00 HK$ 17,096.28 HK$ 771.61 HK$ 131.72 -HK$ 693.89
11 HK$ 8,614.00 HK$ 8,570.04 HK$ 386.76 HK$ 43.96 -HK$ 342.80
12 HK$ 8,614.00 HK$ 0.00 HK$ 0.00 HK$ 0.00 HK$ 0.00

Example (2) for loan tenor of 18 months, Loan amount: HK$200,000, Monthly flat rate: 0.280%, Monthly repayment amount: HK$11,672

No. of Repayment Repayment Amount Repayment Amount for Early Cancellation
Remaining Loan Amount Early Repayment Fee + interest of the month Remaining total interest Breakeven (negative figures indicate the point in time when the amount of interest saved by early repayment becomes lower than the relevant charges)
0 N/A HK$ 200,000.00 HK$ 9,047.26 HK$ 10,096.00 HK$ 1,048.74
1 HK$ 11,672.00 HK$ 189,375.26 HK$ 8,566.64 HK$ 9,048.74 HK$ 482.10
2 HK$ 11,672.00 HK$ 178,694.89 HK$ 8,083.50 HK$ 8,057.11 -HK$ 26.39
3 HK$ 11,672.00 HK$ 167,958.59 HK$ 7,597.82 HK$ 7,121.41 -HK$ 476.41
4 HK$ 11,672.00 HK$ 157,166.07 HK$ 7,109.61 HK$ 6,241.93 -HK$ 867.68
5 HK$ 11,672.00 HK$ 146,317.04 HK$ 6,618.84 HK$ 5,418.96 -HK$ 1,199.88
6 HK$ 11,672.00 HK$ 135,411.20 HK$ 6,125.50 HK$ 4,652.80 -HK$ 1,472.70
7 HK$ 11,672.00 HK$ 124,448.25 HK$ 5,629.58 HK$ 3,943.75 -HK$ 1,685.83
8 HK$ 11,672.00 HK$ 113,427.90 HK$ 5,131.06 HK$ 3,292.10 -HK$ 1,838.96
9 HK$ 11,672.00 HK$ 102,349.84 HK$ 4,629.92 HK$ 2,698.16 -HK$ 1,931.76
10 HK$ 11,672.00 HK$ 91,213.77 HK$ 4,126.17 HK$ 2,162.23 -HK$ 1,963.94
11 HK$ 11,672.00 HK$ 80,019.39 HK$ 3,619.79 HK$ 1,684.61 -HK$ 1,935.18
12 HK$ 11,672.00 HK$ 68,766.40 HK$ 3,110.74 HK$ 1,265.60 -HK$ 1,845.14
13 HK$ 11,672.00 HK$ 57,454.48 HK$ 2,599.03 HK$ 905.52 -HK$ 1,693.51
14 HK$ 11,672.00 HK$ 46,083.33 HK$ 2,084.64 HK$ 604.67 -HK$ 1,479.97
15 HK$ 11,672.00 HK$ 34,652.64 HK$ 1,567.56 HK$ 363.36 -HK$ 1,204.20
16 HK$ 11,672.00 HK$ 23,162.09 HK$ 1,047.76 HK$ 181.91 -HK$ 865.85
17 HK$ 11,672.00 HK$ 11,611.37 HK$ 525.08 HK$ 60.63 -HK$ 464.45
18 HK$ 11,672.00 HK$ 0.00 HK$ 0.00 HK$ 0.00 HK$ 0.00
Notes for Application

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Applicants must be Hong Kong residents aged 18 or above, holding full-time employment with their present employer for at least 3 months with a monthly income of HK$6,000 or above.

Step 1:

Choose your loan product

Select a suitable loan product that best fits your financial needs.

Step 2:

Application and assessment

Fill in the application form and submit it together with the required documents. We will evaluate your financial position and assess your repayment ability accordingly.

Step 3:

Loan approval result

Our Loan Specialist will contact you regarding the loan application within 3 working days upon receipt of all required documents. If a loan is approved, we will contact you to proceed phone confirmation process or to visit branch to go through the loan disbursement process.

Step 4:

Loan disbursement

After signing the drawdown letter, we will arrange direct payments to settle your credit card outstanding balances and loans from other financial institutions (only applicable to Card Debt Consolidation Loan) and/or disburse your approved loan amount by cash, check or credit into your designated bank account.

Step 5:

Repayment

To make repayment easier and avoid any charges caused by late repayment, we will help you set up a direct debit authorization; your loan repayments will be debited directly from your designated bank account on a monthly basis.

Generally, when a customer applies for a loan online, via the application hotline or in person at a Citibank branch, and upon submission of all required documents, your application will be assessed immediately and the approval result will be available within 3 working days. If a loan is approved, we will contact you to proceed phone confirmation process or to visit branch to go through the loan disbursement process.

You can apply for a Citibank Personal Loan through the Citibank website, by calling the Application Hotline
2963 64772963 6477 or visiting a Citibank branch in person.

Generally, you should provide the following documents to support your loan application:

  • Hong Kong Permanent Resident Identity Card
  • Income proof, e.g. latest month's payroll slip, latest salary tax demand note, latest MPF contribution proof or latest three months' payroll account bank statement/account passbook (with first page showing your name and account number)
  • Latest three months' full set of main bank statement/account passbook (with first page showing your name and account number)
  • Latest residential address proof (e.g. electricity bill or bank statement)
  • Any other documents or certificates deemed appropriate.

Yes. But please make sure your payroll slip has your company chop or is printed on your company letterhead. If your monthly salary is on a commission basis, please provide a bank statement or account passbook with at least three months' salary deposit record. If you are a taxi driver, you can simply present your taxi rental receipt, driver's license and relevant income proof.

Generally, Citibank will check with a credit reference agency to collect a customer's credit report including credit account information, account delinquency data, recent credit enquiries and historical data.

No. Every applicant's personal data will be kept strictly confidential according to our Personal Data (Privacy) Policy Statement.

We offer personalized interest rates according to an individual customer's credit record. After application submission, you will be contacted by our Banking Officer within 1 to 2 working days with a preliminary approval result, initial loan interest rate offered and other loan details; you can choose to accept the offer or cancel the application without any charge.

For Citibank Speedy Cash, we will disburse cash, issue a check payable to you or credit the loan amount to your designated bank account.

For Citibank Cash Debt Consolidation Loans, we will arrange direct payments to settle your other credit cards' outstanding balances or loans from other financial institutions; for any remaining loan balances, payment will be by cash, check or credit to your designated bank account.

Yes. If you decide to settle your loan earlier than agreed in the contract, you will have to pay an extra fee to compensate for the interest lost by the bank. The fee is subject to change in accordance with the circumstances of individual cases; please contact your principal Citibank branch for further details.

You are welcome to contact us on our Application Hotline 2963 64772963 6477, by visiting any Citibank branch or by browsing our website.

The interest rate should no doubt be the top-of-mind factor, as it will directly determine the cost of a loan. But this should not be the only consideration. You should also look for the loan features that best suit you, such as possible loan size to meet your needs, tenor choices that can match what you can afford and other available credit services.

You should carefully study the related loan terms and conditions and make sure that there are no other costs or hidden fees involved. Also, the ease of application process, approval turnaround time, convenience of branch network and available application channels should all be taken into account. It is recommended that you review the background of banks or financial institutions you are interested in and chose one with a good reputation, that is reliable, offers clear terms and conditions and falls under the supervision of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority. As a smart customer, you should consult the customer representative of your preferred bank or financial institution to seek advice on a lending solution that best meets your needs before making an application.

You should only borrow what you actually need. Also, you must take into consideration your ability to repay the loan, on top of your necessary daily expenses, to make sure there will be no great impact on your daily living and you will not be short of money.

Citibank provide loans up to 21 times your monthly salary or HK$1,200,000 (whichever is lower) for Citibank Card Debt Consolidation Loans and up to 12 times your monthly salary or HK$2,000,000 (whichever is lower) for Citibank Speedy Cash. The final approved loan amount is subject to change in accordance with the circumstances of individual cases. Please contact Citibank for further details.

The choice of repayment term will immediately affect your monthly repayment amount. You should balance the loan repayment term and the monthly repayment amount you can afford in order to ensure there will be enough money left for your daily living. A longer repayment term will help lower your monthly repayment amount, but the total interest paid will be higher. You should carefully determine your loan repayment term according to your financial capabilities.

Citibank offers loan repayment terms from 6 to 72 months for Citi Card Debt Consolidation Loans and from 6 to 60 months for Citi Speedy Cash for added flexiblity. The approved loan repayment term is subject to the circumstances of individual cases. Please contact Citibank for further details.

A credit report is a record of a customer's credit history, which is provided by banks, financial institutions or from the public records. Banks and financial institutions will take a customer's credit report as a reference when considering a personal loan or credit card application. Generally, banks and financial institutions will obtain an applicant's credit report, including credit account information, account delinquency data, recent credit enquiries and historical data from a credit reference agency after receipt of a loan application.

A credit score is a numerical snapshot of a customer's credit report at a particular time. A credit score is generated according to a customer's credit account information, account delinquency data, recent credit enquiries, historical data and public record data. A credit score is one of the pieces of information banks and financial institutions will refer to in their credit assessment process. Banks and financial institutions will also make decisions according to their own risk acceptance level in lending, their own internal credit score, an applicant's demographic and financial information, their relationship with an applicant, available collateral and the availability of a guarantor.

If you wish to learn more about the credit assessment process and have access to your credit report, you can do this by applying to Citibank (Hong Kong) Limited at PO Box 20151 Hennessy Road Post Office. We will provide contact details of the relevant credit reference agency.

A Personal Installment Loan allows a customer to repay the whole loan principal with interest by an equal fixed monthly amount within a fixed repayment period. Citibank offers two types of fixed Personal Installment Loans. A Citibank Card Debt Consolidation Loan consolidates all outstanding balances of a customer's credit cards and other unsecured loan accounts (except mortgage account) while the loan amount will be used to directly settle the balances of the aforesaid credit cards or unsecured loan accounts. Citibank Speedy Cash is a loan that can be used for various purposes. It is disbursed in the form of cash, check or credit to a customer's designated bank account.

Most banks and financial institutions adopt this method to provide a fixed monthly repayment, as illustrated below:

  • Principal = Loan Amount
  • Total Handling fee = Loan Amount x Repayment Term (Year)
  • Total Interest = Principal x Monthly Flat Rate x Repayment Term (Month)
  • Monthly Repayment = (Principal + Total Interest)/Repayment Term (Month)

A Revolving Loan provides a customer with a standby revolving credit line. Customers can withdraw the loan from the standby credit line anytime they wish; there is no fixed monthly repayment amount or repayment period. Customers can choose to repay only the minimum balance as stated on the statement or the full outstanding balance. Interest will only be charged on the withdrawal amount and the credit limit will resume right after repayment. No re-application is required, providing higher flexibility.

A Personal Installment Loan allows customers to repay the whole loan amount in a regular monthly amount within a fixed repayment period, enabling customers to better manage their finances. There are three common ways for Personal Installment Loan disbursement: issuing a check payable to the customer; crediting a customer's designated bank account; or arranging direct payments to settle the outstanding balances of the customer's credit cards or other loan accounts.

A Revolving Loan provides customers with a standby revolving credit line. Customers can withdraw the loan from the standby credit line anytime they wish. The credit limit will resume right after repayment. No reapplication is required, providing higher flexibility.

Generally, your monthly debt expenses should not exceed half of your total monthly income. If you find that over half of your monthly income is going towards card debt repayment; or if you can only afford the credit card minimum payments after setting aside your daily living expenses; or even if you repay your card debts on a regular and timely basis, and you your outstanding balances remain the same or even get higher; then you may need a Card Debt Consolidation Loan to help clear all your card debts at once.

Citibank can provide a Card Debt Consolidation Loan up to 21 times your monthly salary or HK$1,200,000 (whichever is lower), with loan repayment term ranging from 6 to 72 months to significantly reduce interest expenses. Your monthly repayment will be reduced by more than half to make it easier to clear your debts. The final approved loan amount and loan tenor are subject to change in accordance with the circumstances of individual cases. Please contact Citibank for details.

If you can only afford to pay the monthly minimum repayment or you don't have enough cash to settle all your credit card outstanding balances, allowing the card debts to roll on, your interest expenses would be enormous. By consolidating all your debts with a Card Debt Consolidation Loan, you can clear all your debts at a fixed repayment amount within your desired period. You will not only reduce your interest expenses, you can even shorten your repayment term and ease your burden. Normally, a Card Debt Consolidation Loan is offered at a personalized interest rate according to an individual customer's credit score, financial status, income and occupation. You can enjoy a more preferential rate with a better credit profile even if you only request a small loan.

An institution holding a "Bank License" is required to operate under the monitoring and supervision of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, and offer peace-of-mind to customers.

Citibank provide you reliable lending solutions with clear terms and no hidden charges under the supervision of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority.

To borrow or not to borrow? Borrow only if you can repay!

Remarks:Remarks:

a
Application hotline service hours: Monday to Friday 9:00am - 8:00pm, Saturday 9:00am - 6:00pm.
b
Instant approval result is applicable to selected applications via our website during 8am to 1am on Monday to Friday, 9am to 1am on Saturday and noon to 1am on Sunday & Public Holidays. Citibank reserves the right of final approval decision.