Citibank is one of the largest players in the world of banking and credit. The company reported 2005 year end assets of $1.5 trillion dollars, employs 300,000 people, and made over $25 billion in income during fiscal 2005 alone. With roots tracing back to 1812, Citibank is well established, which is a nice combination with its size and power.

Citibank offers many, many credit cards with Visa and MasterCard labels. It runs the gauntlet of types, including rewards cards, value cards, small business cards and student credit cards (which I really wish I'd have looked into earlier in my entertaining past).

The rewards cards range from gas rebates to points for travelers frequenting the Hilton chain of hotels. Some cards combine services frequently offered by other companies, such as the Citi Driver's Edge Visa Card for College Students. Along with free online account management, all accounts get the benefit of identity theft protection and $0 Liability on unauthorized purchases.

Citibank's value cards feature good basic rates that other, more gimmick-oriented cards would skip on. For example, the Citi Platinum Select MasterCard has no balance transfer fees, a year of 0% APR, and a standard APR of 10.99%. If the rates don't catch your eye, the name has to. How can anyone resist a card with the words 'platinum' and 'select' in the title? With a card like that, you won't run into the problem I have at fancy restaurants, which is usually getting yelled at by a maitre-d that speaks about 15% coherent English because he's never heard of the credit card I usually try to use. No, if your card has a title synonymous with a precious metal, you've got it made.

So anyway, most of Citibank's small business cards come with unique features, rewards programs, and relatively pleasant APRs. There are small business cards specific for earning airline miles, and others for just plain low rates. Basically there are different cards for different small businesses, the tough part may be selecting which one is right for which type of business. Most of their business cards are automatically enrolled in their Thank-You network, a rewards program that can provide an introductory 10,000 points after your first purchase. That’s a pretty good incentive when you consider those points can be redeemed for a $100 check.

The Citibank student cards are convenient for students because they are accessible without a cosigner. The bank also keeps students interests in mind, offering the MTVU Platinum Select Visa Card for College Students. The card rewards students that maintain good grade-point averages with ThankYou points, which can be used to acquire gift cards and other merchandise. Rewards are also given for timely payments and purchases made in restaurants, movie theaters, music stores, and book stores. This card is one of many the bank offers.

These cards are just the tip of Citibank's iceberg. The bank has a long and respected history of fulfilling the wants of consumers, and rightfully deserves to be among the most successful financial entities in the country.

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Derek Lenehan attends Kent State University and is a lead credit card offers writer for CompareCC.com where you can find a large selection of Citi credit cards.