RECENTLY, I opened a savings account with Citibank after it did a presentation at my workplace. On receiving my ATM/debit card, I made two separate withdrawals from Citibank's network of ATM5 machines at Standard Chartered Bank. As I was using the issued debit card, I thought I was withdrawing from my savings account.

After a week, I received an account update via SMS that I had an outstanding balance in my credit line account of the withdrawal amount I made via the ATM. I was shocked and immediately sought clarification from Citibank.

I was told the reason was that my primary account was my credit account. Thus in any withdrawal from any other ATM other than Citibank, even under the network of ATM5 machines, there would be no option to draw from my savings account.

I have decided to close both my savings account and credit account. I was even charged interest for the hassle. To the credit of the Citibank staff, they offered to help me request a waiver of the interest charge, but it was already too much of a hassle.

For now I am still a Citibank customer for credit cards. I would like to make this point: Any primary account set should be the savings account rather than the credit account, which charges high interest. This should be regardless of which account was set up first.

Making the credit account the primary account only encourages users to take up unnecessary liabilities.

Aaron Quek

This article was first published in The Straits Times.