American Express – Citi Premier Card Review | NextAdvisor with TIME
Citi is an advertising partner. As with all of our credit card reviews, our analysis is not influenced by any partnerships or advertising relationships.
Rewards rate:
New! Earn 3 Points at Restaurants and Supermarkets
Earn 3 Points at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Hotels. Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Intro bonus: 60,000 points
- Annual fee: $95
- Regular APR: 15.99% – 23.99% (Variable)
- Recommended credit score: 740-850 (Excellent)
Citi Premier is a relatively low-cost travel rewards card that can add value to your everyday purchases and help maximize future travel. It also offers a great welcome bonus for new cardholders. But depending on how you choose to redeem points and added perks, its overall value may not stack up against other card options.
At a Glance
- 3x points at restaurants
- 3x points at supermarkets
- 3x points at gas stations
- 3x points on air travel and hotels
- 1x points on all other purchases
- Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 within three months of account opening
- $100 Annual Hotel Savings Benefit toward a single stay booked through Citi of $500 or more
- $95 annual fee
- 15.99% – 23.99% variable APR
Pros
-
Rewards on travel and everyday purchases
-
Annual hotel credit
-
No foreign transaction fees
Cons
-
$95 annual fee
-
High ongoing APR and no introductory period
-
Limited additional benefits and few travel protections
Additional Card Details
Beyond its array of bonus categories, Citi Premier offers just a few additional benefits, including access to ticket presales and exclusive events through Citi Entertainment and concierge services with Citi Concierge.
Citi Premier earns rewards in the form of Citi’s ThankYou Points, which you can redeem through the ThankYou Rewards program for statement credits, cash, online purchases with Citi partners, gift cards, travel booking, points transfer to travel partners, and more. Points don’t expire as long as your account is open and there’s no limit to the number of points you can earn.
Should You Get this Card?
If you’re a relatively frequent international traveler, and prefer earning points on your everyday purchases to put toward future trips, this can be a valuable addition to your wallet.
But similarly-priced travel rewards cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and American Express® Gold Card offer comparable rewards structures, alongside rewards programs and added benefits like credits and travel protections that may be more valuable.
To help determine whether Citi Premier is right for you, think about how you’ll use your rewards and whether Citi ThankYou Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, or American Express Membership Rewards offers the redemption options you want at the best value. Are you loyal to an airline or hotel chain that you’ll want as a transfer partner option? Do you want to guarantee statement credits earn a solid value for your points in case you want to fall back on a cash back option? If you book travel directly through the rewards program, how does redemption value stack up for your favorite vacation spots?
If your everyday spending falls within Citi Premier’s bonus categories, you can quickly rack up points. But annual credits, protections for travel, and other ongoing card benefits are more limited. Before applying, compare similar offers to ensure you’re making the most of your spending with the right card.
If this isn’t your first Citi card, you should also be careful about timing your application. If you’ve received a new cardmember bonus on the Citi Rewards+® Card*, Citi ThankYou® Preferred Card*, Citi Premier Card or Citi Prestige® Card*, or closed any of these cards within the past 24 months, you won’t be eligible for the 60,000-point bonus offer.
How to Use Citi Premier
After you’ve been approved for the Citi Premier card, start maximizing your points by securing the new cardmember bonus. You’ll earn a 60,000-point bonus after spending $4,000 within the first three months.
Then, use this card as your go-to for takeout and dine-in orders at restaurants, weekly grocery trips, and gas stations fuel-ups. When you are ready to book your next trip (and you haven’t yet collected enough points to fund your flights and hotels in full with rewards), don’t forget to pay for your travel expenses with your Citi Premier to earn extra points.
You can also strategize your redemptions to further maximize your card. Statement credits and cash back redemptions are a simple option, along with using Shop with Points for online purchases, but they won’t garner the maximum value for your rewards, and are often worth less than 1 cent per point. Gift cards redemptions with select retailers can be a good alternative; many current options offer 1 cent per point value.
In general, you’ll get the best value redeeming for travel through thankyou.com, Citi’s ThankYou Rewards portal, where you can typically get a value of 1 cent per point. That means you can redeem your 60,000-point bonus for up to $600 toward travel. Another good option is transferring points to one of Citi’s airline or retail partners. Unlike other issuer programs, there’s no hotel partners and many of the airlines are international brands. You’ll generally get a 1:1 points transfer, but true redemption value depends on how you choose to redeem with the partner loyalty program.
Finally, be sure to take advantage of Citi Premier’s Annual Hotel Savings Benefit. When you book a single hotel stay through ThankYou Rewards worth $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees), you’ll get a credit worth $100 off once per calendar year. This alone is enough to cover the cost of the $95 annual fee.
Citi Premier Compared to Other Cards
Citi Premier® Card
- Intro bonus:
- Annual fee:
$95
- Regular APR:
15.99% – 23.99% (Variable)
- Recommended credit:
740-850 (Excellent)
- Learn more at our partner’s secure site
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- Intro bonus:
- Annual fee:
$95
- Regular APR:
15.99% – 22.99% Variable
- Recommended credit:
670-850 (Good to Excellent)
- Learn more at our partner’s secure site
- Intro bonus:
- Annual fee:
$250
- Regular APR:
See Pay Over Time APR
- Recommended credit:
670-850 (Good to Excellent)
- Learn more at our partner’s secure site
Bottom Line
EDITORIAL INDEPENDENCE
As with all of our credit card reviews, our analysis is not influenced by any partnerships or advertising relationships.
Citi Premier offers a great mix of everyday and travel rewards, plus a solid sign-up bonus for a $95 annual fee. But consider the lack of additional benefits and be sure to look further into Citi’s ThankYou Rewards program before applying to ensure that transfer partners and travel redemptions align with your preferences.
*All information about the Citi Rewards+ Card, Citi ThankYou Preferred Card, and the Citi Prestige Card has been collected independently by NextAdvisor and has not been reviewed by the issuer.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you frequently travel internationally and spend a lot within rewards categories like dining, groceries, and gas, Citi Premier can make a solid rewards card option. Plus, 3x rewards in those categories means it won’t be difficult to offset the $95 annual fee. But before applying, make sure redemptions through Citi’s ThankYou Rewards program make sense for you and you’re not missing out on any added benefits you could get elsewhere.
Credit score requirements vary between Citi cards. For the best chances of qualifying for the Citi Premier Card, you should have an excellent credit score (740 or higher).
No, the Citi Premier Card’s $95 annual fee is not waived for the first year.
Tag: American Express
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