Citi Premier bank card evaluate: 60,000 bonus factors with beneficial incomes charges

Whereas the cardboard isn’t as sturdy on the redemption aspect as comparable choices from Chase or Amex, the flexibility to earn 3 factors per greenback on air journey, lodges, fuel stations, supermarkets and eating places (together with takeout) for simply $95 a 12 months remains to be a fairly nice deal. Card score*: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

* Card score relies on the opinion of TPG’s editors and isn’t influenced by the cardboard issuer.

The Citi Premier® Card is at present providing a bonus of 60,000 factors after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. Nevertheless, along with this intro bonus, there are many causes this card deserves a spot in your pockets.

First, the cardboard is likely one of the finest earners on on a regular basis spending. It accrues 3 factors per greenback on air journey, lodges, fuel stations, eating places and supermarkets. Not dangerous for a card with a $95 annual payment.

Not solely that, however the factors you earn with the Citi Premier are among the many most versatile rewards currencies and are value 1.7 cents every by TPG valuations. That’s as a result of Citi has improved the ThankYou Rewards program considerably through the years to compete with American Specific Membership Rewards and Chase Final Rewards. So the 60,000-point sign-up bonus is value $1,020 by our estimates.

The Citi ThankYou program boasts 14 airline switch companions, together with standouts like Avianca LifeMiles and Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership. Plus, Qatar Airways’ shift to Avios as its loyalty forex final 12 months successfully means you may switch your ThankYou factors to British Airways. This system additionally has two resort companions, Wyndham Rewards and Selection Privileges.

Learn extra: Why Qatar’s change to Avios is big information for Citi ThankYou factors

Right here’s what else it is best to learn about this card — and why you may need to apply now.

Who is that this card for?

You received’t have the ability to earn the bonus on the Citi Premier in case you’ve opened or closed the Citi Rewards+® Card, Citi ThankYou® Most well-liked*, Citi Premier or Citi Status® Card* within the final 24 months. Most issuers rely that point solely primarily based on if you opened a card or obtained a bonus, however with Citi, your clock additionally resets in case you shut a card, so it’s all within the timing.

*The Citi ThankYou Most well-liked and Citi Status are not obtainable for brand new candidates. The knowledge for the Citi Status has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or supplied by the cardboard issuer.

There’s a $95 annual payment on the Citi Premier.

Associated: The last word information to bank card software restrictions

Perks

• $100 annual resort credit score: You’ll take pleasure in a $100 credit score as soon as per calendar 12 months for single-stay resort bookings of $500 or extra (excluding taxes and charges) made by way of thankyou.com.
• Prolonged guarantee safety: Provides 24 months to a producer’s guarantee.
• Harm and theft safety: Repairs or replaces an merchandise that’s broken or stolen inside 90 days of buy (as much as $10,000 per incident and $50,000 per 12 months).
• World Elite Mastercard advantages: As a World Elite Mastercard, the Citi Premier confers a number of travel-related perks that customers won’t learn about. These embrace a $5 month-to-month Lyft credit score after taking three rides in a calendar month and entry to the Mastercard luxurious lodges and resorts portfolio for on-property perks like complimentary breakfast and room upgrades upon availability. By way of the World Elite Mastercard program, you’ll additionally take pleasure in perks like cellphone safety and International Emergency Providers.
• Citi® Leisure: This program offers cardholders particular entry to buy tickets to 1000’s of occasions — from concert events and sporting occasions to distinctive eating experiences and film screenings — earlier than most people should purchase them.
• No overseas transaction charges: Like all good journey card, the Citi Premier means that you can journey freely with out incurring a payment on worldwide spending.

Incomes

The cardboard earns 1 level per greenback on all different purchases.

These incomes charges are among the many most spectacular of any journey rewards card, particularly contemplating the Citi Premier’s reasonably priced annual payment.

Associated: The 8 finest bank cards with annual charges underneath $100

Redeeming

• Aeromexico Membership Premier.
• Air France-KLM Flying Blue.
• Avianca LifeMiles.
• Cathay Pacific Asia Miles.
• Selection Privileges.
• Emirates Skywards.
• Etihad Visitor.
• EVA Air Infinity MileageLands.
• JetBlue TrueBlue.
• Qantas Frequent Flyer.
• Qatar Airways Privilege Membership.
• Singapore Airways KrisFlyer.
• Thai Royal Orchid Plus.
• Turkish Airways Miles & Smiles.
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership.
• Wyndham Rewards.

Whilst you’ll discover that most of the frequent-flyer applications are these of worldwide airways, there are nonetheless some high-value (and simply redeemable) awards to be booked by way of them.

For example, you may rating some low cost Delta awards by reserving by way of Virgin Atlantic, leverage Air France-KLM Flying Blue miles for first rate business-class award availability on these airways and their SkyTeam companions, get some phenomenal offers on Star Alliance awards utilizing Avianca LifeMiles, offset paid fares with JetBlue TrueBlue and even ebook cheap American Airways business-class tickets utilizing Etihad Visitor miles.

You may as well redeem your ThankYou Factors for journey instantly by way of the Citi portal at a charge of 1 cent every, however that’s properly beneath TPG’s valuation of ThankYou factors at 1.7 cents every, a quantity derived partly from Citi’s in depth record of switch companions.

Associated: The last word information to Citi ThankYou Rewards

Which playing cards compete with the Citi Premier?

Proper now, the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked has a sign-up bonus of 60,000 bonus factors after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. Although not one of the best we’ve seen, TPG values this sign-up bonus at $1,200.

Official software hyperlink: Chase Sapphire Most well-liked Card with a 60,000-point bonus.

One other direct competitor is the Capital One Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card. It, too, costs a $95 annual payment, however this card comes with a much less profitable (however a lot easier) incomes charge of two miles per greenback on all purchases. As a substitute of an annual resort credit score, you’ll rise up to a $100 International Entry or TSA PreCheck software credit score as soon as each 4 years with the Enterprise. You’ll even get two annual lounge visits per 12 months to Capital One’s nascent community of airport lounges — or use these passes at over 100 Plaza Premium lounge areas.

Capital One miles switch to fifteen airways and three resort accomplice applications, principally at a 1:1 ratio. It, too, shares a number of frequent switch companions with the Citi ThankYou Rewards program.

The Enterprise’s sign-up bonus can be value contemplating, providing 75,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases inside the first three months of account opening. TPG values this sign-up bonus at $1,388 (not supplied by the issuer).

Official software hyperlink: Capital One Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card with 75,000 bonus miles.

Lastly, one of many Citi Premier’s closest rivals over at American Specific is the American Specific® Gold Card, which earns 4 factors per greenback at eating places, 4 factors per greenback at U.S. supermarkets on the primary $25,000 in purchases per calendar 12 months (then 1 per greenback), 3 factors per greenback on flights booked instantly with airways or by way of Amex Journey and 1 level per greenback on different eligible purchases. These rewards will be transferred to Membership Rewards’ 17 airline and three resort companions.

The Amex Gold Card additionally comes with as much as $10 in month-to-month eating credit at choose eating places (as much as $120 in annual assertion credit) and as much as $10 in month-to-month U.S. Uber Money (as much as $120 yearly), offsetting nearly all of the $250 annual payment (see charges and charges). Enrollment is required for choose advantages.

As well as, there’s at present a welcome supply to earn 60,000 bonus factors after you spend $4,000 in purchases in your card in your first six months of card membership.

Official software hyperlink: American Specific Gold Card with 60,000 bonus factors.

Backside line

Because of its lengthy record of bonus classes and sign-up bonus, the Citi Premier is likely one of the most profitable points-earning playing cards in its value vary. The stable and rising roster of ThankYou Rewards switch companions additionally makes these factors that rather more compelling, particularly for vacationers who want the pliability to redeem factors with numerous loyalty applications.

Extra reporting by Ryan Wilcox, Stella Shon, Eric Rosen and Christina Ly.

For charges and charges of the Amex Gold Card, click on right here.