Citi Premier Card Review

The Citi Premier Card is a smart option for consumers who spend a lot of money on travel (including gas), entertainment, and dining. Plus, its robust rewards program ensures you’ll earn points you can actually use. Not only is the card great for earning points on travel, but you also have a variety of choices for redeeming rewards for travel. On the flip side, it’s nice to know you don’t have to redeem points for travel. 

No matter what, you may want to compare a few travel credit cards and their respective rewards programs to find the right fit. Some other programs have different transfer partners and perks, which could be a better option.

• Generous rewards: This card offers an initial 60,000 points when you spend $4,000 on purchases within three months of account opening. You also earn 3 points per $1 on an expansive travel category that includes airplane and train travel, in addition to gas stations and other aspects of everyday commuting. The rewards on dining and entertainment are also very competitive. 
• Flexible options for redeeming travel rewards: If you’re eager to travel but don’t want to deal with complicated hotel or airline loyalty programs or blackout dates, this card could be for you. You can book a variety of hotels and airfare through the Citi portal.
• More value when you redeem points for airfare: The Citi Premier Card gives you more value for your points when you redeem them through the portal for airfare. According to Citi, the 60,000-point signup bonus may be worth $750 in travel when redeemed for flights that way. 
• No foreign transaction fees: The fact you won’t pay any foreign transaction fees on purchases made overseas with this card solidifies its place as a top travel credit card. 

• Annual fee: The Citi Premier Card has a $95 annual fee. This isn’t overly expensive for a travel credit card, but it’s still worth asking yourself if the rewards are worth it. 
• Limited U.S. airline transfer partners: The Citi ThankYou program has an array of transfer partners you can move points to without a fee, but its partners won’t work for everyone. Many of the airline partners are based in Europe and Asia, which may not be ideal if you mostly travel close to home. However, the program sometimes offers bonus miles for a limited time.
• High interest rate: The Citi Premier Card isn’t a good option if you plan to carry a balance. You’ll pay a variable rate of 17.49% - 25.49% based on your creditworthiness.

The Citi Premier℠ Card gives you 60,000 points after you sign up and spend $4,000 on your card within three months of account opening. Citi values this bonus at $750 when used to book airfare specifically, but based on The Balance calculations, this offer is worth about $690 when averaged over multiple travel redemption options. 

This bonus is on par with competing travel credit cards charging a similar annual fee. However, it may be hard to earn through organic spending—you’ll need to spend at least $1,334 per month for three months in a row to reach the threshold.

One big benefit of the Citi Premier Card is the fact that its earning tiers are so generous. Having the ability to earn 3 points per $1 spent on travel including gas, parking, ferries and other daily-commuting requirements could be a huge boon if you spend a lot in those categories anyway. Earn 2 points per $1 on dining and entertainment, along with 1 point per $1 on regular purchases. Also note that your points will never expire provided you have an open Citi ThankYou credit card account, and that there are no limits to the rewards you can earn.

There are many ways to redeem Citi ThankYou points earned with this card, but you’ll get more from your points when they are used for travel. If you book flights directly through Citi’s ThankYou Rewards portal, your points will be worth 1.25 cents each. 

Overall, though, The Balance found Citi Premier points are worth about 1.15 cents each, on average, when what we consider the most common travel and transfer options are considered. Citi has 15 airline transfer partners, and the transfer ratio is typically one point for one mile.

You can also redeem points for hotels, cruises, and car rentals through Citi. If you don’t have a travel bug, points may also be used for: 

• Gift cards
• Shopping at online retailers like Best Buy or Amazon.com
• Cash back
• Statement credits
• Charity donations 
• Student loan or mortgage payments
• Paying bills

Start by using your card for all your regular purchases, but especially those made on dining, entertainment, and travel—including gas. Make sure to spend $4,000 within three months of account opening to earn the initial sign-up bonus. 

Maximizing this card’s benefits should be easy if you travel often. You’ll get the most value from your points when they are redeemed for airfare, and if you need more travel flexibility than what’s offered through Citi directly, take advantage of the solid 1:1 transfer ratio offered for most airline partners.

• Citi Entertainment: Access to special events, movies, concerts, VIP experiences, and ticket presale opportunities, and a concierge service to help you with dining, entertainment, and travel plans. 

Global marketing company J.D. Power conducts independent customer satisfaction surveys, and rated Citi 6th out of its lineup of credit card companies in its 2019 Credit Card Satisfaction Study. The survey considered the opinions of over 28,000 credit card customers nationwide, and Citi received 799 points out of 1,000. The industry average, on the other hand, was 806.

When it comes to customer service options, you can reach Citi online via mobile chat, with a secure message, or over the phone. You can also reach out to Citi via the Citi mobile app, which has 4.8 stars out of 5 on iTunes and 4.3 stars out of 5 on Google Play. 

You'll have access to Citi Identity Theft Solutions, which offers personalized assistance when you’re a victim of this crime. This service will help keep an eye on your TransUnion credit report and advise you on how to proceed if your information has been compromised. 

Fees on this card are standard among travel credit cards, including the lack of foreign transaction fees. Note that the ongoing APR on this card is high, however, so you should strive to pay your balance in full each month.