Citicards Prestige Credit Card Review and Comparison

The Citicards Prestige credit card is a high-end rewards card that offers a range of benefits to its users.

It has a $495 annual fee, making it a significant investment for those who want to enjoy its perks.

One of the card's standout features is its 5X points earning rate on dining purchases, which can be redeemed for travel, gift cards, or other rewards.

With a generous sign-up bonus of 75,000 points, new cardholders can start earning rewards right away.

The card also offers a $100 credit towards airline fees, which can be used to offset the cost of checked bags, seat upgrades, or other travel expenses.

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The Citi Prestige Card offers a range of benefits that make it a valuable addition to your wallet. The card's $250 annual travel credit can be easily used, and when combined with the fourth-night-free benefit, it can provide hundreds of dollars in value.

The Citi Prestige Card earns ThankYou Points that can be transferred to 21 hotel and airline partners, with an industry-leading transfer ratio of 1:2 to Choice Privileges. This means that one ThankYou Point becomes two Choice points, giving you more value for your points.

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Here are some key benefits of the Citi Prestige Card:

The card also offers a Priority Pass membership with credits at Priority Pass restaurants, making it a great option for travelers.

Earning points with the Citi Prestige is a breeze, especially when you consider the 5 ThankYou points per dollar spent at restaurants, airfare, and travel agencies.

The card's earning structure is quite generous, with 5X points on air travel, travel agencies, and at restaurants, making it one of the best cards for dining. You can also earn 3X points at hotels and on cruise line purchases, and 1X point per dollar on all other purchases.

One of the key benefits of the Citi Prestige is its uncapped earning rate, which means you can earn a lot of points quickly, especially if you're a big spender. This is particularly useful for those who frequently book flights with online travel agencies (OTAs) like Expedia.

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You can also earn points with other Citi cards, such as the Citi Double Cash Card, which offers 2X ThankYou points on all purchases. This can be a great way to earn points on everyday spending, especially if you're not using the Citi Prestige for those types of purchases.

Here's a breakdown of the Citi Prestige's earning rates:

Keep in mind that you can transfer your points to Citi's 21 airline and hotel partners, which can give you a lot of flexibility and value when redeeming your points.

The Citi Prestige Card is a premium travel credit card that offers a range of benefits, but is it worth the cost? The card can be worth the cost for those who use most of its benefits strategically, such as the fourth-night-free benefit, which can provide hundreds of dollars in value.

The $250 annual travel credit is easy to use, and the card's earnings on dining and flights can provide significant value. For frequent travelers who spend enough to maximize rewards on hotels and restaurant spending, the Citi Prestige card might be the travel credit card they are looking for.

However, for most frequent travelers who want to carry a single credit card, other premium travel credit cards like the American Express Platinum Card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve may offer more benefits. If you travel frequently with one airline, the lounge benefits offered by other credit cards may be more useful.

To maximize the value of the Citi Prestige Card, transferring points to Citi's 21 airline and hotel partners is likely the best option. For example, transferring ThankYou points to Air France-KLM Flying Blue can get you business-class flights from the U.S. to Europe for as low as 50,000 points one-way.

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Ultimately, whether or not the Citi Prestige Card is worth it for you depends on your individual spending habits and travel needs.

The Citi Prestige card offers a generous earning structure, with 5 ThankYou points per dollar spent at restaurants, air travel, and travel agencies, 3 points per dollar spent at hotels and cruise lines, and 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.

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You can earn up to 5x points on air travel, travel agencies, and at restaurants, making it one of the best cards for dining and travel.

The card also offers a Priority Pass membership with credits at Priority Pass restaurants, which can be a valuable perk for frequent travelers.

Here's a breakdown of the earning rates:

Transferring your points to Citi's 21 airline and hotel partners will likely give you the most value, with an average redemption rate of 2.11¢ per point.

You can redeem your Citi ThankYou points in various ways, including transferring them to airline or hotel partners. This is likely to give you the most value, with some redemptions offering as low as 50,000 points for a one-way business-class flight from the US to Europe.

The Citi Prestige card offers a 1:2 transfer ratio to Choice Privileges, making it an industry-leading transfer ratio. Points earned on other cards, like American Express Membership Rewards and Capital One miles, transfer at a 1:1 ratio.

You can also redeem points for travel through Citi's travel portal, but this usually provides less value than transferring to airline partners. Additionally, you can use your points to redeem for gift cards, pay at select online retailers, get cash back, or make charitable contributions.

The average redemption value of Citi ThankYou points is 2.11¢ each, which is higher than Amex points (1.93¢) and Chase Ultimate Rewards (1.91¢). However, Capital One miles offer an even higher redemption value of 2.31¢.

Here's a breakdown of the estimated annual rewards potential of the Citi Prestige card, based on a family's average spending in various categories:

Assuming a 1 cent per point redemption value, the total annual points earning would be worth $514. However, with strategic redemptions, the actual value could be substantially higher.

The Citi Prestige Card has a unique approach to minimum spend requirements. No minimum spend is required to enjoy card benefits, except for selected Travel privileges.

This means you can start using the card and enjoying its benefits right away, without having to meet a specific spend threshold.

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The Citi Prestige Card has a range of fees you should be aware of. The annual fee is a significant one, but we'll get into that in a moment.

The annual fee for the Citi Prestige Card is $500 plus GST, which is a pretty steep price to pay. However, supplementary cards are free for life, which is a nice perk.

There are also other fees to consider, such as balance transfer fees and cash advance fees. Unfortunately, the article doesn't specify the rates for these fees, so you'll need to check your cardholder agreement for the current rates.

Foreign purchase transactions are fee-free, which is a great benefit for international travelers.

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The Citi Prestige card offers a range of travel and rewards benefits that make it a great choice for frequent travelers.

You'll earn 5 points per dollar spent at restaurants, 5 points per dollar spent on air travel, and 3 points per dollar spent on hotels and cruise lines. This means that if you spend $1,755 on air travel and $4,406 on restaurants in an average year, you'll earn a total of 30,805 ThankYou Points.

The Citi Prestige card also offers a $250 annual travel credit, which can be used to offset travel purchases. This credit is automatically applied to your statement, and it's a great way to save money on flights, hotels, and other travel expenses.

Here are the earning rates for the Citi Prestige card:

This card also offers a range of other travel benefits, including complimentary airport lounge access, a fourth night free perk, and a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit.

The fourth night free perk is a valuable benefit of the Citi Prestige card, allowing you to save up to $275 on a four-night stay at a hotel like Walt Disney World.

You can use this benefit twice per year, but bookings must be made through the Citi ThankYou travel portal. This means you won't earn hotel loyalty points or receive elite benefits.

The fourth night free is based on your average nightly rate, excluding taxes and fees. It's a great perk for non-chain bookings, like Disney hotels.

To use this benefit, you'll need to book a four-night stay through the Citi ThankYou travel portal. The card will pay for the fourth night, saving you money on your total bill.

Here's an example of how this perk can save you money:

By using the fourth night free benefit, you can save nearly $275 on a four-night stay. This is a significant savings, especially when combined with other benefits of the Citi Prestige card.

Remember, this perk is only available twice per year, so be sure to plan your trips accordingly to maximize your savings.

The Citi Prestige card earns points in the Citi ThankYou program, which allows you to combine points earned across multiple cards, other Citi banking products, and even transfer cash back earned from the Citi Double Cash Card into the program as ThankYou Points.

You'll earn 5 points per dollar spent at restaurants and on air travel, making it a great option for frequent travelers and foodies. This is one of the highest earning rates for a premium travel card.

The card also earns 3 points per dollar spent on hotels and cruise lines, and 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases. This means you can rack up points quickly on everyday purchases.

Here's a breakdown of the earning rates:

With the Citi Prestige card, you can earn a significant number of points, especially if you spend a lot on travel and dining. For example, if you spend $1,755 on air travel and $4,406 on restaurants in an average year, you'll earn a total of 30,805 ThankYou Points.

If you're a frequent traveler, you know how much you can save on fuel costs with the right credit card. The Citi Prestige Card offers up to 15.8% savings at Esso petrol stations, with 14% savings onsite and up to 1.8% Smiles points.

You can enjoy 15.2% savings on Shell fuel, which is made up of 14% onsite savings and 1.2% GO+ points.

If you're looking for alternatives to the Citi Prestige Card, you're not alone - it's no longer open to new applicants. The Chase Sapphire Reserve is a direct competitor, charging a $550 annual fee but offering generous earning rates on select categories, a $300 annual travel credit, and a Priority Pass Select membership.

The Amex Platinum is another premium travel card with a $695 annual fee, offering a suite of luxury benefits like lounge access, an airline fee statement credit, and Uber Cash. The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has a lower annual fee of $395 and earns 10 miles per dollar on hotels and car rentals booked via Capital One Travel.

If you're looking for a more affordable option, the Citi Strata Premier Card has a $95 annual fee and offers a generous welcome bonus, 3x points on dining, gas, and EV charging, and a $100 annual hotel credit.

If you're looking for alternatives to the Citi Prestige Card, you're in luck because there are several great options available.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve is a top contender, with a $550 annual fee that's offset by benefits like a $300 annual travel credit and a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit every four years.

Another strong option is the Amex Platinum, which charges a $695 annual fee but offers a suite of luxury benefits like unparalleled lounge access and an airline fee statement credit of up to $200 per calendar year.

For a more budget-friendly option, consider the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, which has a moderate $395 annual fee and earns 10 miles per dollar on hotels and car rentals booked via Capital One Travel.

Here are some key features of each card:

Ultimately, the best alternative to the Citi Prestige Card will depend on your individual needs and preferences.

The American Express Platinum Card is a premium travel card that offers a range of benefits for travelers. It's one of the most well-known cards in its class, and for good reason.

One of the standout features of the Platinum Card is its generous airline incidental statement credits. You can get up to $200 in credits each year on an eligible airline you select.

The Platinum Card also offers a suite of purchase protection services, including secondary car rental loss and damage insurance. This can be a lifesaver if you're involved in an accident while renting a car.

With the Platinum Card, you can earn 5 Membership Rewards Points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel, up to $500,000 per calendar year. This can add up quickly, especially if you're a frequent flyer.

In addition to its travel benefits, the Platinum Card also offers access to exclusive lounges, including Delta Sky Club lounges when traveling on Delta, American Express Global Lounge, and Priority Pass lounge access with enrollment. This can be a huge perk if you're a road warrior or enjoy the luxury of a lounge experience.

The Platinum Card also offers a range of other benefits, including up to $200 in Uber Cash credits annually, complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status and Hilton Honors Gold Status with enrollment, and more.

The Citi Prestige Card is a premium credit card that offers some valuable benefits, but it's not a clear-cut choice for everyone. It's worth considering how much value you get from the card when your annual fee posts.

The card's 5 points per dollar rate on spending at restaurants and on air travel categories is a generous offer, and the $250 annual travel credit partially offsets the hefty annual fee. The Priority Pass Select lounge benefit is also nice, offering complimentary access for two guests.

However, the card falls short in its lack of offering behind the headlines. It's missing travel insurance and purchase protection benefits common among credit cards carrying a similar annual fee.