Most products on this page are from partners who may compensate us. This may influence which products we write about and where and how they appear on the page. However, opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain.
One of the ways to help offset the seemingly always increasing cost of living is to carry the right credit card. From everyday spending alone, you can rack up thousands of travel points and miles every year to help fuel your next trip. One of the best—and most affordable—options is the Citi Premier® Card, from our partner Citi, offering 3x points per dollar on a wide array of categories, from restaurants to airfare to gas. It comes with a $100 annual hotel credit that more than nullifies the $95 annual fee, on top of other essential travel benefits.
Here’s a rundown of who should—and shouldn’t—apply for the Citi Premier Card.
Citi Premier® Card
- Our Rating 4.5/5 How our ratings work Read the review
- APR21.24% - 29.24% (Variable)
- Annual Fee$95
-
Sign Up Bonus
60,000Citi ThankYou Points
Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou Points after making $4,000 worth of purchases during the first three months of account opening. Dollar Equivalent: $1,080 (60,000 Citi ThankYou Points * 0.018 base)
The Citi Premier® Card, from our partner Citi, is worth considering if you’re looking for accelerated travel rewards but don’t want to pay a huge annual fee. It’s easy to quickly rack up lots of points on this card. While you can redeem ThankYou points for gift cards, you’ll get more value when you redeem points for flights and hotels, and potentially even better value when you transfer points to travel partners.
Overview
This credit card offers its members a range of incentives, such as bonus points, gift cards and 1:1 point transfers with airline partners. One of the more unique features of the Citi Premier® Card from our partner Citi is that it offers 3x ThankPoints for every dollar spent at supermarkets, gas stations, restaurants and travel purchases. Plus, new cardholders can earn 60,000 ThankYou Points after spending $4,000 during the first three months of account opening.
Read the reviewPerks
- Earn 3x ThankYou Points per dollar spent on travel, grocery stores, restaurants and gas stations
- Annual $100 hotel savings benefit. Just book a hotel stay of $500 or more through thankyou.com or 1-800-THANKYOU to earn the discount.
- No foreign transaction fees
- Easily transfer your points to Citi's airline partners
Pros
- High reward rate on common categories of consumer spending
- Points are easily transferable to airlines and hotel partners
- No foreign transaction fees
- Points never expire
Cons
- $95 annual fee
- No standout rewards category
Current Welcome Offer on the Citi Premier Card
One of the most enticing aspects of applying for a new card is earning the sign-up bonus. New applicants will earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 or more on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
Citi ThankYou points are worth 1.8 cents apiece when redeemed toward travel, locking in about $1,080 of value from the jump. Citi partners with more than a dozen frequent flier and hotel programs, and cardholders can transfer their points to any of these programs and find an excellent award flight or hotel stay. If you’ve dreamed of an international business class flight or a great vacation rental for a getaway, some of Citi’s best transfer partners include Singapore Airlines, Virgin Atlantic and Wyndham Rewards.
Benefits of the Citi Premier Card
The Citi Premier Card’s diverse earning rate is one of the biggest selling points of the card:
- Earn 10x points per dollar spent on hotels, car rentals and attractions book via the Citi Travel℠ portal through June 30, 2024 (excludes air travel).
- Earn 3x points per dollar spent at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, air travel and hotels.
- Earn 1x point per dollar on all other eligible purchases.
The annual hotel credit offers cardholders a $100 discount off a hotel stay of $500 or more when booked through thankyou.com. Other benefits include no foreign transaction fees, extended warranty protection, damage and theft protection and more.
Compare Citi Credit Cards
| Credit Card | Intro Bonus | Annual Fee | Rewards Rate | Learn More |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
$200Cash Bonus
Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back. |
$0 |
2%Cashback
Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time. Plus, for a limited time, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 12/31/24. |
Apply Now Rates & Fees |
|
|
60,000Citi ThankYou Points
Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou Points after making $4,000 worth of purchases during the first three months of account opening. Dollar Equivalent: $1,080 (60,000 Citi ThankYou Points * 0.018 base) |
$95 |
1X-10XPoints
10X total ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through June 30, 2024. 3X -- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Other Hotels 3X -- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets 1X -- Earn 1 Point on All Other Purchases |
Apply Now Rates & Fees |
|
|
$200Cash Bonus
Earn $200 in cash back after you spend $1500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back. |
$0 |
1% - 5%Cashback
Earn 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent, 1% cash back thereafter. Also, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases. Special Travel Offer: Earn an additional 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on Citi Travel℠ portal through 6/30/2025. |
Apply Now Rates & Fees |
|
|
$0Cash Bonus |
$0
Active Costco membership required |
1% - 4%Cashback
Earn 4% cash back on up to $7,000 in annual gas and EV charging purchases (and then 1% after), 3% back on restaurant and travel purchases, 2% back at Costco and Costco.com and 1% everywhere else. |
Apply Now Rates & Fees |
Who Should Get the Citi Premier Card?
Here are a few examples of the type of people who could benefit from this card:
- You want rewards for travel and everyday purchases: It’s hard to beat the Citi Premier Card’s 3x earning rate, which hits some daily necessities (restaurants, supermarkets and gas), while earning points for booking flights and hotels. If you spend $500 in these categories, you'd earn 1,500 points per month (18,000 annually), worth about $324 toward travel.
- You want to score business class flights for a fraction of the cost: For those who want maximum value from their spend, you’ll want to earn “general” travel rewards like Citi ThankYou points, which give you the flexibility to transfer to a selection of airline and hotel programs. You’re never locked into one program since there are 15+ options to choose from. Be sure to brush up on all of the best ways to redeem your Citi ThankYou points since the options seem virtually endless.
- You want to earn a large sign-up bonus: The Citi Premier Card offers 60,000 bonus miles after $4,000 in minimum spend requirements, which is a sizable welcome offer worth considering. With an estimated value of $1,080 toward travel, that’s more than 10 times the cost of the $95 annual fee. Earning this haul of bonus points can truly help you kickstart that next vacation.
Related Article
A Dynamic Duo: Why the Citi Double Cash and Citi Premier Cards Make Such a Powerful Combination
Who Shouldn’t Get the Citi Premier Card?
No credit card is right for everyone, so here are a few scenarios in which this card might not be the best fit:
- You don't want to deal with complicated travel rewards: Earning points is a breeze, but maximizing them can have a steep learning curve. Award flights are excellent, but limited availability and confusing loyalty programs can make the point transfer process frustrating. Many travelers who prefer to work with simple, no frills rewards may not enjoy putting in the elbow grease it takes to maximize points or navigate international airline websites.
- You can't easily use the $100 hotel credit: Every calendar year, cardholders get a $100 statement credit for hotel stays of $500 or greater, but you have to book through thankyou.com (not the hotel), and inventory or prices may not match up with what you find elsewhere. The credit is great if you can take advantage of it, but other cards, like the Chase Sapphire Reserve® or the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, provide more flexible credits.
- You want travel insurance benefits: The Citi Premier Card is an excellent rewards card, but it lacks many of the travel protections that competitors offer. For example, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card provides trip cancellation and interruption insurance, baggage delay insurance, primary rental car insurance and more. These valuable benefits come with the card for no extra charge and could potentially save you upwards of thousands if you’re stuck in a travel nightmare.
Recommended Travel Credit Cards
| Credit Card | Intro Bonus | Annual Fee | Rewards Rate | Learn More |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
60,000Chase Ultimate Rewards Points
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Dollar Equivalent: $1,380 (60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points * 0.023 base) |
$95 |
1x- 5xPoints
The card offers 5x points per dollar on Chase Travel℠, 3x points on dining (including eligible takeout and delivery services), as well as 3x points on select streaming services and online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs). This card earns 2x points on all other travel spending and 1x point per dollar everywhere else. Chase broadly defines travel to include not just airfare, hotels and rental cars, but expenses like parking, tolls and public transit too. |
Apply Now |
|
|
50,000Southwest Rapid Rewards Points
Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Dollar Equivalent: $700 (50,000 Southwest Rapid Rewards Points * 0.014 base) |
$69 |
1x - 2xPoints
Earn 2X points on Southwest® purchases. Earn 2X points on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car rental partners. Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare. Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming. Earn 1X points on all other purchases. |
Apply Now |
|
|
$200Cash Bonus
Earn $200 in cash back after you spend $1500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back. |
$0 |
1% - 5%Cashback
Earn 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent, 1% cash back thereafter. Also, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases. Special Travel Offer: Earn an additional 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on Citi Travel℠ portal through 6/30/2025. |
Apply Now Rates & Fees |
|
|
60,000Citi ThankYou Points
Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou Points after making $4,000 worth of purchases during the first three months of account opening. Dollar Equivalent: $1,080 (60,000 Citi ThankYou Points * 0.018 base) |
$95 |
1X-10XPoints
10X total ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through June 30, 2024. 3X -- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Other Hotels 3X -- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets 1X -- Earn 1 Point on All Other Purchases |
Apply Now Rates & Fees |
Bottom Line
The Citi Premier Card offers affordability and consistent value, making it one of the top travel cards out there. If you’re willing to put in the time to learn how to maximize Citi ThankYou points, you can reap incredible value from your credit card rewards.
Featured photo courtesy of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts.
Marielle Lee
Marielle Lee is a digital nomad, working as a freelance writer in personal finance and travel rewards. Her first job was as a tour guide in France for several years, specializing in the country's great wine regions. After that, Marielle continued on to travel to more than 40 countries, all made possible by leveraging the 10-plus credit cards in her wallet.
