Citi Prestige Review: Applications Halted; Existing Customers Still Benefit
The Bottom Line
4.5
If you already have the card, its blend of rewards and perks may be well-suited to your travel needs. The fourth-night-free hotel benefit is sweet; the list of transfer partners, not so much.
Rates, fees and offers
Annual fee
$495
Rewards rate
1 point per Dollar
Bonus offer
Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening*
Intro APR
N/A
Ongoing APR
APR: 16.74%-24.74% Variable APR
Penalty APR: Up to 29.99%, Variable
Cash Advance APR: 26.24%, Variable
Balance transfer fee
3%
Foreign transaction fee
0%
More details from Citibank
- 40,000 ThankYou® Points are redeemable for $500 in airfare on any airline, anytime with no blackout dates or $400 in gift cards
- $250 Air Travel Credit each year, and receive a statement credit, up to $100 every 5 years, as reimbursement for your application fee for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
- 4th night hotel benefit for any hotel stay at hotels booked through the Citi Prestige® Concierge
- Transfer points to a variety of travel loyalty programs from airlines to hotels
- Earn 3X Points on Air Travel & Hotels
- Earn 2X Points on Dining Out & Entertainment
- Earn 1X Points on All Other Purchases
Pros and Cons
Pros
Bonus categories
Luxury perks
Cons
Has annual fee
Requires excellent credit
Detailed Review
» This card is no longer available
The Citi Prestige® Card is no longer accepting applications. See our best travel credit cards and best premium credit cards for other options. Below is our review from when the card was still available.
• • •
As of summer 2021, the $495-annual-fee Citi Prestige® Card was phasing out the acceptance of new applications.
But existing cardholders still get a lot in return for that pricey annual fee.
The card offers generous bonus rewards in major travel categories and several perks, including an annual $250 travel credit, a fourth-night-free benefit on hotel stays, a Global Entry or TSA Precheck credit of up to $100 every five years, airport lounge access via a Priority Pass Select membership, and multiple airline transfer partners, which could let you wring even more value out of your earnings.
If you're able to maximize that fourth-night-free benefit, and you do a lot of spending on airfare and via travel agencies, the Citi Prestige® Card will fit your travel needs like a glove.
But other players in the premium travel card field offer more extensive lounge access, fancier travel benefits and more domestic airline transfer partners. And you may find those perks are ultimately worth more to you. For current offers, check out NerdWallet's list of best credit cards to have.
Citi Prestige® Card: Basics
Card type: Travel.
Annual fee: $495.
Interest rate: The ongoing APR is 16.74%-24.74% Variable APR.
Foreign transaction fees: None.
Rewards:
5 ThankYou points per dollar on purchases at airlines and travel agencies.
5 ThankYou points per dollar on purchase at restaurants, including cafes, bars, lounges and fast food.
3 ThankYou points per dollar on purchases at hotels and cruise lines.
1 ThankYou point for each dollar spent on all other purchases.
Earnings expire after three years to the day in which they were earned.
Redemption options:
Redeem for travel, cash back, gift card purchases, bill payments and more. All points are worth 1 cent each, regardless of which option you choose.
Transfer to one of Citi's partner airlines. Through strategic redemptions, you can potentially get more value out of your points this way. If you don't plan on traveling internationally, though, this option is somewhat limited. JetBlue is the only domestic carrier you can transfer points to.
Full list of Citi transfer partners
Airlines
Aeromexico (1:1 ratio).
Air France/KLM (1:1 ratio).
Asia Miles (1:1 ratio).
Avianca (1:1 ratio).
Emirates (1:1 ratio).
Etihad (1:1 ratio).
Eva Air (1:1 ratio).
JetBlue (1:1 or 1:0.8 ratio, depending on which card you have).
Qantas (1:1 ratio).
Qatar Airways (1:1 ratio).
Singapore Airlines (1:1 ratio).
Thai Airways (1:1 ratio).
Turkish Airlines (1:1 ratio).
Virgin Atlantic (1:1 ratio).
Hotels
Accor Live Limitless (2:1 ratio).
Choice Hotels (1:2 or 1:1.5 ratio, depending on which card you have).
The Leading Hotels of the World (5:1 ratio).
Preferred Hotels & Resorts (1:4 ratio).
Wyndham (1:1 ratio or 1:0.8 ratio, depending on which card you have).
Events
Virgin Red (1:1 ratio).
Other benefits:
Complimentary fourth-hotel-night-free benefit: Get the fourth night free when booking four consecutive nights or more at any hotel through Citi ThankYou.
$250 travel credit every calendar year: This can cover travel purchases including airfare, hotel stays and car rentals, to name a few.
Priority Pass Select membership: Get complimentary access to Priority Pass lounges.
Global Entry or TSA Precheck credit: This covers your application fee for a Global Entry or TSA Precheck application if you pay with your card.
The Citi Prestige® Card is the top-tier option when it comes to Citi's rewards cards. With an annual fee of $95, the Citi Premier® Card is the mid-tier option, and the Citi Rewards+® Card is more budget-minded with an annual fee of $0 and lower ongoing rewards than its sibling cards. (Editor's note: In 2024, Citi replaced the Citi Premier® Card with the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card.)
Compare to Other Cards
Benefits and Perks
Rich ongoing rewards
Offering 5 points per dollar spent on airlines, travel agencies and restaurants, the Citi Prestige® Card soars past what most other cards can earn in these categories. If you're spending a bundle on travel and dining, this premium rewards rate could make the card worth getting. Spending on hotels and cruises will also earn you a respectable 3 points per dollar, which is on a par with what several other top-notch travel cards offer.
A $250 travel credit
The $250 annual travel credit on the Citi Prestige® Card can ease the sting of the card's high annual fee. Citi's definition of travel is broad and includes less-considered ways of getting around, including taxis, subways, parking lots and tolls. If you ever leave your house, you'll likely find a way to use up that credit and effectively bring the net cost of owning the card down to $245.
Through Dec. 31, 2022, the annual travel credit will cover more than just travel. Restaurant purchases (including takeout) and supermarket purchases will also trigger the travel credit.
Complimentary fourth night hotel stay
This is one of the more valuable perks of owning the Citi Prestige® Card. Anytime you book a hotel stay of four nights or more through Citi's rewards portal. through a paid booking, an award booking or a combination of the two, you'll get night four on the house — whether it's an inexpensive room or a presidential suite. It should be noted, however, that this once-unlimited feature was capped at two times a year as of Sept. 1, 2019. Even so, if you take advantage, that, combined with the annual $250 travel credit, you'll probably get more than your money's worth out of the card.
Lounge access and TSA Precheck or Global Entry credit
The Citi Prestige® Card comes with Priority Pass Select membership, which gets you complimentary access to lounges in the Priority Pass network around the world. Waiting for your flight in one of those lounges instead of by a busy boarding gate might make your next airport experience a little more pleasant.
Another useful benefit: Every five years, the card offers a credit to cover the cost of your application fee for TSA Precheck (worth $85) or Global Entry (worth $100). If you qualify for one of these programs, you could get through airport security a little faster.
Drawbacks and Considerations
Rich ongoing rewards
Offering 5 points per dollar spent on airlines, travel agencies and restaurants, the Citi Prestige® Card soars past what most other cards can earn in these categories. If you're spending a bundle on travel and dining, this premium rewards rate could make the card worth getting. Spending on hotels and cruises will also earn you a respectable 3 points per dollar, which is on a par with what several other top-notch travel cards offer.
A $250 travel credit
The $250 annual travel credit on the Citi Prestige® Card can ease the sting of the card's high annual fee. Citi's definition of travel is broad and includes less-considered ways of getting around, including taxis, subways, parking lots and tolls. If you ever leave your house, you'll likely find a way to use up that credit and effectively bring the net cost of owning the card down to $245.
Through Dec. 31, 2022, the annual travel credit will cover more than just travel. Restaurant purchases (including takeout) and supermarket purchases will also trigger the travel credit.
Complimentary fourth night hotel stay
This is one of the more valuable perks of owning the Citi Prestige® Card. Anytime you book a hotel stay of four nights or more through Citi's rewards portal with a paid booking, an award booking or a combination of the two, you'll get night four on the house — whether it's an inexpensive room or a presidential suite. It should be noted, however, that this once-unlimited feature was capped at two times a year as of Sept. 1, 2019. Even so, if you take advantage, that, combined with the annual $250 travel credit, you'll probably get more than your money's worth out of the card.
Lounge access and TSA Precheck or Global Entry credit
The Citi Prestige® Card comes with Priority Pass Select membership, which gets you complimentary access to lounges in the Priority Pass network around the world. Waiting for your flight in one of those lounges instead of by a busy boarding gate might make your next airport experience a little more pleasant.
Another useful benefit: Every five years, the card offers a credit to cover the cost of your application fee for TSA Precheck (worth $85) or Global Entry (worth $100). If you qualify for one of these programs, you could get through airport security a little faster.
If $495 is too much for your taste, consider this popular travel card. You earn 2 miles per dollar spent on most purchases. Miles can be redeemed for any travel purchase. There's a great sign-up bonus and a handful of nice perks. Annual fee: $95.
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Methodology
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