Updated
Feb 28, 2022 Some offers mentioned on this page may be outdated. To confirm offers and credit card details, check the issuer’s website.
What we like:
No foreign transaction fees and no blackout dates when you redeem points for airfare
| Intro Offer | 50,000 bonus points after making $4,000 in purchases within three months of account opening |
| Rewards Rate | 3x points for all travel-related purchases, including gas stations 2x points for spending on restaurants and entertainment 1x point on all other purchases |
| Regular APR | 16.74% to 25.74% |
| Annual Fee | $95 (waived first year) |
Card Overview
Pros
- A generous signup bonus of 60,000 points
- Triple points for travel purchases, including gas purchases
- ThankYou Points can transfer to participating airline loyalty programs including TrueBlue®, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer.
- You can transfer as little as 1,000 points, which allows you to earn flights faster
- No blackout dates when you redeem points for airfare and book through the ThankYou Travel Center
- You’ll get access to Citi Private Pass to purchase tickets to thousands of annual events
- There’s no foreign transaction fee on purchases
- CitiConcierge service provides assistance with travel, dining, shopping, and entertainment needs
Cons
- $95 annual fee (waived for the first 12 months)
- You have to spend $4,000 to earn the signup bonus
- There’s no 0% promotional APR on purchases or balance transfers
- Points are worth far less if you don’t redeem for airfare
Recommended Credit Score:
Good to Excellent
Citi ThankYou Premier Review
The Citi ThankYou Premier Card is a great choice for a rewards credit card if you’re a frequent traveler — especially if you’re also a big spender.
Although the card charges a $95 annual fee, that fee is waived for the first year so you can enjoy all the card’s perks for 12-months at no cost. And there are perks aplenty, including 50,000 bonus ThankYou points for new cardholders who spend at least $4,000 within the first three months of opening an account. This signup bonus is worth more in airline miles than in gift cards or other rewards.
Unfortunately, this bonus isn’t open to you if you’ve earned a signup bonus for the Citi Rewards+, Citi ThankYou Preferred, or Citi Prestige card in the past 24 months — or if you’ve closed one of these accounts within that timeframe.
Whether you can earn the bonus or not, the Citi ThankYou Premier Card offers a generous rewards program for those who spend the bulk of their money on travel, dining out, or entertaining. You can earn 3x rewards for all travel expenses including at gas stations and car rentals, as well as 2x rewards points on restaurants and entertainment. All other purchases will net you one point per dollar spent, but there’s no limit on the number of points you can earn.
Travelers will like the flexible redemption options, including the fact their points can be redeemed with no blackout dates through the ThankYou Travel Center, or transferred to participating airline loyalty programs including TrueBlue, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer. Since you need just 1,000 points to transfer to any of these programs, you can earn free flights faster.
No foreign transaction fees and EMV chip technology are also important for those who go abroad often, as won’t have to worry about added fees, and you’ll be able to securely use your credit card in more places.
Of course, for those who don’t travel often, this credit card is a poor choice since rewards points are worth far less if redeemed for cash back or anything but airline miles. The card also isn’t a good choice for anyone interested in a balance transfer, as there’s no 0% intro APR and the balance transfer fee equals the greater of 3% of the transferred amount or $5.
In this review:
Citi Premier Card Benefits
- A generous 50,000-point signup bonus
- Earn three points per $1 spent on travel and two points for restaurants and entertainment
- Points are worth 25% more when redeemed for travel on thankyou.com, and can transfer points to participating airline transfer partners
- If you don’t have enough points to cover airfare costs, you can charge the remaining balance due on your Citi Premier Card
- The Citi ThankYou program allows you to use points to pay bills online, to shop at Amazon.com or BestBuy, or to redeem for miles through the ThankYou Travel Center or with participating airlines.
- Citi Concierge service and Citi Private Pass make access to pre-sale tickets and booking travel or entertainment easy
- No foreign transaction fees
- The credit card comes with EMV Chip Technology. Not only does this enhance security, but it also increases the number of places worldwide that accept the Citi ThankYouPremier Card
Downsides of the Citi Premier Card
- A $95 annual fee
- Points are worth less if you don’t redeem for travel purchases
- You need very good to excellent credit to qualify
- There’s no 0% promotional APR for purchases or for balance transfers
>> Read More: Best 0% APR Credit Cards for 2019
How It Compares to Similar Credit Cards
The Citi ThankYou Premier Card is a travel credit card, but there are other cards worth considering that may offer some advantages over the Citi Premier Card.
Citi Premier Card vs Capital One Venture Card
The Capital One Venture Card offers a 50,000 bonus points for new account holders — but you only have to spend $3,000 on purchases within three months. The Venture Card, like the Citi Premier Card, also makes transferring miles easy, as the Venture Card has 10 airline partners that miles transfer to. This credit card charges a $95 annual fee, with the fee waived for the first year.
Although the Citi ThankYou Premier Card offers more generous bonus rewards for travel — with its triplex points offer — the Venture may allow you to earn more points overall as you get two miles per dollar on every purchase. And if you’re a frequent hotel guest, the Venture card is definitely a better choice, as you can get 10 times the miles for spending at thousands of hotels through January 2020.
Bottom Line: Is the Citi ThankYou Premier Right for You?
The Citi ThankYou Premier Card is a great choice if you like to travel often, spend enough to make up for the $95 annual fee, and you’ll redeem your points for travel. But, if you’d prefer to redeem rewards for anything other than airline tickets, you should consider a different credit card.
>> Read More: Best Citi credit cards