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Citi Premier Credit Card Review: Valuable Earning Rates On Top Spending Categories

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.

Citi is a TPG advertising partner.

Citi Premier® Card overview

The Citi Premier® Card (see rates and fees) is an under-the-radar gem with a phenomenal range of bonus categories. While the card isn’t as strong on the redemption side as similar offerings from Chase or Amex, the ability to earn 3 points per dollar on air travel, hotels, gas stations, supermarkets and restaurants (including takeout) for just $95 a year is still a pretty great deal. Card rating*: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

* Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG’s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.

The Citi Premier Card is one of the best earners on a wide variety of everyday spending. It accrues 3 points per dollar with airlines, hotels, gas stations, restaurants and supermarkets — an excellent slate of bonus categories for a card with a $95 annual fee.

Not only that, but the points you earn with the Citi Premier are among the most versatile rewards currencies and are worth 1.8 cents each, according to TPG valuations. That’s because Citi has improved the ThankYou Rewards program substantially over the years to compete with American Express Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards.

The recommended credit score for the Citi Premier card is 670 or above. If you’re there and are considering applying, here’s what else you should know about this card — and why you might want to apply now.

Related: The best Citi credit cards

Citi Premier pros and cons

Pros

Cons

Earns 10 points per dollar spent on hotels, car rentals and attractions (excluding air travel) when booking through the Citi travel portal through June 30
Earns 3 points per dollar on restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, air travel and other hotels
$100 annual hotel savings benefit (on single hotel stay bookings of $500 or more, excluding taxes and fees, booked through thankyou.com)
Points transfer to 18 airline and hotel programs
World Elite Mastercard benefits, extended warranty, damage and theft protection.

$95 annual fee
Lacks travel protections that other travel rewards cards come with

Citi Premier welcome offer

The Citi Premier is currently offering 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. According to TPG valuations, that bonus is worth $1,080.

THE POINTS GUY

While this bonus is valuable, it’s the standard offer for this card. In the past, Citi Premier has offered welcome bonuses of up to 80,000 points for new cardholders, so it may be worth waiting for a better offer if you can.

Additionally, note that the welcome bonus is not available if you have received a new account bonus for a Citi Premier account in the past 48 months.

Citi Premier benefits

Much of Citi Premier’s value proposition comes from its ability to earn bonus points in many categories without charging a hefty annual fee. As such, you shouldn’t expect an overwhelming number of perks.

JT GENTER/THE POINTS GUY

However, there are several benefits of this card that can help you recoup your annual fee:

$100 annual hotel credit: You’ll enjoy a $100 credit once per calendar year for single-stay hotel bookings of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) made through the Citi travel portal.
World Elite Mastercard benefits: As a World Elite Mastercard, the Citi Premier confers several travel-related perks that consumers might not know about. These include a $5 monthly Lyft credit after taking three rides in a calendar month and access to the Mastercard luxury hotels and resorts portfolio for on-property perks like complimentary breakfast and room upgrades upon availability. Through the World Elite Mastercard program, you’ll also enjoy perks like cellphone protection and Global Emergency Services.
Citi Entertainment: This program gives cardholders special access to purchase tickets to thousands of events — from concerts and sporting events to unique dining experiences and movie screenings — before the general public can buy them.
No foreign transaction fees: Like any good travel card, the Citi Premier allows you to travel freely without incurring a fee on international spending.

I always make sure to utilize the $100 annual hotel credit as it’s a sure way to offset the annual fee. However, apart from this, there aren’t many other benefits to take advantage of for substantial savings.

Earning points on the Citi Premier

The Citi Premier’s earning structure is one aspect where the card shines. Cardholders earn 3 points per dollar on purchases in the following categories, with no caps or annual limits:

The card also earns 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.

These earning rates are among the most impressive of any travel rewards card, especially considering the Citi Premier’s affordable annual fee. This is my go-to card for gas purchases as it earns an unlimited 3 points per dollar, which lessens the sting of my high gas prices in California. I also often use this card to earn bonus points at supermarkets because, unlike the American Express® Gold Card, there is no spending cap on this category.

FG TRADE/GETTY IMAGES

Additionally, to coincide with the launch of Citi Travel with Booking.com, Premier cardholders can earn 10 points per dollar on bookings for hotels, rental cars and eligible attractions when booking through the portal through June 30.

Redeeming points on the Citi Premier

Citi ThankYou points can be redeemed for statement credits, cash rewards, third-party gift cards or transferred to Citi’s 18 travel partners.

THANKYOU.COM

You can redeem your ThankYou Points for travel directly through the Citi portal at a rate of 1 cent each, but that’s well below TPG’s valuation of ThankYou points at 1.8 cents each. To get a higher value, you’ll want to take advantage of the option to transfer your points to Citi’s extensive list of transfer partners.

Related: The ultimate guide to Citi ThankYou points

Transferring points on the Citi Premier

The Citi Premier is also a top choice for travelers, thanks to its participation in the ThankYou Rewards program, which currently has 14 airline transfer partners and four hotel partners.

While you’ll notice that many of the frequent flyer programs are those of international airlines, there are still some high-value (and easily redeemable) awards to be booked through them.

ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY

For instance, you can leverage Air France-KLM Flying Blue miles for decent business-class award availability on those airlines and their SkyTeam partners, get some phenomenal deals on Star Alliance awards using Avianca LifeMiles and snag some great Oneworld tickets with Qatar Privilege Club.

I find great value in several transfer partners, including Air France-KLM Flying Blue, which offers business-class flights at 50,000 miles and the ability to add a stopover for free anywhere from 24 hours to one year. Another transfer partner I have utilized is Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, as it’s a sure way to book premium cabins on Singapore Airlines.

Which cards compete with the Citi Premier?

As an affordable travel rewards card, the Citi Premier has a few direct competitors that might be a better fit for you:

If you prefer Chase cards: The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card competes directly with the Citi Premier with an annual fee of $95. While Chase’s transfer partners (including United MileagePlus, Southwest Rapid Rewards and World of Hyatt) might be more beneficial for many travelers, there are also some overlaps, including Singapore KrisFlyer, Emirates Skywards and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. For more information, read our full review of the Sapphire Preferred.
If you want a flat earnings rate: Try the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card. It also charges a $95 annual fee (see rates and fees), but this card earns 2 miles per dollar on all purchases instead of offering bonus categories. For more information, read our full review of the Venture Rewards card.
If you want added perks: If you dine out frequently, you might prefer the American Express® Gold Card, as it has a higher earning rate of 4 points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets (on the first $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1 per dollar) and at restaurants worldwide. It also comes with valuable credits that help offset most of the $250 annual fee (see rates and fees). Enrollment is required for select benefits. For more information, read our full review of the Amex Gold.

For additional options, check out our full list of the top travel rewards cards.

Bottom line

Despite a bevy of competitors, the Citi Premier’s long list of bonus categories and solid sign-up bonus make it one of the most lucrative points-earning cards in its price range. The wide range of ThankYou Rewards transfer partners makes this card compelling, especially for travelers who desire the flexibility to redeem points with various loyalty programs. It’s worth a look if you’re partial to Citi or looking for a versatile travel card to add to your wallet.

Apply here: Citi Premier Card with 60,000 bonus ThankYou points after $4,000 in spending in the first three months of account opening.

For rates and fees of the Amex Gold Card, click here.

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