Update: The Citi Prestige Card is no longer open to new applicants.
When it comes to ultra-premium travel rewards cards, three cards generally come to mind — The Platinum Card® from American Express (review), the Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card (review), and the Citi Prestige Card.
In this post I wanted to take an in-depth look at the Citi Prestige Card, since it’s generally the least talked about of the three cards (and for good reason, frankly).
In this post:
Citi Prestige Card Basics For March 2024
We’ve seen all card issuers make significant changes to their premium cards over the past few years, though arguably no premium card has seen as many changes as the Citi Prestige.
Up until 2019, I would have argued this card was too good to be true, while now I’d argue the card is still good under certain circumstances, but it doesn’t have as wide of an appeal as it used to.
Let’s look at various aspects of the Citi Prestige, from the welcome bonus, to the return on spending that it offers, to the perks.
Sign-Up Bonus Of 50,000 ThankYou Points
The Citi Prestige offers a sign-up bonus of 50,000 ThankYou points after spending $4,000 within three months. That’s roughly in line with what other card issuers are offering on premium cards.
Redeem your ThankYou points for travel in Air France business class
Card Eligibility Restrictions
Every credit card issuer has different policies for approving new cardmembers.
With the Citi Prestige, the welcome bonus isn’t available to those who have received a new cardmember bonus on the Citi Rewards+, ThankYou Preferred, ThankYou Premier, or Prestige, or who have closed any of the above accounts, in the past 24 months.
On top of that, keep in mind that with Citi you can be approved for at most one card every eight days, and at most two cards every 65 days.
$495 Annual Fee + $75 Authorized User Fee
The Citi Prestige has a $495 annual fee, which isn’t waived for the first year.
You can add authorized users to the Citi Prestige for $75 each, and they also get some of the perks, which I’ll talk more about below.
Earning Points With The Citi Prestige Card
The Citi Prestige offers some solid bonus categories, as the card offers up to 5x points per dollar spent. The card has no foreign transaction fees, so this is great for purchases both in the US and abroad. For context, the Citi Prestige earns ThankYou points, which I value at 1.7 cents each (others may value them differently).
5x Points At Restaurants
The Citi Prestige offers 5x points at restaurants (including takeout and delivery) globally, which is fantastic. In my opinion this is the best credit card for dining purchases, and this is one of the main reasons I have the card.
To me the Citi Prestige offers the equivalent of an 8.5% return on eating out.
Earn 5x points at restaurants globally with the Citi Prestige
5x Points On Air Travel
The Citi Prestige also offers 5x points on airfare purchases, and this applies whether you’re booking directly with an airline or through a travel agency. An 8.5% return on airfare spending is great, and makes this one of the best credit cards for airfare purchases.
However, I’ve stopped using the Citi Prestige for airfare purchases because Citi stopped offering valuable travel protection, which I value.
Now I use the Amex Platinum Card for airfare, as it also offers 5x points (which I value roughly the same), and Amex offers travel protection on its cards.
The Citi Prestige offers 5x points on airfare
3x Points On Hotels
The Citi Prestige offers 3x ThankYou points on hotel purchases, which I value at a 5.1% return. That makes this one of the best credit cards for hotel purchases. However, I use the Chase Sapphire Reserve for hotel purchases, as it offers 3x points while also offering great travel coverage.
3x Points On Cruises
The Citi Prestige offers 3x ThankYou points on cruises purchases, which I value at a 5.1% return. That’s a pretty great return on cruises.
1x Points On All Other Purchases
For categories not listed above, the Citi Prestige offers 1x ThankYou points per dollar spent, which I value at a return of ~1.7%. I try to do better than that with my everyday spending, so don’t recommend using this card for non-bonused spending.
Redeeming Points With The Citi Prestige Card
The Citi Prestige earns ThankYou points, which can be transferred to select airline loyalty programs.
Transfer Partners | Transfer Ratio |
|---|---|
Aeroméxico Club Premier | 1000 : 1000 |
1000: 1000 | |
1000 : 1000 | |
1000 : 1000 | |
1000 : 1000 | |
1000 : 1000 | |
1000 : 1000 | |
1000 : 1000 | |
1000 : 1000 | |
1000 : 1000 | |
1000 : 1000 | |
1000 : 1000 | |
1000 : 1000 | |
1000 : 1000 | |
1000 : 500 | |
1000 : 2000 | |
1000 : 200 | |
1000 : 1000 |
This is the best way to redeem ThankYou points, as you can get outsized value, especially for first and business class redemptions. However, there is some skill required to redeem this way.
Alternatively, you can redeem ThankYou points towards all kinds of purchases, from travel to gift cards, at about one cent each. Personally I tend to think you get a lot more value transferring points to airline partners.
Transfer your Citi Prestige points to Virgin Atlantic
Citi Prestige Card Benefits
The Citi Prestige offers a variety of benefits that will prove worthwhile for many, from lounge access, to a fourth night free hotel benefit, to an annual travel credit, and more.
$250 Annual Travel Credit
To help offset the $495 annual fee, the Citi Prestige offers a $250 annual travel credit. This will be applied automatically to any purchases coded as travel, and is more or less good as cash.
The way I view it, this really lowers the card’s out of pocket cost annually to ~$245, since just about anyone getting this card should be getting a $250 statement credit.
Redeem your travel credit towards a hotel stay
Priority Pass Membership
The Citi Prestige comes with a Priority Pass Select membership, which gets you access to the world’s largest collection of independent lounges. Best of all, this membership allows you to take up to two guests with you at no additional cost.
Priority Pass has 1,300+ airport lounges around the world, so access to these lounges will prove useful to just about any traveler.
Priority Pass has even added some non-traditional locations to the network, like restaurants, where you can have a meal and Priority Pass picks up the tab.
If you add authorized users to your Citi Prestige, they’ll also get a Priority Pass membership, so that could be worth it for the $75 additional user fee alone.
Access lounges globally with Priority Pass
Global Entry Or TSA PreCheck Credit
The Citi Prestige offers a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit once every five years. Just charge the $85-100 membership fee to your card, and it will automatically be reimbursed. It doesn’t matter who the fee is being paid for, as long as you charge it to your eligible card.
Fourth Night Free Hotel Benefit
Until 2019, the fourth night free hotel benefit was the single most valuable aspect of the Citi Prestige, as it saved me thousands of dollars per year. Unfortunately it’s not as good as it used to be.
The Citi Prestige offers a complimentary fourth night at a hotel of your choice after a minimum of four consecutive nights when booked through thankyou.com. Cardmembers can use this benefit at most twice per year.
The catches here are that:
- Not all hotels show up on thankyou.com
- For the hotels that do show up on thankyou.com, you’re limited in terms of the type of rates you can book, and often the cheapest publicly available rate won’t be bookable there
- If you’re staying at a hotel with a loyalty program, you generally don’t earn points for these stays, since it’s considered a third party rate
Contrast that to how this benefit used to work, where the Citi Prestige concierge could book virtually any type of rate at virtually any hotel.
The fourth night free benefit isn’t as useful as it used to be
Cell Phone Protection
The Citi Prestige offers cell phone protection at no additional cost:
- This applies if your phone is stolen or suffers certain damage
- You can be reimbursed for the cost of the repair or replacement
- You can get up to $800 per claim, and there’s a $50 deductible per claim
- Coverage includes up to $1,500 in total yearly benefits for up to five phones on your monthly bill
While that’s a nice perk, the downside is that the card offers only 1x points on your cell phone bill, so you’re forgoing quite a few points by choosing to charge your cell phone bill to the card.
Is The Citi Prestige Card Worth It?
I’ve had the Citi Prestige for many years, though unfortunately it’s not what it once was. Before the fourth night free benefit was changed, it was the single most valuable credit card for me. That’s not the case anymore.
Here’s how I’ve justified the card up until now, though I’m increasingly considering dropping it:
- The way I view it, the Citi Prestige costs me $245 per year ($495 annual fee, minus the $250 travel credit)
- I spend a lot on restaurants (in the past dining out, nowadays mostly takeout and delivery), and earning 5x ThankYou points on that proves quite valuable for me
- Having the Citi Prestige allows me to maximize the value I get out of the Citi Double Cash, which I’ll talk more about below
- Others may value the Priority Pass membership, though I don’t, since I also have the Sapphire Reserve
- I haven’t used the fourth night free benefit since the rules changed
I do think this is still a valuable niche card, though for someone looking for a more well rounded card, I can’t recommend this card as easily as the Amex Platinum Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve.
Below I wanted to cover a couple of other points I think are worth making.
Why The Citi Premier Might Be A Better Option
For many people looking to earn Citi ThankYou points, I think the Citi Premier® Card (review) might be a better option:
- The Citi Premier has a better welcome bonus
- The Citi Premier has an annual fee of only $95
- The Citi Premier has more well-rounded bonus categories, as it offers 3x points on dining, gas, groceries, airfare, and hotels
Frankly for a vast majority of people I think the Citi Premier is probably a better option nowadays.
Tip: Get The Citi Double Cash As Well
If you are going to get the Citi Prestige, then you absolutely must get the no annual fee Citi Double Cash® Card (review) as well.
Why? The card offers 1% cash back when you make a purchase, and 1% cash back when you pay for that purchase. If you have the Citi Double Cash in conjunction with the Citi Prestige, then rewards can be converted into ThankYou points at a ratio of one cent per ThankYou point.
In other words, this card can earn you 2x ThankYou points per dollar spent, which is the best personal card out there for everyday spending. This way you can complement the Citi Double Cash with the bonus categories of the Citi Prestige.
The Citi Prestige & Citi Double Cash are a great combo
How Does The Chase Sapphire Reserve Compare?
Arguably the biggest competitor to the Citi Prestige is the Chase Sapphire Reserve. Personally I have both of the cards, though if I could choose just one, I do think the Sapphire Reserve is more well rounded:
- The Sapphire Reserve has a $550 annual fee, but offers a $300 annual travel credit that can be used towards any travel purchase
- The Sapphire Reserve offers 3x points on dining and travel, so the card also has great bonus categories
- The Sapphire Reserve offers a Priority Pass membership, much like the Citi Prestige
- The Chase Sapphire Reserve offers excellent travel protection and car rental coverage, and more
- Points earned on the Sapphire Reserve are easier to redeem; not only are there the Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partners, but you can also redeem points for 1.5 cents each towards a travel purchase, and for a limited time towards everyday expenses
- Chase has a more well rounded card ecosystem, as there are about half a dozen cards you can use to maximize your Ultimate Rewards points
Citi Prestige Card Bottom Line
The Citi Prestige is a card that I personally have, though it’s not as useful as it used to be, and I’m increasingly questioning whether it’s worth keeping.
The card does offer some useful perks, like a $250 annual travel credit, a Priority Pass membership, 5x points on dining, and more.
At this point I view the Citi Prestige as a card that costs me $245 per year (after subtracting the $250 credit). For that I get 5x points on dining, and that also allows me to maximize the Citi Double Cash, and earn 2x ThankYou points for my everyday spending. However, I could also do that if I simply had the Citi Premier.
I do think the Chase Sapphire Reserve is a more well-rounded premium card, for those who just want to pick up one card.
Do you see value in the Citi Prestige nowadays?
https://www.whichcardtoget.com/blog/is-citibank-re-entering-the-ultra-premium-credit-card-market has reported that Citi is actively hunting for ideas on how can they improve their concierge hunting. The DOC post has comment which takes to the page with detailed news. But it does seem like Citi is exploring seriously re-entry to the Premium card market after their discontinuation of Prestige card and after Capital One created strong ripples with Venture X. The rumors have just seem to have become more serious. I hope Citi...
https://www.whichcardtoget.com/blog/is-citibank-re-entering-the-ultra-premium-credit-card-market has reported that Citi is actively hunting for ideas on how can they improve their concierge hunting. The DOC post has comment which takes to the page with detailed news. But it does seem like Citi is exploring seriously re-entry to the Premium card market after their discontinuation of Prestige card and after Capital One created strong ripples with Venture X. The rumors have just seem to have become more serious. I hope Citi actually goes through with this instead of exploring and then abandoning the idea as the premium card market does need more competition.
My wife got the Citi Prestige a few months before it was unavailable to new applicants. So far we've hung on to it. Now, in January 2023, we'd like to add our 18 year old son as an authorized user so he has his own Priority Pass account.
I was able to add an authorized user online with no problem. I expected a warning ("This will cost you an additional $75/year.") However, nothing. It simply...
My wife got the Citi Prestige a few months before it was unavailable to new applicants. So far we've hung on to it. Now, in January 2023, we'd like to add our 18 year old son as an authorized user so he has his own Priority Pass account.
I was able to add an authorized user online with no problem. I expected a warning ("This will cost you an additional $75/year.") However, nothing. It simply said "Ok, you'll get the new card within 2 weeks."
Does this mean anything? Are the regular benefits of an AU gone for the Prestige, at least for one added now? I could not find any info online. I'll call Citi customer service if necessary, but they don't always know what's going on, especially with a deprecated card like the Prestige.
Are there any knowledgeable people here?
I am trying to book a hotel stay from 30-Dec to 3rd Jan and the website would not allow me and the agents claim that CITI has instructed them not to book anything past 31st Dec. Speaking to CITI is of little use as they claim their system is undergoing a change and hence cannot book post 31st Dec. Does anyone know what's really going on here ?
What's with the lack of ability to book travel beyond the end of the year? Is this indicative of some nasty change in policy going forward? I generally like to book my travel a year in advance.
Would booking through virtuoso, hyatt privee, marriott stars etc count as travel agents if booked via Fords travel business for example? . That way we could earn hotel points plus get the 5x Citi points.
@ MrrayF -- Nope, in those cases you're billed directly by the hotel, so you'd earn 3x points.
I have found the citiprestige card to be invaluable for booking non chain luxury hotels. Examples I have booked include White Elephant Nantucket, Four Seasons Vail, Harborview Hotel Martha's Vineyard. You can easily save $2000 a year or more through this benefit if you book these types of exclusive properties. Also another great benefit is 5 points per dollar for all travel agency purchases.
I know this card doesn't get love because it isn't what it used to be. But I still get tremendous value from it. With no more airline change fees I have no issue putting $250 for a domestic flight as I can't imagine when I'd ever use those travel protections on that. I just booked four nights in Doha at a beautiful little boutique hotel in the old Souk district. It was $5 more than...
I know this card doesn't get love because it isn't what it used to be. But I still get tremendous value from it. With no more airline change fees I have no issue putting $250 for a domestic flight as I can't imagine when I'd ever use those travel protections on that. I just booked four nights in Doha at a beautiful little boutique hotel in the old Souk district. It was $5 more than direct booking and I was able to book a junior suite for $185 (instead of $180) So I net $165 in savings. Along with 5X for dining I still use this card very regularly. I'm thinking of downgrading my CSR, because I don't see that that card gets me that this card doesn't. This year I might not get a second 4th night free booking since I'm not going anywhere, but usually I get two of these that more than covers the AF.
I disagree with your notion that the Prestige is the least valuable of the three main premium cards. I'd say it's about even with the Platinum Card in my book and far better than the Sapphire Reserve. Ultimate Rewards has by far the weakest lineup of transfer partners imo, and although the ability to redeem points for 1.25 cents each towards travel is in theory better than the Prestige and Platinum, I think most of...
I disagree with your notion that the Prestige is the least valuable of the three main premium cards. I'd say it's about even with the Platinum Card in my book and far better than the Sapphire Reserve. Ultimate Rewards has by far the weakest lineup of transfer partners imo, and although the ability to redeem points for 1.25 cents each towards travel is in theory better than the Prestige and Platinum, I think most of us in this hobby will virtually never use that option.
The Platinum Card is the best card for those who value lounge access, but for me that would be the only compelling reason to get the card. It definitely has the least useful travel credit out of any of the cards though. The travel protection is nice, but it would be difficult for me to justify the annual fee when the only incremental benefits on top of having the Prestige is that and Centurion Lounge/Escape Lounge access.
The 4th night free benefit is obviously much less valuable than it used to be. However, since neither of the other two cards offer a benefit like this at all (I guess you might be able to count AmEx FHR, but that is far more limited), I think it's unfair to knock points off the Prestige for this benefit's devaluation. Under the right circumstances, using this benefit alone could nearly cover or perhaps exceed the annual fee.
As someone else mentioned, you forgot to mention the citigold statement credit you get if you're a citigold client. You get $145 statement credit (+$25 for an authorized user) if you have a citigold account. Citigold requires $200,000 in assets held with Citi. That can really change the cost/benefit analysis of the citi prestige.
The travel credit applying to restaurants and grocery stores in 2021 doesn't seem to be accurate. Not seeing any credit applied on my account and other data points online.
One thing that is somehow missed on a lot of blog posts about the Prestige is that it earns 5x points on travel agency websites. If you're a free agent and not loyal to a specific hotel chain, earning 5x points on bookings at Hotels.com can be valuable.
@Ben - pertaining to the $250 annual travel credit, if I were to just get this card and have it for just 1 year, I could still use $250 travel credit for 2021 and then use it in January 2022 then cancel before $495 annual fee hits, correct?
Whereas the Chase Sapphire Reserve's travel credit of $300 is based on account anniversary and I wouldn't be able to use the 2022 before annual fee hits?
Is the bonus available if you've never had the Prestige before, and had a Premier but closed it 3 years ago?
The Citi Prestige card is a terrible card because the points go to ThankYou points which can be taken back fro your account anytime Citi wants to. It happened to me and I had to sue to recoup payment for the points and my annual fee both of which they refused to give back until they were sued. Doin't believe me? Search Ronald Melton Vs. Citibank, CitiPrestige, Citi ThankYou, et al, Pensacola Florida.
Any agreements...
The Citi Prestige card is a terrible card because the points go to ThankYou points which can be taken back fro your account anytime Citi wants to. It happened to me and I had to sue to recoup payment for the points and my annual fee both of which they refused to give back until they were sued. Doin't believe me? Search Ronald Melton Vs. Citibank, CitiPrestige, Citi ThankYou, et al, Pensacola Florida.
Any agreements you get from them must be in writing because the woman I dealt with when they settled with me broke her verbal agreement with me. Don't trust Citi Prestige. Use Amex or another card where you keep the points even if they choose to close your account without notification or reason.
I think Citi Prestige is still a great travel card and I am keeping it as long as it offers 5 points for airline/travel agency bookings and 5 points for dining.
I just booked both my 4th night hotel benefit reservations (Svalbard & Dolomite for summer 2020), which saved me $650 total, compared to booking.com and the Citi website prices were identical to the other searches.
It is still very easy to justify...
I think Citi Prestige is still a great travel card and I am keeping it as long as it offers 5 points for airline/travel agency bookings and 5 points for dining.
I just booked both my 4th night hotel benefit reservations (Svalbard & Dolomite for summer 2020), which saved me $650 total, compared to booking.com and the Citi website prices were identical to the other searches.
It is still very easy to justify the annual fee if you carefully plan the two annual 4 night trips.
I love the way the card earns 5 points for booking tours and worldwide dining and it also comes with a great Priority Pass lounge benefit for the whole family.
I wish they bring back the car rental protection, which is a shame for the card in this price range.
Overall, a extremely disappointing card since September 2019 when the bulk of the benefits were removed including the concierge service. Now, when booking hotels through the TY site, the 4th night free benefit is not meaningful and there is no benefit at all when you factor in the loss of hotel loyalty points and, at times, the cost of the hotel is cheaper on the hotel website (when I previously booked via concierge). Now, when...
Overall, a extremely disappointing card since September 2019 when the bulk of the benefits were removed including the concierge service. Now, when booking hotels through the TY site, the 4th night free benefit is not meaningful and there is no benefit at all when you factor in the loss of hotel loyalty points and, at times, the cost of the hotel is cheaper on the hotel website (when I previously booked via concierge). Now, when renting cars, I use the Costco card since those benefits stayed (might have been part of the original deal between Costco/Citi). The 5x dining is the best feature of the card.
I'm skeptical Citi will announce any enhancements to their current benefits (much like CSR did when they raised their annual fee) but just waiting for them to raise the their fee to $550.
@Theresa You might consider train/bus/ferry tickets. For exmple, when I visit Las Vegas, I charge my Monorail (between the convention center and strip hotels) tickets for that reason. Train tickets (amounts) will be an even larger factor if you use them regularly in Europe.
@Ben, I'm wondering what charges you use for the travel credit now? Since there is no trip protection, I don't charge airfare or hotels. I was going to charge Lyft and Ubers but with the Sapphire Lyft program, I'm using that for all Lyfts. So I'm trying to figure out how to even use the travel credit on the Pretoge now..
@Eskimo
The $15,000+ in restaurant spending comes from looking at the difference in cash back between CSR (3% back) & Prestige (5%)...which comes to $300. Since you get a $250 travel credit on Prestige ($500-250=$250). But again, remember that Prestige is only good for Restaurant spend, you never want to put big item purchases OR airfare on it, since Citi removed almost all the insurance protections last fall.
As a result, the Chase Sapphire...
@Eskimo
The $15,000+ in restaurant spending comes from looking at the difference in cash back between CSR (3% back) & Prestige (5%)...which comes to $300. Since you get a $250 travel credit on Prestige ($500-250=$250). But again, remember that Prestige is only good for Restaurant spend, you never want to put big item purchases OR airfare on it, since Citi removed almost all the insurance protections last fall.
As a result, the Chase Sapphire Reserve is the best high-end travel rewards card for ~80% of travelers today. The remaining 20% need to either book $20k+/year airfare on personal card, in which AmEx Plat could be a better option, or $15k+/year on Restaurants, then Prestige makes sense--but ONLY for restaurants.
Ben, you say you basically have this card for 5x Dining. You seem to then use those points towards obscure airline tickets a lot of people have no use for, even with complicated transfers to other mainstream airlines.
You are constantly on the move to the far corners & those redemptions probably do come in handy for you. But as those points translate to NO hotel partners & NO travel portal discounts, either AMEX...
Ben, you say you basically have this card for 5x Dining. You seem to then use those points towards obscure airline tickets a lot of people have no use for, even with complicated transfers to other mainstream airlines.
You are constantly on the move to the far corners & those redemptions probably do come in handy for you. But as those points translate to NO hotel partners & NO travel portal discounts, either AMEX Green or CSR is better suited for those needing a more practical card for all-around travel use.
I finally downgraded my Prestige to a Rewards+ card last week. I’m also keeping a Citi Premier as my main non-airline travel card for 3x point categories and to maintain point transfer benefits.
I’m happy to use the Amex Platinum as my high end card, with its 5x points on airfare and travel insurance. I use the Gold for all food expenditures (grocery + dining) with 4x points.
Given the increased annual fee and...
I finally downgraded my Prestige to a Rewards+ card last week. I’m also keeping a Citi Premier as my main non-airline travel card for 3x point categories and to maintain point transfer benefits.
I’m happy to use the Amex Platinum as my high end card, with its 5x points on airfare and travel insurance. I use the Gold for all food expenditures (grocery + dining) with 4x points.
Given the increased annual fee and benefit devaluations, the Prestige just wasn’t worth it for me anymore.
One thing to keep in mind is that Amex Gold rebates on Supermarket purchases as well as “Dining” (i.e. Restaurants.) When Citi won the Costco business and all Amex cards stopped being accepted there, I converted my “Costco” Amex Gold to a “regular” Amex Gold. I now think of my Amex Gold card as my “food” card and use it for supermarket purchases which I did not do before. When comparing (rebate-included) costs, don’t forget...
One thing to keep in mind is that Amex Gold rebates on Supermarket purchases as well as “Dining” (i.e. Restaurants.) When Citi won the Costco business and all Amex cards stopped being accepted there, I converted my “Costco” Amex Gold to a “regular” Amex Gold. I now think of my Amex Gold card as my “food” card and use it for supermarket purchases which I did not do before. When comparing (rebate-included) costs, don’t forget that supermarket purchases include items like wine/champagne/alcohol. My Citi/Costco VISA card is now my “gas” card given the gas-specific rebate (both at Costco & other stations) it offers and I use it for any other random Costco purchases as well.
@Sean
Can you please explain your $15,000 math?
I can't see how it could be anywhere near that much. Did you forget to use the $250 travel credit?
But yeah even with the correct math, if you don't dine out that often it's hard to break even. It used to be the 4th night that compensate for this.
I still like the old version better, with the golf, 1.6c redemption, and AAdmirals...
@Sean
Can you please explain your $15,000 math?
I can't see how it could be anywhere near that much. Did you forget to use the $250 travel credit?
But yeah even with the correct math, if you don't dine out that often it's hard to break even. It used to be the 4th night that compensate for this.
I still like the old version better, with the golf, 1.6c redemption, and AAdmirals club AAccess. Or maybe I should pick this over Amex??
@Lucky
From many comments we can see who won the Prestige vs CSR. The next best topic would be, before I cancel the card, what would be the best speculative transfer before closing the card.
And what about Amex Plat vs Prestige. Maybe a comparison of which 2 out of 3 combo is better.
@Rakibul Islam that perk went away in Sep 2019. Your next fee will be $495
I thought the Citigold discount was eliminated? Did Citi maintain the discount?
The Prestige card was my go-to card. The card also removed the car rental insurance. I can't fathom why anyone would put any travel card charges on a card without insurance unless you are at the property? The hotels are always more expensive making the 4th-night perk useless. It is less expensive to use discounted Hotels.com gift cards.
The cell phone protection...
I thought the Citigold discount was eliminated? Did Citi maintain the discount?
The Prestige card was my go-to card. The card also removed the car rental insurance. I can't fathom why anyone would put any travel card charges on a card without insurance unless you are at the property? The hotels are always more expensive making the 4th-night perk useless. It is less expensive to use discounted Hotels.com gift cards.
The cell phone protection is fantastic. However, phones cost so much these days that once I used it, I could no longer charge my cell charges on the card and had to switch cards for my payments. I will drop this card when my fee hits unless the Citi Gold discount is still in place.
David, booking with points - do you mean thankyou points or hotel points?
One nice thing that I didn't realize. The fourth night free benefit applies when booking reward hotels with points. So the points needed to book a four night stay are the same as that for booking a three night stay. I was quite delighted to learn this and so far have decided to stay with the card although I was very disappointed by the recent changes.
Citi Prestige used to have special events that were really good. No more. Even Chase still has some special events for some of its top cards. Citi still has some events for all cardholders, but nothing special. Another disappointment.
Citi cards have lost almost all credit card insurance & Prestige lost its once-great travel delay insurance. As such, the Prestige should only be used for restaurant purchases now. The math would say if you spend over $15,000 on restaurants a year a case could be made to have this AND Chase Sapphire Reserve, but otherwise go with CSR and get much better protections on your purchases.
Fourth night free, even if restricted to twice a year, still puts this card ahead of Amex Platinum or CSR for me. For instance, shaving off ~$500 a hotel stay in expensive cities like New York, London, Paris, or Tokyo, and getting 5X for the dollar amount spent, makes this totally worth it for me. The 5X dining on top of that really does add up. I get way more out of this card than the Platinum (I don't have the CSR).
Having to book fourth night free through thankYou.com essentially killed off this benefit for me. No more Aman resort bookings through Citi prestige. On top of that, thankyou.com only allows you to book the bottom of the heap rooms. No thanks. Still have bookings made from previous year via Aspire Concierge. After that, not sure if this card is worth keeping since Amex gold 4x restaurant is probably good enough to Citi Prestige 5x restaurant....
Having to book fourth night free through thankYou.com essentially killed off this benefit for me. No more Aman resort bookings through Citi prestige. On top of that, thankyou.com only allows you to book the bottom of the heap rooms. No thanks. Still have bookings made from previous year via Aspire Concierge. After that, not sure if this card is worth keeping since Amex gold 4x restaurant is probably good enough to Citi Prestige 5x restaurant. If Citi adds Korean Air sometimes this year, then it’ll def be a keeper.
Hi Lucky - Random question and request for a future post. Because mileage redemption can be tricky for me (limitations on dates, routing, and lead time), I have found a lot of value redeeming points for direct ticket purchases. I have the CSR and like the ultimate rewards/Expedia redemption ratio and portal. With the CSR fee going up and adding benefits that are worthless to me, I'm likely going to get the CSP and cancel...
Hi Lucky - Random question and request for a future post. Because mileage redemption can be tricky for me (limitations on dates, routing, and lead time), I have found a lot of value redeeming points for direct ticket purchases. I have the CSR and like the ultimate rewards/Expedia redemption ratio and portal. With the CSR fee going up and adding benefits that are worthless to me, I'm likely going to get the CSP and cancel the R. But this has got me wondering about the Capital One and American Express travel purchase portals and value. It would be nice if you could weigh in on your experience! Thanks!
Thinking about adding sister as AU for either Chase Sapp Reserve or Citi Prestige. Both cost $75 with priority pass select. CSR used to offer unlimited guest but is now 2 guests. I read somewhere that the membership from prestige is "2 guest or immediate family".
Sister is family of 4 (2 adults and 2 kids).
Is Prestige the way to go?
I have the card but prefer to get 4x MR points on dining from Amex Gold. Just better transfer partners.
I will occassionally transfer to AF, but Iberia has been the best award availability (for it's own members) and the best off season mileage rates (85k RT LAX-MAD in J).
It somehow feels like I'm more of a prisoner with TYPs than with Amex. As long as you have the no-fee Everyday Card, you'll never...
I have the card but prefer to get 4x MR points on dining from Amex Gold. Just better transfer partners.
I will occassionally transfer to AF, but Iberia has been the best award availability (for it's own members) and the best off season mileage rates (85k RT LAX-MAD in J).
It somehow feels like I'm more of a prisoner with TYPs than with Amex. As long as you have the no-fee Everyday Card, you'll never lose your points or get less value because of limited transfer.
With Citi, don't they segregate the points by card and when you cancel the card, you have a certain period (90 days?) to use or lose them, no matter what other Citi cards you have? Or is there a similar no-fee card that you can get that will keep you from losing the points with another Citi card upon cancellation.
I am getting a ton of value from the 4th not free - still from before the change as I made many bookings prior to the cutoff. So still getting elite benefits. However there may be enough opportunities at places where hotel status doesn't matter to keep next year.
One thing to add is, if you have a Citigold account, the annual fee drops from $495 to $350. With the net cost dropped to just $100 after the travel credit, it's a no-brainer for me to keep this card, especially when I pair it with the Double Cash.
“ I do think the Chase Sapphire Reserve is a more well rounded premium card, for those who just want to pick up one card.”
Couldn’t agree more. But, I also can’t give of this card with 5x dining credit. Super valuable.