At a Glance
A high-end rewards credit card with a high annual fee to match, the Citi Prestige® Card earns big on popular shopping categories and treats customers to welcome complimentary perks.
Ideal for Those Who:
- Frequently book flights and dine out at restaurants
- Book hotel stays or cruise trips more than occasionally
- Spend money on travel incidentals such as room service or baggage fees
- Are in need of a travel rewards credit card that can be used worldwide
- Can justify a $495 annual fee
Citi Prestige® Card Review
The best word to describe the Citi Prestige® Card is right in its name. You’d certainly feel prestigious when you pull out this sleek metal card out of your wallet, and even more so when you know that you can earn up to 5X Citi ThankYou® Points per $1. The 5X points per dollar rate applies to purchases in air travel and restaurants, so if you’re frequently flying and indulging your foodie cravings, you’ll quickly amass rewards points. You can also earn 3X points/$1 when you make purchases in the hotels and cruise lines categories. Lastly, all other forms of shopping will earn you 1X point per $1.
Impressive Signup Bonus
When you first open an account for the Citi Prestige®, you’re offered a signup bonus of 50,000 ThankYou® Points if you spend at least $4,000 within your first three months as a cardholder. Whether you use this as your daily card or reserve it for splurge buying, it’s feasible to reach that magic number within the allotted time span. What’s more, those 50,000 points are equal to $500 that you can redeem on gift cards, vacation booking, as a statement credit, or even as a charitable donation.
ThankYou Points
It’s easy to see how the Citi Prestige® Card caters to travel-happy individuals. In addition to the ThankYou® Points rewards program, cardholders can take advantage of an annual $250 travel credit. Eligible incidentals for this credit include airline luggage fees, room service, and public transportation. For those planning on booking a hotel stay of at least 4 consecutive nights, Citi offers the 4th night free on a hotel of your choice – a significant perk that can be used more than once per year.
Other Perks
Other included benefits for this card are the ability to transfer your ThankYou® Points to partner airline frequent flyer programs and complimentary Priority Pass™ Select membership so you can enjoy a VIP lounge experience before your flight. As it’s designed to be used worldwide, the card doesn’t charge any foreign transaction fees. Its emphasis on rewards and perks, however, means that the Prestige® imposes an intimidating $495 annual fee.
Unless you’re prepared to exhaust all possible benefits the card offers, having an account open won’t be worth the yearly charge. Anyone living the cosmopolitan lifestyle, however, will be well-equipped with the Citi Prestige® Card.
Chase Sapphire Reserve, Platinum Card from American Express, and Citi Prestige Card: Head-to-Head: