Best starter travel card
The Citi Premier card earns 3 points per dollar on gas purchases, dining, groceries, air and other hotel travel. With its simplified model and 16 airline transfer partners, the Citi Premier makes earning points for travel hassle-free. (Partner offer)
At a glance
- 3X Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Other Hotels
- 3X Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets
- 1X Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. Plus, for a limited time, earn a total of 10 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through June 30, 2024.
- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Other Hotels
At a glance
- 3X Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Other Hotels
- 3X Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets
- 1X Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. Plus, for a limited time, earn a total of 10 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through June 30, 2024.
- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Other Hotels
- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets
- Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Annual Hotel Savings Benefit
- 60,000 ThankYou® Points are redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com
- No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases
Our Take
TPG Editor's Rating
Overview
The Citi Premier’s 3 points per dollar spent across a wide range of popular categories is one of the more lucrative offerings in the world of points and miles. The Citi Premier comes with a $95 annual fee and is currently offering a solid sign up bonus of 60,000 points after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months. This sign up bonus is worth $1,080 according to TPG’s valuation. Plus, for a limited time, earn 10 points per $1 dollar spent on hotels, car rentals, attractions(excluding air travel) when book through Citi Travel portal through June 30, 2024. It also has some valuable transfer partners to make the most of your rewards. Add in access to Citi Entertainment plus a $100 hotel credit for any single-stay hotel booking that exceeds $500 or more, excluding taxes and fees, booked through the Citi travel website, there are few reasons why the Citi Premier should not be in every traveler’s wallet.
Pros
- For a limited time earn 10 points per $1 dollar spent on hotels, car rentals, attractions (excluding air travel) when book through Citi Travel portal through June 30, 2024
- 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 16 airline programs, from JetBlue to Virgin Atlantic.
- World Elite Mastercard benefits, extended warranty, damage and theft protection.
Cons
- $95 annual fee
- Lacks travel protections that other travel rewards cards come with
Who is this card good for?
The Citi Premier is a solid travel card choice with a plethora of travel partners and solid earning rates. Since the card earns the same number of points at gas stations, restaurants, supermarkets, airlines and hotels, it’s a great pick for beginner travel cardholders who want a simplified point system.
Earning Rewards
All rewards will be earned in the form of Citi ThankYou Rewards points. Earn 3 points per dollar spent on gas station, dining, supermarket, air and hotel travel purchases. Cardholders will earn 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.