Citi Premier® Card Review
The Citi Premier® Card is perhaps the best mid-range card for earning bonus points across different categories. In our Citi Premier® Card review we will take a look at the welcome offer, earning structure, card perks and share our overall thoughts.
Current Welcome Offer
The Citi Premier has a current welcome offer as follows:
- Earn 60,000 bonus Citi ThankYou Points after spending $4,000 in the first three months of account opening.
- The card comes with a $95 annual fee, which is NOT waived the first year.
Citi Application Rules
If you choose to apply for the card, remember that Citi has a few application rules to keep in mind. Citi will not approve you for more than one card every eight days, and two cards every 65 days. Also, you will not be eligible for the welcome bonus if you received a welcome offer or closed another ThankYou points-earning card from the following list in the last 24 months:
- Citi Rewards+®
- Citi ThankYou® Preferred
- Citi ThankYou® Premier/Citi Premier®
- Citi Prestige®
Citi Premier® Card Review: Earning Structure
The Citi Premier® Card comes with the following earning structure:
- 3x points at
- Restaurants
- Supermarkets
- Gas Stations
- Air Travel
- Hotels
- 1x on all other purchases
It should be noted that “air travel and hotels” covers airlines, hotels, and travel agencies.
Citi Premier Card Benefits
The Citi Premier comes with the following card benefits for its $95 annual fee:
- No foreign transaction fees
- Extended warranty protection that adds an additional 24 months to a manufacturer’s warranty.
- World Elite Mastercard benefits
- $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more when booked through thankyou.com or 1-800-THANKYOU
- This is available per calendar year
ToP Analysis
The Citi Premier is an excellent well-rounded card that earns 3x points per dollar spent on four major bonus categories. The card is one of the best cards for uncapped spend at supermarkets and for gas station spend at 3x points.
From a points earning perspective, the Citi Premier competes well against the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and the American Express® Green Card in both the number of bonus categories and points per dollar earning potential.
For the CSP’s $95 annual fee, you earn 3x points on dining and online groceries, 2x on travel (which does not include gas stations), and 5x points on Lyft rides.
The Amex Green Card has a higher annual fee of $150, earns 3x for travel and restaurants worldwide, and comes with a number of benefits that include statement credits.
Yet for the Citi Premier’s $95 annual fee, you can earn 3x points on more spending categories than either of the CSP or the Amex Green Card. Having gas stations and supermarkets as bonus categories makes the Citi Premier standout against the competition.
Bottom line: the Citi Premier offers the highest bonus points per dollar across the most bonus categories among mid-tier credit cards.
Citi Premier® Card Review: ToP Thoughts
The Citi Premier is a well-rounded tool for earning ThankYou points. The card earns 3x points on restaurants, air travel and hotels, gas stations, and supermarkets. No other card with a $95 annual fee offers these many bonus categories, especially at 3x points per dollar.
What are your plans for the Citi Premier? Do you have it? Are you getting it? Let us know on our Facebook group!
