Citi Prestige Card 50,000 Bonus Points ($665 Value)

Citi Prestige Card 75,000 Bonus Points ($937 Value)

By: Tony Phan | Last Updated: October 23, 2018 | This content is not provided or commissioned by the issuer. Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of the issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the issuer. This site may be compensated through the issuer’s Affiliate Program. Please visit our Advertiser Disclosure for additional details.

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Citi Prestige Card Bonus
Reviewed by: Tony Phan
Published on: August 23, 2018
Last modified: October 23, 2018

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Value
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Contents

1 Priority Pass Airport Lounges With The Citi Prestige Card
2 Get $250 In Air Travel Credit Annually
3 The Rewards Rate Of 1.25% To 3.75%
4 4th Hotel Night Complimentary
5 Getting The 75,000 Bonus Points
6 What’s The Competition?

*The Citi Prestige Card is no longer available in the U.S., but may return soon

The Citi Prestige Card is now offering a limited time 75,000 bonus points after you make $7,500 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. Redeeming towards flights booked through Citi is your best redemption option, where the points are worth 1.25 cents apiece, or nearly $937. Your second best option for redemption would be with gift cards, where your bonus will be worth $750. This 75,000 bonus points offer should revert back to a 40,000 to 50,000 points bonus, so just check the Citi website directly for updates. *You might also be interested in the Checking bonuses Citibank offers as well.

You can find the 75,000 bonus points offer by going directly to Citi’s website.

The Citi Prestige Card is in the premium travel credit card category and carries a massive $450 annual fee, which isn’t waived the first year either. Not surprisingly, most people wouldn’t even consider this card, and justifiably so. But this card has its place, and that’s with the frequent traveler who enjoys the premium travel benefits.

While there are many travel benefits exclusive to these types of premium travel cards, we feel the ones that stick out the most for the Citi Prestige are:

The free access to 1,000 airport lounges through Priority Pass Select.
The $250 Air Travel Credit.
The rewards rate: 3X on Air Travel & Hotels, 2X on Dining & Entertainment, and 1X on other purchases.
The complimentary 4th night stay at any hotel of your choice.
Of course, the 75,000 bonus points offer.

Priority Pass Airport Lounges With The Citi Prestige Card

Plaza Premium Lounge at Hong Kong International

The Priority Pass program is the best around for airport lounge access, with over 1,000 locations available worldwide. The membership level that is complimentary with the Citi Prestige Card is the Priority Pass Select, which is equivalent to the Prestige membership level when purchased directly through Priority Pass. This is a $429 value (discounted rate here), which justifies the $450 annual fee quite a bit.

While many major airports in the U.S. have lounges in the program (e.g. JFK, LAX, ATL, ORD, etc.), many also do not. Luckily, the worldwide footprint is massive, where relaxation in lounges abroad benefit the most.

You can look on their website or mobile app to find all the current locations.

Priority Pass Location Map

*Note: American Airlines Admirals Club lounge access is no longer complimentary with this card as of June 2017. Priority Pass Select membership will still continue on unaffected.

Get $250 In Air Travel Credit Annually

If you travel at all during the year, you’re probably going to use up this benefit and essentially cut out more than half of the annual fee. Every year, you’ll receive $250 in Air Travel Credit that will be automatically applied to flight related expenses charged to your card. Not only does it apply to incidentals like baggage fees and upgrades, but also the flight tickets themselves.

For frequent travelers who will take advantage of the lounge access and air travel credit, the $450 annual fee will already be more than negated.

The Rewards Rate Of 1.25% To 3.75%

Redeem for flights through Citi for maximum redemption value

For those that spend a significant amount on travel, the rewards earning rate of the Citi Prestige Card will make more sense than with a traditional travel credit card. You’ll get 3 points per dollar spent on air travel and hotels, and 2 points per dollar on dining at restaurants and entertainment.

Two popular travel cards with lower annual fees, the Barclaycard Arrival Plus and the Capital One Venture, earn travel rewards at a lesser rate.

The actual earnings rate will be higher if you redeem towards travel through the Citi ThankYou Travel Center, where each point is worth 1.25 cents. When redeemed with this option, your earnings rate will range from 1.25% (non-category purchases) to 3.75% (air and hotel purchases).

4th Hotel Night Complimentary

Free unlimited 4th hotel nights

When you book through the Citi Prestige Concierge, you’ll get a free 4th night stay at any hotel of your choice after a minimum 4-consecutive night booking. The benefit will be calculated as the average nightly rate of your total stay, not including taxes.This is certainly a good perk if you travel often and stay at luxury hotels. However, your options for booking through the concierge are by calling in or emailing them. There’s no streamlined web interface for price comparison versus booking through the hotel itself, or through travel sites like Priceline or Agoda. Regardless, if you’re staying somewhere that is $300+ a night, it may be worth checking the price through the concierge to compare with your outside booking options.

Getting The 75,000 Bonus Points

Again, you’ll find this offer by going directly to Citi’s website. We’ll monitor the offer and make updates if there are any changes.

You’ll have to spend $7,500 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening to qualify for the bonus. The bonus will put you in the positive right off the bat for the first year despite the $450 annual fee.

We strongly believe the targeted market for this card should not have any problems meeting that spending requirement for the bonus. However, if for some reason you need some spending options, here are some popular ones:


MEETING CREDIT CARD BONUS SPENDING REQUIREMENTS Use Plastiq to pay with your card. Plastiq is a service that will allow you to pay for expenses that you wouldn't otherwise be able to with your card, such as rent, tuition, auto lease, mortgage payment, and more. They charge a 2.5% processing fee for using your credit card, but this will likely be worth the card bonus you'll obtain. They also have a referral program where you can earn "Fee-Free Dollars" to use towards processing fees. Go to Plastiq. Fund Checking accounts with your card. Many banks will allow you to fund the opening deposit with a credit card. To make the most out of this opportunity, you should consider opening Checking accounts that also offer a sign-up bonus. That way, you're working your way towards bonuses from two different sources. Big banks like Chase and TD Bank have great offers and allow credit card funding. You can often fund anywhere from $500 to $1,000 towards the opening deposit with a credit card, depending on the bank. Buy gift cards with your credit card. Consider buying gift cards that you can then spend later at your leisure. Individual merchant cards (e.g. restaurant, gas station, supermarket) typically don't have purchase fees so this route won't cost you. On the other hand, American Express and Visa gift cards will incur purchase fees. Amazon gift cards are also wonderful if you shop there often (no purchase fees either). Get some gift card ideas here. Be careful with Citi credit cards, as they tend to code gift card purchases as Cash Advances and you'll incur the fee. Call in to customer service and lower your Cash Advance limit to $0 before purchasing gift cards (it's a good idea to do this with any card in general). There are also options to buy discounted gift cards as well: Raise Gift Cards On eBay (auctions can save you even more with patience) Other ideas. Be sure to always using your credit card for everyday spending, such as for dining, gas, groceries, etc. You can also use your credit card to pay for things like insurance bills, property taxes and income taxes, but you'll have to consider the convenience fees. More ways to meet the spending requirement

MEETING CREDIT CARD BONUS SPENDING REQUIREMENTS

Use Plastiq to pay with your card. Plastiq is a service that will allow you to pay for expenses that you wouldn't otherwise be able to with your card, such as rent, tuition, auto lease, mortgage payment, and more. They charge a 2.5% processing fee for using your credit card, but this will likely be worth the card bonus you'll obtain. They also have a referral program where you can earn "Fee-Free Dollars" to use towards processing fees. Go to Plastiq.
Fund Checking accounts with your card. Many banks will allow you to fund the opening deposit with a credit card. To make the most out of this opportunity, you should consider opening Checking accounts that also offer a sign-up bonus. That way, you're working your way towards bonuses from two different sources. Big banks like Chase and TD Bank have great offers and allow credit card funding. You can often fund anywhere from $500 to $1,000 towards the opening deposit with a credit card, depending on the bank.
Buy gift cards with your credit card. Consider buying gift cards that you can then spend later at your leisure. Individual merchant cards (e.g. restaurant, gas station, supermarket) typically don't have purchase fees so this route won't cost you. On the other hand, American Express and Visa gift cards will incur purchase fees. Amazon gift cards are also wonderful if you shop there often (no purchase fees either). Get some gift card ideas here. *Be careful with Citi credit cards, as they tend to code gift card purchases as Cash Advances and you'll incur the fee. Call in to customer service and lower your Cash Advance limit to $0 before purchasing gift cards (it's a good idea to do this with any card in general). There are also options to buy discounted gift cards as well:
- Raise
- Gift Cards On eBay (auctions can save you even more with patience)
Other ideas. Be sure to always using your credit card for everyday spending, such as for dining, gas, groceries, etc. You can also use your credit card to pay for things like insurance bills, property taxes and income taxes, but you'll have to consider the convenience fees.

*More ways to meet the spending requirement

What’s The Competition?

Most would say the Chase Sapphire Reserve is one of the best, if not the best, premium credit card options available.

The other big player is The Platinum Card from American Express. This card earns rewards faster than its competitors on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel. You’ll also get more lounge access that includes The Centurion, International American Express, Delta Sky Club, and Airspace Lounges networks, as well as the Priority Pass Select membership. However, one big pitfall for international travelers is going to be the lack of American Express acceptance in many locations abroad.

Chase Sapphire Reserve


The Chase Sapphire Reserve card is no longer offering 100,000 bonus points (worth $1,500 toward travel), but you can still earn 50,000 bonus points (worth $750 toward travel). You'll need to spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening to qualify for the bonus. This is a premium travel card with a premium annual fee of $450. But, you'll receive premium benefits such as a $300 Annual Travel Credit, access to 1,000+ airport lounges with Priority Pass Select, 3X points on travel and dining, and 50% more in travel redemption. MoneysMyLife picks this as the best premium travel credit card. Full Review

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card is no longer offering 100,000 bonus points (worth $1,500 toward travel), but you can still earn 50,000 bonus points (worth $750 toward travel). You'll need to spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening to qualify for the bonus.

This is a premium travel card with a premium annual fee of $450. But, you'll receive premium benefits such as a $300 Annual Travel Credit, access to 1,000+ airport lounges with Priority Pass Select, 3X points on travel and dining, and 50% more in travel redemption. MoneysMyLife picks this as the best premium travel credit card. Full Review

The Platinum Card from American Express


The Platinum Card from American Express has a special offer for 75,000 Points after you spend $5,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. The best options for redeeming these points would be by booking travel through American Express or by redeeming for gift cards. Using these options, the 75,000 bonus will be worth $750. You must go directly to the American Express website to find this offer. Typically, the bonus offer reverts back to a 60,000 or 40,000 points promo, so it's all about timing here. The biggest drawback to this card is the $550 annual fee, which puts it in the premium class of credit cards. The card has a market because it offers premium travel benefits, such as 5X points for flights and eligible hotels, access to 1,000+ airport lounges, $200 in Uber credits yearly, and a $200 airline fee credit annually. For frequent travelers, the added benefits make sense in terms of value and added luxury. Full Review

The Platinum Card from American Express has a special offer for 75,000 Points after you spend $5,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. The best options for redeeming these points would be by booking travel through American Express or by redeeming for gift cards. Using these options, the 75,000 bonus will be worth $750. You must go directly to the American Express website to find this offer. Typically, the bonus offer reverts back to a 60,000 or 40,000 points promo, so it's all about timing here.

The biggest drawback to this card is the $550 annual fee, which puts it in the premium class of credit cards. The card has a market because it offers premium travel benefits, such as 5X points for flights and eligible hotels, access to 1,000+ airport lounges, $200 in Uber credits yearly, and a $200 airline fee credit annually. For frequent travelers, the added benefits make sense in terms of value and added luxury. Full Review

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