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About Citi Credit Cards
Citi has arguably been one of the most aggressive credit card issuers in recent years, continuously improving its product lineup alongside AMEX and Chase. Now that Citi Strata Elite and Strata Premier are out, Citi has filled out its mid- and upper-tier lineup and added AA as a transfer partner, so it is really on a roll! That said, Citi is still completely underwhelming when it comes to hotel co-branded cards, and the old Hilton cards were all swallowed up by AMEX.
Below, I’ll introduce the Citi credit cards worth applying for.
Citi's own cards
No annual fee
Citi's no-annual-fee own cards are truly excellent, and each one is worth considering. Another great thing about Citi cards is that you can product change freely between products. You can apply for an annual-fee card and then downgrade it to one of these cards. If you qualify, it can make sense to keep one of each of these annual-fee cards.
- This card is similar to a rotating-category cash back card, but you can choose the category yourself, making it more flexible than Freedom or Discover it
Automatically earn 5% cash back in your top eligible spending category; no annual fee!
- Welcome bonus: 20,000 ThankYou Points (spend $1,500 in the 6 months before account opening)
- Rewards: Earn 5% cash back on your highest eligible spending category each billing cycle, on up to the first $500 in purchases; after that, earn 1%. Categories include: restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, travel, transit, streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs, and live entertainment
- Redemption: Can be redeemed directly for cash back, or transferred to airline miles if you also have a premium card
- Annual fee: $0
- Apply now>>
- I think this is a must-have card: an unconditional 2x on all spending, as long as you pay on time.
2x on all purchases, no annual fee!
- Welcome bonus: $200 (spend $1,500 in 6 months)
- Rewards: 1x+1x (earn 1x points when you make a purchase, plus another 1x when you pay it off)
- Redemption: 100 points = $1 cash back; with a premium card, you may be able to transfer points to airline and hotel partners
- Annual fee: $0
- Apply now>>
Annual fee cards
The only own-brand cards you can apply for now are Premier, Strata Premier, and Elite. Annual-fee cards have a big advantage for travel, and they let you convert TYP points into airline miles or hotel points. With AA now added as a transfer partner, Citi can already go toe-to-toe with AMEX and Chase!
- Strata Premier is outstanding at earning points on travel, and it is also very good for everyday spending. It is a high-value card well worth keeping.
Citi Strata Premier Credit Card
One of the best all-around credit cards for both everyday spending and travel. Plus, get a $100 annual hotel benefit.
- Welcome bonus: 60,000 ThankYou Points (Spend $4,000 in three months)
- Rewards: 10x on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through Citi Travel; 3x at supermarkets, restaurants, gas stations, on airfare, hotels, and EV charging; 1x on all other purchases
- Redemption: Points can be transferred 1:1 to airline and hotel loyalty programs, or redeemed for cash back
- Annual fee: $95
- Apply now>>
- Strata Elite offers pretty solid premium benefits. If you previously held Citi Gold, keeping it long term is a very good option.
New premium card with a $300 annual hotel credit, $400 in statement credits, and complimentary airport lounge membership
- Welcome bonus: 75,000 Thank You Points (3-month spend $6,000)
- Rewards: 12x on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through Citi Travel; 6x on airfare; 6x at restaurants and on delivery on Friday and Saturday evenings; 3x on dining at other times; 1.5x on all other purchases
- Redemption: Points can be transferred 1:1 to airline and hotel partners, or redeemed for cash back
- Annual fee: $595（Discount available for Citi Gold and Private clients）
- Apply now>>
Airline co-branded cards
Citi has exclusive rights to AA in the airline-card space. One small tip: although AA does have a no-annual-fee version, it is still generally better to downgrade to one of Citi's own no-annual-fee cards, since Citi still has plenty of strong options.
- The mid-tier card is the one most worth applying for, and with the first year’s annual fee waived, you can easily get one and see how it works out.
Citi AA Platinum American Airlines Credit Card
No annual fee for the first year!
- Welcome bonus: 80,000 AA miles (spend $3,500 in the first 4 months)
- Rewards: 2X on AA website ticket purchases; 2x at restaurants and gas stations; 1x on all other purchases
- Redemption: Best value when redeeming for flights between China and the U.S. or between the U.S. and Europe; business-class redemptions can also offer solid value.
- Annual fee: $99（No annual fee for the first year）
- Apply now>>
- The premium card is actually poor value. The only exception is if you are a die-hard AA fan and need access to AA's own lounges or frequently check a lot of bags.
Citi AAdvantage Executive Credit Card
Complimentary Admirals Club access plus up to $480 in annual statement credits; a premium AA credit card
- Welcome bonus: 70,000 AA miles (spend $7,000 in three months)
- Rewards: 4x on AA purchases; after $150k in annual spending, earn 5x; 1x on all other purchases
- Redemption: Best value for redeeming flights between the U.S. and China or between the U.S. and Europe; business-class redemptions can offer solid value.
- Annual fee: $595
- Apply now>>
Other co-branded cards
- Citi Sears: Although this card itself is not very interesting, it often gets targeted spending offers in the 10x-15x range. Recommended only for people who are really good at playing these games.
- Citi Costco: It is decent as a gas card, but its 2% category is completely overshadowed by Double Cash, and for travel it is nowhere near as useful as Premier, so it is not that compelling.
Business credit cards
We have to say that Citi is genuinely weak on business credit cards. The only somewhat interesting option is the AA co-branded card, but its benefits are pretty similar to the personal AA card, so at best it is just another way to build up AA miles.
Citi AA Platinum Business American Airlines Business Credit Card
AA airline card with first-year annual fee waived
- Welcome bonus: 65,000 AA miles (spend $4,000 in 4 months)
- Rewards: 2x on AA website ticket purchases; 2x on telecommunications, car rentals, and gas; 1x on everything else
- Redemption: Best value for redeeming flights between China and the U.S. or between the U.S. and Europe; business-class redemptions can also offer solid value.
- Annual fee: $99（First-year annual fee waived）
- Apply now>>
Applications
Citi's card application rules used to be very complicated, with all kinds of restrictions around card openings and welcome bonuses. Now, basically all cards have moved to a standardized once-every-48-months bonus rule, so the easiest strategy is to apply for each card once when it has a bonus available. Of course, for cards with relatively small welcome bonuses, the best approach is to apply for the higher-bonus card first, then product change into the one you want to keep.