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The offer mentioned below was accurate at the time of publication, but as of January 9, 2023, is no longer available.
The Citi Premier® Card is an excellent, versatile travel credit card that promises one of the fastest rates of points accrual in the credit card world, despite a low annual fee ($95). The card earns three points per dollar spent at restaurants, supermarkets, and gas stations and on air travel and hotels. (Put in perspective, the $95 annual fee Chase Sapphire Preferred grants three points per dollar on dining, but only two on travel and one per dollar at gas stations and brick-and-mortar supermarkets.)
Since June 2022, the Citi Premier® Card has been enticing prospective cardholders with its best-ever welcome offer: Earn 80,000 bonus ThankYou® points after spending $4,000 in the first three months of account opening. This sum of points can be cashed out for $800 in gift cards with major retailers or even transferred to 14 airline partners at a 1:1 ratio. But as all good things must come to an end, this generous introductory bonus concludes January 9, 2023.
In the wake of holiday bills and New Year’s spending resolutions, getting a new credit card may not be top of mind the first week of 2023. However, this Citi Premier® Card opportunity may not come around again. The card’s previous offer has wavered between 30,000 and 60,000 points in years past; 80,000 is an exception for this card’s bonus and may not happen again anytime soon (or again!) Here, more details on why you should consider this lesser-known card before the current best-ever promotion ends.
A record-breaking welcome bonus and best ways to spend it
The Citi Premier® Card is offering a best-ever 80,000-point welcome offer until January 9, 2023. This bonus comes in the form of Citi ThankYou points, which can be redeemed in dozens of ways. One of our favorites is toward gift cards at a ratio of 1,000 points to $10 (e.g., 80,000 welcome bonus = $800 in gift cards). There are over 100 retailers participating in this gift card program, from Apple to Starbucks to CVS Pharmacy to Target and DoorDash.
Our other preferred route for cashing out ThankYou points is transferring to airline partners. ThankYou points transfer to 14 airline partners at a 1:1 ratio, and there are ways to amplify the value of your ThankYou points with these partnerships. For example, JetBlue TrueBlue is one partner and TrueBlue points are pegged to ticket dollar value and are worth around 1.5 cents apiece. If you do the math, the 80,000 welcome bonus means $1,200 in JetBlue tickets.
Below is the complete list of airline transfer partners.
- Aeromexico Club Premier
- Air France–KLM Flying Blue
- Avianca LifeMiles
- Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
- Emirates Skywards
- Etihad Guest
- EVA Air Infinity MileageLands
- JetBlue TrueBlue
- Qantas Frequent Flyer
- Qatar Airways Privilege Club
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus
- Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
Citi ThankYou is the only credit card program that transfers to international partners Qatar Airways and Thai Airways.
A card that allows you to earn points quickly
The Citi Premier Card lets you rack up points quickly by offering triple points in several popular spending categories among travelers. You’ll earn three points per dollar spent at restaurants, supermarkets, and gas stations, as well as on air travel and hotels (plus one point per dollar on everything else). Overall, those are better earning rates than the Chase Sapphire Preferred. Triple points on dining and travel are on par with Chase Sapphire Reserve’s earnings structure and that multiplier remains a key selling point for the Reserve. However, the Reserve’s annual fee is $550 versus Citi Premier’s $95.
An industry-leading extended warranty program
Among all the extended warranty programs offered by credit cards, the Citi Premier Card’s offering reigns supreme. First, the card extends the manufacturer’s warranty for an additional 24 months. This is double the 12 months’ extension offered by the likes of the Platinum Card from American Express and the Chase Sapphire Preferred card. Second, the Citi Premier Card’s warranty coverage is up to a maximum of seven years from the purchase date and is additional to customer-purchase extended warranties like AppleCare+. Put in perspective, the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Reserve cards allow coverage up to a maximum of four years from the purchase date.
Overall, this is the credit card you want to use when purchasing big-ticket electronic items like MacBooks, DSLR cameras, and snazzy headphones.
Other benefits
Another highlight of the Citi Premier Card is its annual hotel credit. Each calendar year, you’ll get a $100 credit on a single-stay prepaid hotel booking of $500 or more purchased through Citi ThankYou Travel. Unfortunately, unlike its Chase Sapphire or Amex competitors, the Citi Premier Card does not offer any implicit travel insurance or credits for TSA PreCheck/Global Entry.
Takeaways
Until January 9, 2023, the Citi Premier® Card is offering its best-ever welcome offer of 80,000 points. While it’s impossible to predict what future offers Citi has in store, the card has garnered success in years past with much lower introductory bonuses and even gone years without raising the bonus.
The card promises the chance to earn points quickly and lots of flexibility for points redemptions plus it also carries the best extended warranty program in the credit card industry, which appeals strongly to tech-loving travelers.
Overall, those wanting a versatile credit card for everyday purchases and travel spending without paying a high annual fee—plus a very valuable 80,000-point bonus—should consider getting this card now, even if the idea of a new credit card seems daunting week one of 2023. Think long term: There’s an entire year of travel ahead and this big bonus can go a long way in getting you to a dream destination come spring, summer or fall.
While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they are subject to change at any time, and may have changed or may no longer be available. This article was originally published in July 2022; it was updated on January 5, 2023, with current information.
