We have good news and bad news about the Citi Prestige credit card. We’ll give you the bad news first to get it out of the way. The Citi Prestige is no longer available for applications. Citi has pulled the plug on the Citi Prestige credit card but could reintroduce it at some point. While this is unfortunate, the good news is that there are some other good premium credit card options. If you were hoping to get a Citi Prestige card, you will instead want to look at the features of these comparable credit cards. From the sounds of it, Citi plans to reintroduce applications to the Citi Prestige card in January of 2019.
“Our go-to-market strategy continuously evolves to feature different products and offers. We remain committed to the Prestige product and servicing our valued existing cardmembers. We look forward to reintroducing the card for new cardmembers in the near future.”
-Citi Spokesperson
Yes, the Citi Prestige is one of the best premium credit cards available. But, you won’t be able to apply for it until it’s reintroduction in January 2019. In the meantime, there are a few other great premium credit cards. Fortunately, they do meet the same level of quality benefits when compared to the Citi Prestige.
Features that the Citi Prestige will Offer (Application Reintroduction in Jan. 2019)
The Citi Prestige card was packed with features and benefits to make it such a great premium credit card. It featured an assortment of nice travel and entertainment benefits. The main benefit that none of the other available premium credit cards offer is the 4th night free. It allowed you to receive one free night during a hotel stay of four nights that was booked through Citi. Basically, equaling 25% off during that stay. It was an excellent benefit and will be missed dearly. Below are the features of the Citi Prestige that stood out.
- Annual $250 “Travel” Credit – (Starting in January 2019)
- Complimentary 4th Night Stay (Limited to twice yearly starting in September 2019)
- Cell Phone Protection Plan (Starting in May 2019)
- 5X Points on Dining and Air Travel (Starting in January 2019)
- Airport Lounge Access
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
- Free Golf Benefit
- Citi Concierge Service
- Trip & Travel Insurance
- Delayed and Lost Baggage Protection
- Auto Rental Coverage
- Annual fee of $450 (will rise to $495 in September 2019)
Who the Citi Prestige Card was For
The Citi Prestige was a credit card for people who travel frequently and want premium travel benefits. The card was made for high spenders as the more money you spent on travel, the easier it was to justify paying the hefty annual fee. If you travel frequently, the annual travel credit, Airport Lounge Access, complimentary 4th-night stay, adsnd TSA PreCheck would far outweigh the fees. Especially because the travel credit was given every calendar year, so it was possible to receive the benefit twice within one annual fee cycle. Just because the Citi Prestige is no longer available for application, doesn’t mean premium travel benefits are gone. There are some other credit cards that offer very similar benefits to cardmembers.
Other Premium Credit Cards that Compare to the Citi Prestige
While the Citi Prestige card is no longer available for application, there are some other premium credit cards that offer similar benefits. Some of these cards may even be better than what was offered by the Citi Prestige. We’ll analyze both of the best currently offered premium credit cards and compare them to what the Citi Prestige was offering.
Chase Sapphire Reserve [earnist_link ref="chase-sapphire-reserve-card" id="6311"] |
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| INTRODUCTORY OFFER You'll earn 60,000 points after spending $4000 in the first 3 months. |
| REWARDS You'll earn 3X points on travel and dining. Also Earn a total of 10X points on Lyft rides. |
| BENEFITS $300 annual travel credit. Priority Pass Select airport lounge access. TSA PreCheck or Global Entry. Points are worth 50% more when used in the Chase travel portal. No foreign transaction fees. 1:1 point transfers to partner hotels and airlines. 1 year of Lyft Pink. |
| FEES $550 No foreign transaction fees. |
| TRAVEL FREEDOM THOUGHTS This is one of the best premium travel credit cards if you want some luxury. It has a valuable signup bonus with easy to redeem points. You also get a boost to your points value in the Chase travel portal. The biggest key to this card is the airport lounge access. If you travel a lot, it's extremely valuable. |
| [earnist_link ref="chase-sapphire-reserve-card" id="6311"]LEARN HOW TO APPLY NOW >>[/earnist_link] |
Read our full Chase Sapphire Reserve review.
Amex Platinum Card  |
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| INTRODUCTORY OFFER You’ll earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 in the first 6 months. |
| REWARDS You’ll earn 5X points on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel. You’ll earn 5X points on prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com. |
| BENEFITS Enjoy Uber VIP status and free rides in the U.S. up to $15 each month (bonus $20 in December). Enjoy access to the exclusive Global Airport Lounge Collection. $200 Airline Fee Credit, up to $200 every calendar year with one qualifying airline. Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases at Saks Fifth Avenue on your card. Enrollment required. Fine Hotels & Resorts Access. Hilton & Marriott Gold Status. Discounts on First/Business/Premium Economy tickets. |
| FEES $550 annual fee. No foreign transaction fees. Terms Apply |
| TRAVEL FREEDOM THOUGHTS With a large introductory offer, statement credits, and airport lounge access, this is an excellent premium travel credit card. |
| [earnist_link ref="the-platinum-card-from-american-express" id="6500"]LEARN HOW TO APPLY NOW >>[/earnist_link] |
Read our full Amex Platinum Card review.
Premium Benefits Compared to Citi Prestige
Annual Fees
- Citi Prestige: $495
- Sapphire Reserve: $450 ✔
- Amex Platinum: $550
Introductory Offers
- Citi Prestige: 50,000 Points after spending $4000 in the first 3 months
- Sapphire Reserve: 50,000 Points after spending $4000 in the first 3 months ✔
- Amex Platinum: 60,000 Points after spending $5000 in the first 3 months ✔
Airport Lounge Access
- Citi Prestige: Priority Pass Select
- Sapphire Reserve: Priority Pass Select
- Amex Platinum: Priority Pass Select, Delta Skyclubs, Airspace Lounges, Centurion Lounges ✔
Travel Statement Credits
- Citi Prestige: $250 Air Travel Credit, Global Entry/TSA PreCheck Credit
- Sapphire Reserve: $300 Travel Credit, Global Entry/TSA PreCheck Credit ✔
- Amex Platinum: $200 Airline Credit, $200 Uber Credit, Global Entry/TSA PreCheck Credit
Bonus Reward Earning Rates
- Citi Prestige: 5 points on air travel & restaurants, 3 points on hotels and cruises, 1 point on everything else
- Sapphire Reserve: 3 points on travel & dining, 1 point on everything else ✔
- Amex Platinum: 5 points on airfare booked through American Express Travel, 1 point on everything else
Extra Perks
- Citi Prestige: 4th night free on paid hotel bookings through Citi (starting September 2019 it’s capped at 2 times per year)
- Sapphire Reserve: Special Benefits at Chase’s Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection
- Amex Platinum: Discounted Premium Seats on International Flights, Marriott & Hilton Gold Status, Complimentary Boingo Wi-fi
Final Results: Which Premium Credit Card is the Best?
So, which card is the best premium travel credit card to get instead of the (no longer available) Citi Prestige? After comparing the benefits offered by the two best premium credit cards and analyzing the results, there is a clear first and second place.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve card comes in first place with the most benefits compared to the amount paid in annual fees. It is the best premium credit card available in the market. The Platinum Card from American Express comes in second place. It packs a few more benefits, especially with extra lounge access, but also has a higher annual fee than the rest of the cards. Chase Ultimate Rewards and Membership Rewards points are both very valuable with the availability of transfer partners. Both types of points can be transferred to airlines and hotels making their introductory offers very valuable.
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[earnist_link ref=”chase-sapphire-reserve-card” id=”6311″]Chase Sapphire Reserve[/earnist_link]
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The Platinum Card from American Express [earnist_link ref=”the-platinum-card-from-american-express” id=”6500″] Learn More >[/earnist_link]
While annual fees of $450 or more may sound crazy, you can see that the benefits can far outweigh the fees. It really depends on your travel habits and what you value, as to which of these credit cards would be the best for you. They are both great credit cards and they compare well to the Citi Prestige card that is not currently available. It will be interesting to see what the Citi Prestige will have to offer when it is reintroduced. We’ll keep you updated.
