Citibank is a massive consumer and investment bank. They offer a wide variety of great products, including several excellent credit cards. This guide will help you find the best Citi credit card for your needs, desires and credit score.
As the 4th largest bank in America (by assets), Citibank has no shortage of products to offer. In credit cards alone, Citi offers over 15 unique products. The guide below will explore some of the best Citi credit cards in each category.
Best Citi Credit Card for Travel: ThankYou Premier
Annual Fee: $95
Credit Needed: Excellent
Signup Bonus: 50,000 ThankYou points after spending $4,000 in 3 months (worth at least $500 or $625 in travel)
Rewards: 3x points on travel and gas; 2x points on dining and entertainment; 1x points on all other purchases
Perks: Tons of redemption options; points are worth 1.25 cents each when redeemed for travel; no foreign transaction fee
The Citi ThankYou Premier is a premium credit card with some good perks for travelers. This is also one of the best Citi credit card signup bonus, with a lucrative 50,000 ThankYou point bonus. You’ll need to spend $4,000 in the first 3 months to get the bonus – see this guide for tips on meeting minimum spend requirements. Points are worth a minimum of 1 cent each, but if you redeem them for travel you can get 1.25 cents each – or even more, if you transfer to a travel partner.
The ongoing earning bonuses are generous, as well. 3x points on travel, including gas stations, can stack up fast for frequent travelers. 2x on dining and entertainment is decent, although there are better options.
The perks of this card are a bit lacking compared to the higher-end Citi Prestige, although that card has a $450 annual fee and does not currently offer a signup bonus. For most people, we’d rank the Premier as the best Citibank credit card for travel.
See also: the best credit cards for travelers.
Best Citi Credit Card for Cashback: DoubleCash
Annual Fee: None
Credit Needed: Good
Signup Bonus: None
Rewards: 2% cashback on all purchases (1% when you buy, 1% when you pay)
Perks: 0% intro APR for 18 months; purchase and fraud protection; first late fee waived
The Citi DoubleCash is a simple but useful card that offers a flat 2% cashback. It’s called the DoubleCash because you earn cash back twice – 1% when you make the purchase, and 1% when you pay the credit card bill.
This is the best no-annual fee Citi credit card, as well as the bank’s best option for a standard cashback card. There’s no bells and whistles or fancy perks, but there’s also no annual fee.
This card is perfect for two things: everyday purchases (2% cashback), and balance transfers. There’s an introductory offer of 0% APR for 18 months, on both balance transfers and purchases. That means you could potentially save a good amount on interest by transferring to this card, if you have existing credit card debt.
See also: the best no annual fee credit cards
Best Citi Credit Card Signup Bonus: AAdvantage® Platinum Select®
Annual Fee: $99 (waived for the first year)
Credit Needed: Good to excellent
Signup Bonus: 60,000 American Airlines miles after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months (currently – bonus changes frequently)
Rewards: 2x miles on AA purchases, dining and gas; 1x miles on all other purchases
Perks: Reduced mileage awards for cardholders; first checked bag is free; preferred boarding; no foreign transaction fee; 25% savings on in-flight purchases on AA flights
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard® is a good credit card for travelers – particularly for those who like to fly on American Airlines. It offers a lot of perks, but most of them are specific to AA flights.
Currently, this card is offering the best Citibank credit card signup bonus out there – 60,000 AAdvantage miles after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months! That’s enough for 1 round-trip flight to Europe, or several domestic round-trips. See the AA award chart for details. Do keep in mind that this bonus is subject to change, and does frequently. 50,000 miles is a common offer, so this 60k offer is a great value!
If you fly American frequently, the perks on this card may make it worth keeping long-term. If not, bonus chasers will appreciate the generous signup bonus on this Citi card! Keep in mind that Citi is usually pretty generous with retention offers, so if you call in you may be able to get the fee waived or get some bonus miles to keep the card.
Best Citi Credit Card for Low Credit: Secured Mastercard
Annual Fee: None (requires a cash deposit to secure the card)
Credit Needed: No requirements
Signup Bonus: None
Rewards: None
Perks: Easy to get approved for; great for building credit or repairing poor credit
The Citi Secured Mastercard is a good Citi card for low credit. It allows people with little to no credit history (or a bad credit history) to begin building better credit.
As a secured card, it requires a cash deposit up front, which is used as collateral against the credit limit given with the card. The minimum deposit is $200, and the max $2,500. Your credit line, if approved, will be equal to the amount of your deposit. The funds will be held in an account for 18 months.
There are no perks or rewards with this card, but those with limited credit don’t have a whole lot of options when it comes to credit cards. If you’re looking for a good Citi card for no credit, this is the best option.
See also: How to use a secured credit card to rebuild credit
The cards above are what we believe to be the best Citi credit cards available today. With that said, there are many options we didn’t mention here – check here for ALL available Citibank credit card products.
If you’re looking for a good credit card but aren’t quite decided on the issuing bank, you may be interested in these guides:
What is YOUR favorite Citibank credit card? Let us know in the comments!
