Looking for a card that earns rewards on everyday purchases and has a generous intro bonus? If so, the Citi ThankYou Premier Card (a NextAdvisor advertiser) may be for you. This card just increased its intro bonus from 30,000 points to 50,000 points — that’s worth $625 for airfare through the ThankYou TravelCenter — and offers some great rewards on travel, dining out and entertainment purchases. Cardholders can earn these 50,000 bonus points when they spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. While this bonus is impressive, it’s not the only aspect of the card that’s worth noting. Keep reading to learn more about the Citi ThankYou Premier Card and see if it’s a fit for you.
What does the Citi ThankYou Premier Card offer?
The Citi ThankYou Premier Card is the perfect card for someone who wants a strong combination of travel rewards, while earning points on everyday purchases. In addition to the 50,000-point bonus opportunity described above, cardholders earn 3 points per $1 spent on all travel purchases (including gas purchases!), 2 points for every $1 spent on dining out and entertainment and 1 point per $1 spent on other purchases. The best part is these rewards have no limits or spending caps, which isn’t the case with most rewards credit cards. When it’s time to redeem your points, you can redeem them for travel with no blackout dates through Citi’s ThankYou TravelCenter or transfer them to participating airline and hotel loyalty programs, including TrueBlue, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer and Hilton Honors, which means they have quite a bit of rewards flexibility. Cardholders can also redeem their rewards for gift cards, cash and more. In addition, the Citi ThankYou Premier Card has no foreign transaction fees and the $95 annual fee is waived for the first 12 months.
Does the Citi ThankYou Premier Card have downsides?
There are two downsides of the Citi ThankYou Premier Card: the $95 annual fee, which is waived for the first 12 months, and the lack of a 0% intro APR period for purchases or balance transfers. Before we offer some alternative options, it’s important to point out that the $95 annual fee may still make the card worthwhile if it’s your go-to card for travel, gas, restaurants and entertainment. Since these categories earn unlimited points, if you use the card frequently, your rewards will likely balance out the annual fee (and then some). Still, if you can’t bear the idea of paying an annual fee, there are some options for you.
The U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature Card offers a customized way to earn cash back. That’s because this card earns 5% cash back on two categories of your choice (up to the first $2,000 in eligible combined purchases each quarter, then it’s 1% back), 2% on one everyday category, like gas, groceries and restaurants, and 1% on all other eligible purchases. You’re required to pick your 5% cash back categories every quarter, but there are a lot of categories to choose from, including ground transportation, cell phones, bookstores, gyms/fitness centers, movie theaters, select clothing stores and more. On top of that, cardholders will earn $100 cash back after they spend $500 on purchases within the first 90 days of account opening. Rewards can be redeemed in the form of statement credit or a deposit made into a U.S. Bank savings, checking or money market account. Cardholders can also redeem their cash back as a U.S. Bank Rewards Card. Although the card has no annual fee, it does charge foreign transaction fees of 2% to 3%, depending on the transaction. Rounding out the card is a 12-month 0% intro APR on balance transfers made within the first 60 days from account opening (with a $5 or 3% balance transfer fee, whichever is greater).
If you’d prefer a travel rewards credit card with no annual fee and a 0% intro APR on purchases, Discover it Miles might be worth looking into. This card earns an unlimited 1.5 miles per $1 spent on all purchases, which makes things easy. Although it doesn’t have a traditional intro bonus that you’ll earn after spending X amount in X days, Discover it Miles has an awesome bonus — Discover will match all of the miles you earn at the end of your first year, which means you’re essentially earning 3X miles on all purchases for the first year! Miles can be redeemed as an electronic deposit into your bank account or for statement credit to cover travel purchases (airline tickets, hotel rooms, car rentals, travel agents, online travel sites and commuter transportation) made within the last 180 days. On top of paying no annual fee, you’ll pay no foreign transaction fees and get a 14-month 0% intro APR on purchases.
Should I apply for the Citi ThankYou Premier Card?
Those who spend a lot on travel, dining out and restaurants will likely be pleased with the unlimited rewards they can earn with the Citi ThankYou Premier Card. Throw in the new 50,000 bonus miles, rewards redemption flexibility and no foreign transaction fees, and you have one well-rounded travel rewards credit card. If the $95 annual fee, which is waived for the first 12 months, is less-than-ideal for you, consider one of the other cards detailed above. Read our Citi ThankYou Premier Card review to learn more about this card and apply online.
Disclaimer: This content is not provided or commissioned by the credit card issuer. Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of the credit card issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuer. This content was accurate at the time of this post, but card terms and conditions may change at any time. This site may be compensated through the credit card issuer Affiliate Program.
