Citi Premier Credit Card: Best Travel Card for Gas Stations
Citi’s Premier credit card earns valuable ThankYou points. Photo credit: citi.com
As a former New Yorker, I've experienced the convenience of traveling by subway. Now living in Pittsburgh and relying on comparatively outdated public transportation options - finding alternative ways to get around has become increasingly important. After researching rewards cards for gas stations, my favorite was Wells Fargo’s Propel card; however, there were limitations in terms of its cashback value via Go Far Reward points (unless it is used as such). That’s where Citi Premier comes into play – while dining multipliers may be somewhat limited, frequent commuters or those who frequently pay at gas stations will find great benefit from this superior credit card offer!
Current Sign-up Bonus and Valuation:
Citi is currently offering its highest ever sign-up bonus for the Citi Premier card. You would earn 60,000 ThankYou points after spending $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of card opening. Usually, the sign-up bonus is 50,000 ThankYou points, so I would apply for the card before this deal expires!
The Points Guy values Citi ThankYou points at 1.7 cents per point, which means that 60,000 ThankYou points are worth $1,020! Remember, this valuation is only based on if you transfer ThankYou points to one of Citi’s 15 transfer partners. The transfer partners include:
Aeromexico
Air France
Avianca
Cathay Pacific
Emirates
Etihad
EVA Air
Jet Airways
JetBlue,
Malaysia Airlines
Qantas
Qatar Airways
Singapore Airlines
Thai Royal
Turkish Airlines
Virgin Atlantic
If you don’t want to transfer points, you can redeem them on Citi’s travel portal at 1.25 cents per point, which means your 60,000 ThankYou points would be worth $750. Regardless of how you utilize it, I deem any credit card sign-up bonuses worth more than $500 to be valuable, and flexible currencies such as Citi’s ThankYou are generally considered more valuable than regular cashback points.
Transfer your ThankYou points to Citi’s 15 transfer partners and travel the world!
Multipliers and Audience:
The Citi Premier earns 3X ThankYou points per $1 spent on travel purchases including gas stations. Citi’s travel category is very extensive and includes airfare, hotels, car rental agencies, public transportation, tolls, parking and more. I think this all-inclusive approach makes a lot of sense for most consumers. The card earns 2X ThankYou points per $1 spent on dining at restaurants and entertainment. Dining and entertainment categories include cafes, bars, concerts, movie theaters, sporting events, and more. All other purchases will earn 1X ThankYou point per $1 spent.
Who Is This Card for?
For the ultimate rewards experience, Citi's DoubleCash card and Premier Card provide a powerful combination that gives you access to more travel and gas purchases. Optimize your wallet with these cards for maximum benefits - while Chase and AMEX don't offer great multipliers on gas spending, the points earned from double cashback can be used towards ThankYou Rewards, which will make it worthwhile in comparison. Unlock an even greater potential when you mix this team up with other premium cards like Sapphire Reserve or American Express Platinum - take advantage of their wide range of perks without sacrificing high fuel costs!
Utilization Case Scenario: BP Gas Stations & BPme:
BP's app, BPme, has become the go-to choice for refueling any vehicle. Not only does it eliminate security concerns associated with entering credit card information at a gas station - perfect for parents of young drivers in need of some freedom to get around on their own – but also rewards Citi Premier cardholders with points based on each purchase made. Combined with dynamic pump selection and one-click payments via saved payment details stored within the app itself, why not make those fill-ups even easier? Make sure that both safety and savings come standard when you fuel up using BPme!
Use your Citi Premier card at BP gas stations to earn 3X ThankYou points and minimize the chance of your credit card information being stolen!
Annual Fees and Benefits:
Citi Premier is an introductory annual fee card, and it will cost you $95 annually. It is not as flashy as its older brother Citi Prestige, but it does come with some benefits. The biggest benefit being the versatile ThankYou points. Citi currently has 15 airline transfer partners at a rate of 1,000 ThankYou points to 1,000 bonus miles of your choice if you are a Premier cardholder. In addition, the Citi Premier Card is a World Elite Mastercard, and it is widely accepted all over the world - much like Visa, and gives card users Lyft and Postmates benefits. For example, a cardholder will receive $10 Lyft credit after every 5 rides taken in a calendar month or get $5 off every Postmates order of $25 or more. In addition, World Elite Mastercard users can earn 5% back on Boxed purchases, and 500 Fandango VIP+ points per 2 movie ticket purchases, which is valued at $5.
There are lots of additional benefits for having a World Elite Mastercard. Photo credit: mastercard.us
What It’s Missing:
Citi Premier and Prestige cards used to provide really good travel protection and purchase protection. However, as of September 22 of 2019, Citi discontinued most of its protection perks including trip cancellation and interruption protection, trip delay protection, baggage delay / lost baggage protection, travel accident insurance, and car rental insurance, 90-day return protection, travel, and emergency assistance and many more. Because of the removal of standard premium card benefits, the main appeal remains with the card’s 3X points on gas purchases.
Summary:
The Citi Premier Card is an ideal choice for travelers looking to maximize their points returns. Right now, they are offering the highest sign-up bonus on record - a generous 60,000 ThankYou Points after just $4K in purchases within 3 months of card opening. Plus World Elite Mastercard holders can enjoy access to exclusive travel and purchase benefits that make this option hard to resist! Don’t wait too long if you want these rewards; act fast before this offer disappears from sight!
