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The changes below have taken effect, and this post is no longer being updated. Here is our archive of major updates from card issuers and loyalty programs.
Citi is cutting key travel and purchase protection benefits across its entire range of rewards cards. In June 2019, Citi emailed cardholders to disclose the benefits which are being cut from each card. The changes are broad and affect many popular Citi rewards cards like the:
- Citi Prestige® Card
- Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®
- Citi Double Cash® Card
Citi has long been the go-to card issuer for select travel and retail purchases thanks to its stellar trip delay policy, trip cancelation & interruption coverage, and post-purchase retail benefits like Citi Price Rewind. With Citi making such sweeping changes to travel and purchase protections, we want to revisit some of Citi’s more popular benefits and recommend the best alternative cards so you're covered after the changes go into effect on September 22, 2019.
Citi Benefits No Longer Available from September 22, 2019
From 09/22/2019, the following benefits will disappear from Citi cards across the board:
- Worldwide Car Rental Insurance
- Trip Cancellation & Interruption Protection
- Worldwide Travel Accident Insurance
- Trip Delay Protection
- Baggage Delay Protection
- Lost Baggage Protection
- Medical Evacuation
- Citi® Price Rewind
- 90 Day Return Protection
- Missed Event Ticket Protection
- Roadside Assistance Dispatch Service
- Travel & Emergency Assistance
In addition to the above benefits, the Citi Double Cash and Citi® Dividend Card lose:
- Extended Warranty
- Purchase Protection
While no card escapes the cuts completely, the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi is the card least affected. Losing only the headline Citi Price Rewind and Trip Interruption & Cancelation coverage. But, retaining many of the benefits lost by other cards.
The Costco Citi card will still offer the following benefits:
- Worldwide Car Rental Insurance
- Worldwide Travel Accident Insurance
- Roadside Dispatch Service
- Damage & Theft Purchase protection
On July 23, 2023, the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® re-added these perks:
- Worldwide Car Rental Insurance
- Trip Cancellation & Interruption Protection
- Trip Delay Protection
- Lost baggage Protection
How to Retain Travel and Purchase Protections
We’ve put together a dedicated post for each of the card benefits listed below, so be sure to check out the complete guides for more details on the policies for each bank. In today’s post, we’re highlighting one of the top cards for each category, but there are often several options with comparable coverage.
If you're looking for a single card to maximize coverage, Chase has emerged as the new industry leader for travel and purchase benefits.
Here's a quick list of our complete guides:
- Primary car rental insurance
- Trip cancellation and interruption
- Trip delay protection
- Baggage delay
- Lost or damaged baggage
- Price protection
- Return protection
- Roadside assistance
- Extended warranty
- Purchase protection
Primary Rental Car Insurance
With Citi’s exit, the list of cards offering primary rental car coverage is now dominated by Chase cards. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card tops our list of the best cards for primary rental insurance. If you’re renting for business purposes, the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is a great alternative.
- Earn 90k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 cash back or $1,125 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠
- Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases
- Round-the-clock monitoring for unusual credit card purchases
- With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
- Redeem points for cash back, gift cards, travel and more - your points don't expire as long as your account is open
- Points are worth more when you redeem for travel through Chase Travel℠
- Purchase Protection covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- 3X points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year
- 1X point per $1 on all other purchases
- See our complete guide for a full list of cards offering primary rental car insurance.
Trip Cancellation & Interruption Protection
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® and Sapphire Preferred offer the best trip interruption & cancelation policies, providing up to $10,000 per person for each covered trip (maximum $20,000 per trip and $40,000 per year). If you're looking to minimize your costs, the Sapphire Preferred provides the same coverage at less than a quarter of the annual fee.
- Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases
- Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel℠
- 10% anniversary points boost - each account anniversary you'll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- 5X points on Lyft rides through September 2027
- 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3X points on dining at restaurants worldwide
- 3X points on eligible streaming services
- 3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
- 2X points on all other travel
- 1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases
- Check out our revised list of the best cards for trip interruption & cancelation insurance for more details.
Trip Delay Protection
For years, the Citi Prestige® Card provided the best trip delay reimbursement policy, covering delays as short as 3+ hours. However, Citi now joins Amex on the sidelines, and the best trip delay policy is essentially a one-horse-race. The Chase Sapphire Reserve® now provides the top trip delay policy, with coverage kicking in after delays of 6+ hours, capped at $500 in expenses.
- Earn 100,000 bonus points + $500 Chase Travel℠ promo credit after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Get more than $2,700 in annual value with Sapphire Reserve.
- Earn 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠, including The Edit℠ and 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct. Plus, earn 3x points on dining worldwide & 1x points on all other purchases
- $300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
- Access over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide with a complimentary Priority Pass™ Select membership, plus every Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club with two guests. Plus, up to $120 towards Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck® every 4 years
- Get up to $150 in statement credits every six months for a maximum of $300 annually for dining at restaurants that are part of Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance, no foreign transaction fees, and more.
- Get complimentary Apple TV+, the exclusive streaming home of Apple Originals. Plus Apple Music - all the music you love, across all your devices. Subscriptions run through 6/22/27 - a value of $250 annually
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠
- 4x points on flights and hotels booked directly
- 3x points on dining worldwide
- 1x points on all other purchases
- With the exception of a few cards from U.S. Bank and Barclays, Chase is leaps and bounds ahead of other card issuers when it comes to the best cards for trip delay reimbursement.
Baggage Delay Protection
Again, the Chase Trio of the Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, and Ink Preferred provide the top policies for baggage delay protection. Plus, you'll also find this valuable coverage on co-brand Chase cards like the The World of Hyatt Credit Card. Coverage kicks in after delays of 6+ hours and provides up to $100 per day for a maximum of 5 days (max $500).
- Earn up to 60,000 Bonus Points. Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. Plus, up to 30,000 more Bonus Points by earning 2 Bonus Points total per $1 spent in the first 6 months from account opening on purchases that normally earn 1 Bonus Point, on up to $15,000 spent.
- Enjoy complimentary World of Hyatt Discoverist status for as long as your account is open.
- Get 1 free night each year after your Cardmember anniversary at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort
- Receive 5 tier qualifying night credits towards status after account opening, and each year after that for as long as your account is open
- Earn an extra free night at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel if you spend $15,000 in a calendar year
- Earn 2 qualifying night credits towards tier status every time you spend $5,000 on your card
- Earn up to 9 points total for Hyatt stays - 4 Bonus Points per $1 spent on qualified purchases at Hyatt hotels & up to 5 Base Points per $1 from Hyatt as a World of Hyatt member
- Earn 2 Bonus Points per $1 spent at restaurants, on airline tickets purchased directly from the airlines, on local transit and commuting and on fitness club and gym memberships
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- Up to 9X points total per $1 spent at Hyatt - 4X points per $1 when you use your card at Hyatt hotels & 5X points per $1 you can earn as a World of Hyatt member
- 2X points per $1 spent at restaurants, on airlines tickets purchased directly from the airlines, on local transit and commuting and on fitness club and gym memberships
- 1X point per $1 everywhere else
- See our comprehensive guide to the best cards for baggage delay protection for more details.
Lost Baggage Protection
One of the few travel protection policies where American Express leads the pack, Amex includes lost and damaged luggage insurance across 40+ cards, although coverage differs from card to card. For example, The Platinum Card® from American Express provides up to $3,000 per person for carry-on baggage, up to $2,000 per person for checked baggage, a maximum benefit of $1,000 on high-risk items such as jewelry, sporting equipment, and electronics; claims cannot exceed $3,000 per person total per covered trip.
- You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you're approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount - all with no credit score impact. If you're approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel®.
- $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel using your Platinum Card®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
- $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney+ bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
- Enjoy the benefits of the Global Lounge Collection, with over $500 of annual value if you visit Centurion Lounges and each of our partner lounges including Delta Sky Club® lounges when flying an eligible Delta flight (subject to visit limitations) , select Lufthansa lounges when flying Lufthansa, Plaza Premium lounges and Escape Lounges, and enroll in Priority Pass Select. See terms.
- A Walmart+ membership can get you free shipping with no order minimum on eligible items shipped by Walmart. Use your Platinum Card® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) and receive one statement credit for up to $12.95 (plus applicable taxes. Plus Ups not eligible) each month. Free Shipping excludes most Marketplace items, freight & certain location surcharges. Paramount+ Essential plan only, separate registration required.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card® Account. American Express relies on airlines to submit the correct information on airline transactions to identify incidental fee purchases. If you do not see a credit for a qualifying incidental purchase on your eligible Card after 8 weeks, simply call the number on the back of your Card. Qualifying airlines are subject to change. See terms & conditions for more details.
- $200 Uber Cash: Platinum Card® Members can ride or dine in style with $15 in Uber Cash each month, plus a bonus $20 in December after adding their Card to their Uber account. Use your Uber Cash on rides and orders in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- $199 CLEAR® Plus Credit: CLEAR® Plus helps get you to your gate faster by using unique facial attributes to verify you are you at 50+ airports nationwide. Receive up to $199 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for your CLEAR Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal) with the Platinum Card®.
- Receive either a $120 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
- Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card®. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- Use Global Dining Access by Resy to access premium dining experiences. Receive Priority Notify and unlock insider access to some of the world's most sought-after restaurants with Global Dining Access by Resy. Download the Resy iOS app or log into Resy.com and add your Platinum Card® to your Resy profile to take advantage of your special benefits and discover restaurants near you.
- $695 annual fee.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- Earn 5X points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® (up to $500,000 in purchases per calendar year).
- Earn 5X points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel®.
- You'll also find top-tier coverage with Chase cards. Here is our complete guide to lost-baggage protection.
Price Protection
This benefit has taken a hammering in recent years. Late in 2018, Chase removed price protection from all Visa cards. And, with Citi pulling the pin on Price Rewind, there are now just a handful of cards that offer price protection benefits. Our ‘best-of-the-rest’ pick for price protection is the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card, which provides up to $250 per item and a maximum four claims in 12 months per account, with a claim window of 120 days from purchase.
- $200 Cash Back after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
- 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services, and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®)
- 1% on all other purchases
- No foreign transaction fees
- $0 annual fee
- 8% cash back on purchases made via the Capital One Entertainment ticketing platform
- 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply)
- 3% cash back on dining and entertainment
- 3% at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®)
- 3% on popular streaming services
- 1% on all other purchases
- The list of cards providing price protection grows smaller every year. Check out all the cards that offer price protection here.
Return Protection
Although Chase removed this benefit from the majority of rewards cards in 2018, return protection is still available on the Sapphire Reserve, which provides up to $500 coverage per item, up to $1,000 per year. Amex offers this protection across a broader range of card products, with almost every Amex card listing return protection of up to $300 per item, up to $1,000 per year.
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you're approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount - all with no credit score impact. If you're approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That's up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 4X Membership Rewards® Points at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S. (on up to $50,000 per year in purchases, then 1X)
- 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per year in purchases, then 1X)
- 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com
- 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotels and other eligible travel booked on amextravel.com
- 1X on other eligible purchases
- See our list of the best cards for return protection and the policies for each provider for more details.
Roadside Assistance
Chase and Amex both provide extensive policies for roadside assistance, but the United cards from Chase top the list due to their comparatively low annual fees. While Amex restricts this perk to high annual fee cards, the two Explorer cards provide complimentary coverage with annual fees of less than $100.
- Limited-Time Offer: Earn 60,000 bonus miles
- $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150
- 2x miles on United® purchases, dining, and hotel stays when booked with the hotel
- Enjoy priority boarding privileges and visit the United Club℠ with 2 one-time passes each year for your anniversary
- Free first checked bag - a savings of up to $160 per roundtrip. Terms Apply.
- Up to $120 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS fee credit
- Earn a $100 United travel credit after spending $10,000 on purchases with your United℠ Explorer Card within a calendar year
- Over $400 in partner credits each year
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- 2X miles per $1 spent on purchases from United®
- 2X miles per $1 spent on dining and hotel stays when booked with the hotel
- 1X mile per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Learn why we rate the United Explorer Card the best rewards card for roadside assistance.
Extended Warranty
Citi may be pulling extended warranty coverage from the Citi Double Cash and Citi® Dividend Card, but it still maintains one of the best extended warranty policies across the rest of the Citi rewards card portfolio. Both Amex and Citi will now extend warranties on new purchases up to a total of seven years.
- Complimentary Admirals Club® membership for the primary cardholder
- Admirals Club® membership for authorized user accounts
- First checked bag free on domestic AA flights for you and up to 8 companions
- Priority check-in, TSA screening lines, and boarding
- 10,000 bonus Loyalty Points after you spend $40,000 in purchases within the year
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- Earn 10X miles for every $1 spent on eligible hotels booked at aa.com/hotels and eligible rental cars booked through aa.com/cars
- Earn 4X miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases (increased to 5X miles through the end of the calendar year after you pass $150,000 in purchases annually)
- Earn 1X mile for every $1 spent on all other purchases
- Find all the details in our guide to credit card extended warranty benefits.
Purchase Protection
American Express provides the most comprehensive purchase protection, with policies applying across more than 50 Amex cards in one form or another. Purchase protection allows you to seek reimbursement for a recent purchase if the item is stolen or damaged; a typical policy will cover you for 90 to 120 days after your purchase.
- Limited Time Travel Offer: Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $20,000 on eligible purchases on your Business Platinum Card® within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Plus, earn a $500 statement credit after you spend $2,500 on qualifying flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel with your Business Platinum Card® within the first 3 months of Card Membership. You can earn one or both of these offers. Offer ends 6/30/25.
- The American Express Global Lounge Collection® can provide an escape at the airport. With complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more airport lounge options than any other credit card issuer on the market as of 10/2024.
- Unlock over $1,000 in statement credits on select purchases, including tech, recruiting and wireless in the first year of membership with the Business Platinum Card®. Enrollment required.
- Fly like a pro with a $200 Airline Fee Credit. Select one qualifying airline to receive up to $200 back per year on baggage fees and other incidentals.
- NEW! Make the Business Platinum Card® work even harder for you. Hilton For Business members get up to $200 back per calendar year when you make an eligible purchase at Hilton properties across the globe. Benefit enrollment required.
- Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points for flights, prepaid hotels, and short-term rentals and prepaid flight + hotel packages booked at AmexTravel.com. 1X points on other eligible purchases.
- Earn 1.5X points (that's an extra half point per dollar) on each eligible purchase at US construction material, hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers, and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more, on up to $2 million per Card Account per calendar year. Purchases eligible for multiple additional point bonuses will only receive the highest eligible bonus.
- $199 CLEAR® Plus Credit: Use your card and get up to $199 in statement credits per calendar year on your CLEAR® Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use the Business Platinum Card®.
- $695 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com.
- Earn 1.5X Membership Rewards® points on each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more.
- Earn 1.5X Membership Rewards® points on each eligible purchase with U.S. construction material and hardware suppliers.
- Earn 1.5X Membership Rewards® points on each eligible purchase with U.S. electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers.
- Earn 1.5X Membership Rewards® points on each eligible purchase with U.S. shipping providers.
- 1.5X earning rates are subject to a cap of $2 million in purchases per calendar year.
- You can learn more about purchase protection (and the cards which offer it) in our purchase protection guide.
Final Thoughts
Citi’s benefit cuts are a huge devaluation for their portfolio of cards. We’re especially surprised to see these changes affecting premium travel cards like the Prestige Card and , which cardholders have come to associate with specific benefits like trip delay and baggage delay. Since travel coverage requires you to use your card for (at least a portion of) the purchase, it becomes a lot harder to justify using the Prestige Card to earn 5X on airfare.
Our recommendation? If you are unhappy with the changes, let your wallet do the talking and move your spending to other cards. Chase continues to offer top travel and purchase protection benefits across almost its entire range of rewards cards. And both Amex and Capital One help fill the gaps in Chase’s coverage. If you have any questions about the upcoming changes to Citi cards, or which card is the best replacement for your Citi card that is losing its benefits, get in touch via the comments below.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (Rates & Fees), Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees), Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees), The World of Hyatt Credit Card (Rates & Fees), The Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees), American Express® Gold Card (Rates & Fees), The New United℠ Explorer Card (Rates & Fees), and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees)
The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
