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The changes below have taken effect, and this post is no longer being updated.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 Premier® 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 Citi Costco card will still offer the following benefits:
- Worldwide Car Rental Insurance
- Worldwide Travel Accident Insurance
- Roadside Dispatch Service
- Damage & Theft Purchase 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 100k bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 cash back or $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
- 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 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
- 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
- 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 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
- Enjoy benefits such as a $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x on dining and 2x on all other travel purchases, plus more.
- Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024.
- 5X points on Lyft rides through March 2022
- 5X points on travel purchased through Chase
- 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 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
- $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
- Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards® immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 60,000 points are worth $900 toward travel
- 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
- Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select and up to $100 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck®
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more
- 10X points on Lyft rides through March 2025
- 10X points on hotels and car rentals purchased through Chase
- 10X points on Chase Dining (including prepaid reservations and prepaid takeout purchased through Chase)
- 5X points on airfare purchased through Chase
- 3X points on all other travel
- 3X points on dining at restaurants
- 1X points on all other purchases
- With the exception of a few cards from US 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 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 at Hyatt hotels & 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
- 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.
- Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- 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 $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card®.
- $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 in statement credits each month when you pay for eligible purchases with the Platinum Card® at your choice of one or more of the following providers: Peacock, Audible, SiriusXM, The New York Times, and other participating providers. Enrollment required.
- $155 Walmart+ Credit: Cover the cost of a $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership with a statement credit after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Platinum Card. Cost includes $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax.
- American Express has expanded The Centurion® Network to include 40+ Centurion Lounge and Studio locations worldwide. Now there are even more places your Platinum Card® can get you complimentary entry and exclusive perks.
- $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 Card.
- $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only.
- $300 Equinox Credit: Get up to $300 back each year on an Equinox+ subscription, or any Equinox club memberships when you pay with your Platinum Card. Enrollment required. Learn more.
- $189 CLEAR® Credit: Breeze through security with CLEAR® Plus at 45+ airports nationwide and get up to $189 back per year on your membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Card.
- $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 Savor Rewards from Capital One, 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.
- $300 Cash Back after you spend $3,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
- 4% cash back on dining, entertainment, and popular streaming services, plus 3% at grocery stores and 1% on all other purchases
- Plus, earn 8% cash back on tickets at Vivid Seats through January 2023
- No foreign transaction fees
- 4% cash back on dining
- 4% cash back on entertainment
- 4% cash back on popular streaming services
- 3% cash back at grocery stores
- 1% cash back on all other purchases
- Plus, earn 8% cash back on tickets at Vivid Seats through January 2023
- 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.
- Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., and earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X).
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S., totaling up to $120 per year.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings and 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, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations. Enrollment required.
- Choose the color that suits your style. Gold or Rose Gold.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $250.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 4X Membership Rewards® Points at restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.
- 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
- 1X on other purchases
- Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- 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.
- Earn 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
- $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95.
- Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on dining, hotel stays, and United® purchases
- Up to $100 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS fee credit
- 25% back as a statement credit on purchases of food, beverages and Wi-Fi on board United-operated flights and on Club premium drinks when you pay with your Explorer Card
- Free first checked bag - a savings of up to $140 per roundtrip. Terms Apply.
- Enjoy priority boarding privileges and visit the United Club℠ with 2 one-time passes each year for your anniversary
- Get one-year complimentary DashPass, a membership for both DoorDash and Caviar that provides unlimited deliveries with $0 delivery fees and lower service fees on eligible orders. After that, you are automatically enrolled in DashPass at the current monthly rate. Activate by 12/31/24.
- 2X miles per $1 spent on purchases from United®
- 2X miles per $1 spent at restaurants and on hotel stays
- 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
- Complimentary Admirals Club membership for up to 10 authorized user accounts
- No charge 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 Elite Qualifying Miles (EQMs) after you spend $40,000 in purchases within the year
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- Earn 2X miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases
- Earn 1X mile for every $1 spent on all other purchases
- Earn 10,000 AAdvantage Elite Qualifying Miles (EQMs) after you spend $40,000 in purchases within the year
- 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.
- Welcome Offer: Earn 120,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with your Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
- Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com, and 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases.
- Earn 1.5X points (that's an extra half point per dollar) on eligible purchases 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 everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year.
- Unlock over $1,000 in value per year for statement credits on select purchases, including tech, recruiting and wireless with the Business Platinum Card.
- $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 Card or any of the Additional Cards on your Platinum Card account.
- $189 CLEAR® Credit: CLEAR® uses biometrics to assign you a touchless ID, allowing you to move faster through security at select airports and stadiums across the U.S. You can cover the cost of a CLEAR membership with up to $189 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for CLEAR with your Business Platinum Card®.
- The American Express Global Lounge Collection® can provide an escape at the airport. With more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more lounge location options than any other credit card on the market as of 9/2021.
- $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 eligible purchases of $5,000 or more.
- Earn 1.5X Membership Rewards® points on eligible purchases with U.S. construction material and hardware suppliers.
- Earn 1.5X Membership Rewards® points on eligible purchases with U.S. electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers.
- Earn 1.5X Membership Rewards® points on eligible purchases 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 Citi Premier, which cardholders have come to associate with specific benefits such as 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: The Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees), American Express® Gold 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.
Time to cut citi cards
Citi is paying off with new promos like: bonus on ThankYou Rewards points transferred to JetBlue, a monster signup bonus of 75,000 miles after you meet the minimum spend requirement CitiBusiness / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Mastercard, etc ..
Citi was one of the earlier issuers to offer a 2% cash back card, and there are still a relative few. I think they they are banking on people only caring about how much cash they get back, and little else. They could be right. I wonder if people would use as their primary card, one that has all the prior benefits but only gave 1% or 1.5% in rewards. My guess is most people would primarily choose the 2% card with few to no other benefits.
I have both Citi AAdvantage and Citi Premier card. I was wondering if it’s possible to do a product change for these cards to the no-annual-fee versions to keep the points active and my credit history long as possible. Has anyone done this yet?
I just downgraded my Citi AA Platinum World $99/year card to the Citi AA no annual fee card so that I can keep earning AA miles without the annual fee and keep my longest credit card
That is surprising, with so many CC looking to add to their benefits, they are actually cutting down? I’m sure their competitors are happy to hear the news.
That’s a shame. I’ve stopped using citi for years and this news doesn’t help me start again.
between citi dropping these benefits on the prestige and amex addiing them to thee platinum, i”ll vote with my wallet and have started moving my airfare spend to amex platinum and dining spend on gold. I have a ton of TY points to burn out before i downgrade/close the prestige (hopefully next year)
Are there any fee-free cards by any issuer that offers CDW on overseas car rentals and does not charge FX fees?
I used to rely on Citi Premier but now CDW is gone, and I don’t know how long I will keep the Barclays Arrival+
Thanks
Hey John, I don’t believe there are any no-annual-fee cards with primary CDW coverage. Please let us know if you learn otherwise.
Great info and break down; unfortunate for customers who have Citi that will now have slightly lower benefits.
Citi’s Price Rewind feature not working now because of a bug (?) that forces the date the lower price was found to be *earlier* than Sept 21.
What is everyone switching to? The Citi DoubleCash has been my every day card for the 2% and the 2 year extended warranty as well as price rewind protection. Those benefits are gone now. I plan on using the Citi Costco card for the 2 year extended warranty on big, electronic, etc., purchases, but it only gives back 1% rewards outside of Costco and doesn’t have price protection benefits which it is also loosing.
I know price protection is a feature that’s been largely cut by most cards/banks. Citi’s 2 year warranty also seems unmatched. With that said, I can’t seem to find anything that would give me 1.5-2% CB while also offering price protection. Any ideas anyone?
My other main card is Chase Sapphire Reserve used primarily for travel and restaurant purchases netting effective 4.5% cash back.
Not the best of news for care holders.
Huge Blow from CITI… bad move for loyal shareholders that just want to back up should it ever be necessary.
Lost baggage coverage would’ve been useful LAST trip…
Citi has been getting worse and worse. I actually cancelled all my accounts with them recently. Even that was a complete nightmare. Took several long calls over the course of three months to get the account closed properly. Glad to see back of them
Chase is probably happy to hear this news. AMEX also added benefits to premium cards recently.
Yep thanks for sharing. We’re working on a post for that too.
Getting worse and worse. Time to leave Citi. Viva Amex
As I read the info sent to me regarding the loss of warranty coverage on my AA Citi Platinum card, it seems like coverage will continue for prior purchases, but only if the card remains active. This means, even if you don’t want to use the card anymore, you’ll still have to decide whether or not paying the annual fee each year to keep extended warranties in force for those prior purchases is going to be worth it.
Due to recent high dollar purchases, looks like I’ll probably be renewing one more time, then may consider switching over to the Aviator card at that time.
Yep, time to consider moving on from Citi. Two questions come to mind:
1. Will Citi repay part of the hefty annual fee paid for the Prestige since they have removed the reasons for applying?
2. What would you do with the points in your account? The transfer partners seem mostly poor choices.
Worth a try. Complaining about lost benefits is a great way to get fees rebated or extra points added to your account. You definitely want to transfer miles out if you plan to cancel the card.
The Citi card provided Additional Transportation expenses under their Trip Interruption coverage. It is THE key component of Trip Interruption that makes it different from Trip Cancellation, which is why Chase should stop claiming to provide Trip Interruption coverage. Sadly, your readers won’t know what’s missing until they get jammed up on a trip if they are counting on their Chase card to help out in a travel crisis.
Based on my research, there are currently no credit cards that are suitable replacements for a separate travel policy. This is why it is especially sad that Citi is dropping this coverage.
Just saw Amex is adding travel insurance, so that’s a good alternative.
i guess i will stay with my american express that has most or all of their benefits
Hi Jess, just curious why you haven’t approved my comment regarding Chase’s inferior Trip Interruption coverage? It’s important that your readers understand this key exclusion in Chase’s coverage.
https://4wornpassports.com/beware-chase-card-travel-insurance/
Hi Kellie, what credit card insurance will cover buying a new flight when your trip is interrupted? I definitely appreciate the insight, but it seems there may not be any alternatives unless you want to buy a separate travel insurance policy. Please share if you know any options.
Credit card insurance also doesn’t cover healthcare, so that is another reason to consider a separate policy.
The Citi card did provide additional transportation costs (in line with the industry standard) which is why it is particularly sad that they have dropped the program. You’re absolutely correct that people should purchase a separate travel policy now because the current Chase benefits are not a suitable replacement for travel insurance.
Hopefully the rumor that they are switching to Visa is true. It would make sense since the Costco card is the only one that still has benefits
With the DoubleCash turning into a Thank You Point card, I was considering adding another currency to my portfolio but with changes like these, my decision has now been made. Pass.
Haven’t been a fan of Citi since they suddenly cancelled my card for no reason.
Disappointed as Citi as long time Citi Thankyou card holder.. Thanks for sharing the info.
The statement that only the Citi Double Cash and Dividend cards would be losing extended warranty protection conflicts with what Citi has told me, though I’ve gotten conflicting information from them. Someone I spoke to at Citi’s benefits department a week or so ago told me that the Double Cash card would retain the warranty benefit, which obviously turned out to be incorrect. Just today two other representatives at Citi told me the benefit was discontinued for all their cards.
I have the Double Cash card and I’m looking for something to replace the warranty coverage, so if anyone has a different Citi card and could check if that benefit still exists, or if AwardWallet could look into this further, I’d really appreciate it. I’m also not finding a comparable benefit (two years of coverage regardless of the manufacturer warranty) anywhere else, but wondering if I’m missing anything.
Maybe there are too many insurance claims?
That’s likely part of the story, as removing benefits is usually about reducing costs. But, I always assumed the overwhelming majority of cardholders didn’t use or even know about insurance benefits. So, it’s surprising to me.
Is the Citi Costco card losing all these benefits as well?
No, Costco card is losing only Price Rewind and Trip Cancellation/Interruption. Other benefits should still be available, including:
– Worldwide Car Rental Insurance
– Worldwide Travel Accident Insurance
– Roadside Assistance Dispatch Service
– Travel & Emergency Assistance
– Damage & Theft Protection
– Extended Warranty
– FICO Credit Score
– Citi Identity Theft Solutions
– Citi Entertainment
Wow. Thanks for this information. Away from Citi and toward Chase. I can’t believe Citi is doing this.
The only reason i used the Citi Advantage Card for everyday spend is to accumulate Frequent Flyer Miles for short notification air travel. Are there any other airline cards good for Frequent Flyer points accumulation?
The right choice depends on your home airport and travel plans. Transferrable points like Chase Ultimate Rewards or Amex MR would give you far more options.
Can you imagine the insurance cost savings? In one way I’m not surprised, the airline industry just cant prevent all the delays, lost baggage etc, so once again, we the consumer – PAY THE PRICE!
Citi Prestige did just grant cellphone insurance. We will see how well it works. One of my kids had iphone 7 knocked from hand by security guy at baseball game, didnt apologize, screen completely destroyed, luckily the digitizer was ok, so we filed a claim for repair. Keeping my fingers crossed!
Thanks for sharing. Please keep us posted on the claims process!
So… I use the Costco CITI card for travel expenses- somehow this benefits change was new to me. Upon logging on to my account, the car rental insurance coverage benefit is still showing as available (9.23.19). Since this contradicted the article’s information, I called CITI to inquire- I was told the car rental benefit is intact- what *was* canceled was the trip interruption coverage.
You might want to investigate and correct your blog information as appropriate.
Thanks!
Thanks for the information. We’re getting all kinds of conflicting reports. It seems Citi didn’t bother to educate their reps on what is being eliminated. We’ll keep investigating and update the post as we get more clarity.
Thanks Steve, have updated the post info for the Costco Visa rental car cover. Can you confirm if you still have access to Citi Price Rewind on the Costco Card? The info we were provided states:
Is there any other American Airlines co-branded card with better benefits than Citi? Or a better strategy for airline miles?
The Barclay issued AAviator cards have similar benefits with respect to travel with AA (priority boarding, reduced mileage awards, free checked bag etc.)
I just looked this card up and it is similar to what my Citibank AA card use to be! Not exactly but tons of benefits. Thank you!
If a car rental was paid in full prior to 9/22/19, will CDW still be covered when car is rented in January 2020 in Hawaii?
As long as the transaction happened before 9/23, you should be covered. However, I’ve noticed that making a reservation often doesn’t trigger the charge (unless you have a prepaid rate). If the rental cost isn’t already billed to your card, I’d recommend looking to pay at the counter with another card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Reserve.
We’ve used the Citi Premier Thank You Card for travel for many years, but won’t be using it anymore. I can’t imagine why they’ve done this! We recently got the Alaska Visa, which has many of the same benefits, and will be using that one.
This is a bummer.
I have been a long time Citi AAdvantage World Mastercard and I am so disappointed in the changes. I used so many of them all the time. The only reason I want to hold onto the card is to keep miles from expiring should I not travel on AA in that year. Can someone please weigh in on this. I know there are other ways to earn miles to keep them from expiring but I am scared of the unknown!! LOL and I do like the benefits that come with the card of not paying to check luggage and priority boarding. Since I am not loyal to one airline and I am more loyal to saving money, would that make me a good candidate for a non-airline branded card?
A non-cobrand card is usually a good bet for those that prefer loyalty “free-agency.” Transferrable points are an ideal place to start. It’s hard to go wrong with the Chase Sapphire Preferred for maximum flexibility. If you add your AA act. to AwardWallet, you can get 5 miles for each blog comment (Just make sure you’re logged in to your AwardWallet account before leaving a comment.)
Miles for Opinions is a way to keep AA active.
It seems like a move that many companies are adopting. Bad news for all users that could unite to protest…
Thanks for the summary. I for one haven’t had to use these benefits, but was always contemplating a Citi card. Easier decision now to just keep away.
I’m sorry to hear about this. I will definitely be using my Citi cards less as a result.
Really bad change. Folks will choose Amex as they have some of these benefits.
I purchased my iPhone with my Citi Premier. Will the extended warranty remain in effect?
Yes, insurance is in effect for any purchase made before 9/23.
I enjoyed the benefits while they lasted; saved a ton of money with the 4th night free benefit. Citi will probably get my dining spend but nothing else going forward. Now what to do with my points? I’ve amassed 300k but I’m not excited about any of their transfer partners. May end up transferring to Premier card and use for travel at .0125 per point.
It seems that with Citi out of the game, the primary rental car coverage is now dominated by Chase cards and Chase alone. If you rent like I do, the options are clear…
Citi will have consequences if they keep cutting….. it won’t remain competitive if it continues
I guess that you cannot have it all; you either choose bonuses or travel protections.
Altough not welcome, benefits cutting of are part of the game. Citi abandoned operation in some countries and seems to be figthing to reduce costs in order to survive as big bank but sometimes decisions seems to be a shot in the feet. Results in future will show if it’s sucessful otherwise they would review these decisions and revert it.
These are significant changes and loss of benefits. I imagine many customers will vote with their feet and leave Citi in search of better options.
i for one am mulling a change in cards away from Citi
I think that they have really become an industry leaser. When you take into account the list of perks provided, it’s easy to see this is worth giving serious consideration.
This post was well timed for me. I forgot that Amex offered delayed bag protection. My sons luggage was lost on a trip we charged to Amex. I’m going to have to look into their rules and how to apply, since Brussels and Lufthansa are not doing anything.
Poop on Citi for taking that away, among other very important overages. I wonder why they are doing it and if they will add it back if they see a big cost loss.
Citi is leading the way…downhill.
I think Chase did not give enough advance notice concerning such monumental changes.
Thanks for the reminder.
Wow. Looks like Citi has enough credit card clients for now, and are willing to give up some benefits and market share.
That is some removal of benefits. If I had one of those accounts it would be time to look and switch to an alternative. Pretty certain will lose a number of customers with is change.
Not to mention the loss of would be customers. I was on the verge of opening a DoubleCash and a premium card but not anymore.
My citi double cash back card just became a sock drawer card! Thanks for outlining choice of replacements.
Right when it was announced to be a TY point card too. Oh well.
Removal of these benefits will not be a good thing for them long term. With other cards offering them, I would chose them over Citi now.
Wow isn’t this basically cutting all benefits from the cards except the ability to earn points?
I’m not sure if I understand what on Earth Citi is doing here…
Yes. I’ll just be using Citi cards for purchases where the insurance won’t be applicable.
Removal of benefits and protections, is never a positive change, but truthfully, I’ve never utilized any of the items which Citi is removing. What I will do going forward, however, is place less everyday spend on Citi cards, and instead put them in the sock drawer after meeting the sign-up spend requirement.
There’s a fantastic observation. I also wonder how many card members have truly taken advantage of the benefits.
It’s pretty distressing that Citi keeps cutting benefits. Has anyone gotten any retention offers by complaining about these changes? I keep forgetting to call and try. On the bright side, I can attest to the quality of car rental coverage with the Chase Sapphire Preferred. I was recently completely covered for a blown tire and rim damage in Albania/Kosovo, which was a pleasant surprise.
I havent tried. Doubtful though
I would like to know how much money they would save from eliminating the insurance benefits.
Will drive more business to the CSP and CSR.
This is terrible for these cards, but it was nice while it lasted.
Wow! It almost seems like there is no point in having these Citi cards anymore. Too bad but definitely good to know so we can continue to choose the optimum cards for purchases. Thanks
I find it a bit difficult to justify when considering the necessity to dedicate a large portion of the spending on travel itself. A bit hard to swallow.
With their liberal card bonuses, Citi was great while it lasted. The Cobranded Sears Mastercard still seems to be liberal with it’s spending bonuses.
Unfortunately, it feels like Sears could fold for good at any point.
It might be a very short blog post to list what benefits remain on Citi’s cards
haha, true statement. I prefer Capital One over Citi.
I agree with your suggestion. Can’t stop Citi from eliminating benefits, so the best thing to do is show them that actions have consequences by shifting spending to other cards.
I know I would be.
Or by not applying for future cards.
Will trip protection still apply where the trip has already been paid with the Citi card?
Yes, provided travel was purchased prior to the 09/22/19 deadline, you will still be covered under the current travel insurance policy.