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While the Citi Prestige® Card is no longer open to new applicants, it continues to offer value to those who had it in their wallets before Citi closed applications. One of the best things the card has to offer — and there are many great perks — is its big travel credit, which can help you wipe out travel expenses of up to $250 every calendar year.
With standout features like the fourth night free on hotels twice a year (when booking a hotel through Citi Travel℠), 5X points on airfare, travel agencies, and restaurants, and 3X points on hotels and cruise lines, the Prestige Card packs a punch among the premium travel rewards credit cards on the market.
The annual travel credit is one of the best and easiest perks to take advantage of with this card. But how does one use it?
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What Will the Citi Prestige Card Credit as a Travel Purchase?
The Prestige Card has one of the best travel credits of any premium travel rewards card. Without any extra hoops to jump through, cardholders have an easier time extracting maximum value from the benefit. The travel credit on the Prestige Card covers all travel-related expenses.
Many cards offer travel credits. But most other cards, like The Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card or most American Express cards, for example, offer credits towards specific purchases within travel. The Amex benefit also requires cardholders to select a single airline for which credits will be applicable.
Meanwhile, the Citi travel credit applies across any merchant that codes as travel.
“Including purchases from airlines, hotels, car rental agencies, travel agencies/travel aggregators/tour operators, commuter transportation, ferries, commuter railways, subways, taxis/limousines/car services, passenger railways, cruise lines, bridge and road tolls, parking lots/garages, and bus lines.”
Because this credit applies so generally to any travel purchases, it's incredibly easy to use and cover more than half of the card's annual fee.
Tip: Purchases made by an authorized user on your account also count toward the travel credit. Just remember that there's a $75 annual fee for authorized user cards.
Do Travel Purchases on the Prestige Card Credit Automatically?
Yes, the travel credit on the Prestige Card posts automatically to your account. The terms and conditions on Citi’s website state that credits post within two billing cycles. However, I regularly see my credits post quicker than that. In many cases, credits hit in the next billing cycle.
“Please allow one to two billing cycles after the qualifying purchase is charged to your Card Account for statement credit(s) to be posted to the account.”
The travel credit applies on an aggregate basis throughout the calendar year. You don't have to use the entire $250 travel credit at once, and you won't forfeit the remainder if your first travel purchase is less than the full $250.
The screenshot below shows an example of the travel credit hitting a statement over one month after the initial purchase.
Notice that the amount of the credit does not match the full amount of the charge. Other parts of the $250 travel credit had already been used earlier in the calendar year.
How to Check Your Citi Prestige Card Travel Credit Balance
If you aren't sure whether you've already used up the full travel credit on your Citi Prestige Card, fear not. Checking your remaining balance could not be easier, and it could help you determine whether your next travel purchase should go on this card or whether another card with a travel credit would be best.
First, log in to your Citi account and head to your Citi Prestige. Head to Your Activity, where you'll see all your transactions. Use the Time Period filter and choose Year to date.
Claim the Prestige Card Annual Travel Credit Twice in the Last Cardmember Year
Because the $250 Citi Prestige Card travel credit re-ups every calendar year, cardholders can obtain this credit twice in a cardmember year. As per Citi's terms:
“Your Card Account is eligible to receive statement credits of up to $250 per calendar year for Travel Purchases made by the Primary cardmember or Authorized Users and which appear on your billing statement during that calendar year (“Travel Credit”). Citi will automatically post available Travel Credit(s) after eligible Travel Purchases appear on your statement. Please allow one to two billing cycles after the qualifying purchase is charged to your Card Account for statement credit(s) to be posted to the account.”
For example, if your cardmember anniversary falls in July, you would want to claim the $250 Citi Prestige travel credit in the first half of the year before the next annual fee is due if your intention is to cancel or downgrade your card.
Citi no longer offers a way to obtain the Prestige Card. Any existing cardholders who plan to downgrade or cancel the card due to its annual fee should carefully consider the inability to get this card again if they close their account.
Prestige Card Highlights
- $250 travel credit that automatically applies to travel-related expenses charged to your card, including airfare, hotels, Uber, and more
- Complimentary fourth night at any hotel of your choice after a minimum four-night booking via the Citi Prestige® Concierge or Citi Travel portal (based on your average night stay, exclusive of taxes and fees; available twice per year)
- $120 Global Entry application fee credit
- Complimentary Priority Pass Select membership, for you and up to two guests, including access to Priority Pass restaurants and spas
- 5X points on airfare, travel agencies, and restaurants, 3X on hotels and cruise lines, and 1X ThankYou® Point per $1 spent on other purchases
- No foreign transaction fees
- $495 annual fee
Related: Earning Rates and Benefits of the Citi Prestige Card
Bottom Line
While not quite as generous as the $300 travel credit on some other premium rewards cards, the $250 Citi Prestige Card travel credit adds tangible value to the card. Earning the full value of the credit effectively reduces the card's annual fee to $245 per year. Plus, further card perks — such as the annual Priority Pass membership and fourth-night free benefit — boost the value of the Prestige Card even further.
Unfortunately, no avenue exists to get the Prestige Card if you don't already have it, so cardholders should think about it twice when thinking about downgrading or canceling the card.
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