AwardWallet receives compensation from advertising partners for links on the blog. The opinions expressed here are our own and have not been reviewed, provided, or approved by any bank advertiser. Here's our complete list of Advertisers.
Offers for The Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card are not available through this site. Some offers may have expired. Please see our card marketplace for available offers
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?
Page Contents
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.
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.
The customer service has been a horrible experience for me which was shocking. They kept putting security blocks on my account and when I called to try to get it cleared up they frequently had system issues and were not able access the account. Incredibly frustrating as I spend most of the year out of Country on business (which I submit travel notices for to keep them aware). A month of no card access as they need to send a letter to confirm my identity to my home address in the US and still no letter. This is by far the worst customer service I’ve experienced especially from a CC with a fee as high as theirs.
I did receive a full travel credit though.
Activated card early July 2019. $250 travel credit was automatically applied on my July statement.
My AwardWallet entry for my Citi TY premier card shows a $250 air credit (which was earned while I had a Citi prestige card earlier this year). Can I use the credit by making an airline purchase on my premier card?
Sounds like a bug. Please report that here: https://awardwallet.com/contact
Does the prestige $250 travel credit includes hotels.com, expedia or other third party booking? Someone has mentioned that it does cover but I wasn’t sure.
It includes airfare only.
great benefits unfortunately citi thank you points are hard to use.
Really? What are your travel goals and what problems are you having redeeming them? We find them quite easy. You can book directly or through one of their transfer parters.
I am looking for a new primary card with the changes coming to the Citi Hilton I’m reading about (AMEX will get exclusive rights to Hilton branding). This information is awesome for someone like me. Keep up the great work.
New to Citi – is it possible to transfer 500k Points to EY and fly Apartment? And/or to Air France an fly First?
With EY, yes. With Air France, you need to have elite status to be able to book a first class award.
Would paying for AA status match qualify for the air travel credit?
Trying to decide between this and the Chase Sapphire. They look pretty similar except for the extra 1K spend required
Great card, but not happy about changes taking place later this year. Will need to re-think.
This is a good mileage grab, you can get a lot of miles quickly. I have no problem meeting the spending target if I focus all my purchases on one card for the period. Last time I was gunning for a promotion tied to spending, I was a little short, but a quick shopping run to restock the pantry got me over the hump. I’m almost thru that big stash of canned goods I purchased to meet the requirements.
Told my sister that she needed to dump the Amex Platinum since the travel credit was so much more restrictive. Even still, I am thinking about dumping my Prestige when the annual fee comes up (unless the retention offer is too compelling)
That’s the advice your sister could use too, with the Platinum.
If only TY points were more valuable I would get this over CSR…
Why not get both? I’d have a CSR if I wasn’t ofer 5/24 already. Both cards are huge money makers.
I’m debating whether to renew my Prestige in a few months. Do you know if there is a grace period on when I must cancel before the AF is non-refundable? For example, it used to be (might still be) 30-60 days after AF posts for most Chase cards to receive a full refund of the AF.
You’ve got to cancel the card by when the fee is due to be paid to have it be refundable. After that, you’ll receive a prorated amount based on when you cancel.
Thanks! Didn’t realize Citi still gave prorated refunds. Might come in handy to keep the card for the Priority Pass access on an upcoming family trip. Too bad the 4th night free benefit takes so long to post…
Prestige is 37 days from when your AF posts. I learned this the hard way on my Premier and had to pay the fee so I asked about my other cards too. I just assumed it was 30 days from when the statement closed where the AF posted which was wrong.
Maybe Citi might match Chase’s $300 credit.
Very nice, would be great if you could also add some European promos as well.
Where’s the link for 50,000 TYP after $5k spend? I clicked on one of the link above and it only takes me to the 40,000 after $4k spend.
Please refresh.
Citi Prestige needs something more to compete with CSR i believe. Right now i have CSR and Amex platinum and i plan to keep CSR for long time. Citi needs something more than 4th night free because most people rarely stay at 1 place for that long.
I have the Prestige card, I got the credit last year, but had to fight for it. It seems only charges that are processed by an airline will qualify. On a trip on Air Canada last year, because my charge was processed by Citi’s in-house travel service, the charge didn’t qualify. I had to send in my boarding pass to prove the charge was in fact a paid flight! This is a good way to discourage cardholders from using the in-house travel service!
Each benefit of this one is slightly below the chase sapphire reserve card. Lets hope Citi reacts and actually adds benefits instead of cutting things back.
I thought about getting this card, but then the Sapphire Reserve came out… Last day for the 100K CSR bonus is tomorrow!
The in-branch offer will last till March 12th so you have some time if you can get to a branch.
This is a very good point. Thanks for reminding everyone.
Can you get the Citi Prestige if you already have the Citi Premier?
Absolutely.
Citi’s new policy is that you can’t get ANY ThankYou card if you’ve opened/closed ANY ThankYou card in the past 24 months.
Unfortunately yes. Very well aware. I applied for the Citi Premier some time ago but I am waiting for the 24 month clock to tick down to get this one
This card seems really good. The airline credit and Priority Pass alone are worth the fee. All the other benefits are a bonus.
Sounds like a great card to add to my arsenal!
Wow the spend requirement is pretty steep at $5K.
Too bad I can’t/won’t spend that much money in 3 months…
I really like this aspect of the high-fee cards, and have had good and quick rebates off of this benefit with Chase, Citi, and AmEx.
This card works for me!!!!!!!!!!
Somebody had extra coffee this morning! 🙂