Citi credit cards are strongest for people who travel frequently or want straightforward cash back, but the right card depends on your spending patterns and credit history
Citi offers roughly a dozen credit cards across different categories: travel rewards, cash back, balance transfer, and cards for people rebuilding credit. The best Citi card for you is not the best Citi card in general — it depends on whether you fly often, how much you spend on groceries or gas, whether you carry a balance, and what credit score you have. This guide walks through the actual cards Citi offers, what each one costs and pays back, and how to decide if one fits your situation.
Key Takeaways
- Citi's travel cards earn points on flights and hotels but charge annual fees ($95 to $450), so you need to fly or stay in hotels regularly to break even.
- Citi's cash back cards have no annual fee and earn 1% to 2% back on all purchases, making them useful for people who do not travel much.
- Citi offers balance transfer cards with 0% interest for 6 to 21 months, but the introductory rate ends and regular rates (18% to 29%) explore after.
- Citi requires a credit score of roughly 670 or higher for most cards, though some cards are designed for scores in the 600 to 669 range.
- Annual fees, spending categories, and rewards rates vary widely across Citi's lineup, so comparing the specific card to your actual spending is more useful than comparing Citi to other banks.
Citi's main credit card categories and what they cost
Citi groups its cards into four types: travel rewards, cash back, balance transfer, and credit-building. Travel cards charge annual fees ranging from $95 to $450 and earn points on flights, hotels, and dining. Cash back cards have no annual fee and earn a flat percentage back on all purchases or higher percentages in specific categories. Balance transfer cards charge no annual fee but offer a temporary 0% interest period on transferred balances. Credit-building cards are for people with limited or damaged credit history and have no annual fee.
The Citi Prestige card, for example, charges $450 per year but includes a $250 annual travel credit and earns 5 points per dollar on flights booked through Citi. The Citi Double Cash card charges nothing per year and earns 2% cash back on all purchases — 1% when you buy and 1% when you pay the bill. The Citi Simplicity card charges no annual fee and offers 0% interest on balance transfers for 21 months. Which one makes sense depends entirely on what you actually spend money on.
Travel rewards cards: when the annual fee pays for itself
Citi's travel cards work best if you fly at least once or twice per year and stay in hotels regularly. The Citi Prestige card earns 5 points per dollar on flights and 3 points per dollar on hotels, dining, and entertainment. At current redemption rates, 100 points is worth roughly $1 in travel value, so 5 points per dollar means you earn about 5% back on flights. The $450 annual fee is steep, but if you spend $9,000 per year on flights and hotels, you earn roughly $450 in points value, breaking even on the fee alone.
The Citi Premier card charges $95 per year and earns 3 points per dollar on flights and hotels, 2 points on dining and entertainment, and 1 point on everything else. If you spend $3,000 per year on flights and hotels, you earn roughly $90 in points value, nearly covering the fee. The card also includes trip cancellation insurance and baggage delay reimbursement, which have real value if you travel frequently enough to use them.
The catch is that points are only worth money if you redeem them for travel. If you book flights on a discount airline or use a travel search engine, you may find cheaper prices than what Citi's points are worth. Calculate your actual spending on flights and hotels before signing up — if it is less than $3,000 per year, a no-fee cash back card will almost always save you money.
Cash back cards: flat rewards with no annual fee
Citi's cash back cards are simpler than travel cards because they have no annual fee and the rewards are straightforward: a percentage of what you spend. The Citi Double Cash card earns 2% cash back on all purchases with no category restrictions and no annual fee. That means $1,000 in spending earns $20 back, whether you buy groceries, gas, or plane tickets.
The Citi Custom Cash card earns 5% cash back in one category you choose each month (groceries, gas, dining, transit, or streaming), 1% on all other purchases, and charges no annual fee. If you spend $500 per month on groceries, you earn $25 that month; if you switch to gas the next month and spend $300 on gas, you earn $15. This card rewards people with consistent spending in one or two categories.
The Citi Rewards+ card earns 2% cash back on dining and entertainment, 1% on everything else, and charges no annual fee. It is narrower than Double Cash because it does not earn 2% on groceries or gas, but it is useful if dining is your largest spending category. Compare your own spending across categories — groceries, gas, dining, transit — and pick the card that matches where your money actually goes.
Balance transfer cards: 0% interest, but only for a limited time
Citi's balance transfer cards offer 0% interest on balances you transfer from other cards, but only for a set period. The Citi Simplicity card offers 0% interest for 21 months on balance transfers with no annual fee. If you transfer $5,000 from a card charging 20% interest, you save roughly $2,100 in interest over 21 months, assuming you do not make new purchases on the card.
The Citi Simplicity Preferred card offers 0% interest for 21 months on balance transfers and 0% for 12 months on new purchases, with a $95 annual fee. The longer 0% period on new purchases is useful if you plan to make large purchases while paying down the transferred balance, but the annual fee means you need to save at least $95 in interest to break even.
The critical detail is what happens after the 0% period ends. Citi's standard purchase rate is 18% to 29%, depending on your credit score and creditworthiness. If you transfer $5,000 and do not pay it off within 21 months, you owe interest on the remaining balance at the regular rate. Balance transfer cards only save money if you have a concrete plan to pay off the transferred balance before the 0% period expires.
Credit score requirements and cards for lower credit scores
Most Citi credit cards require a credit score of 670 or higher, which falls into the "good" range. If your score is between 600 and 669, Citi offers the Citi Secured Mastercard and the Citi Secured Credit Card, both designed for people rebuilding credit or with limited credit history. These cards require a cash deposit equal to your credit limit — you deposit $500 and receive a $500 limit, for example — and charge no annual fee.
The Citi Secured Mastercard earns 1% cash back on all purchases and reports your payment history to all three credit bureaus, helping you build credit over time. After 12 to 18 months of on-time payments, Citi may convert the card to an unsecured card and return your deposit. The Citi Secured Credit Card works similarly but does not earn cash back. If your score is below 600, you will likely not be approved for any Citi card, and you may need to start with a card from a different issuer or a credit-builder loan from a credit union.
How Citi cards compare to other banks on rewards and fees
Citi is competitive on cash back but not unique. The Chase Freedom Unlimited card also earns 1.5% cash back on all purchases with no annual fee, slightly less than Citi Double Cash but still useful. The American Express Blue Cash Preferred earns 6% cash back on groceries and 1% on everything else with a $95 annual fee, which beats Citi Custom Cash if groceries are your largest category. The Capital One Venture X earns 10 points per dollar on flights with a $395 annual fee, slightly less than Citi Prestige but with a $300 annual travel credit instead of $250.
The real comparison is not "Citi versus everyone else" but "this specific Citi card versus this specific card from another bank, based on your actual spending." If you spend $2,000 per year on groceries and $1,000 on everything else, the American Express Blue Cash Preferred ($95 fee, 6% on groceries) may earn you more than the Citi Custom Cash (no fee, 5% on groceries). If you spend $500 per year on groceries and $4,000 on everything else, Citi Double Cash (2% on all) beats both. The card that is "good" is the one that matches your spending pattern, not the one with the highest advertised rewards rate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to carry a balance to benefit from a Citi credit card?
No. Rewards cards earn cash back or points on every purchase whether you pay the full balance when ready or carry a balance. However, if you carry a balance, interest charges will almost always exceed the rewards you earn. A 2% cash back card earning $20 per month is offset by $30 in interest charges on a $1,500 balance at 20% interest. Pay the full balance each month to keep rewards as pure gain.
Can I get approved for a Citi card with a credit score below 650?
Most Citi cards require a score of 670 or higher. If your score is between 600 and 669, you may be approved for the Citi Secured Mastercard or Citi Secured Credit Card, which require a cash deposit. If your score is below 600, Citi will likely decline you, and you should look at secured cards from other issuers or a credit-builder loan from a credit union.
What happens to my points if I close a Citi credit card?
Points remain in your account after you close the card, so you can redeem them later. However, some Citi cards have an inactivity policy — if you do not use the card for 12 months, Citi may close it and forfeit your points. Check the specific card's terms before closing it, and redeem points before the card is closed if you are unsure.
Is the annual fee on a Citi travel card worth it if I only fly once per year?
Probably not. A $95 annual fee requires you to earn at least $95 in points value to break even. If you fly once per year and spend $2,000 on that trip, you earn roughly $60 in points value at a 3% earn rate, falling short of the fee. A no-fee cash back card earning 2% on all purchases would give you $40 back on the same $2,000, but with no annual fee, making it the better choice for infrequent travelers.
Can I use a Citi balance transfer card to pay off multiple credit cards?
Yes. You can transfer balances from multiple cards onto a single Citi balance transfer card, as long as the total does not exceed your credit limit. If you have $3,000 on one card and $2,000 on another, you can transfer both to a Citi Simplicity card with a $5,500 limit. All transferred balances receive the same 0% interest period, so they all need to be paid off before the period ends.