Here’s The MileLion’s review of the Citi Prestige Card, Citibank’s second most exclusive credit card after the invite-only Citi ULTIMA.
Even though the Prestige has been discontinued in the USA and the UK, it’s still going strong in Singapore, offering cardholders travel benefits like airport lounge access and limo rides, gourmet promotions, and lifestyle offers.
But with nerfs to Citi PayAll, one of its biggest trump cards, and earn rates that lag behind the competition, does it still justify its wallet-denting S$545 annual fee?
 Citi Prestige |
|
| ๐ฆ MileLion Verdict | |
| โ Take It โ Take It Or Leave It โ Leave It |
|
| What do these ratings mean? |
|
| The Citi Prestige remains a solid $120K card, though its lagging earn rates and nerfs to Citi PayAll have reduced its attractiveness somewhat. | |
| ๐ The good | ๐ The bad |
|
|
| ๐ณ Full List of Credit Card Reviews | |
Overview: Citi Prestige Card
Let’s start this review by looking at the key features of the Citi Prestige Card.
|
|||
| Apply Here | |||
| Income Req. | S$120,000 p.a. | Points Validity | No expiry |
| Annual Fee | S$545 |
Min. Transfer |
25,000 TY points (10,000 miles) |
| Miles with Annual Fee |
25,000 | Transfer Partners |
11 |
| FCY Fee | 3.25% | Transfer Fee | S$27.25 |
| Local Earn | 1.3 mpd | Points Pool? | No |
| FCY Earn | 2.0 mpd |
Lounge Access? | Yes |
| Special Earn | N/A | Airport Limo? | Yes |
| Cardholder Terms and Conditions | |||
The Citi Prestige comes in metal cardstock, but it’s actually one of the lightest metal cards on the market. In fact, it’s more of a hybrid, weighing in at 8 grams, just a hair over a standard plastic card’s 5 grams.
How much must I earn to qualify for a Citi Prestige?
The Citi Prestige has a S$120,000 p.a. income requirement, although it is also available to Citigold customers (min AUM: S$250K) who earn at least S$30,000 p.a.
If you don’t meet the income criteria, an alternative is to get the Citi Prestige as a secured credit card, with a deposit of at least S$15,000 (though a recent data point in the community suggests this may no longer be possible). Visit a Citi branch to make enquiries.
How much is the Citi Prestige Card’s annual fee?
| Principal Card | Supp. Card | |
| First Year | S$545 | Free |
| Subsequent | S$545 | Free |
The Citi Prestige has an annual fee of S$545. Supplementary cards are free for life.
Annual fee waivers are strictly not available for the Citi Prestige, so don’t even think about asking (Citigold has run very occasional acquisition promotions which waive the first year’s fee, but there’s nothing going on now to my knowledge).
Cardholders receive 25,000 miles for paying the annual fee each year, which works out to 2.18 cents per mile. That’s more than you should be paying, but remember, the other benefits like lounge access and airport limo rides have some value, which would lower the effective cost per mile.
What sign-up bonus or gifts are available?
From now till 31 December 2024, the Citi Prestige is offering 50,000 bonus miles for cardholders who apply online and receive approval within 30 days of application.
Cardholders will earn:
- 25,000 miles for paying the S$545 annual fee
- 25,000 miles for spending S$2,000 by the end of the second calendar month following approval
This offer is open to individuals who have not cancelled a Citi Prestige Card in the 12 months prior to application. For avoidance of doubt, existing Citi principal cardholders are eligible.
The full details can be found below:
Extended: Citi Prestige Card 50,000 bonus miles welcome offer
How many miles do I earn?
| ๐ธ๐ฌ SGD Spend | ๐ FCY Spend | โญ Bonus Spend |
| 1.3 mpd | 2 mpd | N/A |
SGD/FCY Spend
Citi Prestige Cardholders earn:
- 3.25 ThankYou points for every S$1 spent in Singapore Dollars
- 5 ThankYou points for every S$1 spent in foreign currency (FCY)
5 ThankYou points are worth 2 airline miles, so that’s an equivalent earn rate of 1.3 mpd for local spend, and 2.0 mpd for FCY spend.
There’s also a Relationship Bonus to factor in, which awards 5-30% more points depending on your tenure with Citibank, and whether you have Citigold status.
Contrary to popular belief, a 5% bonus does not mean you earn 1.3 * 1.05 = 1.365 mpd. Instead, the relationship bonus percentage is applied to your overall dollar spend amount to derive bonus points. For example, if you spend S$10,000 in a year with a 5% bonus, you get 5% * 10,000= 500 bonus points, or a paltry 200 miles. The bump in mpd is a mere 0.02!
| Non-Citigold (Local/FCY) |
Citigold (Local/FCY) |
| 0-5 years: 1.32/2.02 mpd | 0-5 years: 1.36/2.06 mpd |
| 6-10 years: 1.34/2.04 mpd | 6-10 years: 1.38/2.08 mpd |
| >10 years: 1.36/2.06 mpd | >10 years: 1.42/2.12 mpd |
Truth be told, the earn rates could certainly be improved. In terms of miles earning potential, the Citi Prestige Card ranks towards the bottom of the $120K pack.
| ๐ณ Earn Rates for S$120K Cards (sorted by sum of local and FCY earn rate) |
||
| Card | Local | FCY |
 SCB Visa Infinite |
1.4 mpd# | 3 mpd# |
 UOB VI Metal Card |
1.4 mpd | 2.4 mpd |
 DBS Vantage |
1.5 mpd | 2.2 mpd |
 OCBC VOYAGE |
1.3 mpd | 2.2 mpd |
 Citi Prestige |
1.3 mpd^ | 2 mpd^ |
 Maybank Visa Infinite |
1.2 mpd | 2 mpd |
 HSBC Visa Infinite |
1 mpd | 2 mpd |
 AMEX Plat. Reserve |
0.69 mpd | 0.69 mpd |
| ^Additional 0.02 to 0.12 mpd awarded based on tenure with bank #With minimum S$2K spend per statement month. Otherwise 1 mpd for both |
||
The main factors in its favour are its more flexible points (due to greater transfer partner variety) and its more favourable rounding policy (because it awards points per S$1 of spend, instead of S$5 blocks like some competitors).
All FCY transactions are subject to a 3.25% fee, which is par the course for the market.
| ๐ณ FCY Fees by Issuer and Card Network |
||
| Issuer | โ MC & Visa | AMEX |
| Standard Chartered | 3.5% | N/A |
| American Express | N/A | 3.25% |
| Citibank | 3.25% | N/A |
| DBS | 3.25% | 3% |
| HSBC | 3.25% | N/A |
| Maybank | 3.25% | N/A |
| OCBC | 3.25% | N/A |
| UOB | 3.25% | 3.25% |
| BOC | 3% | N/A |
| CIMB | 3% | N/A |
With a 3.25% FCY fee, using your Citi Prestige Card overseas represents buying miles at 1.63 cents each.
You could pair this card with Amaze, but remember: since Amaze converts all transactions into SGD, you’d only be accruing miles at the local earn rate of 1.3 mpd, with an implicit FCY fee of 2%. The cost per mile here is slightly lower at 1.54 cents, however, so it might still be worth considering.
When are ThankYou points credited?
ThankYou points are credited when your transaction posts, which generally takes 1-3 working days.
How are ThankYou points calculated?
Here’s how you can work out the ThankYou points earned on your Citi Prestige Card.
| Local Spend | Round down transaction to nearest S$1, then multiply by 3.25. Round to nearest whole number |
| FCY Spend |
Round down transaction to nearest S$1, then multiply by 5. Round to nearest whole number |
Unlike some cards which award points for every S$5 spent (such as the OCBC VOYAGE and UOB Visa Infinite Metal Card), the Citi Prestige awards points for every S$1 spent.
This means you lose fewer points through rounding, which can make a big difference on smaller transactions. For example, the Citi Prestige Card can outperform the ostensibly higher-earning UOB Visa Infinite Metal on certain transactions, as illustrated below.
| Citi Prestige Earn Rate: 1.3 mpd |
UOB VI Metal Earn Rate: 1.4 mpd |
|
| S$5 | 6.4 miles | 6 miles |
| S$9.99 | 11.6 miles | 6 miles |
| S$15 | 19.6 miles | 20 miles |
| S$19.99 | 24.8 miles | 20 miles |
| S$25 | 32.4 miles | 34 miles |
| S$29.99 | 37.6 miles | 34 miles |
If you’re an Excel geek, here’s the formulas you need to calculate points:
| Local Spend | =ROUND (ROUNDDOWN(X,0)*3.25,0) |
| FCY Spend |
=ROUND (ROUNDDOWN(X,0)*5,0) |
| Where X= Amount Spent |
|
For the full list of formulas that banks use to calculate credit card points, do refer to these articles:
What transactions aren’t eligible for ThankYou points?
A full list of ineligible transactions to earn ThankYou points can be found in the Citibank T&Cs, at point 2.
I’ve highlighted a few noteworthy categories below:
- Charitable Donations
- Educational Institutions
- Government Services
- Hospitals
- Insurance
- Professional Services and Membership Organizations
- Quasi cash transactions
- Real Estate Agents and Managers
- Top-ups to prepaid accounts like YouTrip and GrabPay
- Utilities
The main change from last year is the addition of hospitals from January 2024, which affects all Citi cards except the ULTIMA.
For avoidance of doubt, the Citi Prestige Card earns points for CardUp spending.
What do I need to know about ThankYou points?
| โ Expiry | โ๏ธ Pooling | ๐ฐ Transfer Fee |
| No Expiry | No | S$27.25 |
| โฌ๏ธ Min. Transfer | โ๏ธ No. of Partners | โฑ๏ธ Transfer Time |
| 25,000 TY Points (10,000 miles) |
11 | 24-48 hours (for KF) |
Expiry
ThankYou points earned on the Citi Prestige Card do not expire, so long as your card remains open.
Pooling
Citibank points do not pool across cards.
If you have 12,000 ThankYou points on the Citi Prestige Card and 30,000 ThankYou points on the Citi Rewards Mastercard, you will have to pay two separate conversion fees. This also means that you’ll need to transfer all your points out before cancelling the card, or else forfeit them.
Transfer Partners & Fee
Citibank has the widest variety of transfer partners in Singapore, with 11 airline and hotel programmes to choose from.
More importantly, all three airline alliances are represented: Star (KrisFlyer, EVA, THAI, Turkish), oneworld (British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Qantas, Qatar), and SkyTeam (Flying Blue). This means your points are intrinsically more valuable, since you’re hedged against any one particular programme carrying out a devaluation.
Points transfer at a 5:2 ratio, with a minimum transfer block of 10,000 miles.
| Frequent Flyer Programme | Conversion Ratio (Citi: Partner) |
 |
25,000: 10,000 |
 |
25,000: 10,000 |
 |
25,000: 10,000 |
 |
25,000: 10,000 |
 |
25,000: 10,000 |
 |
25,000: 10,000 |
 |
25,000: 10,000 |
 |
25,000: 10,000 |
 |
25,000: 10,000 |
 |
25,000: 10,000 |
 |
25,000: 10,000 |
Transfers cost S$27.25 each, regardless of how many points are converted.
Transfer Times
Citibank tells customers that points transfers will take 14 business days, but in reality it’s usually 24-48 hours for KrisFlyer, or 2-4 working days for other programmes.
If you need your points credited instantly, you can move them via Kris+ at a rate of 10,000 ThankYou points = 3,400 KrisPay miles. KrisPay miles can then be instantly converted to KrisFlyer miles at a 1:1 ratio.
 |
| S$5 for new Kris+ Users |
| Get S$5 (in the form of 750 KrisPay miles) when you sign-up with code W644363 and make your first transaction |
There are pros and cons to this:
Pros
- Minimum conversion block is reduced to 10,000 ThankYou points, versus 25,000 ThankYou points if converting via Citibank’s rewards portal
- Transfers from Citi to Kris+ and Kris+ to KrisFlyer are instant
Cons
- Those 10,000 ThankYou points would normally be worth 4,000 KrisFlyer miles, so a 15% haircut is incurred
Should you choose to take this option, do note that it’s a two-step process. The first transfer is from Citi to Kris+, the second is from Kris+ to KrisFlyer. A big button will pop up after the first step, prompting you to make the second step.
If you do not convert these points within 21 days, or spend any of the transferred miles, the balance will be “stuck” in Kris+, where they expire after six months, and are worth a mere 0.67 cents apiece.
Other card perks
4th Night Free on hotel stays
One of the biggest draws of the Citi Prestige Card is the 4th Night Free benefit, which allows cardholders to stay four nights at a hotel for the cost of three.
Here’s how it works: Citi Prestige Cardholders make a hotel booking through the Citi Prestige concierge of at least four nights. The average pre-tax rate of the first four nights will be refunded within two billing cycles (up to 90 days) from completion of full payment, which must be made at the time of booking.
In the example above, the cardholder receives a refund of S$118 (the average of S$100, S$130, S$160 and S$80). Since the refund is on the Citi side, elite credit and hotel points (if applicable) are earned on the full amount of spending.
A maximum of one free night can be enjoyed per stay, back to back stays will not be honoured. Back to back stays are defined as consecutive stays:
- In the same hotel, same city
- In a different hotel, in the same city
Consecutive stays are defined as any stay in which the check-in date is less than seven days from the previous check-out date.
Only the principal cardholder is entitled to this benefit, and he/she must be staying at the hotel. The following stays are excluded:
- Full and half board room stays
- Single and multi-room suites
- Home & farm stays
- Serviced apartments
- Villas
- Packaged stay and member rates, such as air and hotel, hotel and car rental, hotel and meals bundled promotions
This means the concierge will not let you book an all-suites or all-villa hotel, even though I believe that wasn’t the original intention of the exclusions.
Only prepaid rates that are available on the hotel’s website (excluding member’s rates) or Expedia can be booked. If you book the former, you will be eligible to earn points for your stay in accordance with the loyalty programme’s usual T&Cs.
As you can see, Citi has slapped a whole lot of restrictions on this benefit, so much so that existing cardholders complain it’s dying the death of a thousand cuts. You can still save money, sure, but you might drive yourself a little crazy trying to do it.
Complimentary airport limo
Once upon a time, spending just S$1,500 per quarter in foreign currency would unlock four free airport limo rides on the Citi Prestige Card. But in April 2019, Citi hiked the spending to S$20,000 per quarter while reducing the rides to two. That was an outrageous change, and the bank’s attempts to spin it as an “enhancement” didn’t help.
In February 2020, Citi walked back the changes somewhat. The minimum spend was reduced to S$12,000 per quarter, where it’s remained ever since.
| ๐ณ Airport Limo Benefits (income req.: S$120K) |
||
| Card | Qualifying Spend | Cap |
| HSBC Visa Infinite |
S$2K per month for 1 ride* |
24 per year |
| Maybank Visa Infinite |
S$3K per month for 1 ride | 8 per year |
| Citi Prestige |
S$12K per quarter for 2 rides | 2 per quarter |
 OCBC VOYAGE |
S$12K per quarter for 2 rides | 2 per quarter |
| AMEX Plat. Reserve |
N/A | N/A |
| DBS Vantage |
N/A | N/A |
| SCB Visa Infinite |
N/A | N/A |
| UOB VI Metal Card |
N/A | N/A |
| *First 2 (Regular customer) or 4 (HSBC Premier) per membership year are free | ||
Quarters are defined as:
- Q1: 1 Jan to 31 Mar
- Q2: 1 Apr to 30 Jun
- Q3: 1 Jul to 30 Sep
- Q4: 1 Oct to 31 Dec
For avoidance of doubt, Citi PayAll spending will count towards the S$12,000 qualifying spend, provided the service fee is paid.
Rides must be booked in the same quarter they are earned, although the ride date can be outside the earning quarter. For example, on 3 May 2023 I charge S$12,000 in qualifying spend to my Citi Prestige Card. This earns me two complimentary limo rides, which I must book by 30 June 2023. The actual utilisation date can be beyond 30 June 2023.
Remember, limo rides are charged at the time of booking (not utilisation), so all that matters is the charge is reflected in the correct quarter.
Reimbursement for limo rides will take place in the following quarter. All bookings must be done via the Citi Prestige concierge at least 48 hours prior to pickup time.
Another point worth noting is that the airport limo service can be used for both airport pick-ups and drop-offs, unlike some competing cards like the HSBC Visa Infinite where rides are only valid for airport drop-offs.
Unlimited complimentary lounge visits
Citi Prestige Cardholders enjoy unlimited lounge visits via Priority Pass, along with one guest. This benefit only applies to the principal cardholder; supplementary cardholders do not receive access.
Registration is required, and instructions can be found here.
As far as cards in the $120K segment go, this is pretty competitive.
| ๐ณ Airport Lounge Benefits (income req.: S$120K) |
|||
| Card | Lounge Network | Free Visits (Per Year) |
|
| Main | Supp. | ||
| HSBC Visa Infinite |
LoungeKey | โ | โ Up to 5 supp. cards |
| OCBC VOYAGE |
Plaza Premium | โ | 2 |
| Citi Prestige |
Priority Pass | โ + 1 guest | N/A |
| UOB VI Metal Card |
Dragon Pass | โ + 1 guest | N/A |
 DBS Vantage |
Priority Pass | 10 | N/A |
| SCB Visa Infinite |
Priority Pass | 6 | N/A |
| Maybank Visa Infinite |
Priority Pass | 4 | N/A |
| AMEX Plat. Reserve |
N/A | N/A | N/A |
What’s nice about the Citi Prestige is that unlike the Priority Pass issued by American Express, there are no restrictions on so-called “non-lounge experiences” like restaurants and spas. This means a cardmember could go restaurant hopping at Changi (or any other airport for that matter), enjoying multiple F&B credits at different eateries.
Full list of Priority Pass & DragonPass restaurants at Changi Airport
Prestige Guest Chef Dining
Citi Prestige Cardholders receive periodic invitations to specially-curated dining experiences under the Prestige Guest Chef Dining programme.
These aren’t free, obviously, but can sometimes represent a small discount to the public price.
| ๐ฝ๏ธ Sample Event: Four Hands Dining – Iggy’s |
|
This September, prepare to indulge in a culinary symphony as two masterful chefs, Chef Darren Chin of 1-Michelin starred DC Restaurant by Darren Chin, and Head Chef Jake Lee of 1 Michelin-starred Iggyโs, unite their creative prowess in a captivating Four Hands dinner collaboration. Chef Darrenโs exquisite mastery, a fusion of classic French techniques and delicate Japanese nuances, intertwines harmoniously with Chef Jakeโs artful curation of a seasonal menu that resonates with the flavors of Singapore, Southeast Asia, and contemporary European gastronomy trends. This exceptional collaboration promises an evening of transcendent flavours, where two distinct culinary realms converge to craft an unforgettable dining experience that celebrates innovation, cultural diversity, and the art of culinary storytelling. |
| Price: S$415.80 for 2 pax. |
Buy miles with Citi PayAll
 |
| Citi PayAll |
Citi PayAll is a platform that allows Citibank cardholders to pay various types of bills and earn rewards points. 23 different categories of payment are currently supported:
| ๐ฐ Citi PayAll: Supported Payments | |
| Category | Monthly Cap |
|
S$200,000 |
|
S$100,000 |
|
S$30,000 (each category) |
|
Outstanding balance with IRAS |
Here’s a simple example of how it works.
- Set up a S$10,000 insurance premium payment via Citi PayAll
- Citi PayAll will charge your Citi Prestige Card S$10,260 (S$10,000 + 2.6% admin fee)
- Citi Prestige Card will earn 13,000 miles (S$10,000 @ 1.3 mpd; no miles for admin fee)
- Cost per mile= 2 cents (S$260 admin fee / 13,000 miles)
The admin fee has to be paid, but historically speaking, Citi PayAll has run promotions that upsized the earn rate or threw in additional Grab vouchers, making it almost too good to be true- once upon a time we were buying miles at just 0.8 cents each!
Unfortunately, Citi has dialed back the generosity. Earlier in 2024, the admin fee for Citi PayAll was increased from 2.2% to 2.6%, which means that outside of a promotion, the cost is probably not worth considering.
For what it’s worth, there is an ongoing promotion at the time of writing that upsizes the earn rate to 1.75 mpd till 28 February 2025, lowering the cost per mile to 1.49 cents.
Citi PayAll launches 1.75 mpd promotion; buy miles at 1.49 cents
Citi PayAll transactions will count towards the minimum spend for welcome offers and other promotions, provided the service fee is paid.
I’ve written a comprehensive guide to Citi PayAll, so be sure to check out the article below.
Complimentary golf games
 |
| Golf Bookings |
Citi Prestige Cardholders enjoy six complimentary golf games per year, split into:
- Three complimentary games in Singapore
- Three complimentary games in the region
A maximum of one active golf booking per cardholder is permitted at any time, and you must complete the existing game before making another booking.
Games are valid at the following clubs.
Singapore
| Club | Benefit |
|
|
| ^There is a requirement of one minimum accompanying paying guest per cardholder for Sentosa Golf Club |
|
Region
| Club | Benefit |
|
|
| *Mission Hills Golf Club requires a minimum one-night stay for every tee time booking |
|
Upgrade to Sands Lifestyle Prestige Tier
From now till 30 April 2026, Citi Prestige Cardholders can enjoy a complimentary 3-month membership upgrade to the MBS Sands Lifestyle Prestige tier. They can renew their membership for a further 9-month period by spending at least S$1,500 within the initial 3-month period, failing which they will be downgraded to the entry-level Lifestyle tier.
To upgrade their status, Citi Prestige Cardholders must visit one of the following locations in person
- Lobby, Hotel Tower 1
Daily: 10am โ 10.30pm - The Shoppes, B1 (above Sampan Rides)
Daily: 10am โ 11pm - The Shoppes, B2 (near Digital Light Canvas)
Daily: 10am โ 11pm
Sands Lifestyle Prestige members enjoy perks such as:
- Up to 20% instant Resort Dollars at over 250 outlets
- 10% savings on hotel room rate
- Preferential earning of up to 10% instant Resort Dollars at selected restaurants
- $4 Resort Dollar parking (with same-day spend)
- Complimentary tickets to Marina Bay Sands attractions (up to two tickets per day per attraction, capped at two per month)
- Digital Light Canvas
- Sampan rides
- SkyPark Observation Deck
- 1-for-1 ArtScience Museum exhibition tickets (up to four tickets per month)
The full list of perks can be found here, and the T&Cs here.
Complimentary travel insurance
Citi Prestige Cardholders enjoy two different insurance travel insurance policies: one from Citibank, and one from Mastercard.
From Citibank
| Accidental Death | S$1,000,000 |
| Medical Expenses | S$50,000 |
| Travel Inconvenience | Flight Delay: S$400 Baggage Delay: S$400 Lost Baggage: S$1,000 |
| Policy Wording | |
Citi Prestige Cardholders receive complimentary travel insurance when they charge their round-trip air ticket to their card, underwritten by HL Assurance.
This includes situations where tickets are redeemed with miles, and the taxes/surcharges paid with the Citi Prestige Card. However, the miles must be from one of Citi Singapore’s airline transfer partners. At the time of making a claim, you will need to show that the miles transferred from Citi are the same or more than the miles used to redeem the award ticket.
Cardholders are covered for up to S$1,000,000 for accidental death or dismemberment while traveling on a scheduled public conveyance, with S$50,000 coverage for medical expenses and S$100,000 for emergency medical evacuation. Flight delays, baggage delays and lost baggage are also covered.
Coverage includes the cardholder, spouse and children.
From Mastercard
| Accidental Death | US$500,000 |
| Medical Expenses | US$500,000 |
| Travel Inconvenience | Flight Delay: US$500 Baggage Delay: US$500 Lost Baggage: US$3,000 |
| Policy Wording | |
On top of the protection provided by Citibank, Citi Prestige Cardholders also enjoy additional coverage from Mastercard by virtue of World Elite Mastercard status. Like Citibank, Mastercard coverage is activated when you use your card to pay for your airfare (or taxes on an award ticket).
This features US$500,000 coverage for accidental death, US$500,000 coverage for medical expenses, plus US$7,500 for trip cancellation or curtailment.
Coverage includes the cardholder, spouse and children.
World Elite Mastercard benefits
The Citi Prestige Card is part of the World Elite Mastercard tier, which means that cardholders enjoy the additional perks such as hotel and rental car elite status.
| ๐จ Hotel Elite Status | |
| ๐ Rental Car Elite Status | |
| ๐Other Perks |
|
Remember, Citi Prestige Cardholders enjoy all supplementary cards for free, so you can share these benefits with family members at no additional cost. They might not be able to enjoy Citi-offered perks like Priority Pass and the 4th Night Free benefit, but all the World Elite Mastercard benefits are still available.
Terms & Conditions
Summary Review: Citi Prestige Card
|
|||
| Apply Here |
The Citi Prestige Card continues to offer strong benefits for its weight class.
Those who carefully utilise the 4th Night Free benefit will find that a handful of bookings can help them recover their annual fee- even if the conditions attached to its use get tighter and tighter each year.
Likewise, the unlimited lounge visits are useful for the times you don’t fly First or Business Class, or if you just want to grab a meal at an airport restaurant (unlike AMEX cards, Citi does not exclude these “non-lounge experiences”). And since a guest is included, you can travel with a different person every time.
Where transfer partners are concerned, Citi may no longer be able to boast the widest variety (that crown has gone to HSBC), but 11 is still a solid number.
On the other hand, Citi PayAll is no longer the miles printing machine it used to be, due to its increased 2.6% admin fee. Also, the Citi Prestige’s earn rates are starting to lag behind the competition- even the entry-level DBS Altitude Cards now outperform it!
All that said, the Citi Prestige Card still offers the easiest path to annual fee recovery among cards in the $120K segment (especially once you factor in the 25,000 annual miles), and if the rarefied air of the ULTIMA is out of reach, this might be a good consolation prize.
Relationship bonus rates for Citigold are lower than non-Citigold?
i swapped them around. fixed!
Is the 4th night free applicable for stays in Singapore?
I don’t have personal experience, but reports in Citi Prestige Tele chat say yes
Thatโs new, will check it out thx Aaron
it does. i used before
Quite a sizeable chunk of points with KF, so any recommendations on transfer options for Citi? Or does it make sense to just renew and wait it out?
I can take the premium for $ per miles paid during renewal as storage maintenance fee for the points since they don’t expire. There’s the devaluation risk but I guess that’s a separate discussion since everyone is basically stuck in sg
yeah you could view it that way…although i still think it’s quite expensive storage.
How about the 3 free greenfees at SG golf clubs?
just read about this, seems to have been added on 20 august. no interest to me, but i’ll add something in the post for those who enjoy golf
These have been around for many years, it used to be three in SG plus three overseas. After the arrival of covid it actually got changed to six rounds in SG, as people could not travel overseas. Not sure whether it has reverted to 3+3 more recently. Iโve been able to secure two rounds this year at MBGC so far.
Thanks so much for the detailed review. Iโve been a member for one year now but this article was a nice recap for me. Due to the lost benefits under COVID situation I was thinking of canceling the membership but I somehow missed the renewal month so Iโll continue to be a member for another year. lol
One stupid question – is this card really metal? I thought the metal card feels heavier and colder but I donโt feel any difference from othe plastic cards…
thin metal glued to thin plastic. it comes apart with time. just like amex platinum card. plastic for paywave. metal cards like insignia and ultima don’t have plastic and are obviously heavier in the hand. some amusing articles actually compare card weights – older ritzcarlton card was the champ if I remember.
what met said- it’s a hybrid card. and one of the lightest metal cards on the market; there are some complaining about build quality.
Fantastic in-depth review! Just wondering, is the Singapore version of this card like the US where it is a metallic card?
yup! however the build quality isn’t great, and it’s only a few grams heavier than a pure plastic card
Hi Aaron, first time commenting here. I was actually looking at this after i saw the benefits you got from your GHA black membership that comes with a World Elite Mastercard (which this card is). With these World Elite Mastercard benefits (I only see 2 on the site, 1 of which is by invite only), do you think it will boost your rating or do you think it doesn’t move the needle much? (Specifically after your Capitol Kempinski Hotel glowing review :))
well i don’t think it’s possible to get GHA black anymore with world elite mastercard, which his why i didn’t mention it. the last successful data point posted was from january 2020, and the landing page is gone: https://www.discoveryloyalty.com/Discovery-Member-News/2018-09/You-re-Invited-To-Black-Status-with-DISCOVERY
if indeed gha black is still possible, then yes it does move the needle a bit. but as always it depends where you stay- some hotels like kempinski treat gha black well, others may not really care.
I attempted to cancel my card (near end Nov) as they would not waive the fees despite almost no opportunity to travel this year and potentially next year. The cancellation process is a nightmare – you have to wait for their retention team to call you, then they will repeat the same refusal to waive fees (ya I get the point) and then read an ultra long terms and conditions that you would indemnify them against any claims (like who will even bother??) and then take their own sweet time to remove the card (1-2 weeks) from your account. Make… Read more »
I’m wondering if there is any regulation or requirement in T&C on how to cancel a card. If not, just inform them and keep a record, then say bye-bye
Has Boingo benefit been removed?
Seems to be the case. Verified eligibility on mastercard website, and result is negative.
where can I find the link to the Prestige Concierge to book travels/hotels? Tried google without success.
Yes, where is this website? Have applied for the card and it’s taking ages to come. Wrote in to Citi for the URL and they asked me to call the ‘Aspire hotline’ on the back of the card. It’s like some heavily guarded trade secret lol smh
Yes, call the Aspire Hotline number (Prestige cardholders can call 63386911). It’s a long wait though.
The 4th night free restrictions are an absolute killer
The 4th night free MUST NOT ONLY be a prepaid, non cancellable/refundable rate
But ALSO be a non discounted rate. Meaning if you book a hotel with an advanced booking discount, that rate is not eligible for the benefit even if the rate is entirely public
And booking through the so-called Travel Concierge is basically you going to the websites, doing your own research, and THEN going back to the Concierge to get them to book it for you.
Absolutely gawd awful benefit. Ridiculous.
Same thing for car rental – I asked how do they do it…they said they’d take my requests and go to 1 of 2 websites…i’d thought concierge means they’d go find the best value option….
Yeah agree.
The difference in prices for member rates could reduce the savings by using the prestige to around 9%.
And the difficulty in calling the concierge…God makes me want to cancel the card
4NF can be refundable, there is no such restriction as long as it is fully prepaid.
That’s right – it just needs to be prepaid. Expedia has a paynow but refundable option – the concierge will typically use that option.
Thanks for the review ! Do agree the 4th night stay is a great way to recoup the AF but in all likelihood my travel profile means i will stay typically a few nights rather than an extended period of time. However, with the 48000 miles bonus offer, it seems quite enticing to get the card at just around approx. 1.1 cents/mile? Although in all likelihood may end up canceling the card just before renewal, with my current spends optimized around on 4 mile/dollar cards. Currently only holding a Citi PM card since 2008 (does that qualify as non-citigold relationship… Read more »
4th night free only available for prepaid rates or some nonsense like that – for W Singapore, I couldn’t get the concierge to book the rooms through the Marriott website because no prepaid rate was available at that time, so they had to use some OTA.
Even though I got the 4th night free, I couldn’t get the nights to count towards status :/
Was pretty much done with the card after that.
How do the current sign up promotions fare in comparison to that 1-2 year back?
I need some advice here. I’m thinking of using this Citi Prestige as my “charge everything” Mastercard. I can use the Citi PayAll to pay for insurance, etc. Strangely, AIA only accepts Mastercard. And I will be earning 1.3 mpd, better nothing at all. PremierMiles earns 1.2 mpd. So I thought this is a better deal.
I have a DBS Vantage that earns 1.5 mpd on Visa spends. Is this a good idea to maximise my mpd? Or should I go for other MasterCards?
Thanks in advance.
If you are looking to maximise mpd dumping all your expenditure on these cards should be the last thing you ever do.
I use the Prestige card as my ‘charge when I don’t have a 4 MPD card’.
Sometimes saving time is worth more than optimizing for miles (I realize some will attack me for this heresy).
Also, Citi Prestige miles convert to Turkish and other programs that often have much lower mileage requirements than Krisflyer.
So while you might earn fewer miles per dollar, the miles you get are worth more IMO.
Joke of the day.
Asked prestige concierge to book an intercontinental club room as was told because it comes with club lounge access hence it’s counted as a package stay.
Not going to renew the card for next year…
that is hilarious indeed. citi CSOs have never been known for competency, but this is special indeed.
Thanks for a great article and an amazing website overall! Does anyone know if the complimentary green fees extend to supplementary card holders?
Was wondering about the limo ride, if I hit the 12k spend in Dec but the payment is 30 Dec, do I get the 2 rides? It canโt be that they expect usage on 31 Dec if it canโt be carried over to next quarter or calendar year right?
Just realised the Kaligo special Earn ended lasg month. Should we expect renewal of that programme?
May I know when I pay the annual fee to renew for the 2nd year, do I get 25000 TY points? Or renewals don’t come with any points at all?
In my case, I received the 25,000 TY points during my renewal month in March 2024. To be fair, neither the Citi website nor this article mention anything about renewal miles / points, so perhaps this is only for legacy customers.
Hey Aaron!
i’m looking for Milelion’s Verdict
will be updating this review in the next few months…stay tuned!
Would appreciate if its before promo period ser
For the 4th night free benefit, how is it booked at chain hotels? Can I ask the concierge to book at the official website and quote my membership number for the booking? Because, sometimes, the website offers membersโ price and public price which is higher than membersโ. If the concierge can accommodate us by booking prepaid memberโs prices, then that is still worth the trouble I think.
Can book through hotel website and may be able to link membership (works for IHG but other chains may leave it as a note), but can only book the public non-member rate.
Thanks for sharing the experience. Were you holding the phone line until the booking is finished?
Based on 11Sep’23 updated article, may I confirm if Citi PayAll enables one to receive miles when used for Income Tax payment? Thanks. (my apologies if I had missed it somewhere….)
Yes, only reason I have kept this card. Not renewing next year, will get the Rewards card which still gives access to Citi Payall at a lower cost (for the card)
I keep this card to pay rent and school fees on payall- the nice side benefit is the limo rides. The advantage of the Citi ones is that can be used from Changi and also get a maxicab- saves $60+ each time. They also do random spend promotions (I received a $400 restaurant voucher last month)
the insurance coverage is $5mil or $500k?
Hi aaron,
To confirm, i can use citi payall to pay for donations via giving.sg and this donation will qualify as a valid spending for the welcome gift of max of 71k miles?
Thks
Manage to utilised the 4th night free thrice recently due to my travel plans. A few things to take note: 1) You can ask Citi to book the hotel at no discount rate and your stay will be eligible for hotel membership status 2) You can ask Citi to get cheapest rate (about 5% price difference to booking.com) but then your stay will not be eligible for hotel membership status 3) When calling Citi for 4th night stay, it is better to confirm the hotel booking while on the call. DO not ask them to follow up via email for… Read more »
Hello, grateful for any data points on whether the Marriott Bonvoy hotels will honor the membership status benefits (e.g Platinum benefits) when booking a hotel stay through Citi using the 4th Night free benefit?
Used the card for 12 months, here is the review. – redemption – best redemption offers will come from retailers, like Tangs, however, be prepared to receive pile of vouchers form Citi, which you have to tear up and sign, each voucher is 50$. If you do it for 1000$+ it takes some time. online redemption rates are extremely off. I had some sign up bonus to be charged, that was charged in time, no issues. usage of bonus points a bit of a hassle. – for lounge access, Citi usesi priority pass, which either gives you access to the… Read more »
Aaron, the renewal of Prestige needs to be discussed in the context of PayAll promos becoming much worse and the availability of good hotel promos in APAC. It’s not enough to say that paying the annual fee gets you miles at 2.16 cpm because without PayAll, you are not going to get a lot more miles on Prestige and will have to think when you will get enough miles to redeem. The renewal bonus is in miles, but the other main benefit is 4N1F cashback. After the first year bonus miles, Prestige is a very complicated lifestyle and cashback card.… Read more »
Just cancel after the first year
IMO, this is primarily a lifestyle card, with a secondary goal as a mile-chaser card. Other than the renewal bonus, the best features don’t involve miles. I got the card in 2016 for its 1-for-1 dining deals which were reduced post-COVID but have recently improved with better frequency and venues. One-for-one at Shinji or Iggy’s (I think both were offered in 2024) is enough to cover the annual fee, sometimes without even considering the renewal miles. From my experience (>10x) the prix fixe Citi menus and portions are nearly identical to the regular menu (I also dine there on other… Read more »
Citi Prestige Card is actually a plastic card, not metal. I just got mine recently. I even called CitiBank to ask, and they say Citi Prestige Card has always been a plastic card, only Ultima is metal.
It’a a bit metallic on the front with a plastic layer behind to allow paywave. It’s actually nicer material than the old Prestige card which was plain plastic and even followed a standard World Elite graphic design template. Need to be careful the 2 layers don’t separate but it’s better than the Amex Platinum Charge – mine has already separated into 2 leaves with only the area near the chip part still glued together. The older version of Ultima was all metal and had no paywave function. The newer cardstock for Ultima has the same front but is similar to… Read more »