Our experts answer readers' credit card questions and write unbiased product reviews (here's how we assess credit cards). In some cases, we receive a commission from our partners; however, our opinions are our own. Terms apply to offers listed on this page.
The best credit card for you might not be a good fit for others, and some consumers are better off pursuing offers with a specific credit card issuer. Citi tends to work well for certain types of spenders, including people who want one of the best cash back cards and those who like the redemption options in the Citi ThankYou Rewards program.
The information related to the Citi® Secured Mastercard® has been collected by Business Insider and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer.
Methodology: How We Chose the Best Citi Credit Cards
We're focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won't be worth it if you're paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it's important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.
We evaluated Citi credit cards that are currently available to new applicants and considered several factors:
Simplicity — Does the card have easy redemption options and a straightforward rewards program? Are there any hoops to jump through?
Earning potential — How much cash back, points, or miles can you earn with the card, and do the bonus categories line up with typical spending habits?
Annual fee — No-annual-fee cards are ideal, but if the card charges an annual fee, does it offer perks that make it worthwhile?
Options for different types of consumers — We included cards that appeal to all kinds of users, from products with a 0% APR offer to travel points and airline credit cards.
Citi Credit Card Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What's the best Citi credit card?
The best Citi credit card for you depends on your reward preferences, spending habits, and what extra features you're looking for in a credit card. If you're looking to earn points for travel, the Citi Premier® Card - Product Name Only is your best bet, because it earns ThankYou points you can transfer to the full range of Citi's airline and hotel partners. It's also best if you spend in common everyday categories, earning unlimited 3x points at supermarkets, restaurants, gas stations, and on air travel and hotels.
If you prefer the simplicity of earning cash back with no bonus categories to keep track of, it's hard to beat the Citi® Double Cash Card - Product Name Only, which effectively earns an uncapped 2% cash back on every purchase (1 point per dollar when you make a purchase, and 1 point per dollar when you pay it off). You're not limited to cash-back either; you can redeem points from the card for travel, gift cards, merchandise, and more.
And, if you're looking for an extra-long intro APR on balance transfers instead of rewards, the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card - Product Name Only or Citi Simplicity® Card - Product Name Only can be exactly what you need to save money on interest over a long period. Be sure to weigh the pros and cons of these cards to make sure a balance transfer is worth it for you.
Which Citi card is easiest to get?
The Citi® Secured Mastercard® - Product Name Only is the easiest Citi credit card to qualify for, because you can be considered for the card with no credit or bad credit. On the downside, because it's a secured credit card, you'll need to put down a cash deposit that will become your credit limit, so we don't recommend the card to folks who already have a good, established credit score.
Are Citi credit cards hard to get?
If you've got at least a good credit score, you should be eligible to apply for most Citi credit cards. That doesn't mean you're guaranteed approval, since Citi will look at factors including the number of other cards you have with them, your overall credit history, and other criteria.
However, if you're new to credit or rebuilding your credit with a credit score in the bad to fair range, it's unlikely you'll qualify for the best Citi credit cards. Not all is lost, however — opening the Citi® Secured Mastercard® - Product Name Only is a good option even if you're building your credit from scratch. It doesn't earn rewards, but it's a great stepping stone for building a relationship with Citi and potentially improving your credit score so that down the road, you'll be eligible for Citi's top cards.
What credit score do I need to apply for Citi credit cards?
Most Citi credit cards (except the Citi® Secured Mastercard®) require a credit score in the good to excellent range, which means a FICO score of at least 670.
Who is eligible for Citi credit cards?
Before you apply for a Citi credit card, it can help to understand the bank's application rules. Depending on the card, you might not be eligible if you've earned a welcome bonus, or closed a particular card or one within the same "rewards family" within the past 24 to 48 months.
The 24-month timeframe applies to Citi ThankYou Rewards cards like the Citi Premier Card, whereas the 48-month language applies to American Airlines credit cards like the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard®.
With this in mind, you'll want to make sure you know when you last closed a Citi credit card before you apply. If you sign up too early, you won't receive the bonus on these cards — even if you're approved and you meet the minimum spending requirement.
Do Citi credit cards have car rental insurance or travel protection?
Almost all major Citibank credit cards, including the Citi Premier Card and Citi® Double Cash Card, are Mastercards, with a few exceptions. For example, the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi, Costco Anywhere Visa® Business Card by Citi, and My Best Buy® Visa® Card are Visa cards.
The Citi Premier Card is our top Citi credit card for 2023 because the rewards you earn are so versatile, yet you don't have to pay a pricey annual fee. With an annual cost of just Citi Premier® Card per year, this card is offering a bonus of 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first three months of account opening.
Outside of the bonus earning rate, you also earn 3x points at restaurants, gas stations, supermarkets, air travel, and hotels — which makes the card worth considering for everyday expenses, as well as for travel down the road.
The Citi Premier Card doesn't have any foreign transaction fees, and you can use your rewards for gift cards, statement credits, travel through the Citi portal, and transfers to Citi's airline and hotel partners. You can also shop with points on Amazon.com, BestBuy.com, and at retailers like CVS and Shell gas stations. Most redemption options are for 1 cent per point, but you may get more value when you transfer your rewards to loyalty program partners.
Citi also added Choice Hotels as a partner — the first hotel transfer partner since Hilton left the ThankYou Rewards program in 2017 — and shortly thereafter added Wyndham Rewards as its second hotel program.
The Citi® Double Cash Card is the best Citi credit card for cash back. It allows cardholders to effectively earn 2 points per dollar (worth 2% in cash back) on everything they spend — 1 point per dollar when they make a purchase and another 1 point per dollar when they pay it off. That's why it ranks highly in our guide to the best 2% cash back credit cards.
This card doesn't charge an annual fee, and it's not currently offering a welcome bonus.
You can redeem Citi ThankYou points as travel, gift cards, and transfers to select partners. But to access transfers to Citi's full list of airline and hotel partners, you'll also need a Citi Premier® Card or Citi Prestige® Card (no longer open to applications).
This card also has a generous Citi® Double Cash Card, followed by a Citi® Double Cash Card APR. That makes the Citi® Double Cash Card a good option for debt consolidation, although you only earn rewards on purchases, and not on balances you transfer from other credit cards.
The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card is the best Citi credit card for automatically maximizing rewards earning. It's one of the best 5% cash back credit cards if your spending habits tend to change from month to month. Cardholders earn 5% cash back on up to $500 in purchases in the eligible category they spend the most in each billing cycle (then 1%), and 1% on all other purchases.
The qualifying categories include everyday expenses that should appeal to most folks: restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, select travel, select transit, select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs, and live entertainment.
There's currently a welcome bonus offer of Citi Custom Cash℠ Card. Plus, new cardholders also have the opportunity to make use of a Citi Custom Cash℠ Card (then a Citi Custom Cash℠ Card APR).
Although it's marketed as a cash-back card, the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card actually earns rewards in the form of Citi ThankYou points, which are worth 1 cent apiece for cash back, travel booked through Citi, gift cards, merchandise, and more. And again, if you have the Citi Premier® Card or Citi Prestige® Card (no longer available to new applicants), you can pool your rewards and transfer points to airline partners.
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard® is the best Citi credit card for earning airline miles. The card is a winner for frequent flyers who like to fly with American Airlines and partners like British Airways, Alaska Airlines, and Cathay Pacific. Not only can you earn 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after $2,500 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening, but you'll earn 2x miles on eligible American Airlines purchases, restaurant and gas station spending, and 1 mile per dollar for all other purchases you make.
Cardholder benefits include preferred boarding, 25% off inflight food and beverage purchases when you pay with your credit card, and a free checked bag for you and up to four companions on domestic itineraries when you fly American. This card comes with an annual fee of $99, waived for first 12 months.
Qualifying for elite status with American Airlines AAdvantage is now based on earning Loyalty Points. Along with earning Loyalty Points from flying and partner spending, you can earn 1 Loyalty Point per dollar spent on co-branded American Airlines credit cards, including the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard®.
Our best Citi credit card for small-business owners looking to earn airline miles is the CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum Select card. Small-business owners who fly American Airlines can do very well with the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard®. It's got a hefty welcome bonus offer of CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard® (worth around CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard® in travel, based on Insider's valuations).
The card comes with money-saving perks for travelers, including a free checked bag on domestic American Airlines itineraries (for the cardholder and up to four companions on the same reservation), preferred boarding on AA flights, and a 25% savings on inflight food, beverages, and Wi-Fi when you use your card.
It also earns bonus miles in great categories for small businesses: 2x miles on American Airlines purchases, eligible purchases at telecommunications merchants, cable and satellite providers, car rental merchants, and gas stations, and 1 mile per dollar on all other eligible purchases.
Every dollar you spend on the card also earns 1 Loyalty Point, which is super handy if you're angling for American Airlines elite status. Big spenders can take advantage of a domestic companion certificate when they spend $30,000 on purchases in a calendar year and renew their card.
There's an annual fee of CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard®, and no foreign transaction fees.
The Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi could is the best Citi card choice if you're a Costco member and you like earning cash back good for more Costco purchases. This card earns 4% back on eligible gas and EV charging purchases on up to $7,000 in spending each year (then 1%), but you'll also earn 3% back on dining and eligible travel. In addition to 1% back on regular purchases, you'll also earn 2% back when you shop in the store at Costco or make purchases on Costco.com.
This card lets you cash in your rewards after your February statement credit each year, and there's no annual fee with a paid Costco membership. You also won't pay any foreign transaction fees.
The no-annual-fee Citi Rewards+® Card is a top Citibank credit card choice if you want to earn flexible Citi ThankYou points and like its unique earning structure. Cardholders earn 5 total ThankYou® Points per dollar spent on hotel and car rentals booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through June 30, 2024, 2 points per dollar at supermarkets and gas stations (on up to $6,000 per year in spending, then 1x), and 1 point per dollar on everything else.
The twist? Citi will round up the number of points you earn for each purchase to the nearest 10 points. That means whether you buy a $1 donut or a $6 latte, you'll earn 10 points; or if you buy $21 in groceries, you'll earn 42 points (2x points at supermarkets) which gets rounded up to 50 points. Because of this feature, it's a great card to use if you make a lot of small purchases.
New cardholders can currently earn an elevated Citi Rewards+® Card. That's 5,000 points higher than the previous offer. In addition, there's a Citi Rewards+® Card, followed by a Citi Rewards+® Card APR, which can save you money on interest if you have big expenses coming up you want to pay off over a longer period of time.
If you're looking for the best Citi credit card with an intro APR on purchases and balance transfers consider the Diamond Preferred. The Citi® Diamond Preferred® Credit Card offers an introductory Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card (then a 14.74% - 24.74% Variable APR) — one of the longest of any card on the market right now.
There's no annual fee, but you'll pay a 5% balance transfer fee (minimum $5). While the card doesn't earn rewards, it offers an excellent opportunity to pay off debt without any interest. During this time, every cent you pay on your bill will go directly toward the principal of your balance, which will expedite the process of paying down your debt.
The top Citi card for avoiding late fees is the Citi Simplicity. If you want to consolidate debt and don't want to have to worry about extra fees or penalty rates, the Citi Simplicity® Card is a great choice. It offers a Citi Simplicity® Card (then a Citi Simplicity® Card APR). There's an introductory balance transfer fee of $5 or 3% of the amount of the transfer, whichever is greater, for balance transfers completed within four months of account opening.
You won't get charged late fees or pay a penalty rate, and there's no annual fee to worry about either. However, you won't earn rewards for your spending — so if debt consolidation isn't your priority, there are better rewards credit cards to consider instead.
If you're new to credit or working on improving your credit, the Citi® Secured Mastercard® is the best Citi card to help you build your credit history with responsible use. The card doesn't offer a welcome bonus or earn rewards, but it could be a great stepping stone for those who want to qualify for better rewards cards down the road.
To be approved for the Citi® Secured Mastercard®, Citi will review your income and debt, but it's possible to qualify with limited history or no credit at all. Citi reports your card activity to all three credit bureaus, so by using the card responsibly and paying your bills on time, your credit score could improve.
Because it's a secured card, you'll have to provide an initial security deposit of $200 to $2,500, and the amount of your deposit becomes your credit limit. If you close the card in the future (or after a period showing responsible use), you'll be able to get your deposit back.
Citi has some other great credit cards that missed the cut for our list, but depending on your needs and spending habits, they could be a great choice for you.
Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite™ Mastercard®: This is the premium American Airlines credit card, with a Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® annual fee and membership to the airline's Admirals Club airport lounge program. If you fly American all the time, this could be worth it — especially because purchasing an Admirals Club membership can cost $550 or more, so it's cheaper to get the card.
American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp℠ Card: On the other end of the spectrum, there's the AAdvantage MileUp card with no annual fee. If you want to earn American Airlines miles and Loyalty Points but you don't fly frequently enough to warrant an annual fee, this is a good option.
The Citi Rewards+® Card - Product Name Only and Citi Custom Cash℠ Card - Product Name Only are both no-annual-fee cards that earn Citi ThankYou points, with similar welcome bonus offers. So the best one for you really depends on your spending habits and how involved you want to be in maximizing your rewards.
The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card - Product Name Only has the most hands-off approach, awarding 5% cash back (5x points) on up to $500 in purchases (then 1%) in your top eligible spending category every billing cycle (restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, select travel, select transit, select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs, and live entertainment). If you have high monthly expenses in any of these categories, the card could be the best fit for you.
Meanwhile, the Citi Rewards+® Card - Product Name Only has a unique feature that rounds up the points you earn to the nearest 10-point increment, and earns 2 Citi ThankYou points per dollar spent at supermarkets and gas stations on the first $6,000 spent in the combined categories each year (then 1x). There's also a 10% points rebate on the first 100,000 points you redeem per calendar year. If the round-up feature and rebate are appealing and match your spending habits, this card could be the most rewarding option.
Citi Rewards+ vs Citi Double Cash
If you're trying to choose between the Citi Rewards+® Card - Product Name Only and Citi® Double Cash Card, you'll want to decide first if earning a welcome bonus is important to you. The Citi® Double Cash Card doesn't currently offer a welcome bonus, but the Citi Rewards+® Card - Product Name Only offers Citi Rewards+® Card - Intro Bonus.
That said, on the earning side of the equation, the Citi® Double Cash Card is a clear winner, effectively earning 2x points (2% back) on all purchases — 1 point when you buy, and 1 point when you pay. That earning rate is more useful to most folks, because the Citi Rewards+® Card - Product Name Only only earns 2x points at supermarkets and gas stations on the first $6,000 spent in the combined categories each year (then 1x) and 1 point per dollar on everything else.
The Citi® Double Cash Card is also a better choice if you're looking for a balance transfer offer, with a Citi® Double Cash Card - Intro APR followed by a Citi® Double Cash Card - Regular APR APR. If you're looking for an intro 0% APR on balance transfers and purchases, the Citi Rewards+® Card - Product Name Only is a better deal, offering a Citi Rewards+® Card - Intro APR (then a Citi Rewards+® Card - Regular APR APR).
Citi Rewards+ vs Citi Premier
The Citi Premier® Card - Product Name Only is a more versatile card than the Citi Rewards+® Card - Product Name Only in many ways, and beyond that it has a much higher earning potential between its welcome bonus offer and earning. New Citi Premier® Card - Product Name Only cardholders can earn Citi Premier® Card - Intro Bonus. Meanwhile, the Citi Rewards+® Card - Product Name Only offers an elevated Citi Rewards+® Card - Intro Bonus. That's extremely generous for a no-annual-fee card, but it can't compete with the Citi Premier® Card - Product Name Only.
The decision here boils down to whether or not you want to pay the Citi Premier® Card - Product Name Only's annual fee of Citi Premier® Card - Annual Fee. If you're looking to redeem your rewards for travel, it's more than worth it, since having the card unlocks the ability to transfer your points to all of Citi's transfer partners. With the Citi Rewards+® Card - Product Name Only, you have fewer options for redeeming your points.
A smart angle would be to open both of these cards, giving you the ability to combine your rewards and transfer them to airline and hotel partners, plus take advantage of the Citi Rewards+® Card - Product Name Only 10% rebate on redeemed points (up to 100,000 points per year).
Citi Diamond Preferred vs Citi Rewards+
The Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card - Product Name Only is a better option than the Citi Rewards+® Card - Product Name Only in one situation only — if you're looking for a card with a very long intro APR on balance transfers. With the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card - Product Name Only, you'll get a Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card - Intro APR (then a Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card - Regular APR APR). But the downside is the card doesn't earn rewards or offer a welcome bonus.
If you can manage with a shorter intro period, the Citi Rewards+® Card - Product Name Only still gets you a decent length of time with its 0% APR offer — again, Citi Rewards+® Card - Intro APR (then a Citi Rewards+® Card - Regular APR APR). Plus, you'll have the opportunity to earn a welcome bonus and rewards for your spending.
Best Citibank Card for Beginners
If you're just starting out with credit card rewards, the Citi® Double Cash Card is probably your best pick. It's a great combo of simplicity and powerful rewards earning, and you won't need to fuss with remembering bonus categories since it earns a flat rate of rewards on all purchases.
The downside is you won't have the ability to transfer points to the full list of Citi airline and hotel partners. But, in the future, if you want to expand your rewards earning, pairing the Citi® Double Cash Card with the Citi Premier® Card - Product Name Only is an excellent strategy. That way, you can earn 3x points in the Citi Premier® Card - Product Name Only's bonus categories (restaurants, gas stations, supermarkets, air travel, and hotels) and 2x points (1 point when you buy, and 1 point when you pay) using the Citi® Double Cash Card for everything else.
