Citi Expands Rewards for Prestige, Premier Travel Cards

Citi is making two of its travel-rewards credit cards — the Citi Prestige® Card and the Citi Premier℠ Card — more useful during the COVID-19 pandemic by expanding their rewards so cardholders stuck near home can continue to earn points.

The moves generally mirror recent ones from several other major card issuers, especially for travel credit cards. These products tend to have pricey annual fees, so issuers are expanding their benefits and reward structures for a limited time so that cardholders who aren’t traveling right now can continue to get value from them.

Here are the recent Citi changes automatically in effect for cardholders who have had an account open as of May 22, 2020:

Through Aug. 31, 2020, Citi Prestige® Card cardholders can get 5 ThankYou Points per dollar spent on all online purchases up to 7,500 points. The cap is equal to $1,500 in spending on the card over about three months.

Citi provided examples of eligible purchases:

This is the second change Citi has made to this card in response to the coronavirus. In May 2020, the issuer temporarily expanded categories of purchases that qualify for the Citi Prestige® Card‘s lucrative $250 travel credit benefit. Between May 1, 2020, and Dec. 31, 2020, purchases made with the card at supermarkets and restaurants (including takeout) also count toward the travel credit. (Also in May, Citi extended for three months the time new cardholders have to meet a minimum spending requirement to get a bonus. This applies to all new cardholders who opened an account between Dec. 1, 2019, and May 31, 2020.)

• 3 ThankYou Points per dollar spent on supermarket purchases, instead of the previous 1 point per dollar.

• 3 ThankYou Points per dollar spent on restaurant purchases, including takeout and curbside pickup, instead of the previous 2 points per dollar.