Citi is an advertising partner.
Citi issues a range of top credit cards, including excellent intro APR cards, travel cards and airline cards. Additionally, Citi ThankYou® Rewards is one of the best travel rewards programs, featuring 18 airline and hotel transfer partners.
If you're debating which Citi credit card is right for you, we have the details on everything from cards with no annual fee to luxury cards with airport lounge access.
Best Citi credit cards
- Best no-annual-fee card: Citi Double Cash® Card
- Best balance transfer card: Citi Simplicity® Card
- Best travel card: Citi Strata Premier® Card
- Best premium travel card: Citi Strata Elite℠ Card
- Best airline card: Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®
- Best Costco card: Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi
Best no-annual-fee card
Who's this for? The Citi Double Cash® Card is a straightforward, no-annual-fee cash back card that offers flat-rate rewards.
Standout benefits: You earn at least 2% cash back on all purchases (1% back when you buy and an additional 1% back when you pay your credit card bill). Since you earn cash back as Citi ThankYou® Points, you can transfer your rewards to all of the Citi travel partners (at reduced rates unless you have certain cards, like the Citi Strata Premier® Card or the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card).
The Citi Double Cash also has a generous intro APR offer.
The Citi Double Cash® Card is one of the best no-annual-fee cash-back cards thanks to its straightforward rewards structure.
- Balance transfers get a long intro APR
- Generous flat-rate cash-back rewards structure
- No annual fee
- Travelers face a foreign transaction fee
- Intro APR only applies to balance tranfer
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
- Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time. Plus, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked with Citi Travel.
- Balance Transfer Only Offer: 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months. After that, the variable APR will be 17.49% - 27.49%, based on your creditworthiness.
- Balance Transfers do not earn cash back. Intro APR does not apply to purchases.
- If you transfer a balance, interest will be charged on your purchases unless you pay your entire balance (including balance transfers) by the due date each month.
- There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).
Balance transfer fee
There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. A balance transfer fee of 5% of each transfer ($5 minimum) applies if completed after 4 months of account opening.
Foreign transaction fee
3%
Best balance transfer card
Who's this for? The Citi Simplicity® Card is one of the best cards for balance transfers. If you're paying off credit card debt, it's worth doing the math to see how much you could save with this card's intro APR offer.
Standout benefits: You'll receive a 0% intro APR on balance transfers for the first 18 months from account opening (after that, the variable APR is 17.49% to 28.24%, based on your creditworthiness). Balance transfers must be completed within four months of account opening. An introductory balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) applies to transfers completed within the first four months of account opening. After that, a fee of 5% of each transfer (minimum $5) applies.
The Citi Simplicity® Card may not earn rewards, but it can still save you money due to its amazing intro-APR offers.
- One of the longest intro APR offers for balance transfers
- No annual fee
- No rewards
- No welcome bonus
Best travel card
Who's this for? The Citi Strata Premier® Card is a good option for frequent travelers because of its generous rewards structure. Plus, it earns Citi ThankYou® Points, which are versatile travel rewards thanks to Citi's long list of airline and hotel transfer partners.
Standout benefits: In addition to a generous welcome bonus and points on travel, the Citi Strata Premier is one of the most rewarding cards for all sorts of purchases. You earn 3X points at supermarkets, restaurants and gas and EV charging stations.
The Citi Strata Premier® Card has competitive rewards rates and unlocks access to all of the Citi ThankYou® transfer partners, which boosts the value of your points.
- Unlocks point transfers to all of the Citi ThankYou® partners, including Emirates Skywards, Choice Privileges, Flying Blue and more
- Generous bonus spending categories include dining, supermarkets, hotels and flights
- Valuable welcome bonus
- Has an annual fee
- Car rental coverage is secondary, not primary
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com.
- Earn 10 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on CitiTravel.com.
- Earn 3 Points per $1 on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases, at Restaurants, Supermarkets, Gas and EV Charging Stations.
- Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- $100 Annual Hotel Benefit: Once per calendar year, enjoy $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when booked through CitiTravel.com. Benefit applied instantly at time of booking.
- No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases
Balance transfer fee
Balance transfer fee applies with this offer 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum.
Best premium travel card
Who's this for? The Citi Strata Elite℠ Card is ideal for anyone who wants to upgrade their travel experience. It's packed full of premium perks, such as airport lounge access, travel credits and a trusted traveler program application fee credit.
Standout benefits: You can enroll to receive a Priority Pass airport lounge membership that grants you and up to two guests unlimited complimentary visits. You'll also receive four Admirals Club single-visit passes per calendar year and up to $700 in annual credits for a variety of purchases, including eligible hotel stays and chauffeur services.
The Citi Strata Elite℠ Card aims to brings premium restaurant rewards and travel benefits to users, including an annual hotel benefit of $300.
- High rewards rate on travel
- 6X on restaurants
- Can transfer points to American Airlines at a 1:1 rate
- Up to $200 annual splurge credit
- High annual fee
- Limited rewards categories
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 75,000 bonus Points after spending $6,000 in the first 3 months of account opening.
- Earn 12 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on cititravel.com and 6 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel booked on cititravel.com
- Earn 6 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants including Restaurant Delivery Services on CitiNights℠ purchases, every Friday and Saturday from 6 PM to 6 AM ET. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent any other time
- Earn 1.5 Points per $1 spent on All Other Purchases
- Up to $300 Annual Hotel Benefit: Each calendar year, enjoy up to $300 off a hotel stay of two nights or more when booked through cititravel.com.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
Balance transfer fee
Balance transfer fee applies with this offer 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum.
Best airline card
Who's this for? The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® is a perfect companion for frequent American Airlines flyers. It comes with unlimited Admiral's Club lounge access, and paying its annual fee is actually cheaper than purchasing an Admirals Club membership outright.
Standout benefits: The Citi AAdvantage Executive is helpful if you want to earn American Airlines elite status; you earn 1 Loyalty Point per dollar spent on the card. Plus, you'll receive up to 20,000 bonus Loyalty Points per status qualification year (10,000 bonus Loyalty points after earning 50,000 Loyalty Points and an additional 10,000 bonus Loyalty Points once you earn 90,000 Loyalty Points in the same status qualification year).
It also has up to $360 in annual credits for rental cars, rideshares and food delivery.
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® is one of the best ways to get access to American Airlines' network of Admirals Club® airport lounges.
- Access to nearly 100 Admirals Club® and partner airport lounges
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® application fee credit
- High annual fee
- Additional fee for authorized users
- No bonus rewards outside of American Airlines purchases
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 70,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after $7,000 in purchases in the first 3 months of account opening.
- Admirals Club® membership for you and access for up to two guests or immediate family members traveling with you
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases
- Earn 1 Loyalty Point for every 1 eligible AAdvantage® mile earned from purchases
- First checked bag is free on domestic American Airlines itineraries for you and up to 8 companions traveling with you on the same reservation
Balance transfer fee
5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum
Best Costco card
Who's this for? If you are a Costco member, consider the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi. This is one of the best cards for Costco, which only accepts Visa credit cards in-store.
Standout benefits: The Costco Anywhere Visa is one of the best credit cards for gas. You earn 5% cash back on gas at Costco and 4% cash back on other eligible gas and EV charging purchases for the first $7,000 combined spend per year (then 1%).
While this card is rewarding, redeeming your rewards isn't easy. You receive a reward certificate once per year, redeemable only at U.S. Costco locations.
The Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi is a valuable card to pair with a Costco membership, but the rewards program is more restrictive than what you get with a typical cash-back card.
- High rewards rates for gas/EV charging and travel
- No foreign transaction fees
- Restrictive rewards that you can only cash out once per year
- Requires a paid Costco membership
- No welcome bonus
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Discover one of Citi's best cash back rewards cards designed exclusively for Costco members
- Earn 5% cash back rewards on gas at Costco and earn 4% cash back on other eligible gas and electric vehicle (EV) charging purchases for the first $7,000 combined spend per year, and then 1% thereafter.
- 3% cash back on restaurants and eligible travel purchases and eligible travel, including Costco Travel.
- 2% cash back on all other purchases from Costco and Costco.com
- 1% cash back on all other purchases
- No annual fee with your paid Costco membership and enjoy no foreign transaction fees on purchases
- Receive an annual credit card reward certificate, which is redeemable for cash or merchandise at U.S. Costco warehouses, including Puerto Rico
Balance transfer fee
5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum
Foreign transaction fee
None
Pros and cons of Citi credit cards
- Valuable rewards: When it comes to travel rewards, Citi ThankYou® Points are near the top in terms of value, usefulness and flexibility.
- Excellent intro APRs: Several of the top balance transfer intro APR offers are available with cards issued by Citi.
- Strong no-annual-fee cards: The best no-annual-fee cards issued by Citi offer an uncommon mix of value and simplicity.
- No hotel cards: Citi currently does not offer any co-branded hotel credit cards.
- Few business credit cards: If you need a credit card for your business or side hustle, the most valuable options are issued by other banks and financial institutions.
- Few poor-credit options: If you have poor credit or no credit, there aren't many Citi cards you can qualify for.
Money matters — so make the most of it. Get expert tips, strategies, news and everything else you need to maximize your money, right to your inbox. Sign up here.
Why trust CNBC Select?
At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every credit card list is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics.
Our methodology
We compared each Citi card on a range of features, including rewards (e.g., cash back, points and miles), annual fees, welcome bonuses, introductory and standard APR, balance transfer fees and foreign transaction fees.
When choosing the best Citi cards, we focused on those with travel-centered rewards and benefits, including cards that earn Citi ThankYou® points. We paid special attention to cards with travel insurance, elite status benefits or airport lounge access. Additional perks, such as ongoing travel or merchant statement credits and cardholder protections, also factored into the decision.
We also considered CNBC Select audience data when available, such as general demographics and engagement with our content and tools.
Catch up on CNBC Select's in-depth coverage of credit cards, banking and money, and follow us on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and X to stay up to date.
