Both the American Express® Green Card and Citi Premier® Card are two top travel rewards credit cards for earning valuable transferrable points.
The Amex Green is a credit card that offers 3 points per dollar spent on travel, transit, and restaurants worldwide, an annual $189 CLEAR® Plus credit, and an annual $100 LoungeBuddy credit.
The Citi Premier is a great card for earning rewards with 3x points at gas stations, supermarkets, restaurants, airlines, and hotels.
This article will compare each card based on several factors to help you make an informed decision on which card is the best to add to your wallet.
Full Reviews: American Express® Green Card and Citi Premier® Card.
Overview of Each Card
Welcome Bonus
The Amex Green currently offers the following welcome bonus:
Earn 40,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 within the first 6 months.
The Citi Premier currently offers the following welcome bonus:
bonus_miles_full
Earning Rewards
The Amex Green earns points at the following rates:
- 3 points per dollar at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S.;
- 3 points per dollar on travel, including airfare, hotels, cruises, tours, car rentals, campgrounds, vacation rentals, and travel purchases on third-party travel websites and amextravel.com;
- 3 points per dollar on transit, including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways; and
- 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases.
One of the best benefits of the Citi Premier is the ability to earn a lot of points on your spending.
Cardholders earn 3 points per dollar on purchases in the following categories, with no caps or annual limits:
- Gas stations
- Supermarkets
- Restaurants (including fast food and takeout).
- Flights
- Hotels
The card earns 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
Winner: The Amex Green. Both cards are great at earning points on travel and dining, but the Citi Premier also offers extra rewards at gas stations and supermarkets.
Card Benefits and Perks
The Amex Green offers the following benefits:
- $189 CLEAR Plus Credit: Receive up to $189 per calendar year in statement credits for a CLEAR Plus membership (subject to auto-renewal);
- $100 LoungeBuddy: Purchase lounge access through the LoungeBuddy app using the American Express® Green Card and receive up to $100 in statement credits annually;
- No foreign transaction fees;
- Trip delay insurance;*
- Secondary rental car insurance;*
- Baggage insurance plan;*
- Purchase protection;*
- Extended warranty;* and
- No present spending limit.
* Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions, and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.
The Citi Premier offers the following benefits for its cardholders:
- $100 annual hotel savings benefit for a single hotel stay worth at least $500 (excluding taxes and fees)
- No foreign transaction fees
- Purchase protection (up to $10,000 per claim and up to $50,000 per cardholder)
- Extended warranty protection (adds 24 months to a manufacturer’s warranty)
- World Elite Mastercard benefits
Winner: Amex Green offers more credits and travel and purchase protections than the Citi Premier.
Value of the Annual Fees
The Amex Green has an annual fee of $150 , which can be offset by the extra points at restaurants, travel, and transit, fee credits, and travel and purchase protections.
The Citi Premier has a $95 annual fee, which can be offset by the extra points on spending, $100 hotel savings benefit, and purchase protections.
Winner: Amex Green’s annual can be offset by taking advantage of the statement credits.
Redeeming Rewards
American Express Membership Rewards is a popular rewards program that offers a variety of redemption options, including travel, merchandise, gift cards, and more.
However, to get the most value out of your rewards, it’s important to use them strategically.
One of the best ways to use Amex Membership Rewards is through transfer partners.
The program partners with over 20 airline and hotel partners, including ANA, Air Canada Aeroplan, Iberia Avios, and Avianca LifeMiles.
By transferring your points to these partners, you can often get more value per point and enjoy a wider range of redemption options.
Membership Rewards Transfer Partners [1 to 1]
|
|
|---|---|
Aer Lingus Avios
|
AeroMexico [1 to 1.6]
|
Air Canada Aeroplan
|
Air France/KLM Flying Blue
|
ANA
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Avianca LifeMiles
|
British Airways Avios
|
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
|
Delta SkyMiles
|
El Al [1,000 to 20]
|
Emirates
|
Etihad Guest
|
Hawaiian Airlines
|
Iberia Avios
|
JetBlue [250 to 200]
|
Qantas
|
Qatar Airways
|
Singapore KrisFlyer
|
Virgin Atlantic
|
Choice
|
Marriott Bonvoy
|
Hilton Honors [1 to 2]
|
There are several option for redeeming Citi ThankYou Points. You can use points for airfare, hotels, cruises, gift cards, cash, or loan payments at a redemption value of 1 cent per point.
But the best way to redeem points it to transfer to Citi’s airline and hotel partners listed below.
Our favorites are Avianca LifeMiles, Air France/KLM Flying Blue, Turkish Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, and Singapore Krisflyer.
Citi ThankYou Partners
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|---|---|---|
Accor
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AeroMexico
|
|
Avianca LifeMiles
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Air France/KLM Flying Blue
|
|
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Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
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Choice Privileges (1 to 2)
|
|
|
Emirates Skywards
|
Etihad Guest
|
|
EVA Air
|
JetBlue TrueBlue
|
|
|
Qantas
|
Qatar Airways
|
|
|
Singapore KrisFlyer
|
Thai Airways
|
|
Turkish Airlines
|
Virgin Atlantic
|
|
Wyndham Rewards
|
||
Winner: Tie. Both card offer the ability to transfer to many different airline and hotel programs.
The Verdict
Both the Amex Green and Citi Premier are great options and offer similar benefits and perks.
The Citi Premier is better at earning points, but the Amex Green offers better benefits, especially if you don’t already have CLEAR Plus or airport lounge access.
Which card are you going to choose?
