Travel rewards credit cards are a great way to earn points and perks for your trips. But with so many options, how do you know which card is right for you? Two popular choices among frequent travelers are the card_name and the Citi Premier® Card.
Both cards offer competitive rewards and exciting benefits that frequent flyers will surely love. However, with so many similarities, it can be tough to decide which card is right for you.
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: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card vs Citi Premier® Card.
Overview: Sapphire Preferred vs Citi Premier Card
- bonus_miles_full
- 3x Points at Restaurants, Supermarkets, Gas Stations, Air Travel, and Other Hotels.
- $100 Off a Single $500 Hotel Stay Per Year
- Extended Warranty and Purchase Protections
- $95 Annual Fee
Welcome Bonus
The Chase Sapphire Preferred currently offers the following welcome bonus:
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The Citi Premier currently offers the following welcome bonus:
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Earning Points
The Chase Sapphire Preferred earns Ultimate Rewards points and offers bonus points on spending in several categories:
- 5 points per dollar on travel booked through the Chase travel portal;
- 5 points per dollar on Lyft purchases (through March 2025);
- 5 points per dollar on Peloton equipment and accessory purchases of $250 or more (through March 2025, with a limit of 25,000 bonus points);
- 3 points per dollar on dining, including eligible delivery services, takeout, and dining out;
- 3 points per dollar on online grocery store purchases (excludes Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs);
- 3 points per dollar on select streaming services, including Netflix, Disney+, Spotify, Youtube TV, Pandora, Apple Music, SiriusXM, Sling, Vudu, Fubo TV, Hulu, and ESPN+;
- 2 points per dollar on all travel not booked through the Chase travel portal; and
- 1 point per dollar on all other eligible spending.
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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 Citi Premier is a points earning machine with 3x points in major categories such as gas stations, restaurants, and supermarkets.
Card Benefits
The Sapphire Preferred offers nice benefits, including:
- Receive 25% more value on points redeemed for travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards® portal.
- $50 annual credit on hotel stays purchased through Ultimate Rewards.
- 10% Points Bonus for each Cardmember anniversary.
- A complimentary one-year subscription to DashPass by DoorDash when you enroll by December 31, 2024.
- Trip cancellation and interruption insurance (up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip).
- Primary car rental insurance.
- Lost luggage reimbursement (up to $3,000 per passenger)
- Baggage delay insurance (up to $100 per day for five days).
- Trip delay insurance (up to $500 per ticket for a delay longer than 12 hours or overnight).
- Extended warranty.
- 120 days purchase protection (up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per year).
- No foreign transaction fees.
- Free 6-month membership to Instacart+ (activate by July 31, 2024).
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: The Chase Sapphire Preferred offers very nice travel protections versus almost none with the Citi Premier card. Plus, the Sapphire Preferred offers unique promotions and subscriptions.
Value of the Annual Fee
The Chase Sapphire Preferred comes with an annual fee of $95.
While some users might be initially deterred by this cost, it’s important to consider the value and benefits that come with the card.
The rewards points, travel benefits, and purchase protections can help offset the cost of the annual fee for frequent travelers.
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: The Chase Sapphire Preferred offers more value for its $95 annual fee with all of its travel and purchase protections, statement credits, and more.
Redeeming Points
The earns Ultimate Rewards points, one of the most flexible points currencies.
You can use your points to book flights, hotel stays, and even rent a car through Chase Travel — all at a fixed rate of 1.25 cents per point. For example, 100,000 points are equivalent to $1,250 towards travel.
You can unlock even more value than 1.25 cents per point by transferring rewards to Chase airline and hotel partners.
Ultimate Rewards Transfer Partners [1 to 1]
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Aer Lingus
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Air Canada Aeroplan
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British Airways
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Emirates
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Air France/KLM
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Hyatt Hotels
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Iberia
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IHG Hotels
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JetBlue
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Marriott
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Singapore
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Southwest
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United
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Virgin Atlantic
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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
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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)
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Emirates Skywards
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Etihad Guest
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EVA Air
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JetBlue TrueBlue
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Qantas
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Qatar Airways
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Singapore KrisFlyer
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Thai Airways
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Turkish Airlines
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Virgin Atlantic
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Wyndham Rewards
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Winner: Tie. Both programs offer nice travel partners.
The Verdict
There’s no clear winner between the Chase Sapphire Preferred and the Citi Premier because both cards offer strong rewards and benefits.
The Citi Premier’s strength is in earning points in its many 3x categories, while the Sapphire Preferred allows you to still earn a lot of points, but also offers numerous travel benefits, including primary rental car insurance and trip cancellation/interruption insurance, as well as higher redemption options when booking through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal.
Which card are you going to choose?
- bonus_miles_full
- 3x Points at Restaurants, Supermarkets, Gas Stations, Air Travel, and Other Hotels.
- $100 Off a Single $500 Hotel Stay Per Year
- Extended Warranty and Purchase Protections
- $95 Annual Fee
