There is no one-size-fits-all credit card. From rewards and benefits to fees and features, there are trade-offs everywhere.
For many people, it makes sense to keep it simple with a credit card that earns 2% cash back on all purchases. But having a card that earns 2X rewards everywhere doesn’t restrict you from opening a rewards card that earns a 3X return on popular categories or 5% back on rotating categories.
If you’re not interested in juggling multiple cards from a handful of banks, you can maximize your wallet while keeping your accounts with a single financial institution — which is the idea behind card combos like the Chase trifecta and Amex trifecta.
For those who bank with Citi, the Citi trifecta may make more sense.
Convenience isn’t the only reason to consider crafting a combination of Citi credit cards; Citi ThankYou® Rewards has valuable transfer partners and rewarding bonus spending categories. Below, CNBC Select highlights three Citi credit cards that can maximize your return on spending without overwhelming you with fees and complicated benefits.
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Which cards are part of the Citi trifecta?
Citi’s travel rewards program is officially called Citi ThankYou® Rewards, and ThankYou® Points can be redeemed for cash back, gift cards, merchandise, travel, transfers to travel programs and more. The value of these redemptions changes based on which card or cards you have, and the rate at which you earn rewards varies by card and type of purchase.
When you have multiple Citi credit cards that earn ThankYou® Points, you can combine rewards. This can help you squeeze extra value from every Citi ThankYou Point redemption by taking advantage of the best options each card offers.
Citi Double Cash® Card
The Citi Double Cash® Card is one of the top do-it-all credit cards. It earns 2% cash back on every purchase: 1% back when you buy and 1% back when you pay. Most cards offer 1% back or 1X points on every purchase that falls outside of a bonus category. Being able to double that return makes this card a vital part of the Citi Trifecta.
This card earns cash back as ThankYou® Points, and each point is worth 1 cent toward cash-back redemptions. You can also transfer the ThankYou® Points you earn to Citi’s travel partners, but at reduced ratios.
What makes the Citi Double Cash® Card special is that it sits near the top of its class in several categories. It is an excellent option if you want flat-rate rewards, a balance transfer intro-APR or no annual fee.
- Balance transfers get a long intro APR
- Generous flat-rate cash-back rewards structure
- Earns transferable rewards
- No annual fee
- It has a foreign transaction fee
- Intro APR only applies to balance transfer
- Points transfer ratios are reduced compared to premium cards
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 18.49% – 28.74%, 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
Citi Strata℠ Card
The Citi Strata℠ Card is a valuable standalone no-annual-fee credit card because it earns 3X points at supermarkets, gas and EV charging stations and on select transit, plus 2X points at restaurants.
You also earn 3X points on one category of your choice, including pet supply stores, live entertainment, streaming services, fitness clubs or barber shops/hair salons/cosmetic stores. You can change this category each calendar quarter.
The Strata Card also allows point transfers, but just like with the Double Cash, the ratios are lower than Citi’s premium credit cards.
In addition to rewards, the Strata comes with a generous 0% intro APR offer for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers (then a variable APR of 18.74% to 28.74% applies). Balance transfers must be completed in the first four months from account opening to qualify. An intro balance transfer fee of 3% of the amount transferred ($5 minimum) applies for the first four months from opening the account (after that, the balance transfer fee increases to 5% with a $5 minimum).
The Citi Strata℠ Card is a solid rewards credit card that earns in several everyday spending categories, with no annual fee.
- No annual fee
- Customizable earnings category
- Earns transferable rewards
- Has foreign transaction fees
- Fewer built-in benefits
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select’s editorial staff
- Earn 20,000 bonus Points after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months of account opening.
- 0% Intro APR on balance transfers and purchases for 15 months; after that, the variable APR will be 18.74% – 28.74%, based on your creditworthiness. 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).
- Earn 3 ThankYou® Points for each $1 spent in an eligible Self-Select Category of your choice (Fitness Clubs, Select Streaming Services, Live Entertainment, Cosmetic Stores/Barber Shops/Hair Salons, or Pet Supply Stores). Choose your eligible Self-Select Category on Citi Online or by calling customer service. The default Self-Select Category is Select Streaming Services.
- Earn 5 ThankYou® Points for each $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals and Attractions booked on Citi Travel® via cititravel.com; earn 3 ThankYou Points for each $1 spent at Supermarkets, on Select Transit purchases, and at Gas & EV Charging Stations.
- Earn 2 ThankYou® Points for each $1 spent at Restaurants; earn 1 ThankYou® Point for each $1 spent on All Other Purchases.
- No Annual Fee
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.
Citi Strata Premier®Card
To make the Citi trifecta work as a travel rewards combo, you won’t want to skip the Citi Strata Premier®Card. It earns 10X points on hotels, rental cars and attractions booked through Citi Travel and 3X points at restaurants and on airfare and hotels not booked through Citi Travel. It also earns the same 3X points at supermarkets and gas and EV charging stations that you earn with the Strata card.
However, with the Strata Premier, you’ll have access to enhanced transfer ratios with Citi’s travel partners. That means you’ll get 1:1 transfers to most airlines, instead of the 1:0.7 transfer ratio available with the no-annual-fee Citi ThankYou cards.
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.
Why is the Citi trifecta so valuable?
What makes the Citi trifecta worthwhile is that you can maximize your return from every purchase while simultaneously improving the value of your redemptions.
You can earn at least 2X points everywhere and 3X points on popular categories such as groceries, gas, and dining. When you want to redeem, you can make the most of cash-back options or travel transfers.
The Citi Double Cash offers an improved 1-cent-per-point for cash-back redemptions, compared to a 0.75-cent-per-point cash-back rate for the Strata Premier. In addition, the Strata Premier unlocks 1:1 point transfers to American Airlines, Cathay, Flying Blue and others, which is better than the 1:0.7 transfer ratio offered with the Strata Card or Citi Double Cash.
Citi ThankYou® Points travel partners
| Citi Strata Elite℠ Card and Citi Strata Premier® Card transfer ratios | Citi Strata℠ Card, Citi Double Cash® Card and Citi Custom Cash® Card transfer ratios | |
|---|---|---|
| Accor Live Limitless | 1:0.5 | 1:0.35 |
| American Airlines AAdvantage | 1:1 | 1:0.7 |
| Cathay Pacific Cathay | 1:1 | 1:0.7 |
| Avianca LifeMiles | 1:1 | 1:0.7 |
| Emirates Skywards | 1:0.8 | 1:0.56 |
| Etihad Guest | 1:1 | 1:0.7 |
| EVA Air Infinity MileageLands | 1:1 | 1:0.7 |
| Flying Blue (KLM and Air France) | 1:1 | 1:0.7 |
| I Prefer Hotel Rewards | 1:2 | 1:1.4 |
| Japan Airlines | 1:1 | 1:0.7 |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | 1:1 | 1:0.7 |
| Leaders Club | 1:0.2 | 1:0.14 |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | 1:1 | 1:0.7 |
| Qatar Airways Privilege Club | 1:1 | 1:0.7 |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | 1:1 | 1:0.7 |
| Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus | 1:1 | 1:0.7 |
| Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles | 1:1 | 1:0.7 |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 1:1 | 1:0.7 |
| Choice Privileges | 1:1.5 | 1:1.05 |
| Wyndham Rewards | 1:1 | 1:0.7 |
Having access to different redemption options across cards gives you flexibility without sacrificing value. And you get all of this for $95 in annual fees.
Does a premium Citi trifecta make sense for you?
If airport lounge access and other luxury benefits are must-haves, you can upgrade your Citi trifecta by replacing the Citi Strata Premier with the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card.
It has a higher $595 annual fee, but it comes with benefits you won’t get with the other Citi cards mentioned above. Citi Strata Elite cardholders get access to:
- Complimentary Priority Pass airport lounge membership (enrollment required)
- Four Admirals Club lounge passes every calendar year
- Up to $300 off a hotel stay of two nights or more booked through Citi Travel each calendar year
- Up to $200 in Splurge Credit every calendar year for two of the following brands: American Airlines, 1stDibs, Best Buy, Future Personal Training or Live Nation (exclusions apply)
- Up to $200 in Blacklane credit every calendar year (chauffeur service)
- Up to $120 in application fee reimbursement once every four years for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry
And you’ll earn more points across a handful of categories. The Strata Elite earns 12X points on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked through Citi Travel, 6X points on airfare booked through Citi Travel and 6X points at restaurants on Fridays and Saturdays from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. ET. It also earns 3X points at restaurants any other time (same as the Strata Premier) and 1.5X points on all other purchases.
The Citi Strata Elite℠ Card offers luxury travel benefits and heightened rewards on travel and restaurant purchases — while still earning 1.5X points on all other purchases.
- Exceptional rewards rate on travel booked through cititravel.com
- Earns flexible points that transfer to popular airline and hotel partners, like American Airlines
- Features roughly $1,500 in value through statement credits, airport lounge access and more
- High $595 annual fee
- $75 annual fee for each authorized user
- 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.
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