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Christine ran her own business developing and managing insurance and financial services. This stoked a passion for points and miles and she now has over 2 dozen credit cards and creates in-depth, deta...
A long-time points and miles student, Jessica is the former Personal Finance Managing Editor at U.S. News and World Report and is passionate about helping consumers fund their travels for as little ca...
Juan has been involved in credit cards, loyalty, travel, and personal finance for more than 10 years. He has worked for several outlets including The Points Guy and Forbes and was previously Editor-in...
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Whether you’re ready to select a rewards-earning credit card for the first time or you’re planning to add a card to your current collection, our article today will be of interest.
We’re looking at 2 very popular cards that work well for the frequent traveler for both earning rewards on travel purchases and providing good value options at redemption time.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and the Citi Premier® Card are seasoned cards with proven value, but one may be a better fit for your particular spending mix and travel goals.
Join us as we look closer at the attributes of these travel rewards cards, including earning potential, redemption value, and the benefits and protections you’ll find on each card.
It’s an interesting comparison of 2 cards that have a lot of similarities, but in the end, your priorities will determine which card offers the better value for you.
Let’s get started.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card vs. Citi Premier Card — Overview
When comparing 2 dynamic travel rewards cards such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and the Citi Premier card, there’s a lot of information to process. A side-by-side comparison helps bring all of the information together so you can easily compare the key features and benefits of each card.
Earn 60,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
Earn 60,000 points after spending $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months. Plus, for a limited time, earn a total of 10 points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel portal through June 30, 2024.
Earning
5x points on travel purchased via the Chase travel portal and Lyft (through March 2025)
3x points on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery stores
2x points on all other travel
10% points bonus on total spending at card anniversary
3x points on air travel, hotels, travel agencies, supermarkets, gas stations, and restaurants
Redemption Options
Redeem for travel for 1.25 cents per point via the Chase travel portal
Transfer to airline and hotel partners
Statement credits, gift cards, shopping with partner retailers, experiences
Redeem for travel for 1 cent per point via Citi Travel Center
Transfer to airline and hotel partners
Cash-back, statement credits, check, transfer to Citi bank account, gift cards, shopping with partner retailers
Travel Benefits and Protections
Up to $50 annual Ultimate Rewards hotel credit when booked via Chase travel portal
Primary car rental insurance, trip cancellation, trip interruption, trip delay
Delayed and lost baggage insurance, travel and emergency assistance services
No foreign transaction fees
$100 off a $500 hotel stay when booked via thankyou.com or 1-800-THANKYOU, each calendar year
No foreign transaction fees
Shopping Benefits and Protections
Chase Offers
Gopuff, DoorDash DashPass, Instacart benefits
Purchase protection, extended warranty
Citi Merchant Offers
Purchase protection, extended warranty
Annual Fees and Authorized Users
$95 annual fee; no charge to add authorized users
$95 annual fee; no charge to add authorized users
The Value of a Welcome Bonus
The initial welcome bonuses offered on the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and Citi Premier card provide a valuable opportunity to jumpstart your rewards earning.
But welcome bonus opportunities can be fleeting, as you’ll have an initial window after card approval in which to meet minimum spending requirements to qualify for the bonus.
You’ll also find that bonuses fluctuate, so always check for current offers before applying.
Additionally, the value of the welcome bonus will differ depending on the redemption options you select — we’ll talk more about those redemption options shortly.
But first, here’s a snapshot of current welcome bonuses for our 2 cards, the associated minimum spending requirements, and our estimated value for each one.
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.
A fantastic travel card with a huge welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.
A fantastic travel card with a huge welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
60,000 points
$1,200
$95
Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.
Good to Excellent (670-850)
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® card is one of the best travel rewards cardson the market. Its bonus categories include travel, dining, online grocery purchases, and streaming services, which gives you the opportunity to earn lots of bonus points on these purchases.
Additionally, it offers flexible point redemption options, no foreign transaction fees, and excellent travel insurance coverage including primary car rental insurance. With benefits like these, it’s easy to see why this card is an excellent choice for any traveler.
Pros
5x points on all travel booked via the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal
5x points on select Peloton purchases over $250 (through March 31, 2025)
5x points on Lyft purchases (through March 31, 2025)
3x points on dining purchases, online grocery purchases, and select streaming services
2x points on all other travel worldwide
$50 annual credit on hotel stays booked through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal
6 months of complimentary Instacart+ (activate by July 31, 2024), plus up to $15 in statement credits each quarter through July 2024
Excellent travel and car rental insurance
10% annual bonus points
No foreign transaction fees
1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs like United MileagePlus and World of Hyatt
Complimentary Spot Club Platinum status with The Parking Spot for 2 years, 20% off of your first reservation, and points for 1 free day of parking (enroll by October 26, 2023)
Cons
$95 annual fee
No elite benefits like airport lounge access or hotel elite status
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x on dining, and 2x on all other travel purchases, and $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, plus more.
Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024.
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.
Frequent flyers will enjoy 3x ThankYou Points at restaurants, gas stations, supermarkets, air travel, and hotels.
Frequent flyers will enjoy 3x ThankYou Points at restaurants, gas stations, supermarkets, air travel, and hotels.
Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. Plus, for a limited time, earn a total of 10 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through June 30, 2024.
60,000 points
$960
$95
21.24% - 29.24% Variable
Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.
Good to Excellent (670-850)
The Citi Premier® Card is an excellent option for anyone looking for an all-around travel rewards credit card. The card helps you earn points fast with great 3x bonus categories such as restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, airfare, and hotels. Plus, it offers access to airline and hotel transfer partners, doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees, and has a reasonable annual fee!
Pros
3x points at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, airfare, and hotel purchases
Access to Citi transfer partners
Annual hotel credit
No foreign transaction fees
Cons
$95 annual fee
Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. Plus, for a limited time, earn a total of 10 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through June 30, 2024.
Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Other Hotels
Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets
Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases
Annual Hotel Savings Benefit
60,000 ThankYou® Points are redeemable for $600 in gift cards redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com
No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card
Bottom Line: The Chase Sapphire Preferred card and Citi Premier card both offer welcome bonuses earned after meeting minimum spending requirements within the first few months after card approval. While welcome bonus values on our featured cards are similar, the actual value of any welcome bonus will depend on how you choose to redeem your rewards.
Chase Ultimate Rewards Points vs. Citi ThankYou Points
Rewards points earned on your card can be redeemed for unique travel experiences. Image Credit: Asad Photos Maldives via Pexels
The Chase Sapphire Preferred card earns Ultimate Rewards points while the Citi Premier card earns ThankYou Points. While these reward currencies differ, you’ll experience accelerated earnings in bonus category spending on both cards and have several similar redemption options.
Let’s look closer at each card’s earning possibilities and the choices you’ll have at redemption time.
Earning Potential
Both cards feature robust earning levels on travel purchases, select everyday spending, and at least 1x earnings on all other purchases.
Here’s how our 2 cards compare in the earnings category:
3x points on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery stores
10% points bonus on total spending at card anniversary
3x points at supermarkets, gas stations, and restaurants
All Other Purchases
1x points
1x points
It’s worth noting that Chase defines online grocery stores with the following clarification:
“The online grocery (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs) category includes purchases for grocery pickup and delivery that are placed online with grocery stores, specialty food stores, or delivery service merchants that classify as grocery store merchants (excluding membership and subscription fees). Meal kit delivery services are included.”
Citi clarifies its supermarket category with this statement:
“You won’t earn three points for purchases made at general merchandise/discount superstores, freezer/meat locker provisioners, dairy product stores, miscellaneous food/convenience stores, markets, drugstores, warehouse clubs, wholesale clubs, specialty vendors, bakeries, candy stores, nut stores, confectionery stores, and meal kit delivery services. You also won’t earn three points for purchases made at online supermarkets if the merchant does not classify itself as a supermarket by using the supermarket merchant code.”
Bottom Line: While both cards offer great earning potential, the Citi Premier card may have the edge for earning on everyday purchases, such as at supermarkets, gas stations, and on dining. The Chase Sapphire Preferred card edges out on travel purchases if you can utilize the Chase travel portal and on general travel purchases that fall outside of air travel and hotels.
Earning Examples
Selecting a card that earns points on your largest purchases will accelerate your earnings. Image Credit: LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS via Adobe Stock
The better card for earning points will depend on your spending mix. Let’s look at a couple of annual spending mix examples to illustrate the difference in earnings:
$5,000 on air travel and hotels
$7,200 at supermarkets
$3,600 on dining out
Let’s assume 50% of the travel was purchased via the Chase travel portal on the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and 50% was not. With 5x earnings on $2,500 (12,500 points), 2x earnings on the other $2,500 (5,000 points), 1x earnings at supermarkets (7,200 points), and 3x earnings on dining (10,800 points), you would earn a total of 35,500 Ultimate Rewards points (worth $710 by our valuation).
With the Citi Premier card, you would earn 3x on all $15,800 in purchases for a total of 47,400 ThankYou Points (worth $758 by our valuation).
Let’s look at another annual spending mix example:
$10,000 on airfare and hotels
$3,000 at online grocery stores
$1,200 on streaming services
$2,400 at gas stations
$4,000 on dining
Once again, we’ll assume the airfare and hotels purchased with the Chase Sapphire Preferred card were 50% on the Chase travel portal. This would result in 5x earnings on $5,000 (25,000 points), 2x earnings on $5,000 (10,000 points), 3x on online grocery store purchases (9,000 points), 3x on streaming (3,600 points), 1x at gas stations (2,400 points), and 3x on dining (12,000 points). The total earnings would be 62,000 Ultimate Rewards points (worth $1,240 by our valuation).
The Citi Premier would earn 3x points on the travel purchase (30,000), 1x for online groceries (3,000), 1x for streaming services (1,200), 3x at gas stations (7,200), and 3x on dining (12,000), for a total of 53,400 ThankYou Points (worth $854 by our valuation). Note that some online grocery stores could code as regular grocery stores and earn 3x versus 1x.
These examples are only meant to illustrate how spending mixes can affect your ultimate earnings. Additional non-bonus spending was not considered, and actual real-life spending mixes will differ.
Earnings are just a piece of the value proposition, as the actual value of your rewards will surface at redemption time.
Let’s look at the choices you can expect to have when redeeming rewards with each card.
Redemption Options
Receive the best potential value for your rewards by transferring to airline partners. Image Credit: jdross75 via Shutterstock
The value you receive at redemption time will depend on how you redeem your points. You could redeem your points for a gift card, for example, or transfer points to a travel partner and have the potential of receiving much greater value.
We like that points earned on the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and Citi Premier card are flexible and transferrable, making these rewards more valuable than fixed-value rewards such as airline miles or other rewards that have limited redemption options.
Here are the redemption options you’ll find on our featured cards:
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Redemption Option
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
Citi Premier Card
Travel
Redeem for 1.25 cents per point via the Chase travel portal
Transfer points to airline and hotel partners
Redeem for 1 cent per point via the Citi Travel Center
Transfer points to airline and hotel partners
Additional Redemption Options
Statement credits, Pay Yourself Back (rotating categories, including charitable donations), cash-back, gift cards, shopping at Amazon, Apple, or other partner retailers, experiences
Transfer to Sears Shop Your Way
Statement credits, gift cards, shopping at Amazon, Best Buy, Expedia, and other partner retailers
Donate to charity
Hot Tip: Watch for periodic transfer bonuses — both Chase and Citi offer occasional transfer bonuses that allow you to receive additional bonus points when transferring your rewards to various hotel or airline programs. Transfer bonuses have included a Chase 50% bonus when transferring points to Marriott Bonvoy and a 30% bonus when transferring to British Airways. Citi examples include a 25% bonus to Air France-KLM Flying Blue and an offer of a 25% bonus to Avianca LifeMiles.
Redemption Examples
While Ultimate Rewards points and ThankYou Points are unique rewards currencies, redeeming points for travel by transferring to airline or hotel partners generally results in the best potential value, regardless of which points you’re using.
Let’s look at some examples of how you can redeem these rewards for good value.
Bottom Line: While there are several redemption options available for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and Citi Premier card, the best value can generally be found by transferring points to airline or hotel partners to book award flights or free hotel nights.
Travel Benefits and Protections
Travel rewards cards can offer benefits and protections that can deliver savings or insurance coverage during your travels. Image Credit: Skitterphoto via Pexels
Earning potential and redemption options may offer sufficient overall value to warrant selecting a specific travel rewards-earning card. However, benefits and protections may save you money or provide needed protection during your travels, therefore creating additional value to consider.
Both the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and Citi Premier card come with these distinct travel benefits:
Luxury Hotel Benefits — The Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers access to elite-style benefits via the Chase Luxury Hotel and Resorts Collection. Benefits include daily breakfast for 2, complimentary Wi-Fi, an onsite amenity, room upgrades, late checkout, and early check-in (when available). The Citi Premier card offers the same benefits via the Mastercard Luxury Hotel and Resorts Portfolio.
No Foreign Transaction Fees — Both featured cards travel well, with neither card charging foreign transaction fees.
While the Citi Premier card does not offer any additional key travel perks, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card comes with a long list of travel benefits and protections.
Additional Travel Benefits and Protections — Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
Rental Car Collision Damage Waiver — Pay for your entire rental with your card, decline the rental agency’s CDW/LDW coverage, and receive coverage for theft or damage to the rental car. Coverage is primary, which means you do not have to file a claim with any other insurance prior to card coverage kicking in.
$50 Hotel Statement Credit — Book a hotel via the Chase travel portal and receive up to $50 as a statement credit each card anniversary year.
Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption Insurance — Should your trip be canceled or interrupted due to a covered reason, you could receive up to $10,000 per person, a maximum of $20,000 per trip.
Trip Delay Reimbursement— If your trip is delayed more than 12 hours or overnight, receive up to $100 per day, a maximum of 5 days, for incidentals.
Roadside Dispatch — Get help when you’re stranded with 24/7 roadside assistance. One flat-rate fee for each service call can include towing, jumpstart service, changing your flat tire, lockout service, fuel delivery, and standard winching. Terms and limits apply.
Baggage Insurance — Receive up to $500 for incidentals if your luggage is delayed 6 hours or more and up to $3,000 if your luggage is lost or stolen.
Travel and Emergency Assistance — Make a single call for assistance 24/7 for legal or medical referrals, translation services, help with emergency transportation, and more. Cardholders are responsible for the cost of services received.
Bottom Line: The Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers a broad selection of travel benefits and protections that is difficult to beat. With primary car rental insurance, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, trip delay reimbursement, baggage insurance, and more, it’s clearly the superior card in this category.
Shopping Benefits and Protections
Saving money is always a good thing, and having purchase protection can help make things right if something goes wrong.
Here are the shopping benefits and protections you’ll receive with the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and the Citi Premier card:
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
Chase Offers — Log into your online Chase account and check out the list of savings offers available for specific card purchases.
Shop through Chase — Earn up to 25 points per dollar spent when shopping via the Chase shopping portal.
Gopuff Monthly Credit — Receive up to $10 each month for purchases via food delivery service Gopuff (through December 31, 2023).
Purchase Protection — Purchase an eligible item with your card and receive coverage for theft or damage for 120 days from the purchase date. Coverage is limited to $500 per item and $50,000 per year.
Extended Warranty — Eligible items with manufacturer warranties of 3 years or less will receive an additional 1 year of extended warranty. Coverage is limited to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.
DoorDash DashPass — Receive a complimentary DashPass subscription. If activated by December 31, 2023, the subscription is active through December 31, 2024. If activated during the 2024 calendar year, the subscription will be valid for 1 year from the date of activation.
Instacart+ Benefits — Cardholders are eligible for a free 6-month Instacart+ membership plus a $15 quarterly credit.
Citi Premier Card
Citi Merchant Offers — While not as robust as Amex Offers or Chase Offers, you may find some local dining or shopping offers in addition to national merchant offers.
World Elite Mastercard Shopping Benefits — Receive shopping benefits such as discounts at nearly 100 retailers and free 2-day shipping with your complimentary ShopRunner membership, a 3-month DoorDash DashPass trial membership, Lyft and Fandango discounts, and more.
Purchase Protection — Purchase an eligible item with your card and receive protection for 90 days from the purchase date for damage or theft. Coverage limits are $10,000 per incident, $50,000 per calendar year
Extended Warranty — Pay for at least part of an eligible item with your card and receive up to 24 months of additional extended warranty coverage added to the manufacturer’s warranty, up to a maximum of 7 years total. There is a $10,000 maximum coverage per item.
Bottom Line: While the Chase Sapphire Preferred card excels in offering travel benefits and protections over the Citi Premier card, the latter holds its own in the shopping benefits and protections category.
Annual Fees and Authorized Users
If you’re paying an annual fee on a rewards-earning card, receiving value beyond the expense of that annual fee is important.
The same is true regarding any fees charged to add authorized users to your card.
Here’s how our 2 featured cards compare regarding annual fees and the cost to add additional users:
Annual Fees — Both featured cards charge a modest annual fee:
Chase Sapphire Preferred – $95 annual fee
Citi Premier – $95 annual fee
Adding Authorized Users — Neither card charges an annual fee for adding additional users.
Bottom Line: Both the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and the Citi Premier card keep the cost of being a cardholder low with each card charging just a moderate annual fee. Plus, neither card charges for adding additional users.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to overall value, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card edges out the Citi Premier card with its collection of travel benefits and protections. Add in the additional value that could be realized when redeeming Ultimate Rewards points for travel and you have a valuable combination.
Yet the Citi Premier card does offer excellent potential earning power on everyday spending. If your spending mix matches well with its bonus category offerings, the card may be a good choice.
If you’re looking for a travel rewards card that offers travel benefits and protections, the Citi Premier card won’t live up to those requirements. Consider the card only if you have a travel rewards card that already offers these benefits.
Featured Image Credit: Upgraded Points
Frequently Asked Questions
Which card is better, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card or the Citi Premier card?
The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is a better travel rewards card than the Citi Premier card due to its long list of travel benefits and protections and the greater value of using points to purchase travel.
The Citi Premier card does offer higher earnings on everyday purchases, though.
The better card for you will depend on how your spending mix matches the bonus category rewards offered by each card, how you will redeem your rewards, and whether travel benefits and protections are important to you.
Does the Chase Sapphire Preferred card have lounge access?
No, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card does not offer any airport lounge access. The Chase Sapphire Reserve® offers complimentary Priority Pass Select membership, which includes lounge access to more than 1,300 properties worldwide.
Which are better, Chase Ultimate Rewards points or Citi ThankYou Points?
The better rewards currency will depend on the redemption option you select. If you purchase travel via either card’s proprietary travel portal, Ultimate Rewards points can be worth 1.25 cents per point versus 1 cent per point for ThankYou Points.
Transferring points to hotel or airline partners could result in similar values, regardless of which rewards currency you use. The list of partner hotel loyalty programs and airline partners does differ between Chase and Citi, however.
Fortunately, rewards earned on either card are flexible and transferrable, which results in several possible redemption options.
What are transferrable credit card rewards points?
Transferrable rewards points can be transferred to travel partners’ loyalty programs and be used to purchase award flights or free hotel nights. These points are more valuable than rewards points or miles that have fixed redemption options, such as airline frequent flyer miles.
For example, with an airline’s frequent flyer miles, you may be locked in at redemption time to just that specific airline or partner airline. With transferrable rewards points, you have the flexibility to select any airline transfer partner, hotel partner, or other redemption option that fits your specific travel goal.
Christine ran her own business developing and managing insurance and financial services. This stoked a passion for points and miles and she now has over 2 dozen credit cards and creates in-depth, detailed content for UP.
This bonus value is an estimated valuation calculated by UP after analyzing redemption options, transfer partners, award availability and how much UP would pay to buy these points.