» a credit and personal finance blog

(Update: This offer is no longer available. Check out the current listings of available Citibank credit cards on Creditnet.com.)

I've been reviewing (and personally using) the Citi ThankYou Premier Card since 2008 when it was originally called the Citi PremierPass Elite Card.  I loved it back then, and I still "like" it a lot today. While there's no doubt Citi has watered down this card offer quite a bit over the years, the fact is it continues to rank among the top tier of travel rewards credit cards. Feel free to read my previous review for all the details about why the "Citi ThankYou Premier Card Still Makes Me Smile".

If you keep close tabs on all the best credit card offers, you've probably noticed that Citi pulled its 50,000 bonus points offer for this card earlier this month. Then, just about a week later, the updated Citi ThankYou Premier card was launched. So what's different about this new offer? Nothing major really, except new cardholders will now receive 30,000 ThankYou points after spending $1,500 during the first three months instead of 50,000 points after spending $2,000.  Unfortunately, the deals just keep getting less and less appealing for new cardholders. It's a bummer that the bonus was reduced, but any consumer looking for a new rewards credit card should at least give the Premier card a close look.  I still believe it's one of the best airline rewards credit cards for a lot of the same reasons I've written about before:

1. Points are earned for every mile you fly on any airline as long as you purchased your ticket with your Citi ThankYou Premier card
2. 1 to 1.2 points are also earned for every dollar spent
3. No currency conversion fees
4. Earn an anniversary bonus (Up to a max of 5%) for each additional year you hold onto the card
5. Points never expire and there are no limits on the amount of points you can earn
6. Save approximately 25% when you book airfare through the Citi ThankYou Center (A $399 ticket can be redeemed for 30,000 points instead of 39,900)

The annual fee is a bit steep at $125, but it's waived for the first year which allows new cardholders a chance to give the card and try and receive the 30,000 bonus points without paying a dime. Not a bad deal at all. If this card sounds like just the travel rewards credit card you've been looking for, consider applying for the Citi ThankYou Premier Card today.