My Citi Credit Card Strategy (2022)

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Taking advantage of the best welcome bonuses, spending categories, and card perks are some of the things that can be done to maximize your credit card rewards. Some of us have too many credit cards to maximize them.

I wanted to share my Citi credit card strategy because it is interesting to break down a card strategy by issuer. The Citi ThankYou points-earning credit card is one of the great ones.

A summary of my strategy, a rundown of what you need to know to be approved for a Citi card, and which Citi cards I'm most interested in applying for are included in this rundown.

How many Citi cards can you have?

There is no limit to the number of credit cards you can have. I only have three Citi credit cards, but I know many people who have more than that. The number of cards is usually not a factor in determining the limit with Citi.

The application process is one of the biggest restrictions.

Restrictions on applying for Citi cards?

There are a few things to be aware of when applying for a card.

Citi 8/65 day rule

This is easy to understand. You will be approved for at least one card every eight days and at least two cards every 65 days. You should pay close attention to the timing if you are applying for more than one Citi card. This doesn't take into account the cards you apply for with other issuers

Citi 24 & 48 month rule

There are two timelines for earning welcome bonuses, one for 24 and 48 months.

• With the 24 month rule, you’re not eligible for the bonus on a particular card if you’ve closed that card in the past 24 months, or have received a new cardmember bonus on that card in the past 24 months
• With the 48 month rule, you’re not eligible for the bonus on a particular card if you’ve closed that card in the past 48 months, or have received a new cardmember bonus on that card in the past 48 months

The time frame here refers to when you earned the bonus on the card, not when you applied for the card. Having a card open doesn't mean you're ineligible to earn the bonus in the future.

Citi family card rules

Family card rules can be found on some Citi cards. Those cards are for that.

• You’re not eligible for the welcome bonus on any listed card if you’ve received a new cardmember bonus on any of the cards in that “family” in the past 24 months
• You’re not eligible for the welcome bonus on any listed card if you’ve closed any card in that “family” in the past 24 months

Which Citi cards do I have?

I have three credit cards.

In order to maximize my Citi ThankYou points, I have the first two cards, and the last one for lounge access, so let's talk about that a bit more.

How do I use my Citi cards?

There are two reasons that I have a credit card.

• One I have for the ongoing perks that it offers
• Two I have for the return on spending that they offer

I have three Citi cards that I do not know why I have them.

The Citi AAdvantage Executive Card is about lounge access

It's worth the $450 annual fee for the incredible lounge access perks it offers.

• The primary cardmember receives a full Admirals Club membership, which would ordinarily cost significantly more than the card’s annual fee
• You can add up to 10 authorized users to the card at no extra cost, and each of them get Admirals Club access as well, with the ability to bring two guests with them

It's an unbelievable deal to have access to the admirals club for up to 11 people. I think this is one of the best cards for authorized users and it is also one of my favorite credit cards.

The Citi Prestige & Citi Double Cash are about ThankYou points

Since they offer the most flexibility, I like to earn points for my credit card spending whenever I can. You can maximize your points earning by building up a portfolio of cards within the points currency system.

I have two credit cards that I use to earn Citi ThankYou.

The basics of the card are not open to new applicants.

• The card has a $495 annual fee, but offers a $250 annual travel credit, which to me is more or less worth face value; that means the card is really costing me $245 per year
• The card offers 5x ThankYou points on restaurant purchases, making it one of the best cards for dining; I spend quite a bit on dining, so this is a big category for me
• Having this card allows you to unlock the full value of the Citi ThankYou program, as you can transfer all Citi ThankYou points to airline & hotel partners if you have this card

I think the Citi Double Cash Card is one of the best cards for everyday spending. When you pay for a purchase with the card, you'll get 1x ThankYou points. It's an excellent return on spending and makes this card a keeper.

Should I replace the Citi Prestige with the Citi Premier?

The card is no longer open to new applicants. The Citi Premier ® Card is one of the top earning cards. I don't know if I'm better off with the Citi premier or the citi prestige

The Citi premier card has an annual fee of $95 and is incredibly well rounded.

I consider the card to cost me $245 per year, since it offers a $250 travel credit and has a yearly fee of $485. I wouldn't pay that much for the Citi premier. Is it worth it to get 5x points on dining? I will need to do some crunching there.

Which Citi cards do I most want?

I can only have so many credit cards from all the issuers because I don't have the most robust portfolio of Citi credit cards. It would be great to have more Citi credit cards.

• The no annual fee Citi Rewards+® Card (review) interests me because it has an innovative “rounding up” feature on spending, and the card also offers a 10% rebate on redemptions, which can net you up to 10,000 ThankYou bonus points per year 
• The no annual fee Citi Custom Cash℠ Card (review) offers 5x points on your top eligible spending category each billing cycle, on up to $500 of spending per billing cycle; potential categories include drugstores, fitness centers, gas stations, grocery stores, home improvement stores, live entertainment, restaurants, select streaming services, select transit, and select travel

The account was closed on me because there was not enough activity. Something went wrong.

I have three Citi credit cards that allow me to maximize my ThankYou points and get American admirals club access.

The Citi Double Cash Card earns me 2x points on everyday spending, and the Citi Prestige Card earns me 5x points at restaurants.

The Citi AAdvantage Executive Card is great for lounge access at the admirals club. It also offers access to the admirals club for up to 10 authorized users.

What is the difference between your Citi credit card strategy and this one?