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Best Citi credit cards of January 2025

Updated January 21, 2025

Advertiser Disclosure: The listings that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which Bankrate receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. Here's an explanation for and how we rate our cards.

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2025 Bankrate Awards Winner

Best for flat-rate rewards

Citi Double Cash® Card

Bankrate score

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4.2
Bankrate review
Recommended credit score:(670 - 850)
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on Citi's secure site

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Intro offer

$200 cash back

Rewards rate

1% - 5%

Annual fee

$0

Regular APR

18.24% - 28.24% (Variable)

Why you'll like this: You can keep your rewards strategy simple with a leading flat rewards rate and intro balance transfer APR.

Best for travel

Citi Strata Premier℠ Card

Bankrate score

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4.7
Bankrate review
Recommended credit score:(670 - 850)
Apply nowLock

on Citi's secure site

See Rates & Fees

Intro offer

75,000 bonus points

Rewards rate

1X - 10X

Annual fee

$95

Regular APR

20.24% - 28.24% (Variable)

Why you'll like this: Occasional travelers can easily rack up rewards toward their next trip with this card’s diverse roster of everyday categories.

Best balance transfer card

Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card

Bankrate score

star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
4.1
Bankrate review
Recommended credit score:(670 - 850)
Apply nowLock

on Citi's secure site

See Rates & Fees

Balance transfer intro APR

0% for 21 months on Balance Transfers

Regular APR

17.24% - 27.99% (Variable)

Rewards rate

N/A

Annual fee

$0

Why you'll like this: With this card's intro APR offer, you'll have more than a year to pay down credit card debt.

Best for cash back

Citi Custom Cash® Card

Citi Custom Cash® Card

Bankrate score

star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
4.4
Bankrate review
Recommended credit score:(670 - 850)

Intro offer

$200

Rewards rate

1% - 5%

Annual fee

$0

Regular APR

18.24% - 28.24% (Variable)

Why you'll like this: It adapts to your spending each billing cycle, letting it fit into nearly any rewards strategy thanks to its top cash back rate on ten possible categories.

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Compare Bankrate’s top Citi credit cards

Card name Best for Annual fee Card highlights Bankrate review score

Flat-rate rewards

 

$0

Up to 2% cash back on all eligible purchases (1% when you buy, plus another 1% when you pay off purchases)

5% cash back on hotels, car rentals and attractions via the Citi Travel℠ portal (through Dec. 31, 2025)

0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months (on transfers within the first four months), then 18.24% - 28.24% (Variable) APR

4.2 / 5

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(Read card review)
Apply now Lock Icon
on Citi's secure site
Travel
$95

10X points on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked via the Citi Travel℠ portal

3X points on air travel and other hotel purchases, at restaurants, supermarkets and gas and EV charging stations

$100 annual hotel benefit discount on a single hotel stay of $500 or more booked via the Citi Travel℠ portal (excludes taxes and fees)
 

4.7 / 5

Info Icon
(Read card review)
Apply now Lock Icon
on Citi's secure site
Best balance transfer card
$0

N/A

4.1 / 5

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(Read card review)
Apply now Lock Icon
on Citi's secure site
Image of Citi Custom Cash® Card
Citi Custom Cash® Card
Cash back
$0

5% cash back on the top eligible spending category each billing cycle (up to the first $500 spent each cycle, then 1% cash  back)

4% cash back on hotels, car rentals and attractions via the Citi Travel℠ portal (through June 30, 2026)

Researching the best Citi credit cards

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250+
cards rated
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50+
rewards programs valued
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5000
data points analyzed
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40+
perks evaluated

We thoroughly rate and research the best Citi cards based on key criteria to help you make confident decisions when choosing your next credit card. Learn more about our methodology below.

What to know about Citi credit cards

Citi is one of the largest financial institutions in the world with more than 200 million customers and operations in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions. The issuer’s credit card selection isn’t as robust as some issuers’ card offerings, but Citi’s credit cards are low-cost powerhouses for everyday spenders and people hunting for top-notch balance transfer intro APR offers. Citi’s main rewards cards all earn ThankYou points, so they can stack up plenty of value toward travel if you decide to pair them with the premium Citi Strata Premier℠ Card.

But if you’re interested in luxury-level travel cards, rewards-packed starter cards and leading business cards, though, Citi cards may not be the best picks. Determining the right card for you will depend on your spending habits, debt, future expenses and credit score, so be sure to keep these factors — and our experts’ advice below — in mind while weighing your options.

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Bankrate insight

Outside of its ThankYou point-earning cards, Citi is also known for its popular co-branded cards. Frequent flyers may want to check out their best American Airlines cards, and frequent bulk buyers may be able to save even more money with the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi* or its business card counterpart.

Here’s how a Bankrate expert chose her Citi credit card

Despite her initial reluctance, Bankrate editor Courtney Mihocik has found the Citi Custom Cash® Card to be invaluable, allowing her to navigate her credit card journey with ease and flexibility. Its customizable features and rewards structure have enhanced her financial experience.

“I initially considered Citi as an issuer for my first general travel card, but its travel portal and benefits didn't stack up to competing issuers' travel cards. But I think Citi really shines with its cash back credit cards. I got the Citi Custom Cash card in 2022 and have used it solely for my grocery purchases for almost two years, racking up a solid amount of 'basic' Citi ThankYou points. I'm going to keep stockpiling the points until I have a hefty sum to cover a large grocery haul.

One of my favorite aspects of being a Citi cardholder is managing my account on the mobile app. With it, I can track my cash back rewards, easily pay off my balances and even request credit limit increases. And when I found a fraudulent charge on my Citi Custom Cash card in 2022, Citi was quick to cancel the card, refund the amount and send a replacement.”

— Courtney Mihocik, Bankrate editor

Citi customer experience

Citi ranks sixth in customer satisfaction among major credit card issuers, according to J.D. Power’s 2023 customer satisfaction study, holding the same rank since the 2023 and 2022 surveys. This is also the first year since 2022 that its customer satisfaction score has risen above the average score, and Citi ranks better than about 63 percent of other surveyed issuers. Citi’s performance also seems to have improved over the past few years, based on the J.D. Power surveys. 

Citi is also the only issuer in the top six to have marginally improved its score since 2023. Meanwhile, the other five issuers all faced notable drops to their score. Plus, the difference between Citi’s score and the top-ranked issuer’s score (American Express) more than halved, drastically narrowing from a 51-point difference in 2023 to a 23-point difference in 2024. Citi cards have also generally climbed a few ranks in the individual card category rankings since the 2023 survey.

Consumers’ credit card needs have changed over the past year as there has been a shift toward cash back (away from points and miles), lower annual fees and interest intro APR offers to help manage sustained high interest rates and credit card debt. Considering these factors are major pillars among Citi’s credit cards, they could be more satisfying cards worth considering in the current market.

 

Pros and cons of Citi credit cards

Pros

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    Diverse rewards category rosters: Citi’s major credit cards focus on providing uniquely extensive bonus categories to capitalize on as much everyday spending as possible, potentially including both key expenses and niche categories.

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    Versatile rewards redemptions: Unlike some issuers’ points and miles, Citi ThankYou points can be redeemed for cash back at an equal value of 1 cent per point, which can make these cards more helpful if you don’t travel often.

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    Competitive intro offers: Several Citi cards have decent sign-up bonuses and top-tier intro APR offers for balance transfers, adding plenty of short-term value to the card and breathing room for debt consolidators.

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    Great for pairing: Citi’s no-annual-fee rewards cards don’t overlap with the issuer’s premium travel card, making Citi cards some of the best options on the market if you’re trying to maximize your rewards earnings with an affordable card stack.

Cons

  • Trailing travel value for rewards strategists: Based on Bankrate’s latest points and miles valuations, ThankYou points could be worth less on average through top travel transfer partners than Chase Ultimate Rewards points, Amex Membership Rewards points and Capital One miles.

  • Limited options for beginners and business owners: If you are focused on building credit or your small business, you’ll have few competitive starter options with Citi.

  • Basic credit card perks: Citi credit cards tend to sacrifice additional perks like travel and shopping protections, partner rideshare or delivery offers and non-essential travel benefits in order to optimize their rewards rates, bonus categories and intro APR offers.

  • No luxury travel cards: Unlike Capital One, Chase and American Express, Citi doesn’t offer luxury, perk-packed travel cards that typically have a $300 to $700 annual fee. Instead, the Citi Strata Premier is its flagship card.

What people say about Citi credit cards

With new credit cards launching and existing cards updating their sign-up bonuses and fees, we wanted to get a sense of what people are saying about Citi credit cards. Most users on the popular subreddit r/CreditCards saw them positively, especially if you prefer cash back to travel rewards: 

“They’re pretty good for cash back! If you wanted to have just a Double Cash and a Custom Cash as your setup, that’s already solid in my opinion.”

Reddit User

Citi cards are also known for their redemption flexibility. One user on myFICO raised a great point in a conversation about Citi cards, commenting, “The main draw is that I can cash out all my cashback to any bank account I choose.” This can be valuable because it’s important to be able to access your rewards how you please. With most Citi cards you can opt for simplicity and receive cash back hassle-free.

* The quotes and citations included on this page have been verified by our editorial team and are accurate as of the posting date. Outlinked content may contain views and opinions that do not reflect the views and opinions of Bankrate.

Expert advice for Citi Cards

Check out tips from our team of financial experts on how to maximize rewards and features on your Citi card.

Have more questions for our credit cards editors? Feel free to send us an email, find us on Facebook, or Tweet us @Bankrate.

Frequently asked questions about Citi credit cards

*The information about the Chase Freedom Flex®, the  Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi, Citi Rewards+® Student Credit Card, and the Citi® Secured Mastercard® has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.

How we assess the best Citi credit cards

When evaluating the best credit cards from Citi, we take into account several factors, including how cards score in our proprietary card rating system and whether they offer features that fit the priorities of a diverse group of cardholders, from earning rewards to scoring a large sign-up bonus to saving on interest. 

Our rating database covers over 250 of the most popular credit cards, allowing us to compare the quality of various Citi cards to each other and to cards in the same category from other issuers. We scored each card based on the factors most relevant to its primary category, including its rewards rate, estimated annual earnings, intro APR period, ongoing APR, perks and more to determine whether it belonged in this month’s roundup. 

Here’s a look at how our card ratings are distributed as of August 2024, as well as some of the key factors that we considered in selecting this month’s best Citi cards.

5
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
Overall Score
  • 5 stars 2%
  • 4 - 4.9 stars 35%
  • 3 - 3.9 stars 39%
  • 2 - 2.9 stars 22%
  • 1 - 1.9 stars 2%