Citi PremierMiles Card – MoneySmart Review 2022

The Citi PremierMiles Card used to be in the spotlight for the longest time: It was considered one of the most popular Citibank credit cards, and once upon a time, some even regarded it as the best miles credit card in Singapore.

Why? Citi PremierMiles Card had one of the best sign-up bonuses in town.  Those were the good ol’ days when the Citi PremierMiles Card welcomed new customers with a hefty sign-up bonus of 45,000 miles.

Earning miles on an air miles credit card takes a painfully long time, and one way to work around that is to get a credit card with a big sign-up bonus so you can get a sizeable bump in your miles. We hate to deliver the bad news but much has changed with the Citi PremierMiles sign-up bonus.

However, is the CitiPremierMiles Card still worth getting? Let’s find out.

Citi PremierMiles Card essential information

How the Citi PremierMiles Card works

The Citi PremierMiles Card used to be a top pick for air miles because of its huge welcome bonus of 45,000 miles. Citibank has since shaved that down to 25,000 miles.

Let’s compare this across the board with other air miles cards and see how the Citi PremierMiles Card fares against other miles cards with the same minimum income requirement of $30,000.

Even after cutting back, the Citi PremiereMiles card offers the best welcome bonus miles.

When you meet the minimum spend of $800 within 2 months and pay the annual fee of $192.60, 25,000 bonus miles will be credited to you within the next 3 months. Alternatively, you if only meet the minimum spend of $800 within 2 months, you will only be awarded 5,000 bonus miles. For most of us, hitting the minimum spend of $800 in 2 months is fairly easy.

MoneySmart Exclusive

$1 = Up to 4 Miles (Limited Time Only)

Citi PremierMiles Card

Local Spend

S$1 = 1.2 Miles

All Foreign Currency Spend including Retail and Online (Limited Time Only*)

S$1 = Up to 4 Miles*

Selected Online Hotel Bookings

S$1 = Up to 10 Miles

MoneySmart Exclusive:

Apply and Spend $500 to get a Nintendo Switch OLED (worth S$549) OR 15,000 KrisFlyer miles (worth one-way ticket to Bali) OR S$300 Cash via PayNow. PLUS stand a chance to win a ROLEX or PlayStation 5!!! T&Cs apply.

Valid until 31 Mar 2023

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More Details

Key Features

• S$1 = 1.2 Citi Miles on Local spend (no min. spend)

• S$1 = 2 Citi Miles on Foreign currency spend

• Bonus: Earn additional 2 Citi Miles on qualifying foreign currency spend while overseas between 1 March and 30 June 2023. Bank T&Cs apply.

• Annual Fee Applies

• Earn 10,000 Citi Miles upon renewal of annual membership and payment of annual fee

• Citi Miles never expire

• Priority Pass™ membership gives you access to more than 600 airport lounges twice a year

• Priority Pass membership is on application basis and is reserved for the Principal cardmember only, limited to 2 complimentary visits per calendar year

• Complimentary Travel Accident Insurance up to S$1,000,000 coverage, Medical Assistance Programme and Travel Inconvenience Coverage

• With Citi PayAll, you can earn and accumulate Citi Miles, Citi ThankYou PointsSM or Cash Back quickly when you pay your big-ticket bills such as rent, insurance premiums, education expenses, taxes, utilities and more

• At MoneySmart, we strive to keep our information accurate and up to date. This information may be different from what you see when you visit a financial institution, service provider, or specific product site. MoneySmart shall not be liable to compensate the Customer should the information is not as updated as our Partner.

See all card details 

Welcome promotions aside, the Citi PremierMiles Card standard miles accrual rate is $1 = 1.2 Citi Miles (local spend) and $1 = 2 Citi Miles (foreign currency spend). We’ve definitely seen better dollar-to-mile conversion rates but it is worthy to note that Citi Miles never expire.

If you aren’t travelling as frequently as before, you can still claim them later. You’ll also not have to worry about expiring miles in the event of another global pandemic. You just never know these days!

Who should use the Citi PremierMiles Card?

The Citi PremierMiles Card is fantastic for making travel bookings and big purchases. Both the overseas and local earn rates lose to its biggest competitor the UOB PRVI Miles Card ($1 = 2.4 miles for foreign currency spend, and $1 = 1.4 miles for local spend, no minimum).

That said, you may get quite a bit of utility out of the Citi PremierMiles Card if you make most (if not all) your bookings via travel aggregators Agoda and Kaligo, thanks to the current travel promotions and bonus earn rates.

The Citi PremierMiles Card also comes with Priority Pass membership for the Principal cardmember only (on application basis, 2x airport lounge visits per year) and complimentary travel insurance coverage of up to $1,000,000.

Citi PremierMiles Card promotions

Kaligo

• Earn 10 Citi Miles per $1 spent on Kaligo.com. Valid till 31 December 2022.

Agoda

• Earn up to 7 Citi Miles per $1 spent on hotel bookings worldwide. Valid for bookings made now till 31 July 2022 and for stays till 31 October 2022.

Alternatives to the Citi PremierMiles Card

I mentioned earlier that the Citi PremierMiles has poorer earn rates than its main competitor, the UOB PRVI Miles Card. Let’s compare it against similar credit cards on the market:

UOB PRVI Miles Card – Much better earn rates than the Citi PremierMiles, at $1 = 1.4 miles (local) and 2.4 miles (overseas), hence a better credit card for day-to-day use. It also has a competitive travel booking promotion with $1 = up to 6 miles (Agoda, Expedia, UOB Travel).

Online Promo

High Miles Earn Rate

UOB PRVI VISA Miles Card

Local Spend

S$1 = 1.4 Miles

Overseas Spend

S$1 = 2.4 Miles

Selected Online Hotel and Flight bookings

S$1 = 6 Miles

Online Promo:

Get 25,200 Welcome Miles when you successfully apply for an eligible UOB credit card and spend a minimum of S$1,000 per month for 2 consecutive months from card approval date.
New UOB PRVI Miles Cardmembers who apply and pay the first-year annual fee of S$240 (subject to prevailing GST) via SMS will receive 20,000 Bonus Miles. T&Cs apply. 

Valid until 31 Mar 2023

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Key Features

• Earn 6 miles with every S$1.00 spent on major airlines and hotels booked through Expedia, UOB Travel, and Agoda

• Earn 2.4 miles for every S$1.00 spent overseas (including online shopping from overseas websites), and 1.4 miles for every S$1.00 spent locally

• Choice to redeem for miles, cash rebate or vouchers

• No minimum spend and no cap on earned miles

• Complimentary Public Conveyance Personal Accident cover of S$500,000 and up to S$50,000 Emergency Medical Evacuation & Repatriation including illness due to COVID-19. T&Cs apply.

• At MoneySmart, we strive to keep our information accurate and up to date. This information may be different from what you see when you visit a financial institution, service provider, or specific product site. MoneySmart shall not be liable to compensate the Customer should the information is not as updated as our Partner.

See all card details 

American Express Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Ascend Credit Card

– Poorer overall earn rates than the Citi PremierMiles Card, but has bonus accrual for Grab rides capped at $200 ($1 = 3.1 miles). Its welcome offers is also less attractive: You only get 5,000 KrisFlyer miles the first time you charge to your card — for first-time American Express Singapore Airlines Credit Card applicants only.

To qualify for an additional 5,000 KrisFlyer miles, you’ll have to hit a minimum spend of $1,000 in the first 2 months. This is higher than Citi PremiereMiles Card’s $800 minimum spend in the first 2 months.

MoneySmart Exclusive

Convenience & Perks for Frequent Flyers

American Express Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Ascend Credit Card

Local Spend

S$1 = 1.2 Miles

Overseas Spend

S$1 = 2 Miles

on Eligible Grab transaction, capped at $200 per month

S$1 = 3.2 Miles

Get up to 21,500 worth of KrisFlyer Miles (worth a return trip to Bali or 1-way trip to Perth/Darwin via Singapore Airlines) from Amex when you apply. Min. spends of S$1,000 within first month of card approval and payable annual fee required. T&Cs Apply.

Valid until 03 Apr 2023

Apply Now

More Details

Key Features

• 1.2 KrisFlyer miles = S$1 for all eligible card spend

• 2 KrisFlyer miles = S$1 in foreign currency spent overseas in June & December with no cap

• 2 KrisFlyer miles = S$1 for eligible purchases made on singaporeair.com, SingaporeAir mobile app and KrisShop with no cap

• 3.2 KrisFlyer miles = S$1 for eligible Grab Singapore transactions, capped at S$200 per month

• Complimentary one night stay at particpating Hilton properties and 4 complimentary access each year to any participating SATS Premier Lounge in Singapore and Plaza Premium Lounge around the world.

• Receive 5,000 KrisFlyer miles upon first spend on card, applicable for first-time American Express Singapore Airlines Credit Card applicants only

• Spend S$15,000 or more on eligible purchases on singaporeair.com within the qualifying period to be rewarded with a Double KrisFlyer Miles Accrual Voucher

• Spend S$15,000 or more on eligible purchases on singaporeair.com within first 12 months of Card approval and get an accelerated upgrade to KrisFlyer Elite Gold Membership

• Up to S$1 million Travel Inconvenience & Travel Accident Benefits

• At MoneySmart, we strive to keep our information accurate and up to date. This information may be different from what you see when you visit a financial institution, service provider, or specific product site. MoneySmart shall not be liable to compensate the Customer should the information is not as updated as our Partner.

See all card details 

Maybank Horizon Visa Signature Card – With high bonus earn rates ($1 = 3.2 miles) on local dining, petrol and taxis, it’s hard to beat this one for getting miles on your daily expenses. There is a $300 minimum spend, which is reasonably low. Rewards are capped at 30,000 TREATS points per month.

Maybank Horizon Visa Signature

on Dining, Petrol, Taxi and Hotel Bookings at Agoda

S$1 = 8X Points

on Air Tickets, Travel Packages and Foreign Currency Spend

S$1 = 5X Points

Rewards to Miles Conversion for Selected Airline Partners

1 Point = 0.4 miles

Apply Now

More Details

Key Features

• Earn 3.2 air miles (8X TREATS Points) for every S$1 spent on dining, petrol, taxi fares and hotel bookings at Agoda.com/horizon

• Earn 2 air miles (5X TREATS Points) for every S$1 spent on air tickets, travel packages and foreign currency transactions

• Complimentary lounge access with minimum spend of S$1,000 in a single transaction on a retail purchase, accompanying guest(s) enjoys 20% off walk-in rates for lounge access.

• Complimentary Travel Insurance up to S$1,000,000

• 3 years annual fee waived

See all card details 

All in all, the Citi PremierMiles Visa Card has a decent, no-strings-attached welcome bonus, but that’s about it. Its main spend category for bonus miles is travel booking sites, but even for those, you’re better off with the UOB PRIVI Miles card’s more attractive earn rates.

If you want to earn miles while swiping for day-to-day stuff like meals and transport instead, then the Maybank Horizon Visa Signature is a much, much better choice.