Citi PremierMiles Visa Card - MoneySmart Singapore Review 2018

March 23, 2018

Unless you already travel and spend overseas a lot, earning miles on an air miles credit card takes a painfully long time. 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.

For the longest time, the Citi PremierMiles Visa Card has one of the best sign-up bonuses in town. But that offer has ended. Is it still the best mid-level miles credit card for earning miles fast? Let’s find out.

Citi PremierMiles Visa Card

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Card Benefits

S$1 = 1.2 Citi Miles (Local spend)
S$1 = 2 Citi Miles (Overseas spend)
Earn up to 7 Citi Miles per S$1 spent on Agoda.com/bonusmiles and 3 Citi Miles per S$1 spent on expedia.com.sg/bonusrewards
Citi Miles never expire
Priority Pass™ membership gives you access to more than 600 airport lounges twice a year
Receive 10,000 Citi Miles upon membership renewal and payment of annual fee
Complimentary Travel Accident Insurance up to S$1,000,000 coverage, Medical Assistance Programme and Travel Inconvenience Coverage

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Pros and cons of the Citi PremierMiles Visa Card

Pros	Cons
Sign-up bonus of $150 NTUC FairPrice or Takashimaya voucher until 15 Apr 2018.	For new-to-Citibank applicants signing up through MoneySmart.
A generous 7 miles for every dollar spent on selected Agoda bookings.	Bookings must be made by 22 Jul 2018, for stays up to 31 Dec 2018.
2 miles for every dollar spent overseas.	Miles conversion rate is not great.
1.2 miles for every dollar spent locally.	Miles conversion rate is not great.
Renewal bonus of 10,000 miles.	Have to pay annual fee of $192.60.
Citi Miles never expire and can be used with a wide range of frequent flyer programmes.	Each conversion costs $25.
Complimentary travel insurance of up to $1,000,000 when you charge travel fare to the card.
Entry level income requirement of $30,000 a year.
Annual fee waived for one year if you forgo bonus miles.	Annual fee of $192.60.

The best miles card for Agoda bookings… and not much else

Last year, the Citi PremierMiles was a top pick for air miles because of its huge welcome bonus of 42,000 miles with $10,000 spend. For those with big expenses like home renovations or family vacations coming up, it made total sense to get this credit card. Sadly, this offer expired as of 28 Feb 2018 and we’re not sure if it will be renewed.

Since its main USP is no longer valid, does it still stand as a decent air miles credit card? Blunt answer: no. Both its local and overseas earn rates lose out to its main competitor, the UOB PRVI Miles Card.

That said, the Citi PremierMiles’s Agoda promotion is the best in town. No other card gives you 7 miles per dollar for (selected) Agoda bookings for this year, with no cap in sight. You have to make your bookings by 22 July 2018 though.

Citi PremierMiles Visa Card vs. the competition

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 = 6 miles (Agoda, Expedia, UOB Travel).

American Express KrisFlyer Ascend – Poorer overall earn rates than the Citi PremierMiles Visa Card, but at least it has a welcome bonus, promising 29,300 miles with your first $6,000 spend. You also get more travel perks like a free hotel stay and airport lounge access, and miles go straight to your KrisFlyer account for maximum convenience.

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. However, there’s a $300 minimum spend and its non-bonus earn rates (even overseas) aren’t great.

If you’re looking for sign-up bonuses, either wait for the Citi PremierMiles to reinstate its welcome offer, or go for the American Express KrisFlyer Ascend or its baby sibling, the American Express KrisFlyer.

If you want a regular credit card for earning miles, however, skip the Citi PremierMiles credit card for either the Maybank Horizon card (for good bonus rates on local dining and transportation) or the UOB PRVI Miles Card (for better rates on travel and overseas spending).