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Best Citi Credit Cards for October 2024 [CNET]

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Article updated on Oct 1, 2024

Looking for a Citi credit card? Here’s how to find the right fit for your wallet.

Why You Can Trust CNET Money

Our Experts

Evan ZimmerJaclyn DeJohnJaclyn DeJohn

Written by 

Evan Zimmer

Evan Zimmer has been writing about finance for years. After graduating with a journalism degree from SUNY Oswego, he wrote credit card content for Credit Card Insider (now Money Tips) before moving to ZDNET Finance to cover credit card, banking and blockchain news. He currently works with CNET Money to bring readers the most accurate and up-to-date financial information. Otherwise, you can find him reading, rock climbing, snowboarding and enjoying the outdoors.

See full bio

Jaclyn DeJohn

Jaclyn is a CNET Money editor who relishes the sweet spot between numbers and words. With responsibility for overseeing CNET’s credit card coverage, she writes and edits news, reviews and advice. She has experience covering business, personal finance and economics, and previously managed contracts and investments as a real estate agent. Her tech interests include Tesla, SpaceX, The Boring Company and Neuralink.

See full bio

Edited by 

Jaclyn DeJohn

Jaclyn is a CNET Money editor who relishes the sweet spot between numbers and words. With responsibility for overseeing CNET’s credit card coverage, she writes and edits news, reviews and advice. She has experience covering business, personal finance and economics, and previously managed contracts and investments as a real estate agent. Her tech interests include Tesla, SpaceX, The Boring Company and Neuralink.

See full bio

CNET staff — not advertisers, partners or business interests — determine how we review the products and services we cover. If you buy through our links, we may get paid.

Reviews ethics statement

Evan ZimmerJaclyn DeJohn

Written by

Evan Zimmer

Evan Zimmer

Evan Zimmer has been writing about finance for years. After graduating with a journalism degree from SUNY Oswego, he wrote credit card content for Credit Card Insider (now Money Tips) before moving to ZDNET Finance to cover credit card, banking and blockchain news. He currently works with CNET Money to bring readers the most accurate and up-to-date financial information. Otherwise, you can find him reading, rock climbing, snowboarding and enjoying the outdoors.

See full bio

Jaclyn DeJohn

Jaclyn DeJohn

Jaclyn is a CNET Money editor who relishes the sweet spot between numbers and words. With responsibility for overseeing CNET’s credit card coverage, she writes and edits news, reviews and advice. She has experience covering business, personal finance and economics, and previously managed contracts and investments as a real estate agent. Her tech interests include Tesla, SpaceX, The Boring Company and Neuralink.

See full bio

Edited by

Jaclyn DeJohn

Jaclyn DeJohn

Jaclyn is a CNET Money editor who relishes the sweet spot between numbers and words. With responsibility for overseeing CNET’s credit card coverage, she writes and edits news, reviews and advice. She has experience covering business, personal finance and economics, and previously managed contracts and investments as a real estate agent. Her tech interests include Tesla, SpaceX, The Boring Company and Neuralink.

See full bio

Article updated on Oct 1, 2024

  • Best flat-rate cash-back card

    Citi Double Cash® Card

    4.0/5

    Rating Breakdown 4.0

    Welcome Bonus 3.0

    Rewards Program 5.0

    Value for Money 5.0

    Benefits 2.0

    Fees and APR 3.5

    Rewards / Travel

    We rate credit cards using our Rewards / Travel methodology for cards tailored to earning rewards. We focus on each card’s reward potential, the value you get compared to the card’s cost, the benefits and the card’s rates and fees. Credit card issuers have no say or influence in our ratings. How we rate credit cards

    Annual Fee $0

    Rewards Rate

    1% – 5% Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time.; Plus, a special travel offer, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 12/31/25.

    Intro offer available Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.

    Apply Now with Citi

  • Great for travelers

    Citi Strata Premier℠ Card

    3.7/5

    Rating Breakdown 3.7

    Welcome Bonus 3.5

    Rewards Program 4.0

    Value for Money 4.0

    Benefits 3.5

    Fees and APR 3.0

    Rewards / Travel

    We rate credit cards using our Rewards / Travel methodology for cards tailored to earning rewards. We focus on each card’s reward potential, the value you get compared to the card’s cost, the benefits and the card’s rates and fees. Credit card issuers have no say or influence in our ratings. How we rate credit cards

    Annual Fee $95

    Rewards Rate

    1x – 10x Earn 10 points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on CitiTravel.com.; Earn 3 points per $1 on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases, at Restaurants, Supermarkets, Gas and EV Charging Stations.; Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases

    Intro offer available Earn 70,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $700 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com

    Apply Now with Citi

  • Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card Image

    A long balance transfer offer

    Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card

    3.8/5

    Rating Breakdown 3.8

    Offer Length 5.0

    BT Fee 3.0

    Offer Terms 3.0

    On-going Value 3.0

    Fees and APR 3.0

    Balance Transfer / Intro APR

    We rate credit cards using our balance transfer / Intro APR methodology for cards whose primary feature is a promotional period where new purchases or a transferred balance will accrue no or low interest for a period of time. We rank these credit cards based on the quality of their introductory offers, fees, lasting value and standard rates. Credit card issuers have no say or influence in our ratings. How we rate credit cards

    Annual Fee $0

    Rewards Rate

    N/A This card doesn’t offer cash back, miles, or points

  • Citi Custom Cash® Card Image

    Adaptable cash-back card

    Citi Custom Cash® Card

    3.7/5

    Rating Breakdown 3.7

    Welcome Bonus 3.5

    Rewards Program 4.0

    Value for Money 4.0

    Benefits 3.0

    Fees and APR 3.5

    Rewards / Travel

    We rate credit cards using our Rewards / Travel methodology for cards tailored to earning rewards. We focus on each card’s reward potential, the value you get compared to the card’s cost, the benefits and the card’s rates and fees. Credit card issuers have no say or influence in our ratings. How we rate credit cards

    Annual Fee $0

    Rewards Rate

    1% – 5% Earn 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent, 1% cash back thereafter.; Special Travel Offer: Earn an additional 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on Citi Travel℠ portal through 6/30/2025.; Earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.

  • Citi Simplicity® Card Image

    A good Intro APR offer

    Citi Simplicity® Card

    4.2/5

    Rating Breakdown 4.2

    Offer Length 5.0

    BT Fee 5.0

    Offer Terms 3.0

    On-going Value 3.0

    Fees and APR 3.0

    Balance Transfer / Intro APR

    We rate credit cards using our balance transfer / Intro APR methodology for cards whose primary feature is a promotional period where new purchases or a transferred balance will accrue no or low interest for a period of time. We rank these credit cards based on the quality of their introductory offers, fees, lasting value and standard rates. Credit card issuers have no say or influence in our ratings. How we rate credit cards

    Annual Fee $0

    Rewards Rate

    N/A This card doesn’t offer cash back, miles, or points

  • Citi Rewards+® Card Image

    Unique rewards features

    Citi Rewards+® Card

    3.1/5

    Rating Breakdown 3.1

    Welcome Bonus 3.0

    Rewards Program 3.0

    Value for Money 3.0

    Benefits 3.0

    Fees and APR 3.5

    Rewards / Travel

    We rate credit cards using our Rewards / Travel methodology for cards tailored to earning rewards. We focus on each card’s reward potential, the value you get compared to the card’s cost, the benefits and the card’s rates and fees. Credit card issuers have no say or influence in our ratings. How we rate credit cards

    Annual Fee $0

    Rewards Rate

    1x – 5x Special offer: earn 5 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on CitiTravel.com through December 31, 2025.; Earn 2X ThankYou® Points at Supermarkets and Gas Stations for the first $6,000 per year and then 1X Points thereafter.; Earn 1X ThankYou® Points on All Other Purchases.

  • Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® Image

    American Airlines card

    Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®

    3.3/5

    Rating Breakdown 3.3

    Welcome Bonus 3.0

    Rewards Program 3.5

    Value for Money 3.0

    Benefits 4.0

    Fees and APR 3.0

    Rewards / Travel

    We rate credit cards using our Rewards / Travel methodology for cards tailored to earning rewards. We focus on each card’s reward potential, the value you get compared to the card’s cost, the benefits and the card’s rates and fees. Credit card issuers have no say or influence in our ratings. How we rate credit cards

    Annual Fee $595

    Rewards Rate

    1x – 4x Earn 4x AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases.; 1 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent on other purchases

  • Citi® Secured Mastercard® Image

    Build credit with Citi

    Citi® Secured Mastercard®

    3.3/5

    Rating Breakdown 3.3

    Accessibility 3.0

    Effectiveness 3.0

    Cost 5.0

    Other Perks 2.0

    Fees and APR 3.0

    Credit Building

    We rate credit cards using our credit-building methodology for cards designed to help grow your credit score. Student credit cards, secured credit cards and credit cards with low or no credit requirements fall into this category. We rank them based on how easy they are to qualify for, credit-building features and how much they cost. Credit card issuers have no say or influence in our ratings. How we rate credit cards

    Annual Fee $0

    Rewards Rate

    N/A This card doesn’t offer cash back, miles, or points

Our Experts

Evan ZimmerJaclyn DeJohnJaclyn DeJohn

Written by 

Evan Zimmer

Evan Zimmer has been writing about finance for years. After graduating with a journalism degree from SUNY Oswego, he wrote credit card content for Credit Card Insider (now Money Tips) before moving to ZDNET Finance to cover credit card, banking and blockchain news. He currently works with CNET Money to bring readers the most accurate and up-to-date financial information. Otherwise, you can find him reading, rock climbing, snowboarding and enjoying the outdoors.

See full bio

Jaclyn DeJohn

Jaclyn is a CNET Money editor who relishes the sweet spot between numbers and words. With responsibility for overseeing CNET’s credit card coverage, she writes and edits news, reviews and advice. She has experience covering business, personal finance and economics, and previously managed contracts and investments as a real estate agent. Her tech interests include Tesla, SpaceX, The Boring Company and Neuralink.

See full bio

Edited by 

Jaclyn DeJohn

Jaclyn is a CNET Money editor who relishes the sweet spot between numbers and words. With responsibility for overseeing CNET’s credit card coverage, she writes and edits news, reviews and advice. She has experience covering business, personal finance and economics, and previously managed contracts and investments as a real estate agent. Her tech interests include Tesla, SpaceX, The Boring Company and Neuralink.

See full bio

CNET staff — not advertisers, partners or business interests — determine how we review the products and services we cover. If you buy through our links, we may get paid.

Reviews ethics statement

Why You Can Trust CNET Money

Before searching for a high value rewards card, we recommend building healthy credit habits, like paying your full credit card balance on time each month. Carrying a balance on your credit card can offset any rewards you might earn, so we recommend opting for a credit-building card if you’re just getting started.

Evan Zimmer

Evan Zimmer has been writing about finance for years. After graduating with a journalism degree from SUNY Oswego, he wrote credit card content for Credit Card Insider (now Money Tips) before moving to ZDNET Finance to cover credit card, banking and blockchain news. He currently works with CNET Money to bring readers the most accurate and up-to-date financial information. Otherwise, you can find him reading, rock climbing, snowboarding and enjoying the outdoors.

Jaclyn DeJohn

Jaclyn is a CNET Money editor who relishes the sweet spot between numbers and words. With responsibility for overseeing CNET’s credit card coverage, she writes and edits news, reviews and advice. She has experience covering business, personal finance and economics, and previously managed contracts and investments as a real estate agent. Her tech interests include Tesla, SpaceX, The Boring Company and Neuralink.