The Citi Prestige: Why I Held On for Years and Finally Let It Go

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The Citi Prestige has been on thin ice in my wallet for years. Since as far back as 2022, I’ve debated whether it was worth keeping, and even before then, I had my doubts. With a $495 annual fee—offset by an easy-to-use $250 travel credit—I was still left paying $245 out of pocket. The question was: Did the benefits justify the cost? After much deliberation, I finally decided the answer was no. Here’s why.

The Reasons I Kept the Card

4th Night Free Benefit

The Citi Prestige’s 4th Night Free benefit used to be a game-changer. Initially, you could book any hotel through the Citi concierge, use discounted rates (like AAA), pay at the hotel, and still earn loyalty perks and night credits from chain hotels. Plus, you’d get a credit back for 25% of the total stay cost.

Unfortunately, those days are long gone. Now, the benefit is far more restrictive:

• You must book through the Citi Travel portal and pay upfront with your Citi Prestige Card, Citi ThankYou points or a combination of ThankYou points and your Citi Prestige Card.
• The credit applies only to the average nightly rate (excluding taxes and fees).
• The booking counts as a third-party reservation, so you won’t earn loyalty points or enjoy elite benefits at chain hotels.

The last time I used the benefit, I saved $10 on a $1,000 stay. It’s not exactly worth it for my travel needs anymore.

Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Credit

The Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit is a nice perk, but it’s available on many cards with lower annual fees. I didn’t need to keep the Prestige just for this benefit.

Cell Phone Protection

Paying your phone bill with the Citi Prestige provides cell phone protection, covering up to $800 per claim (after a $50 deductible) and up to $1,500 annually for up to five lines.

While that’s useful, the Citi Prestige doesn’t offer bonus points for paying your phone bill, unlike the Capital One Venture X, which provides similar coverage and earns 2X points on all purchases—including phone bills.

Priority Pass Membership

The Citi Prestige offers one of the best Priority Pass Select memberships, including access for immediate family members and up to two guests. It’s also one of the few cards that still includes the Priority Pass restaurant credit.

That said, I barely used this benefit—just three times in several years. My most recent experience was at The Grain Store before a flight from London Gatwick, but I later learned the restaurant dropped out of the Priority Pass program shortly afterward. For someone who doesn’t frequent lounges often, this perk simply wasn’t enough to justify the card’s cost.

Why I Finally Dropped the Citi Prestige

After years of holding on to the Citi Prestige, I finally dropped it. Part of the reason I kept it for so long was the hope that Citi might revamp it to compete with luxury cards like the American Express Platinum or Chase Sapphire Reserve.

But after waiting—and wasting $495 a year—it became clear that wasn’t going to happen. Citi’s recent updates to the Strata Premier℠ Card (still open to new applicants) suggest that any future luxury product Citi introduces will likely be a completely new card. If that happens, I’ll get the chance to apply fresh and snag a signup bonus.

Ultimately, the Citi Prestige no longer aligned with my travel needs. While it may still work for frequent travelers who can maximize its benefits, it wasn’t worth the $245 net cost for me. In hindsight, I should have let it go sooner. What about you? Are you holding onto your Citi Prestige, or have you moved on? Let me know in the comments!

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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary