Over the past couple of months, I’ve been weighting the pros and cons of getting a high end credit card. I had the American Express Platinum for a few years but I couldn’t justify paying the high cost of card when I wasn’t using any of the benefits. Now that I’ve changed jobs and relocated to the west coast I’m traveling more often than I ever did before.
The lounge access and other travel perks makes getting one of these cards a no brainer. In the high end credit card game there are basically 3 choices: the American Express Platinum, the Visa Black Card and the Citi Prestige. Since the Black card doesn’t have lounge access, it was immediately ruled out. So really the choice is between the AMEX Platinum and the Citi Prestige.
The American Express Platinum
This is the grand daddy of all the high end cards. It features:
– 40,000 member rewards points when you spend $3000 in the first 3 months
– $200 Airline Fee Credit
– $100 towards Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
– Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs and Airspace Lounges access
– Priority Pass Select membership
– Starwood Preferred Guest Gold
– The Boingo American Express Preferred Plan
– American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts
– No foreign transaction fees
– EMV Chip Technology
– $450 annual fee
– 1 Membership Reward point for all purchases
The Citi Prestige
Citi is new to the high end credit card game. It features:
– 50,000 Thank you points when you spend $3000 in the first 3 months
– $250 in Airline Credit
– $100 towards Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
– Admiral Club access when flying on American Airlines and US Airways
– Priority Pass Select membership
– Complimentary 4th night stay at any hotel of your choice
– 3 free rounds of golf
– No foreign transaction fees
– EMV Chip Technology
– $450 annual fee
– 3x Thankyou points on hotel and airfare
– 2x Thankyou points on dining
– 1x Thankyou points on everything else
Both cards seem comparable but there are some differences. Here’s how I made my decision to get the Citi Prestige.
Lounge Access
Even though both cards feature Priority Pass Select memberships, the Citi Prestige allows you to bring two guests for free while the American Express version makes you pay $27 per person per visit. Since Delta has cut back benefits for Alaska Airlines MVPs, I’ve been flying American Airlines more so Admiral Club access is more valuable to me than Delta Sky Club access. Even though I do enjoy the Centurion Lounges, I can still gain access through my American Express Everyday Card.
Winner: Citi Prestige
Everyday Earning
The Citi Prestige earns 3 ThankYou reward points on hotel and airline purchases, 2 ThankYou reward points on dining and 1 ThankYou reward point on everything else. The American Express Platinum earns 1 Membership Reward point on all purchases.
Winner: Citi Prestige
Transfer Partners and Redemptions
The American Express Platinum has over 20 transfer partners including British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Delta, Starwood and Hilton. The Citi Prestige has 10 transfer partners including Etihad, Qantas, Virgin Atlantic and Hilton. American Express Membership Rewards point can also be used to buy airline tickets through American Express travel at a rate of 1 cent apiece. Citi ThankYou points can be used to buy airlines tickets at 1.33 cents each or 1.6 cents each on American Airlines.
The high redemption on American Airlines is nice but the Citi Prestige lack of transfer partners is a huge downside.
Winner: American Express Platinum
Airline Credits
The Citi Prestige comes with a $250 airline credit which can be used to buy airlines tickets while the American Express Platinum comes with a $200 airline fee credit which can be used for things like bag fees, upgrades and inflight purchases.
The fact that the American Express fee credit can’t be used toward airline tickets is a deal breaker for me.
Winner: Citi Prestige
Hotel Benefits
The American Express Platinum offers Starwood Preferred Guest Gold which can be valuable for those who prefer to stay at Starwood Properties. American Express Platinum also offers the Fine Hotels and Resorts program which can grants perks like early check-in, spa credits, and upgrades. The Citi Prestige offers 4th night free at any hotel.
I don’t stay at Starwood hotels much and when I do, the stay is usually booked through my employer so I wouldn’t get much benefit from Starwood Preferred Guest Gold. The Fine Hotels and Resorts program is great but I have little use for it. The fact the Citi Prestige gives you a 4th night free at any hotel is a huge plus for me especially since my preferred hotel chains are Hilton and IHG.
Winner: Citi Prestige
Other Factors
Both cards offer no foreign transaction fees and EMV Chip Technology (both are chip and signature instead of chip and pin). The fact that the Citi Prestige is MasterCard means that it is accepted at more places than the American Express Platinum.
Winner: Citi Prestige