Citi Prestige MasterCard Credit Card: Luxury Travel Benefits

Travel Card with Luxury Benefits
Citi Prestige Card
Citi Prestige Card

Citi Prestige MasterCard Credit Card: Luxury Travel Benefits

Travel Card with Luxury Benefits

4.5/5.0

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Rewards
Perks
Fees

Pros

  • Great luxury benefits
  • Ideal for higher budgets
  • Great golfing and travel perks

Cons

  • Very high annual fees
  • Unsuitable for moderate budgets
Citi Prestige Card
Citi Prestige Card

Citi Prestige MasterCard is one of the best travel cards for affluent consumers who place a premium on luxury travel privileges. In addition to exceptional perks–from unlimited lounge access to free hotel nights and more–this card offers 1.3 miles per S$1 local spend and 2 miles per S$1 overseas spend. Citibank customers are rewarded for the tenure of their relationship and receive an annual bonus of up to 30% rebate on their retail spend. Citi Prestige MasterCard is not for everyone, however. Cardholders must earn S$120,000 per year and pay a non-waivable annual fee of S$S$540. Some of this is offset by an annual renewal gift of 62,500 Citi ThankYouSM Points, equivalent to 25,000 miles (worth S$250), but this travel card and its luxurious benefits are best fit for affluent consumers willing to pay a premium annual fee.

Citi Prestige MasterCard Credit Card Features and Benefits

  • Annual Fee: S$540, No waiver
  • Income Requirement: S$120,000 for citizens & PRs, S$120,000 for foreigners
Key Features:
  • Annual fee: S$540
  • 1.3 miles per S$1 local spend, 2 miles overseas
  • Citi Miles never expire. Exchange for frequent flyer miles, hotel stays, rewards and cash rebates.
  • 6 complimentary golf games at golf courses in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and China
  • Unlimited lounge access, travel insurance, free hotel nights & more
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What Makes Citi Prestige MasterCard Credit Card Stand Out

Citi Prestige MasterCard is a great option for affluent travellers who prioritize luxury perks and are willing to pay a high fee for them. To begin with, cardholders earn 1.3 miles per S$1 local spend and 2 miles overseas. They can also earn miles at this rate for spend on taxes, rent, condominium management fees, school fees, electricity bills and more through Citi PayAll (though there is a 1.5–2% service fee). The card also has exceptional benefits that ensure travel experiences are comfortable and exclusive. Key perks include unlimited VIP access to airport lounges, free 1-night stay extensions at select hotels with a minimum of 4-night bookings, complimentary airport limousine transfers, waived green fees at select golf clubs and travel insurance.

Travel BenefitDetails
Airport Lounge AccessUnlimited complimentary access to VIP airport lounges worldwide through Priority Pass, allowing entry for primary cardholder and one accompanying guest
Hotel Booking ExtensionsComplimentary 1-night extension with no blackout dates available to primary cardholder with booking of 4 consecutive nights at any hotel. Hotel booking must be made through Citi Prestige Concierge for eligibility
Limousine TransfersUp to 8 complimentary 1-way airport transfers per year (2 transfers per calendar quarter with a minimum spend of $12,000 per quarter) to or from Changi airport. Primary cardholder must be present for transfer
Golf PrivilegesUp to 6 complimentary green fee rounds per year at select golf clubs. Bookings must be made through Citi Prestige Concierge for eligibility.
  • Up to 3 complimentary green fee rounds at Sentosa Golf Club (weekday only), Sembawang Country Club, and / or Marina Bay Gold Course. Primary cardholder must be accompanied by at least 1 paying guest at Sentosa Golf Club
  • Up to 3 complimentary weekday or weekend green fee rounds at Mission Hills Golf Club, Dongguan Hillview Golf Club, Horizon Hills Golf & Country Club, Tropicana Golf & Country Resort, Glenmarie Golf & Country Club, Ria Bintan Golf Club, and / or Klub Golf Sukajadi. Mission Hills Golf Club requires a minimum 1-night stay for every tee time booking
Insurance
  • Coverage of up to S$1,000,000 or up to S$50,000 for an accompanying dependent child
  • Coverage of up to S$50,000 or S$25,000 for an accompanying dependent child for medical expenses incurred due to injury or sickness whilst on a covered trip.
  • Coverage of up to S$100,000 for emergency medical evacuation and up to S$50,000 for repatriation

There are limitations to Citi Prestige MasterCard, however. Cardholders must earn S$120,000 per annum to qualify for approval. In addition, there is a non-waivable annual fee of S$540. This is somewhat offset by a welcome gift of 62,500 Citi ThankYouSM Points, equivalent to 25,000 miles (worth S$250) as well as a membership renewal bonus of 25,000 miles with each subsequent annual payment. Ultimately, the value of this card is drawn from less quantifiable benefits, such as its luxury travel privileges. While cardholders can also earn miles fairly quickly, it may be difficult for less-frequent travellers to recoup the annual fee through rewards earning alone.

Overall, Citi Prestige MasterCard is great for affluent travellers seeking to enjoy luxury benefits while also rapidly earning miles, as long as they are willing to pay a substantial annual fee. Consumers can earn miles at a fairly generous rewards rate, especially with Citigold status, and also receive bonus miles. However, a great deal of value is derived from the card's extensive and exclusive travel privileges, making Citi Prestige MasterCard ideal for frequent travellers seeking comfort and ease, even if they must pay a high annual fee to earn access.

How Does The Citi Prestige MasterCard Credit Card Rewards Program Work?

Use our quick guide below to learn how you can redeem Citi Prestige MasterCard's rewards.

  • Spend officially rewarded in Citi ThankYou Points, which do not expire
  • Citi ThankYou Points can be redeemed for vouchers w/ select merchants, cash rewards, or miles
  • 2.5 Citi ThankYou Points = 1 Mile, transferable to participating loyalty programs
  • Points must be transferred to participating loyalty programs in blocks of 10,000 points
  • There is an administrative fee of S$25 per redemption/transfer of miles
  • Upon card termination for any reason, points/miles are automatically forfeited

Citi Prestige MasterCard Credit Card Rewards Exclusions

The following credit card expenditures are ineligible for cash back or rebate.

Annual fees, interest charges, late payment charges, GST, cash advances, instalment/easy/extended/equal payment plans, preferred payment plans, balance transfers, cash advances, quasi-cash transactions (remote stored value load, money transfers, truck stop transactions), wire transfer money orders (WTMOs), foreign currency money orders, travelers cheques, debt repayment, all fees charged by Citibank or third party, miscellaneous charges imposed by Citibank (unless otherwise stated in writing by Citibank)
Funds transfers using the card as source of funds, bill payments (including via Citibank Online or via any other channel or agent); any top-ups or payment of funds to payment service providers, prepaid cards and any prepaid accounts; all transit-related transactions; any stored value card purchase/reload; utilities (electric, gas, water, sanitary); payment to merchants including (but not limited to) AXS, Banc de Binary, BUS/MRT, EZ-Link, MoneyBookers, OANDA, PayPal, SAM, Saxo Cap Markets, Skrill, SKR, SkyFX, TL-ABT, Transitlink, Youtrip
Member financial institutions (merchandise & services); securities brokers & dealers; insurance sales, underwriting and premiums/direct marketing insurance services; gambling and betting (lottery tickets, casino gambling chips, off-track betting, wagers at race tracks & more); education (schools, elementary and secondary colleges, universities, professional schools and junior colleges/schools, correspondence schools, business and secretarial schools, trade and vocational schools, any other educational services); charitable/religious organizations; political organisations; court costs including alimony & child support; fines; bail bond payments; tax payments; government services (including postal services) & intra-government purchases
Nondurable goods (not elsewhere classified); quasi-cash merchants; real estate agents & managers; cleaning, maintenance & janitorial services; automobile parking lots & garages; cigar stores and stands

How does the Citi Prestige MasterCard Credit Card Compare Against Other Cards?

Citi Prestige Card
Citi Prestige Card
Consider this if you want a card with great travel perks
  • Pros
    • Great luxury benefits
    • Ideal for higher budgets
    • Great golfing and travel perks
    • Cons
      • Very high annual fees
      • Unsuitable for moderate budgets

      Read our comparisons of Citi Prestige MasterCard with other cards and learn what makes each card unique in their own way. We compare and contrast each card to highlight its uniqueness to help you identify the card that you need.

      Citi Prestige MasterCard provides below average value-to-consumer after two years based on a monthly spend of S$6,000, but offers travel privileges and discounts not captured within this metric

      Citi Prestige MasterCard Credit Card v. Citi PremierMiles Visa Card

      Consider this if you are looking for a standard miles rewards credit card
      • Pros
        • Frequent traveler perks
        • Low fees
        • Flexible miles redemption
        • Cons
          • Lacks luxury perks
          • Not suitable for occasional travel

          Citi PremierMiles Visa Card is great for consumers seeking an accessible travel card with privileges, but without a hefty annual fee. Cardholders earn 1.2 miles per S$1 local spend and 2 miles per S$1 overseas spend. New cardholders receive 45,000 miles after paying their annual fee and spending S$9,000, and 10,000 miles with every subsequent annual fee payment. These miles offset the annual fee of S$194.40, waived the 1st year. With benefits like travel insurance and 2 free airport lounge visits per year, Citi PMV Card is great for average spenders who enjoy travel perks but prefer not to pay high annual fees. For consumers who value luxury perks and are willing to pay a high fee for them, Citi Prestige MasterCard is a better option.

          Citi Prestige MasterCard Credit Card v. UOB PRVI Miles American Express Card

          Consider this if you want to maximise mile rewards without paying an extravagant annual fee
          • Pros
            • Great for rapid miles accrual
            • Awards high spend on airlines & hotels
            • Annual fee waiver with Amex card
            • Cons
              • Doesn't fit infrequent travellers with mostly local budgets
              • Lacks luxury perks & privileges

              UOB PRVI Miles American Express Card is great for maximising miles earnings. The card offers 1.4 miles per S$1 local spend, 2.4 miles per S$1 overseas spend, and 10 miles per S$1 spend with major airlines and hotels. The annual fee of S$256.8 is lower than for comparable cards and is offset by 20,000 loyalty miles (worth S$200) per year as a renewal bonus, after a S$50,000 annual spend.

              However, UOB PRVI Miles Amex Card does not offer some of the luxury perks offered by pricier travel cards. While it provides free airport transfers and travel insurance, it doesn't offer lounge access, golf privileges or exclusive discounts. UOB PRVI Miles Amex Card is therefore a great option for maximising miles earned, even if this means sacrificing a few travel perks. Citi Prestige MasterCard is a better option for travellers who prioritize luxury benefits and are willing to pay a high fee for them.

              Citi Prestige MasterCard Credit Card v. Standard Chartered Visa Infinite Card

              Consider this if you travel overseas frequently for business or for shopping
              • Pros
                • Great rewards for high overseas spend
                • Rewards banking activity
                • Cons
                  • Not suitable for average spenders who mostly buy local essentials
                  • Annual fee

                  Affluent consumers who frequently spend overseas and can afford an annual fee of S$594 should consider Standard Chartered Visa Infinite Card. While the non-waivable fee is very high, the rewards rate of 1.4 miles per S$1 local spend and 3 miles for overseas spend leads the market. SC Visa Infinite Card also provides transportation benefits like Hertz Asia privileges and up to 25% fuel savings at Caltex. While Citi Prestige Card will generally yield more miles due to its 25,000 annual renewal bonus miles (worth S$250) and an annual relationship bonus for Citi banking customers, SC Visa Infinite Card's higher rewards rates (especially for overseas spend) balance the difference. In fact, high-spending travellers who make frequent purchases abroad will earn more in rewards with SC Visa Infinite Card than with Citi Prestige MasterCard. Citi Prestige MasterCard does have unlimited airport lounge access and golfing privileges, however, so those who spend less overseas but enjoy these privileges might want to opt for Citi Prestige MasterCard instead.

                  Citi Prestige MasterCard Credit Card v. OCBC Voyage Card

                  OCBC VOYAGE Card
                  OCBC VOYAGE Card
                  Consider this if you have a high annual income and eat out frequently
                  • Pros
                    • 2.2 miles per S$1 overseas retail and dining spend
                    • 1.3 miles per S$1 local retail spend
                    • 15,000 annual bonus renewal miles (worth S$150)
                    • Unlimited lounge access, limo transfers & more
                    • Up to 19% fuel savings with Caltex
                    • Cons
                      • High S$488 annual fee (no waiver)
                      • Recurring bills ineligible for rewards
                      • Access to limo transfers requires S$5,000 minimum spend

                      OCBC Voyage Card benefits consumers who are willing to pay an annual fee for a flexible travel card. OCBC Voyage Card offers miles redemption without airline blackout dates, waives administrative fees for miles transfers to KrisFlyer, and allows cardholders to redeem miles for cash. The card offers 1.2 miles per S$1 general local spend, 1.6 miles per S$1 local dining spend, and 2.3 miles per S$1 spend in foreign currency. This special rate for dining is complemented by VOYAGE Exclusive Offers which provide additional savings with merchants worldwide. OCBC Voyage Card also offers complimentary lounge access, limo transfers and free travel insurance. However, it has a high non-waivable annual fee of S$488 that is only partially offset by 15,000 bonus welcome miles (worth S$150). OCBC Voyage Card is great for consumers seeking a flexible card that maximises miles. Consumers who prioritise luxury benefits and mile rewards might instead consider Citi Prestige MasterCard.

                      Citi Prestige MasterCard Credit Card v. HSBC Visa Infinite Card

                      Consider this if you prioritise luxury benefits, especially related to airports

                      HSBC Visa Infinite Card is an exclusive travel card for affluent consumers who prioritise travel luxury, especially those related to airports. On top of unlimited airport lounge access, 24 free limo transfers and free travel insurance, consumers receive expedited immigration clearance, which is a unique benefit of this card. On the other hand, while HSBC Visa Infinite Card's annual fee is quite high at S$650, S$488 for HSBC Premier customers, its mile rewards aren't that much higher than other mile cards that charge much lower annual fee of around S$200 (1.25 miles per S$1 local spend and 2.25 miles for overseas spend. Still, this fee is partially offset by an initial 35,000 welcome miles (worth S$350). The best fit for HSBC Visa Infinite Card is an affluent traveller with high overseas spend who insists on convenience and comfort when at the airport.

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                      Zoryana Melesh

                      Zoryana is a Senior Research Analyst at ValueChampion, who focuses on evaluating credit cards, savings and fixed deposits in Singapore. She holds a BA in Political Science and an MPA in International Finance and Economic Policy, both from Columbia University. Prior to joining ValueChampion, Zoryana worked in treasury management consulting.

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