If you travel often for work or pleasure, you know there is a good way to make money from it. Of course, we are talking about reward cards that give you bonuses like miles and points and additional perks every time you use them. And if you are a frequent traveler, you can choose premium loyalty programs with pretty awesome rewards.

But here are some mistakes in using reward cards you should avoid:

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However, what must be noted about premium travel cards is their high annual fee. If you are okay with that because you can compensate for that cost with rewards due to frequent use, then these financial tools are a good choice. And if you do not want to pay too much but still want to enjoy the premium perks, you will opt for Citi Premier.

Acceptable Fees

Annual fees for most credit cards range from a few dozen to a few hundred dollars, depending on the issuer. Some of them, like Citi Premier, waive this cost for the first year and thus encourage people to use these financial products. And this card falls into the middle price range, so after the ‘trial period,’ an annual fee will be slightly below $100.

Other fees are interest ranging from 20.99% to 28.99%, depending on your limit and creditworthiness. Penalty interest is about 30%, while there are also balance transfer and cash advance costs, 5% (minimum $5) and 10% (minimum $10) of each transaction, respectively.

But unlike many other cards, you have no foreign transaction fees, which can significantly add up to your balance. That means the world to people who often travel abroad, as they can use their Citi Premier an unlimited number of times and thus earn many points without paying high fees.

Getting a City Premier Is Easy

The procedure for obtaining a Citi Premier is not too different from other credit cards. The first factor to consider is your credit score, and the better it is, the higher the chances for approval. Plus, you can qualify for lower APRs. So, if this parameter is 740 or more, you get the card without problems.

If you are in the range of 670 to 740, you can still get approved, but you will probably pay a slightly higher APR. When that is the case, it is always better to strive for a higher credit score. On this source, you can find some handy tips on improving this parameter.

You should not apply for this card if you have applied for some line of credit relatively recently, regardless of whether you were approved. Each application triggers a credit check, which is a hard inquiry into your credit score and can damage it for a long time. In general, if you have less than six of these over the six months, you should not have any problems getting your Citi Premier.

Significant Welcome Bonus

In order to be as attractive as possible to users, issuers provide various perks on their reward cards, and one of the most widely used is a welcome bonus. In the case of Citi Premier, it is 60,000 points that you earn after spending $4,000 in the first three months of account opening. That is quite easy, considering that everyday spendings, such as that in supermarkets and gas stations, is counted in the bonus categories.

Another great perk is that you can add one more authorized user to your Citi Premier and thus earn even more. So, if you have a friend or relative who shares your passion for travel, you can significantly boost the point collection. And, even better, you can share points with other accounts and collect them even more!

Rewards Accumulate Quickly

The great thing about reward cards is that you collect points by making everyday purchases. And with Citi Premier, you can earn a significant number of points in a relatively short period, which you can use for gift cards or at airline partners. Apart from the already mentioned welcome bonus, there are other ways to increase this balance.

For example, Citi offers triple points on specialized spending categories such as supermarkets, air travel, hotel accommodation, and gas, and double points on eating out and entertainment. Considering these are all expenses that all travelers have to a greater or lesser extent, using the Citi Premier Card will pay off. Plus, once a year, you get a $100 bonus for a stay in some of the partner hotels.

Also, if you read a review of the Citi Premier, you’ll see that you can earn points on all other expenses, like car rentals, entertainment, rail travel, etc., in a 1:1 ratio, that is, one point for every dollar spent. But if you have another card that carries more benefits for this type of spending, it is best to combine it with Citi Premier and enjoy the most benefits.

Using a Citi Premier card comes with a host of benefits, and you will particularly enjoy them if you travel a lot. The points bulk up fast, and you can redeem your rewards in many ways, from traveling to gift cards for you or your loved ones.