FINALLY! - Citi launching Citi Prestige with Visa Infinite

[mickto]

When I read your post mickto I immediately checked my statement - I've booked a bunch of AirBNBs recently, and AirBNB are headquartered in Ireland I think (for tax reasons, no doubt). Fortunately they come up as "AirBNBAU" or something similar, with no forex charges...

I think you should complain.

I took the advice and sent message. First reply they stood by their decision and said the manager will call me.

I then replied and told them that I will refer the matter (in a way that it is the merchant's fault, because they charged me in AUD in an au website, product printed from Brunswick, Vic)

They then come back with this "we note that the international transaction charges have
been reversed as a one-time goodwill gesture".

 

[Moindardt]

I just got off the phone with Citibank Concierge. I was trying to book a car for a flight on Saturday and she said it was a minimum of 72 hours notice. I booked it at about 48 hours last time. Is this a new change or did I get lucky before?

While I was on the phone, I ran through the benefits and I am very disappointed with all the changes and thinking about cancelling the card (she said she is having that conversation a lot lately and is going to get someone to call). Just interested in what other people think or whether I am missing some hidden value.

Cons:
1/ The transfer rates.
2/ International fees.
3/ Now got to stay 4 nights to get Hilton Gold
4/ Useless 1 night. Tried to use it various times and at places like Hong Kong and New York and never anything available.
5/ 72 hours for Limo Service. Great when you get it. The km's are a joke though.
6/ $700 is a lot for very limited benefits.
7/ 4 for 3 is no good for me cause I have always beaten it by quite a way with SPG BRG's.

Pro's
1/ No Cap
2/ It's a visa. Good for Australia
3/ 5 ppd when overseas. But now is about the same as 2ppd for Amex which is accepted everywhere overseas and worth at least 2x.

Comments?

 

[albyd]

I've got Prestige and will be sticking with it. Accepted everywhere & usually get annual fee to $350 which is quite common based on others' feedback on AFF.
Recently got the Amex platinum charge to give it a go and diversify my points warehouses. Struggling to use it anywhere near as much as prestige (generally don't pay the surcharge when points earn for FF points on Prestige=Amex).
For mine, I'll be keeping Prestige. Will re-assess Amex closer to the annual fee.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Comments?

Each to their own but for me Prestige slaughters any Amex Card - I have Amex Plat also - next week I am cancelling Amex Plat - fee free Prestige will be always be my go to card unless dramatic changes - recent change in SQ / VA conv rates far from a deal breaker IMHO.

 

[theblank]

3.4% surcharge on local AUD transactions.
Paid for photobook through photobox.com.au in AUD. Got charged 3.4% foreign currency fee.
Explanation from Citibank is that this company is a foreign company. And these are "new" changes to Citibank.

IMO, this is a problem for the merchant, not Citibank. They have no control over where you "chose" to use the card. If the merchant is misrepresenting to you that they are a domestic merchant you need to take it up with them.

I imagine that the community backlash over this issue will eventually cause the merchants to be forced to disclose the country in which the transaction is processed, so the buyer can make an informed choice.

In the meantime we consumers need to have our wits about us when shopping online to be aware that AUD pricing doesnt mean its an AU domestic business, and nor does .au in there site name. Looking at the photobox website, it seems highly likely that they are not an Australian retailer, so the international fee would be obviously incurred. But I do have the advantage of hindsight. Another big indicator is no GST being charged.

 

[DIVIC]

Cruiser Elite, how did you manage a fee free Prestige?

 

[DaveB]

Looking forward to the 2 way SMS service being introduced to confirm transactions being made are bona fide.
My Prestige card has now been stopped every month since December without any notice. Have to then ring to enable transactions to be processed again. Citi used to ring me when they were in doubt.
Prior to reactivating the card, Citi reps don't raise concerns or ask questions.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Cruiser Elite, how did you manage a fee free Prestige?

High spend DIVIC - high spend. Plenty others have same.

 

[diningdecadence]

Looking forward to the 2 way SMS service being introduced to confirm transactions being made are bona fide.
My Prestige card has now been stopped every month since December without any notice. Have to then ring to enable transactions to be processed again. Citi used to ring me when they were in doubt.
Prior to reactivating the card, Citi reps don't raise concerns or ask questions.

i must've been on a trial as had this early last month - was kind've annoying tbh. particularly when it was for minor things like an uber ride overseas when i had specifically called up and put a travel notification on the card.

Each to their own but for me Prestige slaughters any Amex Card - I have Amex Plat also - next week I am cancelling Amex Plat - fee free Prestige will be always be my go to card unless dramatic changes - recent change in SQ / VA conv rates far from a deal breaker IMHO.

cruiser have you ever used the FHR freebie nights as part of amex plat.? they seem to offer 3rd night free instead of 4th (albeit on limited hotels) which would be a greater benefit for me

 

[Cruiser Elite]

cruiser have you ever used the FHR freebie nights as part of amex plat.? they seem to offer 3rd night free instead of 4th (albeit on limited hotels) which would be a greater benefit for me

No I have never used it at all - I know nothing about it - the current City 'Stay 4 / Pay 3' promo is just a doozy.

 

[diningdecadence]

No I have never used it at all - I know nothing about it - the current City 'Stay 4 / Pay 3' promo is just a doozy.

https://www.americanexpressfhr.com/featured_hotel_searches/3565287 - Shanghai has a couple of 3rd nights free.

 

[quokka77]

The stay 4 pay 3 is good (25% discount). But you need to be able to pay the rate in advance to qualify. If you just use hotels.com Welcome rewards combined with Cash rewards you can get an effective 15% off for stays of any duration (without a Prestige card).

 

[kkl]

Am I right in saying $1 = 2 Citi Rewards = 2Hilton ?

secondly, has anyone managed to run business payments thru the card without question?

 

[Cruiser Elite]

secondly, has anyone managed to run business payments thru the card without question?

I don't think that is an uncommon practice.

 

[cove]

Who us?? Gee CE ??
Now when I booked the 4 nights and pay for 3 I did not get the stay to add onto my close to zero Hilton loyalty points as hotels.com do the booking.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Who us?? Gee CE ??

cove not for a moment was I suggesting that the fine upstanding citizens who frequent AFF would ever contemplate such blatant transgressions of CC Ts & Cs.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

The stay 4 pay 3 is good (25% discount). But you need to be able to pay the rate in advance to qualify. If you just use hotels.com Welcome rewards combined with Cash rewards you can get an effective 15% off for stays of any duration (without a Prestige card).

quok can you add a bit of clarity? Stay 10 then get 1 free = 9% disc is it not? CR offering 4.8% rebate - so is it not closer 13.8%? Only 1% or so and I am not nitpicking just checking.

https://www.americanexpressfhr.com/featured_hotel_searches/3565287 - Shanghai has a couple of 3rd nights free.

dd that link leads me nowhere - what am I doing wrong?

 

[diningdecadence]

dd that link leads me nowhere - what am I doing wrong?

Try just to .com and then search Shanghai- might work.

 

[quokka77]

No, you're right, 1 / 11 = 9.09%, and Cash Rewards is 4.8% (although it used to be 6% at one stage) so that's 13.89% which is not 15%. Alternatively there is usually a code around for 8-10% off the booking, which is then ineligible for Welcome rewards. It also remains to be seen whether these x% codes stack with CR. I have one that tracked but which has not yet posted with CR.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

OK so just completed 4th of 4 B2B 'Stay 4 / Pay 3' bookings for Europe Jun / Jul - 4nts London / 8nts Valencia / 4nts Florence - ave rate/nt direct with Hotels.com = AD661.79 - ave rate/nt with Prestige 'Stay 4 / Pay 3' promo = AD515.41 which represents saving AD146.38/nt = 22.12% total saving or AD2,342.16 total $ saving.

I am seriously in love with Citibank Prestige ☺