Citibank Credit Cards

Citibank India, or Citi India, is a subsidiary organisation of the US-based multinational financial conglomerate Citigroup. Citi India has been operational since 1902 and was one of the first banks in India to offer modern financial solutions, including ATMs, credit cards, internet banking, etc. Citibank forayed into the credit card industry in India between 1990 and 1995, becoming one of the first credit card issuers in the country. A few years ago, Citibank announced that it would be exiting the retail banking business in 13 countries, including India. In March 2023, Citibank’s Indian consumer business was acquired by Axis Bank. However, the bank assured that it would continue to serve its customers just as it had been. Note- Only existing Citibank customers can apply for credit cards with the bank. No new Citibank credit card would be issued to customers of other banks. As far as the credit card business is concerned, despite having a total of just eight credit cards in its portfolio, it used to be one of the most popular credit card issuers in India. As of September 2023, Citibank has over 1.7 lakh active credit cards in India. Here is a list of some of the popular Citibank Credit Cards that you may refer to if you are planning to apply for a Citibank credit card.

• Citi Rewards Credit Card
• Citi Cash Back Credit Card
• IndianOil Citi Credit Card
• Citibank PremierMiles Credit Card
• Citi Prestige Credit Card
• First Citizen Citi Credit Card

List of Best CitiBank Credit Cards

Citi Rewards Credit Card

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Citi Cash Back Credit Card

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IndianOil Citi Credit Card

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Citibank PremierMiles Credit Card

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Citibank Prestige Credit Card

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First Citizen Citi Credit Card

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3 Shoppers Stop vouchers worth Rs. 500 each, and 500 First Citizen Reward Points on your first transaction.

Top Citibank Credit Cards

Citi Rewards Credit Card

The Citi Rewards card is a Reward Points based shopping credit card. It earns you-

• 10 Reward Points per Rs. 125 spent on apparel and departmental store.
• 4 additional Reward Points per Rs. 125 on Amazon, Flipkart and Myntra.
• 1 Reward Point per Rs. 125 on all other spends.
• 300 bonus Reward Points on achieving the milestone of expenditure of Rs. 30,000 or more in a month.

Citi Cashback Credit Card

Citi Cashback credit card is one of the best cashback shopping credit cards in the market. You earn 5% cashback on telephone and utility bill payments and movie ticket purchases and a 0.5% cashback on all other spends. The cashback is automatically credited to the card’s statement balance in multiples of Rs. 500. You also get dining, travel and lifestyle benefits with this card.

IndianOil Citi Credit Card

The IndianOil Citi credit card is a fuel credit card by the bank. It earns you Reward Points as Turbo Points which can be redeemed for free fuel at authorized IndianOil outlets. You earn-

• Accelerated 4 Turbo Points for every Rs. 150 spent on fuel purchases.
• 2 Turbo Points per Rs. 150 spent on groceries and supermarket.
• 1 Turbo Point per Rs. 150 on all other spends.

1% fuel surcharge

Citibank PremierMiles Credit Card

The Citibank PremierMiles credit card is one of the best credit cards launched in the Indian credit card market in the travel category. The card rewards you as AirMiles. You earn-

• 10 Miles per Rs. 100 spent for airline transactions.
• 4 Miles per Rs. 100 spent for all other transactions.

The AirMiles earned can be used to make travel bookings, can be transferred to other hotel/airline loyalty programs or redeemed against domestic airport lounge visits. Apart from the AirMiles, you also get an air accident insurance cover (worth Rs. 1 crore) and fuel surcharge wavier where 1% of the surcharge is waived off at all Indian Oil filling stations across India.

Citi Prestige Credit Card

The Citi Prestige card is a super-premium card offering by the bank. From hotel benefits at ITC and Taj hotels to unlimited complimentary lounge access and priority check-in at domestic and international airports, you can enjoy a plethora of travel benefits along with this credit card. It is a Reward Points based card and earns you-

• 1 Reward Point for every Rs. 100 on domestic spends.
• 2 Reward Points for every Rs. 100 on international spends.
• You also get bonus 2,500 Reward Points and vouchers worth Rs. 10,000 from ITC and Taj group of hotels.

First Citizen Citi Credit Card

The First Citizen credit card by Citibank is another entry-level shopping credit card by the bank. You get Reward Points as First Citizen Reward Points which can be redeemed at Shoppers Stop stores. You earn-

• 14 First Citizen Reward points on every spending of Rs. 200 at Shoppers Stop on private brand apparel.
• 10 First Citizen Reward points on every spending of Rs. 200 at Shoppers Stop on other brands.
• 2 First Citizen Reward Points on all other spends of Rs. 200.

Apart from these Reward Points benefits, you also earn a 15% discount and cashback on flight ticket bookings on travel websites including MameMyTrip, Booking.com, etc.

Reward Points and Cashback Benefits

The following table summarises the Reward Points or Cashback benefits that you get with the aforementioned Citibank credit cards-

• 10 Reward Points per Rs. 125 spent on apparel and departmental store.
• 4 additional Reward Points per Rs. 125 on Amazon, Flipkart and Myntra.
• 1 Reward Point per Rs. 125 on all other spends.

• 5% cashback on telephone and utility bill payments and movie ticket purchases.
• 0.5% cashback on all other spends.

• 14 First Citizen Reward points on every spending of Rs. 200 at Shoppers Stop on private brand apparel.
• 10 First Citizen Reward points on every spending of Rs. 200 at Shoppers Stop on other brands.
• 2 First Citizen Reward Points on every other spending of Rs. 200.

• 1 Reward Point for every Rs. 100 on domestic spends.
• 2 Reward Points for every Rs. 100 on international spends

• 10 Miles/Rs. 100 spent for airline transactions.
• 4 Miles/Rs. 100 spent for all other transactions.

• Accelerated 4 Turbo Points for every Rs. 150 spent on fuel purchases.
• 2 Turbo Points per Rs. 150 spent on groceries and supermarket.
• 1 Turbo Point per Rs. 150 on all other spends.

Reward Redemption

Citi Rewards Credit Card

The Reward Points earned on Citi Rewards Card can be redeemed for fuel at Indian Oil outlets, product catalog, Air Miles/InterMiles, and cashback at the following rate:

• For redemption against fuel at Indian Oil outlets, 1 Reward Point = Rs. 0.25 and the minimum points required to redeem are 250.
• For redemption against in-store shopping at partner brands, 1 Reward Point = Rs. 0.30 and the minimum points required are 250.
• For redemption against online travel sites, 1 Reward point is equal Rs. 0.25 and the minimum points required to redeem are 250.
• For redemption against online shopping, 1 Reward Point = Rs. 0.30 and the minimum points required for redemption are 250.
• For redemption against AirMiles, 1 Reward Point equals to 0.75 AirMile and the minimum points required to redeem are 100.
• For redemption against cashback, 1 Reward Point = Rs. 0.35 and the minimum points required for redemption are 10,000.
• For redemption against the product catalog, the value of Reward Points earned is variable (vary for different products), and there is no minimum number of points required to redeem.

Citi Cashback Credit Card:

The cashback is credited to your card’s statement balance in multiples of Rs. 500.

First Citizen Citi Credit Card:

• The monetary value of 1 RP earned on the First Citizen Credit Card is Rs. 0.60.
• The Reward Points earned are added to your Shoppers Stop First Citizen account automatically and can be redeemed instantly through the Shoppers Stop website, Shoppers Stop Mobile App, or at any of the Shoppers Stop stores.
• Reward Points earned can also be redeemed against purchases made at Homestop, Arcelia, Jo Malone, Estee Lauder, Bobbi Brown, M.A.C, Clinique, & Smashbox stores in India.

Citi Prestige Credit Card

• Reward points earned can be redeemed for gift vouchers from popular gadgets and brands from Citi Prestige Reward Catalog.
• The reward points earned can be transferred to partner airlines’ frequent flyer programs as AirMiles. 1 Reward Point = 4 Airmiles. Citibank’s partner airlines include Etihad Airways, Eva Air, Air India, Cathay Pacific Malaysia Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Etihad Airways, British Airways InterMiles, Virgin Atlantic Thai Airways, Qantas Flying Blue (Air France and KLM) and Qatar Airways Turkish Airlines.
• Reward Points can also be transferred to partner hotel loyalty programs including Taj InnerCircle and IHG Rewards Club where, 1 Reward Point is equal to 1 Taj InnerCircle point and 1 reward point = 4 IHG points.
• Reward points earned with Prestige card can also be redeemed for shopping via SMS.
• Also, redeem the reward points earned for settlement against your card’s outstanding balance.

Citibank PremierMiles Credit Card

The Miles earned can be redeemed across over 100+ airlines or can be transferred to airline partners and hotel loyalty programs. The transfer ratio of Miles to other partner airlines/hotel programs is 2:1, i.e. 1 PremierMile is equivalent to 0.5 partner airlines’ Mile. Partner airlines include Cathay Pacific, British Airways, Thai Airways, Malaysia Airlines, Eva Air, Etihad Airways, Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines and Air India. Apart from these travel-related expenditures, the Miles can also be redeemed for purchasing gift vouchers from Citibank’s Rewards Catalogue, purchases from select retail outlets and for fuel purchases at select Indian Oil refill stations.

IndianOil Citi Credit Card

The IndianOil Citi Credit Card earns you reward points as Turbo Points which can be redeemed against fuel, in-store shopping at partner brands, online shopping, AirMiles/InterMiles, cashback, etc, at the following rate:

• For redemption against fuel at authorized IndianOil outlets: 1 Turbo Point = Re. 1.
• For redemption against online shopping at travel sites: 1 TP = Rs. 0.25.
• For redemption against other online shopping: 1 TP = Rs. 0.30.
• For redemption against in-store shopping at partner brands: 1 Turbo Point = Rs. 0.30.
• For redemption against AirMiles/InterMiles: 1 TP = 0.75 AirMile/InterMile.
• For redemption against cashback: 1 TP = Rs. 0.35.
• Minimum of 250 Turbo Points are required to redeem against fuel or online/offline shopping. Minimum 100 Turbo Points are required to redeem against AirMiles/Intermiles and 10,000 Turbo Points are required for redemption against cashback. However, there is no minimum threshold of Turbo Points required for redemption against gift vouchers.

Complimentary Airport Lounge Access

The complimentary airport lounge visits offered by the Citibank credit cards is summarised in the table below-

Features and Benefits of Citibank Credit Cards

Citibank is the largest foreign credit card issuer in India. As mentioned above, the market share of Citibank in terms of credit card transactions is much larger than the market share of the bank in terms of the number of credit cards issued, which shows that Citibank credit cardholders spend a lot more than credit cardholders of other card issuers in the country. Some of the benefits of Citibank credit cards are-

• Easy to apply: You can apply for Citibank credit cards online on the bank’s website. The application process is very easy to complete. You will need to submit few documents including address proof, identity proof, and proof of income while applying for the card. These documents can be submitted online by uploading softcopies of the same on the bank’s website (for details on the application process, refer to the How to Apply section above.

• All categories of Credit Cards Offered: Although the portfolio of credit cards offered by Citibank is relatively small, from super-premium to travel to entry-level, Citibank offers all categories of credit cards in the market. For example, the Citi Prestige Credit Card is a super-premium credit card, Citibank Premier Miles Credit Card is a travel credit card and Citi Rewards and Cash Back Credit Cards are entry-level credit cards offered by the bank.

• Not so strict eligibility criteria: As mentioned above, Citibank also offers entry-level credit cards like Citibank Rewards and Citi Cash Back Credit Cards that come with easy eligibility criteria.

• Complimentary Airport Lounge Access: Citi Prestige Credit Card, being a super-premium offering by the bank offers unlimited access to complimentary domestic and international airport lounges to the cardholders. Citi Premier Miles Credit Card, on the other hand, although does not offer any international lounge access, offers 8 complimentary domestic airport lounge access with the Visa variant and 6 complimentary domestic lounge access with the MasterCard variant.

Which Citibank Credit Card is the best?

Citibank offers credit cards in all spends categories. No single credit card can be termed as the best for everyone. You must decide which credit card suits your financial needs and spending habits the best.

Citibank Prestige Credit Card is a super-premium credit card best suited for HNIs (high net-worth individuals), whereas Citi Premier Miles Credit Card is best suited for someone who needs a credit card for their travel needs. Citi Rewards and Citi Cashback Credit Cards, being entry-level cards, are best suited for first-time cardholders who are new to credit as these credit cards not only have a lower annual membership fee but also do not have very strict eligibility criteria.

• Best Citibank Credit Card for HNIs- Citi Prestige Credit Card
• Best Citibank Credit Card for Frequent Travelers- Citi Premier Miles Credit Card
• Best Citibank Credit Card for First Time Cardholders (Best Entry-level Credit Cards by Citibank)- Citi Rewards Credit Card and Citi Cash Back Credit Card

How to Apply for Citibank Credit Card Online?

To apply for a Citibank credit card-

• Go to Citibank’s credit card application homepage.
• Select the credit card you want to apply for.
• Click/tap on the “Apply Now” button.
• Fill in the form that opens and complete your application.
• Your application will be evaluated by the bank officials. If accepted, your card will be mailed to your address.

Documents Required

You are required to submit identity proof, address proof and proof of income to the bank for your credit card application to be processed.

Some of the documents accepted as identity proof, address proof, and proof of income are summarised in the table below-

How To Activate Citibank Credit Cards?

If you have recently received a new Citibank Credit Card, you might be looking for different ways to activate your Citibank Credit Card. The card issuer provides you with various online as well as offline methods for credit card activation, which are as mentioned below:

• You can easily activate your Citibank Credit Card by logging in to your internet banking account and clicking on the option ‘PIN Related’ under the ‘Credit Cards’ section.
• Another easy way to get your Citibank Credit Card activated is to contact Citibank Credit Card customer care and ask for their help with the steps to generate your credit card PIN.
• You can also activate your credit card by visiting your nearest Citibank ATM. Insert your card into the ATM and find an option to ‘Generate PIN using OTP’ from the main menu of the ATM.

Bottom Line

Citibank, which was earlier the most significant foreign player in the Indian credit card space, has now been acquired by Axis Bank as of March 2023. That being said, Citi credit cardholders need not worry as the bank has assured that it will continue serving its customers just as it has been. Citibank has a total of 6 credit cards in its portfolio in India; in case you are planning to apply for a Citibank credit card, you may go through the features and benefits of the cards along with a detailed review on our website and apply for the card of your choice based on your financial needs and spending habit. However, it is best to remember that only existing Citibank can apply for a Citibank Credit Card.