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We recommend the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card over the Citi Premier® Card in most situations because it has a simple rewards rate and more useful travel benefits for frequent travelers.
The Citi Premier could be a good choice if your spending habits align with its rewards categories, but we think the Capital One Venture is the more valuable card overall.
Dig into the details of our Citi Premier vs. Capital One Venture card comparison to see which option is the best fit for you.
Key takeaways
- We recommend the Capital One Venture over the Citi Premier because it has a simple and appealing rewards rate, more travel benefits, and useful travel protections.
- We think the Citi Premier could be a better choice if your spending habits align with its bonus categories.
Citi Premier vs. Capital One Venture comparison
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Citi Premier® Card |
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Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card |
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| Card type | Travel | Travel |
| Credit card issuer | Citi | Capital One |
| Credit card network | Mastercard | Visa |
| Annual fee | $95 | $95 |
| Welcome offer | Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening; Plus, for a limited time, earn a total of 10 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through June 30, 2024 | Earn a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening |
| Earning rate | 3X points at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, air travel and hotels; and 1X points on all other purchases | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, every day and 5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
| Redemption methods |
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| Travel perks |
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| Other benefits |
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| Foreign transaction fee | None | None |
| Credit needed | Excellent, Good | Excellent, Good |
| Read full review | Read full review |
Our verdict
- It’s a close call, but we recommend the Capital One Venture over the Citi Premier because of its simple rewards rate, as well as better travel benefits and protections.
Citi Premier benefits and drawbacks
| Pros | Cons |
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The Citi Premier has a $95 annual fee and no travel insurance benefits, which is a negative if you’re a frequent traveler. But you can count on having no foreign transaction fees and earning bonus points on common categories, including 3X points at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, air travel and hotels; and 1X points on all other purchases.
In addition, you can take advantage of the annual hotel savings benefit of $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more each calendar year through thankyou.com. That could be especially useful if you typically have a trip planned each year with sizable hotel costs.
Read our Citi Premier review.
Capital One Venture benefits and drawbacks
| Pros | Cons |
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The Capital One Venture Rewards has a $95 annual fee and limited spending categories. That means you don’t have many options to earn increased rewards on certain purchases, such as gas or groceries.
But you can still benefit from a simple rewards rate of 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, every day and 5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. You also don’t have to worry about foreign transaction fees, and you can take advantage of receiving up to $100 fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck every four years.
Read our Capital One Venture review.
What both cards excel at
The Citi Premier and Capital One Venture Rewards share a few benefits.
- Welcome offers: As a new cardholder with either card, you have the opportunity to earn a welcome offer.
- No foreign transaction fees: You don’t have to pay foreign transaction fees on applicable purchases with either card.
- Annual fees: The Citi Premier has a $95 annual fee and the Capital One Venture has a $95 annual fee, which are quite reasonable compared to other travel rewards cards with fees over $500 per year.
- Purchase protections: Both cards provide purchase and extended warranty protections on eligible items.
- Redemption options: You have a variety of options for redeeming points or miles through either card’s rewards program. Specifically, you can use Citi ThankYou Points or Capital One miles for travel through their respective travel portals, transfers to travel partners, cashback redemptions, and more.
4 important differences between Citi Premier and Capital One Venture
The Citi Premier and Capital One Venture have a few important differences that could help you decide on one over the other.
1. Rewards rates
The Citi Premier provides 3X points at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, air travel and hotels; and 1X points on all other purchases.
The Capital One Venture provides 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, every day and 5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
The Citi Premier seems like it has the better earning potential, but it really depends on your spending habits. Overall, we think the Capital One Venture is a better fit for most people because you earn at least 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, every day. That makes it simple for earning rewards on any eligible purchase, no matter the category.
Winner: Capital One Venture because it has a simple rewards rate that could work for more people.
2. Travel protections
The Citi Premier doesn’t have any travel insurance benefits, while the Capital One Venture provides:
- Travel and emergency assistance services
- Roadside dispatch
- Auto rental collision damage waiver
- Lost luggage reimbursement
- Travel accident insurance
If you’re a frequent traveler, it could make a huge difference when you book trips with a card that provides certain types of travel coverage.
Winner: Capital One Venture because it has travel insurance benefits.
3. Travel benefits
The Citi Premier has these travel benefits.
- 24/7 concierge
- Hotel credit of $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more through thankyou.com each calendar year
The Capital One Venture has these travel benefits.
- 24/7 concierge
- Up to $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck every four years
- Two free lounge access visits per year to Capital One or Plaza Premium Lounges
Whether a travel benefit is valuable is highly dependent on the person and their travel habits. But the Capital One Venture has more benefits than the Citi Premier, and we think the Venture benefits are likely to be more useful for a wider range of people.
After all, most travelers can at least take advantage of the up to $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. Not everyone is spending $500 or more on a single hotel stay, and you have to book through thankyou.com for that benefit, which limits its usefulness.
Winner: Capital One Venture because it has more travel benefits, and they’re likely better for a wider audience.
4. Transfer partners
Both the Citi Premier and Capital One Venture provide you with a points transfer redemption option to move points from the credit card loyalty program to airline partners and hotel transfer partner programs.
The Citi Premier provides access to these Citi transfer partners.
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The Capital One Venture provides access to these Capital One transfer partners.
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There’s no definite winner here because it depends on your travel preferences. Also, Citi and Capital One share many of the same transfer partners.
Winner: It’s a tie because the better set of transfer partners depends on your travel preferences.
Which credit card should you choose?
When you should choose Citi Premier
- You already have a relationship with Citibank.
- Your spending habits align with the Citi Premier rewards rate.
- You prefer Citi transfer partners.
- You prefer the Citi Premier travel benefits.
When you should choose Capital One Venture
- You already have a relationship with Capital One.
- You want a simple rewards rate.
- You prefer Capital One transfer partners.
- You prefer the Capital One Venture travel benefits.
- You want travel insurance benefits.
What factors to consider before choosing
The Citi Premier makes sense if you already have a relationship with Citibank since that could help you get approved. The Premier also has a better rewards rate than the Capital One Venture if your spending habits align with its bonus categories.
But for frequent travelers, we think the Capital One Venture is the better option because it has more travel benefits, including travel protections. It’s hard to overstate how valuable credit card travel insurance could be if you end up in a situation where you might have to file a claim. It could end up saving you hundreds of dollars or more.
In addition, the Capital One Venture makes it easy to earn rewards on any eligible purchase, regardless of the category. Most purchases will earn the same rate, so there’s no extra worry about making sure you’re using your card on the “right” purchases.
FAQ
Is Citibank better than Capital One?
Both Citibank and Capital One provide different types of credit cards, but Capital One generally has a better selection because there are more cards to choose from. This could make it easier for you to find credit cards that align with your personal finance goals and spending habits.
Is it hard to get approved for Citi Premier?
It could be hard to get approved depending on your credit score. You typically need a good or excellent credit score to qualify for the Citi Premier, which is at least a 670 on the FICO scoring model. Keep in mind that credit card issuers use multiple factors to determine your eligibility, and your credit score is only one of those factors.
Is the Citi Premier card worth it?
The Citi Premier is worth it for many frequent travelers because it provides elevated rewards on common purchases, including 3X points at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, air travel and hotels; and 1X points on all other purchases. You can use any rewards you earn to help offset travel costs for airfare, hotel stays, cruises, and more.
Citi Premier vs. Capital One Venture: bottom line
We generally recommend the Capital One Venture over the Citi Premier because of its simple rewards rate, additional travel benefits, and the fact it provides useful travel protections.
The Citi Premier is still an excellent choice, especially if your spending habits align with its bonus categories. But we think the Capital One Venture likely makes sense for more people, especially if you travel frequently (or even just occasionally).
For our top travel credit card offers, check out our list of the best travel credit cards.
Benefits
Card Details
- Earn 25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases
- Earn 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases
- Longer intro APR on qualifying purchases and balance transfers
- No foreign transaction fees
- Apply Now
- Earn unlimited 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees and your points don't expire.
- 25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases.
- Use your card to book your trip how and where you want - you're not limited to specific websites with blackout dates or restrictions.
- Redeem points for a statement credit to pay for travel or dining purchases, such as flights, hotel stays, car and vacation rentals, baggage fees, and also at restaurants including takeout.
- 0% Introductory APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases, and for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the intro APR offer ends, 18.24% - 28.24% Variable APR will apply. A 3% fee applies to all balance transfers.
- If you're a Preferred Rewards member, you can earn 25%-75% more points on every purchase. That means instead of earning an unlimited 1.5 points for every $1, you could earn 1.87-2.62 points for every $1 you spend on purchases.
- Contactless Cards - The security of a chip card, with the convenience of a tap.
- This online only offer may not be available if you leave this page or if you visit a Bank of America financial center. You can take advantage of this offer when you apply now.
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Intro Offer
Earn 25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases
Annual Fee
$0
Why we like it
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