FINALLY! - Citi launching Citi Prestige with Visa Infinite

[DaveB]

Select never made sense unless you did some serious spend that could be questionable as being personal. With Signature being given away the past 12 months, my rough calcs was you would need to do around 500K pa to justify holding the Select.
I also use Edge and Westpac Altitude for the majority of my local home spend.
They can be strange as despite being notified of our recent Baltic's trip, Citi on the same day stopped payment on a Swedish hotel checkout along with a minor end of month golf clubhouse charge whilst letting my office manager put through a variety of over the phone payments adding up to well over the card limit as the card was put into credit. Citi then let the Swedish hotel be paid using my wife's supplementary Select card.

 

[ferni]

Select never made sense unless you did some serious spend that could be questionable as being personal. With Signature being given away the past 12 months, my rough calcs was you would need to do around 500K pa to justify holding the Select.
I also use Edge and Westpac Altitude for the majority of my local home spend.
They can be strange as despite being notified of our recent Baltic's trip, Citi on the same day stopped payment on a Swedish hotel checkout along with a minor end of month golf clubhouse charge whilst letting my office manager put through a variety of over the phone payments adding up to well over the card limit as the card was put into credit. Citi then let the Swedish hotel be paid using my wife's supplementary Select card.

The tipping point where it would make sense to get the Select instead of Fee Free Sig is 275k/year (based on redeeming for SQ/VA points). And that's based on getting $700 of gift cards to cover the select annual fee to bring them back level.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

The tipping point where it would make sense to get the Select instead of Fee Free Sig is 275k/year (based on redeeming for SQ/VA points). And that's based on getting $700 of gift cards to cover the select annual fee to bring them back level.

Is this in your particular case or across the board for all Select holders?

 

[ferni]

Is this in your particular case or across the board for all Select holders?

All Select holders...

Here are my numbers... Ignore the colours... But you can see at >$275k spend per year is when the Select starts to overtake the fee free sig. But like I said above that's based on using the first 137k Citi points to get $700 of prepaid visa/mc... Most of us wouldn't actually do that, we'd use them for airline miles in which case depending on the value you put on the points the tipping point would be lower...

Spend per year	Spend Per Month	VA/SQ Miles on Select*	VA/SQ Miles on Sig
$100000	$8,333	41,600	100,000
$150000	$12,500	108,267	150,000
$200000	$16,667	174,933	200,000
$250000	$20,833	241,600	250,000
$260000	$21,667	254,933	260,000
$275000	$22,917	274,933	275,000
$300000	$25,000	308,267	300,000
$400000	$33,333	441,600	400,000
$500000	$41,667	574,933	500,000
$600000	$50,000	708,267	600,000
$700000	$58,333	841,600	700,000
$800000	$66,667	974,933	800,000
$900000	$75,000	1,108,267	900,000
$1000000	$83,333	1,241,600	1,000,000

*After using 137k points for $700 vouchers to null the annual fee

 

[Cruiser Elite]

All Select holders

But not all Select holders pay $700 annually - your figures are for A$ spend only? Are there other benefits that Select holders receive that Sig holders don't?

 

[ferni]

But not all Select holders pay $700 annually - your figures are for A$ spend only? Are there other benefits that Select holders receive that Sig holders don't?

True... I've read some people get the card for half price which would be nice...

Yes my figures only for A$ spend... If you have heavy overseas spend then the 20% extra citi points (4ppd vs 5ppd) could come into it...

Not sure there are that many other useful benefits of the select over sig?

 

[tharaka]

I thought select gets you 2:1$ points and 1.5:1SQ/VA transfer? My $100k gets me 133SQ

 

[Cruiser Elite]

ferni I must congratulate and thank you for your effort in tabulating that pts structure - fabulous effort.

Yes I am not sure that Select holders receive any great degree of additional benefits over Sig - at $0 > $700 one would expect significant additional benefits but they are not so apparent.

I cannot remember last time I paid any annual fee for Select - I will dig out the statements tomorrow and check if I can.

But again we must bear in mind that no two individuals are the same - we all have differing spend patterns and pts requirements - impossible to throw a bunch into a pen and say there you are you are all the same.

 

[ferni]

I thought select gets you 2:1$ points and 1.5:1SQ/VA transfer? My $100k gets me 133SQ

That's correct.... which is what my numbers show... (same transfer rate as sig on SQ/VA, you just earn more ppd on select)...

Citi Sig earns 1PPD (SQ/VA)
Citi Sel earns 1.33PPD (SQ/VA)

 

[ferni]

ferni I must congratulate and think you for your effort in tabulating that pts structure - fabulous effort.

Yes I am not sure that Select holders receive any great degree of additional benefits over Sig - at $0 > $700 one would expect significant additional benefits but they are not so apparent.

I cannot remember last time I paid any annual fee for Select - I will dig out the statements tomorrow and check if I can.

Well if you're getting $0 annual fee for the select it's a no brainer! (and I'd love some tips on how to manage that!)

 

[diningdecadence]

True... I've read some people get the card for half price which would be nice...

Yes my figures only for A$ spend... If you have heavy overseas spend then the 20% extra citi points (4ppd vs 5ppd) could come into it...

Not sure there are that many other useful benefits of the select over sig?

Isnt it 2:1 for a$ and 5:1 for fx spend? (Citi points) so fx spend converts to 3.33 SQ/$?

 

[ferni]

Isnt it 2:1 for a$ and 5:1 for fx spend? (Citi points) so fx spend converts to 3.33 SQ/$?

Yes... isn't that what I said? 5ppd on sel translates to 3.33SQ. 4ppd on sig translates to 2.66SQ.

 

[aerotravel]

My dream would be to be offered this new Citi Prestige with no annual fee but come with all the perks.

bonus on top of that would be no international transaction fee too...

 

[kallinch]

True... I've read some people get the card for half price which would be nice...

Yes my figures only for A$ spend... If you have heavy overseas spend then the 20% extra citi points (4ppd vs 5ppd) could come into it...

Not sure there are that many other useful benefits of the select over sig?

If you're part of Citigold (>100k in cash or >50k cash & >50k super)

You get Select for $350.

Citigold

 

[DaveB]

Wow, you guys are impressive in your valuing of FF points.
Don't think I should own up to always using points to pay the annual fee despite jumping from 110K or so to 280K two years back. Maybe should stop treating them as easy come easy go!!

 

[straitman]

Wow, you guys are impressive in your valuing of FF points.
Don't think I should own up to always using points to pay the annual fee despite jumping from 110K or so to 280K two years back. Maybe should stop treating them as easy come easy go!!

Yes you should as there is much better value to be had.

 

[couchlife]

Hi all. My first post.


I called the Select hotline and the guy said nothing is being taken away (all benefits are as before, including same earn and burn rates), but a few additional benefits. We didn't get into details but he did mention the one night free hotel.

 

[ferni]

Wow, you guys are impressive in your valuing of FF points.
Don't think I should own up to always using points to pay the annual fee despite jumping from 110K or so to 280K two years back. Maybe should stop treating them as easy come easy go!!

If you really wanted to get the $700 annual fee back you'd be better getting $700 of Visa/MC prepaid gift cards... less points and just as good as cash....

 

[trippin_the_rift]

It's possible to get the $700 fee waived if you know how to lay on the charm.

http://puu.sh/cj3iH/edde096ade.jpg

 

[dein_gesicht]

I was offered $350 for life (without Citigold) so I will take them up on this offer tonight.

Makes sense for me now