Who else still holds the Citibank Free For Life Premier Card?

[Chicken]

Currently family member has (attached/additional) card with no fees...is that about to change on the Premier Free for Life?

There has been no announcement from NAB. Anything you read here are just pure speculations and nothing more.

 

[PLANT]

I got the email today with the paragraph I inserted.
Everyone got the Bendigo Go Card(no points) as a replacement for fee free if this goes down the 28degrees path?

 

[Chicken]

Everyone got the Bendigo Go Card(no points) as a replacement for fee free if this goes down the 28degrees path?

What is the point of thinking about this?

What happens if NAB introduces new fees or remove goodies in a year's time? The credit card market would be different in a year's time, there would be new products from all the banks. So what is the point of thinking about Bendigo now?

What happens if NAB introduces new fees or remove goodies in 2 year's time? The credit card market would be different in 2 year's time, there would be new products from all the banks. So what is the point of thinking about Bendigo now?

What happens if NAB introduces new fees or remove goodies in 6 month's time? The credit card market would be different in 6 month's time, there would be new products from all the banks. So what is the point of thinking about Bendigo now?

The credit cards on the market would be different in 6 month's time, and different again in a year's time, and different again in 2 year's time.

Unless someone has a time travelling machine, it is not possible to predict what credit card will be available in future, so it is not possible to answer this question. If it is not possible to answer this question, then what is the point of asking this question?

Secondly, what is the point of churning now, if NAB does not change another for the next 2 years? Churning away would mean losing the next 2 years of no annual fee and free lounge access. It's stupid, makes absolutely no sense.

This thinking is like, it's now 2020, and Holden has just announced that they are leaving Australia, so:
- some people are selling their $35k 2017 Holden Commodore, even thou there is nothing wrong with their cars;
- some people are already researching what their next cars should be, just in case their 2017 Holden Commodore gets written off sometime between 2020 and 2030.

How would you research your next car, if you don't know when you will be buying your next car? Could anyone foresee EV? BYD? New emission standards? Why would you throw away your perfectly good car, just because Holden is leaving the country?

Would everyone going to car dealers every weekend and test driving new cars now?

The sensible thing, is to keep driving the $35k new Holden Commodore, until it dies. Think about buying a new car, when the mechanic actually says that there is an engine problem and it's time to get rid of the car.

 

[PLANT]

Older people need backup now!
Especially travelling ones internally and internationally....

 

[Chicken]

Older people need backup now!
Especially travelling ones internally and internationally....

Then old people should be holding a no forex fee credit card right now. Citi cards are not no forex fee, so this should not even be the scenario.

 

[Legoman]

If I remember correctly, many years ago on this forum someone posted a copy of the original T & C's of the Citi Card in case disputes arose- not sure the post has survived time

Here you go for the exact website captured wording from back in mid-Dec 2013
Signature family and friends offer.pdf

For anyone who wants it I suggest you keep a copy of that PDF offline on your own computer. That link will not live forever.

 

[Legoman]

"... for life" are two dangerous words.

If you think "… for life" is dangerous, then what would you call the word emphasised in capitals "EVER"?

Here's an even earlier iteration of what became the Signature/Platinum FFFL cards from circa 2006. Look at the wording on this bad boy!

 

[fkcn]

If you think "… for life" is dangerous, then what would you call the word emphasised in capitals "EVER"?

Here's an even earlier iteration of what became the Signature/Platinum FFFL cards from circa 2006. Look at the wording on this bad boy!
View attachment 474336

Exhibit A. Case closed!

 

[Duffa]

" * for the life that your account remains open"
And if THEY close it, it is no longer open!
End of story

I'm more worried about when to convert my 500,000 to Velocity or Kris, or in fact, which one to choose. The fee free and changes don't bother me

 

[Legoman]

I'm more worried about when to convert my 500,000 to Velocity or Kris, or in fact, which one to choose. The fee free and changes don't bother me

If it helps you decide, I'm sitting on 1.5mil points. I transferred 100,000 to Flybuys this morning to bring my exposure down to 1.5mil. I'm not knee-jerk reacting quite yet, but I'm very aware and keeping a close eye out for changes.

 

[Kangol]

I'm more worried about when to convert my 500,000 to Velocity or Kris, or in fact, which one to choose. The fee free and changes don't bother me

My email from today says this:

​

From 24 November 2025 (Transition Date):

• Your account will move to the MyCard brand, will be renamed MyCard Premier and there will be changes to your terms and conditions.
• We'll be launching the new MyCard App and MyCard Online experience, plus the new MyCard website. These will replace the existing Citi Mobile® App, Citi Online and the Citi Australia website. We'll send you more information on how you and any additional cardholders can set up new login details and download the new MyCard App and access MyCard Online closer to the Transition Date.
• You can expect any communications about your account to come from MyCard from the Transition Date.

Looks like I will transfer to SQ KF from about mid November.
Who knows what the "new" points conversion rate will be - watch this space, I suppose.

 

[Legoman]

Thinking strategically considering the below…

Annual Additional Cardholder Fee (applicable to MyCard
Rewards accounts): Card activation by the additional
cardholder will no longer be required before this fee is charged.
For new additional cardholders added from the Transition Date,
the first fee will be charged when the additional cardholder is
added, or the account is first used (whichever is later).

This means if you leave any additional card holder requirements until the switch to MyCard, you'll be charged a fee. Currently under Citibank management it is fee free for all cards except Citibank Rewards ($90)

Adding an Additional Cardholder or requests for a Credit Limit Increase will be unavailable from 26 October 2025

There's the deadline for free additional cardholders right there.

From Citibank CSR chat we get the following:

I believe cards have a five year life. My old VISA card expired 12/22 and my current card expires 12/27 =
5 years, so does this mean additional cards would expire 12/30?
CSR: That is correct.

Ergo, if you have multiple family with individual discrete card accounts and are concerned/expecting NAB to be cough and introduce annual fees, then to avoid exposure to future multiple annual fees, it makes sense to apply for additional card holder cards now before 26 October in order to just have them ready to go when annual fees are introduced. This way you can share one annual fee across multiple users instead of paying multiple annual fees for individual accounts. Do it before 26 October and you get the cards for free and they come with 5 year expiry dates into the future meaning you can avoid the MyCard brown for another 5 years. Leave it until after 26 Oct and you're paying a fee for additional cards and you get the phun of the brown.

I know which I'd prefer

 

[fkcn]

Thinking strategically considering the below…


This means if you leave any additional card holder requirements until the switch to MyCard, you'll be charged a fee. Currently under Citibank management it is fee free for all cards except Citibank Rewards ($90)


There's the deadline for free additional cardholders right there.

From Citibank CSR chat we get the following:


Ergo, if you have multiple family with individual discrete card accounts and are concerned/expecting NAB to be cough and introduce annual fees, then to avoid exposure to future multiple annual fees, it makes sense to apply for additional card holder cards now before 26 October in order to just have them ready to go when annual fees are introduced. This way you can share one annual fee across multiple users instead of paying multiple annual fees for individual accounts. Do it before 26 October and you get the cards for free and they come with 5 year expiry dates into the future meaning you can avoid the MyCard brown for another 5 years. Leave it until after 26 Oct and you're paying a fee for additional cards and you get the phun of the brown.

I know which I'd prefer

Does additional cardholder also get 2 x Priority Pass?

 

[Legoman]

Does additional cardholder also get 2 x Priority Pass?

No. Originally they did, yes. But that loophole was closed pretty early on from memory.