These upgrades offers have now expired. View the best current credit card bonuses here.
The Offers
No direct link, sent out via e-mail. Subject line is “Congrats <your name>, we’re grateful for your loyalty, now you’re invited to upgrade your card!”
- Citi has sent out e-mails to some ThankYou preferred cardholders offering to upgrade them to the Premier card. There is two versions of the offer:
- First offer waives the $95 annual fee on the Premier card for the first year
- Second offer is 7,500 points after $750 in spend within the first three months
The Fine Print
- Valid until March 15th, 2018
- You’ll keep the same account number
Our Verdict
Given that you’ll keep the same account number, this should mean that this product change won’t reset your 24 month bonus clock. That being said it might not be worth the risk, especially when you either have to pay the annual fee to get the bonus or get no bonus. There are a few benefits to the Premier over the Preferred card though, so it might make sense for some people.
Why do they even send out stupid, meager and non-sense offers like these. I think Citi thinks we are all stupid and unsophisticated people.
This is one of those cascade things … Two or so years ago, Premier + Prestige was a great combo, since for those of us who buy AA tickets, the 3x 1.6cents on travel on the Premier card (while holding the Prestige) made for 4.8% off AA tickets for travel spend on the Premier. That made it a card worth having.
Now, even with the Prestige, it is down to 3.75% on Travel toward AA tickets, and that is too easy to beat. I’m passing on the upgrade offer, since, even with the same card number, I worry that it will set my clock back yet again. Every now and then the Preferred spits out some bonus something (like the 5% back on commuter rail tickets), so I just warehouse it ’til those odd things show up.
I also received a TY Preferred -> Double Cash upgrade offer recently.
Passed on the Preferred -> Premier offer before, totally useless.