I Ditched Amex & Chase for the Citi Trifecta (9 Reasons Why)

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I ABANDONED the Amex Trifecta and Chase Trifecta in favor of the Citi Trifecta! Here are 9 reasons why to help you decide if you should do the same. Click “Show More” to see Ad Disclosure.
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00:00 - Intro
00:14 - Reason 1
3:22 - Reason 2
3:54 - Reason 3
7:54 - Reason 4
9:00 - Reason 5
10:24 - Reason 6
11:13 - Reason 7
11:50 - Reason 8
12:42 - Reason 9
The Citi Trifecta consists of the Citi Strata Premier, Citi Custom Cash, and Citi Double Cash. You can even add a 4th credit card (the Citi Rewards+) to make for the Citi Quadfecta! And may I just say, this setup is INCREDIBLE! Not only is the all-in cost just $95 for all annual fees, but all of these credit cards earn Citi ThankYou points. That means you can combine them all for maximum value.
You can earn in several 10X and 5X rewards categories, and then get access to all of the Citi transfer partners for some incredible international flight redemptions.
One of the standout features is the Citi Custom Cash card, which allows you to earn 5X points in YOUR top spend category each billing cycle. That level of flexibility is fantastic, because you’ll automatically earn those 5X points in whichever area (from a select list of eligible categories) ended up having the greatest amount of spend, up to $500 per billing cycle. Many other similar credit cards (like the Chase Freedom Flex and Discover it Cash Back credit card) require you to earn 5% cash back or 5X points according to a calendar the bank sets, up to $1,500 per quarter.
That said, I like how Citi ThankYou points also give you a good, flat-rate value for cash back and travel (1 point = $0.01) and the potential for higher value when maximized via transfer partners (1 point = $0.017 as an average figure).
As great as the Chase Trifecta (including the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Freedom Flex, and Chase Freedom Unlimited) and Amex Trifecta (typically the Amex Platinum Card, Amex Gold Card, and Amex Blue Business Plus) can be, I’ve found the simplicity, low cost, flexibility, and strong value of the Citi Trifecta to be a great fit for me right now.
Now it’s a waiting game to see if Citi releases a new, premium travel credit card as their flagship card product with airport lounge access and other VIP benefits (perhaps the Citi Strata Elite??). We’ll have to see!
Disclosure: The thoughts, opinions, and information presented are those of the creator. This site is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com, YourBestCreditCards.com, Biltrewards.com and others. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. The content in this video is accurate as of the posting date. Some of the offers mentioned may no longer be available. Mark Reese is not a financial advisor.
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4 июл 2024

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Комментарии : 174

@MarkReese 6 дней назад

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@SeanSinnreich 6 дней назад

When using for cash back on the Double if you do a statement credit you lose 1% on that amount. The DC has 1% when you use your card and 1% when you pay. You don’t “pay” when getting a statement credit. Best bet is to transfer to you account and then use that $ to pay

@MarkReese 6 дней назад

@@SeanSinnreich - How did you confirm this?

@SeanSinnreich 5 дней назад

Pretty sure it’s well confirmed. The language states one percent when you pay. You are not paying if you use points for a statement credit I’ve seen it multiple multiple times on Reddit.

@callmeNeno 6 дней назад

I am starting to just focus on two ecosystems Chase & Amex. Got to simplify my credit card arsenal

@SonnyChanhvongsak 6 дней назад

I'd switch to the Citi trifecta from chase if it had a 50% travel portal redemption boost like the sapphire, Hyatt as a transfer partner, premium travel card, and I'd like the double cash to be a visa as I'm a big Costco shopper. That being said I have the double cash (my first cc but don't really use it nowadays) and custom cash (my grocery card)

@soapa4279 6 дней назад

Yup same for me, the CSR is just too solid. Also can't beat one of the best car rental primary CDWs, purchase protections, travel insurances in the market. Also Citi's travel portal has consistently been called out for being 10% more expensive on average (though I don't know personally.)

@Adiscretefirm 6 дней назад

I'm not surprised a $95 card doesn't offer as many benefits as a $550 card, and the hotel benefit is definitely harder to collect than the hotel credit offered by the Sapphire Preferred, but the 3 cards offer much better earning potential than the Chase Pref trifecta

@crazykenbei 6 дней назад

The premier used to have a 25 percent travel redemption on the portal as well as an entertainment category back in the day.

@soapa4279 6 дней назад

@@Adiscretefirm Good call out, I forget that the Sapphire Preferred is more of a direct comparison.

@michaelpham6894 6 дней назад

If you're following this RU-vid channel, then you're probably playing the points/miles award game, which means you're probably not bothering with the Chase portal. I'm other words, the CSR is nice, but it's not for people watching this video

@LiamRichie825 6 дней назад

I think Citi has the best trifecta. I don’t have any of these cards (yet), but that’s the one I would use when not bonus hunting

@dbest4755 День назад

Mark, you nailed it! CITI trifecta get more rewards. Custom Cash is Dynomite!

@robertjarrell7276 6 дней назад

I have those three cards. I use the Custom Cash for concert tickets, the Double Cash for 2% fallback, and really keep the Premier so I can transfer to partners (mostly Choice). I would never use them where I’m likely to need protections or customer service. I use my Amex gold for dining, groceries (and gas this fall!) and USBAR when possible. That’s my domestic only setup.

@ChaseJohnston19 4 дня назад

I love the Citi Trifecta on paper, but its really hard to argue against transferring points to UA, SW, and Hyatt from Chase for my situation. These are my most commonly used companies due to cost effectiveness and whats common in my region. I wish Citi’s transfer partners were just a bit stronger overall to be most competitive for me.

@RichardCallaby 5 дней назад

I thought I was weird in that I concentrated on my Citi trifecta, now all the credit card youtubers are doing it.

@ricardomorales9675 5 дней назад

I feel the same way lol

@mlodyme3675 6 дней назад

Citi trifecta is appealing until you realize that all cards are MasterCard, meaning bye bye Costco shopping (at least in person and in the USA). for us that is 2nd highest spend category outside uncategorized, so I am forced to have decent VISA for Costco shopping. Also, I am confused the Strata Premier has 3x on Supermarkets yet you showed us that both Walmart and Target only earned 1x? what is going on with that?

@MarkReese 5 дней назад

Neither Walmart nor Target are supermarkets. They're superstores / discount retailers. The act of "buying groceries" does not trigger a Grocery multiplier. Rather, the merchant category code (MCC) of the business does.

@mlodyme3675 5 дней назад

@@MarkReese “I appreciate the clarification. I hadn’t realized that there is actually a difference between a supermarket and a superstore. I thought they were the same thing and could be used interchangeably. You live, you learn. Thank you!”

@kaina732 3 дня назад

If the Citi transfer partners fit my needs I would switch over. For now I am sticking with Chase and AmEx.

@ramonsuarez1051 6 дней назад

Citi transfer partners are underrated. It's not just about the list of partners, it's also about transfer ratios. Citi's transfer ratios to JetBlue, EVA, and Choice beat Amex and Capital One.

@SeanSinnreich 6 дней назад

Take a look at the Citi Rewards+ card. Gives 10% back in redemptions Also the Strata is not primary CDW. So not sure worth to book cars with that card

@MarkReese 6 дней назад

See 9:00 in the video.

@ow5966 6 дней назад

I love Citi banks app and online experience but I hate Citi bank over the phone customer service and the automated system when you call in it takes forever to get a live representative!!

@La.aviator 6 дней назад

Only thing that held me back from going with them was their customer service history. Hopefully they are better now

@Slaize 6 дней назад

the customer service is still pretty mediocre. Their fraud department is awful. But their award categories are probably the best overall.

@rrcthomas 6 дней назад

Citi is still very much horrible

@La.aviator 6 дней назад

@@rrcthomas had any experiences with them recently?

@doubleds8147 5 дней назад

I just had spoken to their fraud department 6/29/24 and man, they don't care. Even after less than a month ago, I had to cancel my custom cash card because of the same reason which was unusual transaction on my card and they are just sending me a replacement card again. Thankfully, the transaction was denied immediately. I think I think my card is getting skimmed. I'm going to do some digging on the matter because i only used the card once, granted i have third party reward programs connected with it but I have other card issuers connected to them as well and nothing on their end... Rant over sorry. Anyway, yeah, definitely gives IDC vibes.

@lifewithjon6809 6 дней назад

Nice video I’m happy citi brought back those travel insurance and now they are back in the game…I’m going for the same one you have eventually.🍾

@MH_6160 6 дней назад

Unless the portal is less than booking direct… 10X isn't that great because they inflate the prices to account for the 10X

@MarkReese 6 дней назад

Could be. I rarely use any portal from any bank / brand anyway, so those multipliers aren't relevant to me.

@JacksonianT 5 дней назад

For budget hotel stays, I've found that it's very easy to find same price or sometimes cheaper prices booking thru the citi portal, which makes the 10x actually super compelling. And the annual $100 off booking benefit makes it so that using the hotel portal is the only way to have a -$5 annual fee. Perfect and highest value setup for booking with hotel chains you aren't a loyalist with and don't care about status.

@dbazile15 6 дней назад

Would you still use your other cards for credits that you are already getting like the amex gold Uber and grubhub credit

@MarkReese 5 дней назад

Yes, I still use the credits.

@yurig2530 6 дней назад

You did it! I run my Citi quadfecta, which includes Prestige, AT&T AM, Sears and 10 CCCs.

@crazykenbei 6 дней назад

10 CCC!!!

@MarkReese 6 дней назад

10 CCCs = LEGEND 🏆

@JacksonianT 5 дней назад

Nice... Didn't realize you could have that many CCCs... Looks like I'll continue to harvest welcome bonuses from other citi cards for awhile! 😁

@gilbert512 6 дней назад

I currently have a citi custom cash and just got a double cash. But I am going to wait till my double cash matures and after a year will be product changing it to a second custom cash. And use one for groceries and he other for restaurants. Should give me a lot of points. Or at least that is the plan.

@koreandude 6 дней назад

great video! can the 5% top eligible spend category be the same every bill cycle for the Custom Cash Card?

@MarkReese 5 дней назад

Yes. The way it works is you automatically earn 5% in whichever eligible category you spent the most. So if you want to make sure to trigger the same category, either (a) Use the Citi Custom Cash exclusively for that spend category or (b) Make sure that spend category represents the largest spend amount in dollars each billing cycle compared to any other purchases.

@CesarJoel 6 дней назад

Been using the Citi QuadFecta for a couple of months as my main setup and love it! 👑 Great overview of the cards!🫵

@ryanccc777 6 дней назад

Great overview Mark!! Comparable to others (I know mileage will vary) I am largely (not entirely) locked into Chase due to Hyatt. I mostly travel as a family of 4 and transferring points for 4 award flights requires a massive amount of points and the only hotel program in my experience where it is very easy to get outsized value is Hyatt. I own a home so I don’t have much interest in Bilt (that will change if they add mortgage payments) which leaves Chase.

@TheSimpleDollarShow 6 дней назад

Excited to see if the Citi Strata ELITE becomes a real thing! Til then, the current Citi Trifecta is still really strong 💪

@edboc 6 дней назад

What's the latest on when this would come out?

@MarkReese 6 дней назад

@@edboc - No news at the moment.

@MarkReese 6 дней назад

I'd like to see a Strata Elite, too 👍

@travelpointsfamily 6 дней назад

How often do you actually book travel through any portal to get that elevated return? I'm never booking that way because I'm using the points I've earned, so I don't really care about portal earning rates.

@MarkReese 5 дней назад

Currently, 0% of the time.

@MiniTvShows 3 дня назад

So I just got off the phone with Citi and I was told that, if I combine my credit card accounts to have the Thank You points together which is the Custom Cash and Premiere that I wouldn't be able to use my points from the Custom Cash card towards airlines. I don't know if this is something new or if I just got a bad rep that didn't know what he was doing, so not sure. Thoughts?

@MarkReese 3 дня назад

I was told the same thing. However, travel bloggers have experience the opposite (that is, it should work). I haven't done the experiment myself yet. That's on my list though.

@scramboozled 6 дней назад

To the reward options Citi provides compared to Amex, I say NoThankYou points.

@PingPingTravel 5 дней назад

I will not ditch my CSR because I get 3x points on Uber/Grab, which would only be 1x on Citi (2x max). I take ride shares a lot.

@The_Turd_Ferguson 4 дня назад

Who ever did that tile/grout work should be fired.

@MarkReese 4 дня назад

😂

@soldierscraft9213 5 дней назад

What did you do with your chase sapphire card do you just cancel it?? Can you help me out with that? Cuz I don’t want to keep paying yearly fee.

@MarkReese 5 дней назад

I called Chase and had them downgrade the Sapphire Preferred to the Freedom Unlimited.

@soldierscraft9213 5 дней назад

@@MarkReese thank you

@hunterreagan4801 5 дней назад

I like Citi bc it does not make it a chore to get value from the card

@Milkinporsche 6 дней назад

Citi trifecta plus bilt for rental car.

@Anthonydr 6 дней назад

I’m curious, how has everyone’s mileage been with citi? Heard lots of negative reviews about them but I haven’t been approved for one of their cards yet.

@MarkReese 5 дней назад

My experience has been positive over the years (minus dealing with their portals / tech...that's been a headache for years...however, it's been getting a lot better and more consistent recently).

@anthonytamburo2521 5 дней назад

Really hoping Citi adds American Airlines as a transfer partner that would be enough for me to add the strata

@erronwhite8771 5 дней назад

Citi is good. Their downfall is the custom service.

@kingbb1 6 дней назад

Are Walmart, Target, & Costco excluded for Grocery stores?

@MarkReese 5 дней назад

Yes, excluded.

@davewwjd 6 дней назад

Do you know where to go to make sure you're opted in for spending offers?

@MarkReese 6 дней назад

There's no opt in required. They're simply targeted via email per Citi's discretion.

@davewwjd 6 дней назад

@@MarkReese LoL, I just wanted to be sure I hadn't opted out somehow since I don't receive them

@fogrunr5075 6 дней назад

Thank you Mark for a great review! Thank you thank you!!🎉🎉🎉🎉

@turbo1pt888 5 дней назад

Would college tuition work as one of the 5% categories for the Custom Cash card? I have $5k tuition payments every quarter and it would be great to get something back from that.

@MarkReese 4 дня назад

No, only the ones shown in the video at 2:33.

@turbo1pt888 4 дня назад

Ugh, all banks are just ignoring a potentially huge category. Best option I have found is to get 1.5% in CSP and then transfer to a travel partner at a somewhat boosted rate. Just breaking even with cc fees this way.

@billwright2176 4 дня назад

Have to respect the abilities to earn x3 to X5 for gas and groceries. I've been getting back to back freedom sign up promotions with chase. Player #2 will be helping for years 3 &4. Then I will have to redue it in 2 years if they still have them. It would be easier if chase watches this post and adds them as a full time catogory.

@TheStallion234 6 дней назад

I have the Citi Trifecta and I’ve accrued points faster than I ever could have imagined

@tiki9055 6 дней назад

I just switched also

@KParks 6 дней назад

You should do a video comparing the portals domestic and foreign.

@911eVoX 6 дней назад

Too complicated. I'll keep using my USBAR

@khanscombe619 6 дней назад

Cool tips. I been w/ Amex family since Uni & Chase 1st business so idk if I can switch completely but open to down some to no fee to keep points in family plan I crossed the 20 age of account this yr.

@MarkReese 6 дней назад

20 years of credit history is impressive, well done!

@khanscombe619 6 дней назад

@MarkReese remember, I had thos card since school as a kid under my family card plan. Amex was good for helping minor students gain credit status so when u got your own card.

@edboc 6 дней назад

Have people had issues with false fraud alerts and declined transactions when traveling abroad even when adding a travel notice?

@MarkReese 6 дней назад

I had a domestic transaction blocked that was really frustrating. Fortunately, I also received a text & email to Approve vs. Deny, and then reattempt.

@daegoe 6 дней назад

Points transfer technically is a redemption option, so then transferring to partners should also give you 10% back if you have the rewards+ card right?

@MarkReese 5 дней назад

That's my understanding. I haven't tested it myself yet.

@daegoe День назад

@@MarkReese that would be crazy good if it worked that way. Hopefully someone can confirm one day lol

@EvanFrantzeskos 6 дней назад

The Citi trifecta is good for cashback, but in terms of travel, it's lacking some important transfer partners, notably Hyatt and AC.

@LK_EBM 6 дней назад

Don't forget that he's probably making a lot of Chase and Amex points through referrals, so it makes sense to earn points for spend with Citi

@MarkReese 6 дней назад

Plenty of value to be had beyond those 2 transfer partners.

@tarrius1210 6 дней назад

@@MarkReese Yes, Citi is an absolute beast. Unfortunately, you can't please everyone(smh).

@scarling9367 6 дней назад

💯. One of Citis last updates made tge app much easier to navigate.

@theeyeplaylists 6 дней назад

These are genuinely the best thought out videos on credit on youtube

@austin_217 6 дней назад

Fantastic information, as usual! A great strategy with awesome potential! Thank you for sharing! 🥳

@flubberghosted2472 6 дней назад

Great vid! I have the Strata and I am thinking about doing the quadfecta. 💳💳💳💳

@Joel_Pinedah 6 дней назад

I don’t understand “trifectas” or “set ups”. I’m always working on a SUB. Maybe I just haven’t hit a card plateau yet

@MarkReese 5 дней назад

That's the fastest way to earn points quickly. But there are plenty of people like me out there...0 cards in 12 months...and still counting.

@Joel_Pinedah 5 дней назад

@@MarkReese I guess I’m not there yet. Just got two more this week haha.

@DEM78976 6 дней назад

Similar trifecta for me except I have the Citi prestige over custom cash for $175/yr (former employee, grandfathered in)

@MarkReese 6 дней назад

Awesome!

@DEM78976 6 дней назад

@@MarkReese Reward + might be next one, didn't know that about the 10%. Does it apply if you're redeeming points on another card (or: Strata) with consolidated TY Point Accounts?

@MarkReese 5 дней назад

@@DEM78976 - It's my understanding that it does apply in the combined point balance scenario. I haven't confirmed it myself yet though.

@DEM78976 5 дней назад

@@MarkReese I'll have to check that out, thanks!

@125henni 6 дней назад

I been doing this. Its the easiest one to use 😊

@8ballMarcucilli 6 дней назад

Nice video sir! Any thoughts on a WF trifecta ? Autograph Attude Active Cash

@MarkReese 5 дней назад

A good setup for sure 👍

@xDRZLx 6 дней назад

Where's the multiple Custom Cash and the rewards+ card?

@MarkReese 5 дней назад

- Rewards+ is at 9:00 in the video. - Multiple Custom Cash will likely be mentioned in another video.

@xDRZLx 5 дней назад

@@MarkReese Can't wait for 2026 when your video showing your have 6 custom cashs :)

@johnlittle8267 6 дней назад

Every year I get 80-90% of my points on SUBs, so the points multipliers don't really matter that much. But I do like my Barclays Earner + Business for 8x on gas!

@MarkReese 6 дней назад

New welcome offers = fastest way to huge point balances 🏆

@ycleped 5 дней назад

@MarkReese but if you truly believe that, then this feels like nothing but an advertisement, when you say you've abandoned all your other cards for the trifecta. It just doesn't sit right with me that you'd agree welcome bonuses are the best, yet shill for basic point multipliers. I guess it's still valuable information for people who don't want to go through the effort to apply for new welcome offers... Obviously it's your right to post whatever content makes you happy, but it feels disingenuous to me. I am unsubbing if this is the type of content you'll be releasing.

@MarkReese 5 дней назад

@@ycleped (1) Consistently getting welcome offers will always beat using the multipliers by themselves. (2) The majority of people out there do not consistently get new cards. Currently, I'm one of them. 0 new cards in 12 months and counting. (3) That means my goal is NOT to earn as many points as possible in the shortest timeframe possible. Rather, it's to earn enough points, in a convenient way, using what I already have. (4) I don't advocate that everyone should consistently be applying for new cards. The purpose of having a core setup is to earn a strong return when not going after new cards. (5) The purpose of this channel is NOT to encourage going crazy with welcome offers ("churning"). It's to provide education. I review, compare, and explain many different strategies and products so people can be informed and make better decisions for themselves.

@ycleped 5 дней назад

@@MarkReese thanks for taking the time to write out a thoughtful response, I truly appreciate it. I guess now that I've fully immersed churning cards for welcome bonuses, it's tough to see how any other way could be worth it. I simply personally find that any welcome bonus out there, even those which are super easy to meet, gives far more return than using a core setup. I guess it's all a matter of perspective!

@jonathanlopez3315 6 дней назад

Wish could get Citi 😡 I have too many injuries so I have to wait two years Amex like guess

@MarkReese 6 дней назад

Let 'em fall off, then go for it!

@justmcclend25 6 дней назад

@@MarkReesehey Mark do you know how many inquiries is to many to apply for the Citi Strata premier and/or Custom Cash?

@MarkReese 5 дней назад

@@justmcclend25 - I don't.

@MichaelBrown-pg5dy 6 дней назад

The downside? You have to deal with Citi

@MarkReese 5 дней назад

😂

@soapa4279 22 часа назад

I can’t speak from experience since I have zero products from Citi. It’s just there’s a reason why companies like Credit One and Citi have a bad reputation. Credit One probably being the worst.

@Tomtclai 6 дней назад

Why are people so hot about portals. If I have to use a portal to earn points I’m not interested

@MarkReese 5 дней назад

I rarely use portals, but I mention the rewards because this is an educational video. Just because I don't personally use them doesn't mean I leave them out of the video.

@tarrius1210 6 дней назад

Citi + Chase combo 🏆

@caribdude8151 6 дней назад

Well done Mark! 👏

@gregb5876 6 дней назад

How do you figure 1.7 cents? If you fly coach class, does that average drop?

@MarkReese 6 дней назад

That average figure is based on many data points of maximum, minimum, and in-between redemption values across a variety of classes. It's the generally agreed upon figure by well-known travel bloggers, some of which travel full time. Generally speaking, long-haul international flights in a premium cabin are the ones that get far more value. Also generally speaking, values tend to be lower for domestic flights (even well under 1.7¢). Here's one source I go by: onemileatatime.com/guides/value-miles-points/

@callmeNeno 6 дней назад

Citi is awkward! I don’t have any of their cards or Capital One.