Image by GettyImages; Illustration by Bankrate
Key takeaways
- Strategically combining three Citi cards allows you to both earn more rewards and squeeze out maximum value when you redeem them.
- The three cards that often make up the Citi trifecta are the Citi Strata Premier® Card, Citi Double Cash® Card and Citi Custom Cash® Card*.
- The Citi Strata Premier is the only card of the three that charges an annual fee.
If you’re a credit card enthusiast or enjoy maximizing your rewards, you may be interested in a credit card trifecta. This approach combines three cards from the same issuer to take advantage of the best perks and rewards rates on each card. More importantly, it allows you to easily combine your rewards for better redemption options, like the ability to transfer rewards to travel partners.
What is the Citi trifecta?
The Citi credit card trifecta is usually comprised of the Citi Strata Premier® Card, Citi Double Cash® Card and Citi Custom Cash® Card*, which can all help you rack up piles of Citi ThankYou points and cash back.
All three cards offer different rewards structures and redemption options. On their own, the cards offer the following:
- Citi Custom Cash: This card earns “basic” ThankYou points. Redeem your rewards for direct deposits, checks, statement credits, gift cards, travel booked through Citi or eligible purchases on Amazon via Shop with Points.
- Citi Double Cash: This card earns “basic” ThankYou points. Redeem your rewards for direct deposits, checks, statement credits, gift cards, travel booked through Citi or eligible purchases on Amazon via Shop with Points.
- Citi Strata Premier: You’ll earn “full-fledged” ThankYou points with this card. Redeem rewards for cash back, gift cards, shopping with points, charitable contributions, travel through Citi Travel and transfers to Citi travel loyalty partners.
- Alternative option: The Citi Rewards+® Card* could be used instead of the Custom Cash, but the rewards earning structure doesn’t allow as much flexibility to maximize your earning, so we’re focusing on Custom Cash.
A quick note on ThankYou points
Notice that both the Citi Double Cash and Citi Custom Cash earn basic Citi ThankYou points that cannot be transferred to the full slate of Citi travel partners. Those transfer partners are how you can earn the most value from your redemption.
That’s where Citi Strata Premier comes in. It includes all the redemption options available for the Citi Custom Cash and Citi Double Cash, plus the ability to transfer Citi ThankYou points to Citi airline and hotel partners.
Combine all your rewards under your Premier card to convert your basic ThankYou points into full-fledged, transferrable ThankYou points.
Citi trifecta card highlights
| Card name | Welcome offer | Rewards rate | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Citi Custom Cash® Card* | Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back. |
|
$0 |
| Citi Double Cash® Card | Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back. |
|
$0 |
| Citi Strata Premier® Card | Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com. |
|
$95 |
How to maximize the Citi trifecta
1. Choose the right card for your purchases
Successfully maximizing the Citi trifecta hinges on being mindful of how you use each card. Managing multiple credit cards always requires more strategy and attention than only carrying one card, but managing multiple cards with a goal of maximizing rewards takes that a step further.
Here’s a rough outline of what you should use each card for:
| Card | Spending category | Earning rate |
|---|---|---|
| Citi Custom Cash® Card | Pick one of the following categories per billing cycle that you believe you’ll spend $500 on: Restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, select travel, select transit, select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs or live entertainment | 5% cash back (up to $500 spent per billing cycle) |
| Citi Strata Premier® Card | Use this card for gas station, air travel, hotel, restaurants and supermarkets purchases when they are NOT your Custom Cash category for the month | 3 points per dollar |
| Citi Double Cash® Card | Use this for everything that you don’t use the other two cards for | Up to 2% cash back (1% when you buy, 1% when you pay) |
2. Keep the Custom Cash’s spending limit in mind
You will have to be careful when choosing between the Custom Cash and Double Cash for some purchases. If you max out the Custom Cash’s 5 percent category, and if the Citi Premier doesn’t offer that same category, make sure you switch over to the Double Cash so you can earn up to 2 percent cash back instead of dropping to the Custom Cash’s 1 percent back.
3. Redeem rewards for high-value options
As with most credit card trifectas, the main reason to use a credit card combination is to maximize rewards redemption value. By adding in the Citi Premier, you’ll be able to transfer your rewards to Citi airline and hotel partners. Access to this redemption method is key for maximizing your rewards value.
Your points could be worth about 1.6 cents each when transferred to a high-value travel partner, according to Bankrate’s valuations. Their base value without Citi Strata Premier transfer options is just 1.0 cents each.
4. Make a plan to earn the welcome bonuses
It isn’t an ongoing strategy, but earning your welcome bonus is part of maximizing your rewards. In total, the current bonuses for the Citi trifecta cards add up to 100,000 ThankYou points. That’s a lot of points to leave on the table if maximizing rewards is your primary goal. Therefore, make sure your budget and lifestyle allow you to meet the minimum spend requirement and earn the bonuses.
How to get the Citi Trifecta
As the name suggests, the Citi trifecta strategy requires you qualify for all three Citi cards. And to qualify for these cards, you’ll need a good to excellent credit score. The higher your credit score, the higher your chances of qualifying.
If your credit score is too low, you can work on building your credit by paying your bills in full and on-time each month and by paying off as much of your existing credit card debt (if you have it) as you can.
The bottom line
Employing the Citi trifecta is a great way to maximize your Citi ThankYou rewards. But this move won’t work for everyone. If you don’t travel much, for instance, the Citi Strata Premier won’t make sense for you, especially considering its annual fee. Or if you don’t spend much in the available bonus categories for the Strata Premier or Custom Cash, you won’t earn as many rewards.
Review your spending habits before applying for the Citi Strata Premier, Citi Double Cash and Citi Custom Cash. If your current monthly spending habits won’t result in the highest possible amount of rewards, these cards might not be the best combination for you. But if they do, the Citi trifecta could be your perfect rewards credit card strategy.
*The information about the Citi Custom Cash® Card has been collected independently by Bankrate. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the issuer.
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