Credit Cards » Compare Credit Cards » Amex vs. Citi Credit Cards: CashBack, Travel, Rewards & 0% Intro Side By Side

Amex vs. Citi Credit Cards: CashBack, Travel, Rewards & 0% Intro Side By Side

Despite Citibank covering most categories, Amex is a clear leader, especially when it comes to travel and luxury credit cards

Article update: November 29, 2024

Article update:November 29, 2024

We earn a commission from our partner links on this page. It doesn't affect the integrity of our unbiased, independent editorial staff. Transparency is a core value for us, read our advertiser disclosure and how we make money.

Both American Express and Citi are among the top credit card providers. While Amex cards are considered more luxury, Citi also offers some good options, especially if you already managing a bank account with Citi.

Here's a comparison between each issuer's options, breakdown by category – cashback, points rewards, 0% intro, or travel card.

Amex vs. Citibank: Which Offers Better Cashback Card?

If you're in the market for a cashback card, there are plenty of options that come with a generous welcome bonus and 0% introductory APR. However, the reward structure is the key factor to consider. Here's a look at the main differences:

The Blue Cash Everyday® and Blue Cash Preferred® cards from American Express cater to those who spend heavily on groceries. While the Blue Cash Preferred card offering higher rewards, it charges an annual fee of $95 ($0 intro for the first year).

The Citi Double Cash Card is the only card offering flat rate cashback which is better for those who prefer to earn cash back on all purchases without any restrictions.

The Citi Custom Cash Card, on the other hand, is ideal for those who have variable spending patterns and want to leverage higher cashback. However, its cap is wuite low so this is not for big spenders.


	Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express	Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express	Citi® Double Cash Card	Citi Custom Cash℠ Card
Annual Fee	$95 ($0 intro for the first year)	$0	$0	$0
Rewards	1-6% 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%) and selected U.S. streaming subscriptions, 3% cash back on transit and U.S. gas stations, 1% cash back on other purchases	1-3% 3% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets / U.S. online retail purchases/ U.S. gas stations on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%	1% – 2% 2% cash back rewards rate – 1% every time you swipe and another 1% upon payment.	1-5% 5% cash back on your highest eligible spend category each billing cycle up to the first $500 spent and 1% cash back thereafter
Welcome bonus	$250 $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months	$200 $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months	N/A $200 cash back after spending $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months	$200 $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening (20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back)
0% Intro APR	12 months on purchases and balance transfers	15 months on purchases and balance transfers from the date of account opening	18 months on balance transfers	15 months on purchases and balance transfers
Foreign Transaction Fee	2.70%	2.7%	3%	3%
Purchase APR	18.49% – 29.49% Variable	18.49% – 29.49% Variable	18.74% – 28.74% (Variable)	18.49% – 28.49% (Variable)
	Read Review	Read Review	Read Review	Read Review

Platinum Card or Citi Premier: Which Travel Card Wins?

When it comes to premium travel credit cards, Citibank offers a mid-tier travel card – the Citi Strata Premier card. While a nice welcome bonus and rewards can be redeemed through Citi ThankYou portal, additional travel benefits are limited.

Platinum Card holders enjoy numerous exclusive benefits. These include Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status for hotel perks and a complimentary Priority Pass Select membership, providing access to over 1,400 lounges worldwide.

Additional perks include preferred event seating, a $100 experience credit for bookings through The Hotel Collection, up to $200 in annual hotel credits, $240 in digital entertainment credits, $155 in Walmart+ credits, $200 in airline fee credits, and $189 for CLEAR® Plus memberships.


	Citi Strata Premier Credit Card	The Platinum Card® from American Express
Annual Fee	$95	$695
Rewards	1X – 10X 10X per dollar on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com, 3X points on restaurant, supermarket, gas station, and air travel and other hotels purchases, and 1X points per dollar on all other purchases	1X – 5X 5X points on up to $500,000 spent on directly-booked airfare and flights and prepaid hotels booked through American Express Travel (per calendar year), 2X points on prepaid car rentals through American Express Travel and 1X points on all other purchases
Welcome bonus	75,000 points 75,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $750 in gift cards or travel rewards on thankyou.com	80,000 points 80,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership
Foreign Transaction Fee	$0	$0
Purchase APR	21.24% – 29.24% (Variable)	See Pay Over Time APR
	Read Review	Read Review

Points Rewards: Amex Gold or Citi Rewards+

Despite the higher annual fee, we think the Amex Gold might be the most appealing option. It offers a better rewards structure than the Premium Rewards card, along with added perks like baggage insurance (up to $500 for checked bags and $1,250 for carry-ons), a $100 experience credit, and $120 in annual Uber and dining credits ($10 per month for each).

The Citi Rewards+® Card is known for its unique “round up” feature, where each purchase is rounded up to the nearest 10 points. It offers a generous rewards structure, but additional benefits are limited compared to the Amex Gold card.

The Amex Gold Card's Membership Rewards points offer extensive flexibility, especially with the option to transfer points to over 20 airline and hotel partners. The Citi Rewards+® Card’s ThankYou® Points travel partners are limited, but there are many other redemption options.


	American Express® Gold Card	Citi Rewards+® Card
Annual Fee	$325	$0
Rewards	1X – 4X 4X points at restaurants (including Uber Eats purchases in the U.S.) and U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per year in purchases, then 1X points), 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com, 2X points on rental cars through amextravel.com and 1X points on all other purchases	1X – 5X Earn 5X points on rental car, hotel and attraction purchases booked through cititravel.com (ends 12/31/2025), 2X points at supermarkets and gas stations (on up to $6,000 in purchases per year, then 1X points) with 1X points on all other purchases
Welcome bonus	60,000 points 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership	20,000 points Earn 20,000 bonus points after spending $1,500 within the first 3 months of account opening (redeemable for $200 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com)
0% Intro APR	N/A	N/A
Foreign Transaction Fee	None	3%
Purchase APR	See Pay Over Time APR	17.99% – 27.99% (Variable)
	Read Review	Read Review

0% Intro APR: Citi Simplcity vs. Diamond vs. Amex Everyday

If you need a balance transfer card with a long 0% introductory APR, several cards stand out for offering some of the longest terms in the industry. Citi provides two strong options—the Simplicity card and the Diamond Preferred card—while the Amex Everyday card is a notable competitor.

For balance transfers, Citibank clearly leads the category with its extended 0% introductory APR terms. However, the Amex Everyday card offers a lower balance transfer fee compared to Citibank’s options and includes rewards on purchases, which Citi’s balance transfer cards do not offer.

This makes the Amex Everyday card an attractive choice for those looking to earn rewards while paying down their balance.


	Citi Simplicity® Card	Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card	American Express EveryDay® Card
Annual Fee	$0	$0	$0
Rewards	None	None	1X – 2X 2X points at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year, then 1X), 2X points on prepaid rental cars booked through American Express Travel and 1X points on all other purchases
0% Intro APR	12 months on purchases and 21 months on balance transfers	21 months on balance transfers and 12 months on purchases	15 months on purchases and balance transfers
Balance Transfer Fee	$5 or 5% (whichever is greater)	$5 or 5% (the greater)	$5 or 3%, whichever is greater
Foreign Transaction Fee	3%	3%	2.7%
Purchase APR	18.74% – 29.49% (Variable)	17.49% – 28.24% (Variable)	17.74% – 28.74% Variable
	Read Review	Read Review	Read Review

Airline Cards: Delta By Amex Or American Airlines By Citi?

When it comes to co-branded airline cards, American Express partners with Delta, while Citi partners with American Airlines. Besides the following cards featured in the table, there are additional cards for low, mid and high tier users, each tier provides increasing levels of benefits.

For example, besides welcome bonus and rewards, the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card offers free checked bag, priority boarding, and a 20% in-flight purchase discount. Delta SkyMiles can be redeemed for flights, seat upgrades, SkyMiles Experiences, and more.

The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Amex card customers get complimentary access to Delta Centurion® Lounge, Annual Companion Certificate, Delta Sky Club® Access, $150 Delta Stays Credit, $120 Resy Credit, MQD boost, advanced protections and more.

Citi offers a range of American Airlines AAdvantage cards, including the low-tier American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp℠ Card, the mid-tier Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard®, and the high-tier Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite™ Mastercard®. The Executive card comes with premium benefits like up to $120 back on eligible Grubhub purchases, Admirals Club® Membership, enhanced airport perks, a free first checked bag, and more.

Naturally, the choice between Delta and American Airlines cards depends on your flying habits and loyalty.


	Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card	Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®	Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express	AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®
Annual Fee	$150, $0 intro first year	$99 (waived for the first 12 months)	$650	$525
Rewards	1X – 2X 2X miles on delta purchases, at restaurants worldwide (including take-out and delivery in the U.S) and at U.S. supermarkets, and 1x miles on all other eligible purchases	1X – 2X Earn 2 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent at gas stations and restaurants, 2 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases and 1 AAdvantage® mile for every $1 spent on other purchases. Earn 1 Loyalty Point for every 1 eligible AAdvantage® mile earned from purchases.	1X – 3X 3X miles per dollar on eligible Delta flights and Delta Vacations® with 1X miles on all other purchases	1X – 10X 10X AAdvantage® miles on eligible rental cars/hotels through aa.com, 4X miles on eligible American Airlines purchases and 1X on all other purchases
Welcome bonus	50,000 Miles Earn 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new card in your first 6 months of card membership.	50,000 Miles 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after $2,500 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening	70,000 miles Earn 70,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 in eligible purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership.	70,000 miles 70,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $7,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
Foreign Transaction Fee	$0	$0	$0	$0
	Read Review	Read Review	Read Review	Read Review

Additional Cards To Consider

Amex also partnered with hotel chains such as Hilton and Marriot, enhancing its travel options.

The Hilton Honors cardholders enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors Silver status, providing benefits like a 20% bonus on base points and late check-out. Points can be redeemed for free nights at Hilton properties worldwide, experiences, car rentals, and more.

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card is tailored for luxury travelers and Marriott enthusiasts. Cardholders receive automatic Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status, granting benefits like room upgrades, late checkout, enhanced earning rates on stays, Priority pass, up to $300 in statement credits for Marriott purchases and various protections.

Lastly, the most popular Citi co-branded card is Costco, offering extensive benefits for those who shop at Costco and use the card for everyday purchases. While the additional benefits are limited, customers may save thousands of dollars every year if they buy frequently in Costco.


	Hilton Honors American Express Card	Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi	Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
Annual Fee	$0	$0 ($60 Costco membership fee required)	$650
Rewards	3X – 7X 7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged directly with hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio, 5x points at U.S. restaurants (including takeout and delivery) U.S.supermarkets, U.S. gas stations and 3x points for each dollar on other eligible purchases	1-4% 4% cash back on on eligible gas and EV charging purchases for the first $7,000 per year and then 1% thereafter, 3% cash back on restaurants and most travel purchases, 2% cash back at Costco and Costco.com, 1% cash back on all other purchases	2X – 6X 6 Marriott Bonvoy points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy™ program, 3 points at Worldwide restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines and 2 points on all other eligible purchases
Welcome bonus	100,000 points 100,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership	None	95,000 points 95,000 Marriott Bonvoy points after spending $6,000 within the first 6 months of card membership.
Foreign Transaction Fee	$0	$0	$0
Purchase APR	20.24% – 29.24% variable APR	19.99% – 27.99% (Variable)	20.24% – 29.24% Variable
	Read Review	Read Review	Read Review

Bottom Line

Both Amex and Citibank offer a variety of cards for almost any purpose.

Despite Citibank covering most of the important categories for customers, Amex is a clear leader in practically every category, especially when it comes to travel credit cards and luxury benefits for cardholders.

Baruch Mann (Silvermann)

Baruch Silvermann is a financial expert, experienced analyst, and founder of The Smart Investor. Silvermann has contributed to Yahoo Finance and cited as an authoritative source in financial outlets like Forbes, Business Insider, CNBC Select, CNET, Bankrate, Fox Business, The Street, and more.

Best Cards Per Category

#1 In credit Cards

Our Newsletter

Start saving smarter with

Our Credit Card Newsletter

Our Newsletter

Join our community for the latest credit card comparison tips, expert insights,
and special member-only perks.

Editorial Note: Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.

Credit Card Reviews Methodology

In order to determine the best possible credit cards, we look at things like fees, interest rates and rewards. We do this with companies that are associated with us as partners as well as other offerings. From there, we make a decision about what the best card is related to different categories and needs. We focus on interest rate cost & fees, especially the cost of carrying a balance, rewards – cards accumulate rewards in different currencies—points, miles, cash back—and their values vary widely usability – cards that accept a wide range of credit profiles and offer simple solutions for things like checking your credit score or contacting. We also consider customer reviews.

We look at cards related to good or excellent credit ratings that will then provide a range of different benefits and improvements for someone who has these scores. We also look at low fees when it comes to those who have lower credit scores.