Citibank Citi PremierMiles Credit Card Review - After 10 Years of Use

Citibank Citi PremierMiles credit card is the oldest credit card in my wallet. I’ve been using this card for more than 10 years now and I really feel that I have benefited a lot from using this credit card.

I’ve used it locally and internationally. I was able to redeem my miles for a plane ticket and I’ve had access to airport lounges for free (and for a fee) because of this card.

However, recently, with the increasing number of similar credit cards in the market, I’m wondering if I should still keep this card. I’m asking myself if this is still the right card for me.

If you are thinking of getting a travel credit card, check out below my Citibank Citi PremierMiles credit card review after 10 years of use. Please note that this is my personal experience and might differ from your experience.

And also, this is not a sponsored post. Part of my content strategy is to share my reviews and thoughts about the products and services that I personally use.

Note to Readers: Please be advised that the information written here is valid as of the time of writing but may have been updated by the time you see/read this post. Please check the Citibank website to check the updated information.

Table of Contents

Advantages of Owning a Citibank Citi PremierMiles Credit Card

High Credit Limit

This advantage is not exclusive though to Citi PremierMiles credit card. A lot of my friends also have the other Citibank credit cards and we often find the credit limit to be higher than the other credit cards being offered in the Philippines. Even when I first got the card, my credit limit is higher than what my other colleagues had with their credit cards.

And over the years, they kept on increasing my credit limit. If I remember this correctly, I think I only made a request once. Sometimes, they also have a promotion wherein they will increase your credit limit if you avail of their loan facility.

I availed of their Click for Cash (now known as Speed Cash) a few years back and I got a significant credit increase. Of course, the amount of your credit limit increase will vary depending on your usage, credit card standing and other factors determined by Citibank.

Non-Expiring Miles

The miles that you’ve earned do not expire. I have accumulated a lot over the years and I have transferred those miles to various frequent flyer miles accounts such as Skymiles, Asia Miles, and more.

Earn Miles Fast

You can earn one mile for every P30 spend. It’s one of the lowest in the market thus making PremierMiles card owners earn miles faster than the others.

Update: The ratio of the miles has been downgraded to 1.6 PremierMile = 1 mile (Effective December 20, 2020). It used to be 1:1.

Airport Lounge Access

If you have a Citi PremierMiles credit card, you’ll get two complimentary lounge access at select airports every DragonPass membership year. The DragonPass membership year starts from the time that you registered for your DragonPass account.

I’m putting this as part of the advantages since not all credit cards have this benefit but this is not the best credit card (it used to be but not anymore) for airport lounges in comparison to other credit cards. Some credit cards such as RCBC Bankard Visa Platinum offer unlimited free access to the Skyview Airport Lounge and The Club Manila Lounge for the Principal cardholder plus one travel companion.

Responsive Customer Service

I don’t frequently call Citibank because I barely had any issues with them but whenever I call, I get to talk to a representative right away.

If you have credit cards with other major banks in the Philippines you know that there are certain banks that have a very long wait time before you get to talk to someone.

I’m not sure if it’s because there are only a few people taking the calls or there are just so many customers calling them. But with Citibank, I’ve never experienced waiting on the phone for a long time.

A Lot of Additional Benefits

Aside from earning miles and having access to airport lounges, owning a PremierMiles credit card also gives the cardholder travel insurance protection when you buy your plane ticket using your card and also free 30-day purchase protection.

Please be aware that just like all credit cards, you have to read the terms and conditions so you’ll be aware of the details of these benefits.

Citibank is also one of the cards that give you access to a plethora of discounts and freebies. This is a benefit that can be enjoyed not only by PremierMiles cardholders but also by other owners of various Citibank cards.

This is actually one of my favorite perks since I like to eat out a lot, I get to take advantage of the 50% discount in various hotels and restaurants in the Philippines.

Access to Speed Cash

Again, this is a product that is also available to other Citibank credit cards. It used to be called, Call for Cash and Click for Cash but now they call this Speed Cash.

It’s like a loan that is available to cardholders and the amount is dependent on your credit limit. I have used this facility twice and the service is very fast. I also got to avail of the low interest back then.

Low-Income Requirement

As of the time of writing, the annual income requirement is at P360,000 if you don’t have any existing credit cards and only P180,000 if you have other credit cards. Actually, it used to be higher than that and I’m not sure why they lower the income requirement. Perhaps, in order to attract more customers in the next few months.

Disadvantages of Owning a Citibank Citi PremierMiles Credit Card

The only and the main disadvantage that I know of is the Annual Membership Fee. It has been continuously increasing and now it’s at P5,000. The thing is, there are other cards that could offer similar travel-related benefits to cardholders than Citibank PremierMiles.

If you, however, frequently use your credit card, and if your main priority is to earn miles, then the annual fee might be of no concern since it might be justified by the number of miles that you will earn from this card.

Will I keep my Citibank Citi PremierMiles card?

I’m not sure yet. I still have 18 months left to pay my loan with them so that means I have to stay with them for that long before I get to decide (unless I pay the whole amount) then I can decide earlier.

I’ve been with this card for more than 10 years and it has some sort of sentimental value to me. Another reason why I want to keep this card is that my credit limit is so high and I can make a loan using my credit limit if ever I want to boost my business.

The interest that they charged me for the loans I’ve taken in the past was also very low in comparison with their competitors.

My other option is, to downgrade to another Citibank card as long as I could keep my credit limit intact. I would probably decide on this before my card anniversary comes. (Update: I applied for the Citi Simplicity in case I change my mind about keeping my Citi PremierMiles Card).

Should you try it?

If you think that the benefits of this card fit your need then go ahead and sign up. Plus, they have a very enticing promotion until July 31, 2021, wherein new to bank customers get 30,000 PremierMiles. The spend requirement is P40,000 within 60 days from the card receipt date and the miles will be credited within 30 calendar dates from meeting the spend requirement.

By the way, please read the terms and conditions before you sign up so you’ll get to know the details of this promotion.

Click here if you want to apply and if you want to learn more about the Citibank Citi PremierMiles credit card and other Citi credit cards.