Deciding what travel rewards credit card to get can be daunting. There are so many variables to consider — for example, how does the card earn rewards? How can you redeem them? What is the annual fee, if any?
Right now, though, there is a clear winner among cards with a relatively low annual fee: the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. It’s currently offering a bonus of 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after you spend $4,000 in your first three months of account opening. You can use those 100,000 points to redeem for free travel, including airfare and hotel stays, paying just taxes and fees. That huge bonus is among the reasons that the Chase Sapphire Preferred is our pick for the best credit card with an annual fee under $100.
But how does one of its direct competitors, the Citi Premier® Card, measure up? We’re taking a closer look at that today.
Chase Sapphire Preferred and Citi Premier at a Glance
Both the Chase Sapphire Preferred and the Citi Premier card are beginner- to mid-level travel rewards credit cards. They both come with $95 annual fees, but differ in terms of perks and benefits.
Chase Sapphire Preferred | Citi Premier | |
---|---|---|
Annual Fee | $95 | $95 |
Welcome Offer | 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after you spend $4,000 in the first three months | 80,000 Citi ThankYou points after spending $4,000 within three months of account opening |
Bonus Points | 2x on dining and travel | 3x on travel (airfare and hotels), dining, supermarkets and gas stations |
Credits | $60 towards eligible Peloton memberships and a complimentary 12-month DoorDash DashPass membership (otherwise $9.99 per month). | $100 Annual Hotel Savings Benefit toward a single stay booked through Citi of $500 or more |
Bonuses Comparison
As we mentioned earlier,…