Citi Ultima Credit Card

Details

Citi Prestige Credit Card offers its users access to Citi's diverse point ecosystem. Card holders can convert their Citi ThankYou® point to 11 airline and hotel partners, some of them (such as Qantas) are only available to Citi.

Earn rate:

As we've come to expect from Citi, the earning rate is clearly laid out on their website. 

On local spending, lower earn rates applied to the usual suspects, which are Insurance, Education, Real Estate, Transport, Transit, Utilities, Telecom and Government Service. Thankfully, there are some highly used categories are spared, like groceries and fuel. 

On international spending, Citi applies a lower earn rate on currencies of the member states of the European Economic Area (EEA). These currencies include EUR, BGN, HRK, CZK, DKK, HUF, PLN, RON, SEK, ISK, NOK, CHF. The British Pound is not included on this list and therefore earns the full 5 points per USD equivalent. ​

The ThankYou® points earned with Citi Prestige convert at 1:5, surprisingly a worse conversion rate than its lower-end sibling, The Citi Prestige Credit Card. Here's a table of how their earn rates compare: 

While in most categories, Citi Ultima has a better earn rate, in the most used category by most people (daily domestic spending), Citi Prestige offers a better effective earn rate.

These points convert into 11 different airline and hotel partners. Airline partners include Cathy Pacific (Asia Miles), British Airways, Etihad, Flying Blue (Air France/KLM), Virgin Atlantic, Thai Airways (Royal Orchid Plus), Qantas, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Turkish Airlines (Miles&Smiles) and IHG Rewards for Hotels. ​In 2024, Emirates was removed as a partner airline. ​

Travel websites value Citi ThankYou® points at a 1.5 cent (5.5 Fils) to 2 cent (7.34 Fils) per point when redeeming with a partner airlines/hotels,. But since Citi Ultima adds a 1.5:1 multiplier, the effective return rate comes down to a maximum of 3.32% on domestic spending and up to 6.6% on international spending. Citi ThankYou® points can be redeemed as statement credit, which is not recommended. If that's your plan, you're better off with a Cashback card.

Perks:

Airport Lounge: This card offers access to over 1,100 airport lounges around the world, for you and one guest. No minimum spend required, up to 14 visits per year. 

Careem Airport Ride: this card offers a AED 110 discount on all rides to and from from any airport on the country, twice a year. To avail this offer, use code "MAUAE6" in the "Discounts" field on Careem app. This offer applies to all World Elite® Mastercard. This discount does not apply Hala rides. 

Valet Parking: This card offers 2 free valet parking a month, including all 3 terminals at Dubai International Airport (1st hour only), as well as many other locations. Click here for details.

Golf: This card offers Golf unlimited access to some of the top golf courses in the country, including The Els Golf Club Dubai, Arabian Ranches Golf Club Dubai, Montgomerie Golf Club Dubai and Abu Dhabi Golf Club. Unlimited golf is offered during the week. One session per month is offered during the weekend. For more info, click here. 

Warranty: Warranty categories include Rental Vehicle Collision and Loss Damage Waiver (up to 50,000USD), Accident and Health Coverage (up to 500,000USD) which includes travel accident, travel medical benefits, trip cancellation and luggage protection. ​For insurance terms and conditions, click here. ​Please note, according to Citi's website, Citi Prestige and Citi Ultima share the same coverage.

My Take

The Citi Prestige is an exceptionally versatile credit card, offering a solid earn rate and very few low-earning spend categories. I've personally seen up to a 15% return on spend when redeeming points for long-haul business class flights. It also comes with a strong set of perks—none of which are tied to minimum spend thresholds.

One standout benefit is the AED 2,000 cashback on a single airline ticket each year. Most expats in the UAE easily spend this much traveling home, which effectively brings the annual fee down to just AED 1,150—making the card even more compelling for frequent travelers.

While Citi is no longer partnered directly with Emirates, you can still book Emirates flights using Qantas Points. Economy redemption through Qantas may cost more than using Skywards Miles, but business and first class often require fewer points, making it a smart workaround.

There are a couple of quirks to keep in mind. Like all Citi cards, if you plan to pay off your balance via cash or check at an ATM, you must carry the physical card—you can't use your Emirates ID. And if you're interested in the unlimited golf benefit, note there's no live booking platform; you’ll need to fill out a request form and hope for availability.

If you’re not loyal to a specific airline and have flexibility with your travel dates, the Citi Prestige delivers excellent value and travel perks that are hard to beat.

Apply for Citi Ultima Card