Citi Chairman Card - Benefits for the Exceptionally Rich or Exceptionally Dumb
Citi has finally decided to relaunch it’s Chairman credit card with little pomp and circumstance. This card is Citi’s answer to the American Express Black card that has garnered great media attention and has been the darling of the exceptionally rich or exceptionally dumb.
For the honor of touting this new card, Citi expects cardmembers to fork over a whopping $400 annual fee. Sure, the card looks cool and those that can’t afford it can feel as though they can when it’s shining in their wallet where no one can see it. And when someone can see it no one gives a shit cause it looks like any other black card and amazingly similar to their PremierPass and PremierPass Elite cards that both offer an great rewards program. So, you may be asking, what do you actually get for this $400 annual fee? I’ll tell you:
- Get 3 Select Spend Points for every dollar spent on purchases made at supermarkets, drug stores, gas stations, commuter transportation and parking merchants (so does every other card)
- Get 1 Purchase Point for every dollar spent on all other purchases (whoopee doo da)
- Get points for shopping with participating retailers (this must be new? - sarcasm)
- Citigroup Chairman Card Personal Assistants (wtf does this mean? wake up calls? drycleaning?)
- Complimentary Companion tickets (that have 360 blackout days in a year)
- Complimentary airport lounge access (ok, this one is kinda cool)
- Medical evacuation coverage at no extra charge when you use your Chairman Card to pay for your travel (if you are rich enough to have this card, you are rich enough to have insurance)
So, in a nutshell, what do you get? Almost nothing.
But even after my warning, if you still want a Citi Chairman Card you’re out of luck. This is only offered to a select group of Citi Private Banking and Smith Barney clients.
My advice on the Citi Chairman Card? Stay away and buy something nice for $400 and get another great reward card with exceptional benefits such as these cards:
- Chase Freedom(SM) Points Visa® Card
- US Airways® Visa Signature® Credit Card
- Blue from American Express®
- Citi® PremierPass(SM) Card
Tags: Rewards, Advice, Banks, Credit Cards
hi i enjoyed the read
Great assessment. I was actually trying to research how to get the Chairman card after hearing about it. Not sure if it’s the most in depth analysis of the benefits, but entertaining nonetheless. Thanks.
You are totally wrong about that card not being worth the money. If you fly a lot, it is really worth it. You get the highest level of Priority Pass, which normally costs $399, but the membership you get with the Chairman Card entitles you to complimentary lounge entry for yourself AND a traveling companion, which the regular $399 entry doesn’t. Plus you get free Hilton Gold status. That gives you an upgrade to the executive floor and use of the lounge, and that’s really nice. The other stuff is pretty worthless, but if I flew a lot (which I don’t) I’d get this card.