Citi
Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ card
Key Features
| Annual Fee | $99.00 |
| Sign-up Bonus | 65,000 AAdvantage bonus miles |
| Rewards Rate | 1x-2x AAdvantage miles |
| Regular APR | The standard variable APR for purchases is 19.49% - 28.49%, based on your creditworthiness. The standard variable APR for cash advances is 29.74%. The variable Penalty APR is up to 29.99% and may be applied if you make a late payment or make a payment that is returned. |
| Other Fees | Minimum interest charge — $0.50. Fee for Foreign Purchases — None. Cash advance fee — either $10 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater. Redeeming the certificate is $99 for the ticketing fee plus taxes and fees.2 |
| Network | Mastercard |
About this card
The Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ card earns an overall rating of 3.1, placing it in the 'Good' category. This card is an excellent choice for its specific niche: small business owners who frequently fly American Airlines and can maximize its co-branded benefits. Its strengths include a generous sign-up bonus (65,000 AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $4,000 in 4 months, with the first year's annual fee waived), valuable airline-specific perks like preferred boarding, a free first checked bag for the cardholder and companions, and 25% savings on inflight purchases. The absence of foreign transaction fees is also a significant advantage for international business travel. The rewards structure is solid for AA purchases and specific business categories (gas, car rentals, telecom). However, the card is held back by several factors. The APR for purchases (19.49% - 28.49%) is quite high, especially with no introductory APR offer, making it expensive to carry a balance. The $99 annual fee, though offset by perks for frequent flyers, is an ongoing cost. Rewards outside of the bonus categories are a standard 1 mile per dollar, which is uncompetitive compared to more flexible business cards. Critically, the overall user experience is significantly impacted by Citi's consistently poor reputation for customer service and reported issues with low initial credit limits, as highlighted in the reputation analysis. While the card offers strong benefits within its niche, these notable limitations and the issuer's service reputation prevent it from achieving a higher overall rating. It's a solid tool for the right user, but not without compromises.
Pros & Cons
What's great
- Generous sign-up bonus
- High rewards rate in key business categories
- No foreign transaction fees
- Airline travel perks (free checked bags, boarding priority, inflight savings)
- Opportunity to earn a companion certificate
- Unlimited rewards earning
Things to consider
- Annual fee applies after the first year
- High regular APR
- No intro APR period
- High cash advance fee
What this card offers
Sign-up bonuses
- Earn 65,000 AAdvantage® bonus miles
- For your business after $4,000 in purchases within the first 4 months of account opening.2
Rewards
- Earn 2 AAdvantage® miles for your business on every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases2
- Earn 2 AAdvantage® miles for your business on every $1 spent at car rental merchants and gas stations2
- Earn 2 AAdvantage® miles for your business on every $1 spent at telecommunications merchants and cable and satellite providers2
- Earn 1 AAdvantage® mile for your business on every $1 spent on all other purchases2
Other features
- Preferred boarding on American Airlines flights
- Save time and be more productive with early access to overhead bins.2
- First checked bag free on domestic American Airlines itineraries
- First checked bag free on domestic American Airlines itineraries for you and up to 4 companions traveling with you on the same reservation.2
- Savings on inflight purchases
- 25% savings on inflight food, beverages and Wi-Fi purchases when you use your card on American Airlines flights.2
- No foreign transaction fees[1]
- Keep your business expenses and budget on track when you shop overseas.
- American Airlines Companion Certificate
- Earn an American Airlines Companion Certificate for qualifying domestic travel after you spend $30,000 in purchases each cardmembership year and cardmembership is renewed. Redeeming the certificate is $99 for the ticketing fee plus taxes and fees.2
- No blackout dates
- Travel when you want. Plan your travel freely with no blackout dates when booking with miles.
- Add Authorized Users
- Receive employee cards at no additional cost[1] and earn more miles for your business when employees use their card for purchases.2
- No limit on the amount of miles you can earn
- There is no maximum number of American Airlines AAdvantage® miles that you can accumulate with your card.
- Citi® Quick Lock
- Misplaced your card? Use Citi Quick Lock in the Citi Mobile® App or at citi.com to instantly block new charges while allowing recurring transactions to continue without disruption.
- 24-hour fraud protection
- Citi will alert you if we see unusual activity on your account.
- Mastercard® ID Theft Protection
- The ID Theft Protection program offered by Mastercard® helps eliminate the worry of identity theft by monitoring the information you choose to protect and alerting you if suspicious activity is found. It takes just a few minutes to enroll for free, and as soon as you do, your monitoring begins. Visit mastercardidps.idprotectiononline.com to learn more.
- Chip-based card technology
- Chip card technology keeps the same card number but provides you with security and global acceptance.
- Automatic account alerts
- Stay updated on balance, payments and credit limits via email or text.
- Choose your payment due date
- Choose to pay your bill on any available due date in the beginning, middle or end of the month. Enjoy the flexibility of paying your full balance or just the minimum payment due each month.
- Paperless statements and e-communications
- Reduce clutter and get your statements and most legal notices online instead of in the mail.
- Add Authorized Users
- Receive employee cards at no additional cost and earn more miles for your business when employees use their card for purchases.[1]
- 24/7 Customer Service
- Questions about your Citi® card account? Just call the number on the back of your credit card. Just say "representative" to access fast, live help from a friendly Customer Service representative ready to help with virtually every aspect of your cardmembership (including technical assistance) — 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
- Citi Mobile® App and personal business assistant
- Manage your business expenses anytime, anywhere, and get 24/7 assistance for business travel and more.
- Contactless pay
- Shop safely with a contactless, chip-enabled card. Just tap your card on the payment reader and go in seconds.
- Digital wallets
- Digital wallets let you shop with confidence in millions of places online, within apps and in stores. With digital wallets, you can speed through checkout and continue to enjoy all the great benefits that come with your card. Learn how to get started and how digital wallets can help protect your card information at citi.com/digitalservices.
- Access FICO® Score
- Free access to your FICO® Score online to review your credit history.
- Citi Entertainment®
- Citi Entertainment® is an entertainment access program available to eligible Citi® credit card and Citibank® Debit Card customers. Citi cardmembers get special access to purchase tickets to thousands of events, including presale tickets and exclusive experiences to the year's most anticipated concerts, sporting events, arts and culture experiences. To learn more, visit citientertainment.com.
- Citi® Flex Pay
- Buy now, pay later with Citi® Flex Pay. Pay over time in fixed monthly payments and continue to earn points on purchases. Available on eligible purchases of $75 or more.2
- No foreign transaction fees[1]
- Stretch your business budget further on overseas purchases.[1]
Additional Notes
This offer may not be available if you leave this page. Offers may vary and this offer may not be available in other places where the card is offered. American Airlines AAdvantage® new cardmember bonus offer not available if you have received a new account bonus for a Citi® / AAdvantage® Business account in the past 48 months or if you converted another Citi credit card account on which you earned a new account bonus in the last 48 months into a Citi® / AAdvantage® Business account.