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 19.74% - 28.74%, based on your creditworthiness. The standard variable APR for cash advances is 29.99%. 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. |
| 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 a strong contender for its specific niche: small business owners who are loyal to American Airlines and can fully leverage its co-branded benefits. Its primary strengths include an excellent sign-up bonus of 65,000 AAdvantage® bonus miles (with a reasonable spend requirement and waived first-year annual fee), and competitive rewards of 2x miles on American Airlines purchases, as well as key business categories like gas, car rentals, and telecommunications. The card further sweetens the deal with valuable travel perks such as preferred boarding, a free first checked bag for the cardholder and up to four companions, and 25% savings on inflight purchases, which can easily offset the annual fee for frequent flyers. The absence of foreign transaction fees is also a significant advantage for international business travel.However, the card is held back from a higher rating by several notable limitations. The most significant drawback is the high variable APR for purchases (19.74% - 28.74%), coupled with the complete lack of any introductory APR offer. This makes carrying a balance particularly expensive and uncompetitive compared to many other business cards. The fees rating is further impacted by a high cash advance fee. While the rewards are good for American Airlines loyalists, the program lacks the redemption flexibility of transferable points. Critically, the overall user experience is impacted by Citi's mixed reputation for customer service and reports of low initial credit limits, as highlighted in the reputation analysis. In summary, while this card offers substantial value for its target audience of frequent American Airlines business travelers who pay their balance in full, its high APR and issuer-related service concerns prevent it from achieving an 'Excellent' rating.
Pros & Cons
What's great
- Generous sign-up bonus
- High rewards rate
- No foreign transaction fees
- Luxury perks
Things to consider
- Annual fee
- No intro APR period
- High regular APR
- 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.
Rewards
- Earn 2 AAdvantage® miles for your business on every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases
- Earn 2 AAdvantage® miles for your business on every $1 spent at car rental merchants and gas stations
- Earn 2 AAdvantage® miles for your business on every $1 spent at telecommunications merchants and cable and satellite providers
- Earn 1 AAdvantage® mile for your business on every $1 spent on all other purchases
Other features
- Preferred boarding on American Airlines flights
- First checked bag free on domestic American Airlines itineraries for you and up to 4 companions traveling with you on the same reservation.
- 25% savings on inflight food, beverages and Wi-Fi purchases when you use your card on American Airlines flights.
- No foreign transaction fees
- 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.
- Add Authorized Users: Receive employee cards at no additional cost and earn more miles for your business when employees use their card for purchases.
- No limit on the amount of miles you can earn
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Citi Entertainment®: 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.
- 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.
- No blackout dates: Travel when you want. Plan your travel freely with no blackout dates when booking with miles.
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.