Hey Sebby! I’ve been watching for like four years now, and might I say the editing in your videos has become absolutely amazing. Production quality on your end has improved so much, keep up the good work!
This is going to be my primary setup. Already had the Citi Premier and DoubleCash. I was just approved for the Custom Cash 2 days ago. I already have the Chase trifecta, but their lack of higher multipliers for gas and groceries all year around made me consider the Citi Trifecta instead.
Down the road I could see myself rocking this setup! It can cover 99% of the usual spend categories with a 2% floor and having one log in sounds amazing! I’m over here with 7 log ins and sometimes it gets annoying jumping through hoops. Simplicity is definitely a selling point for some people, me included! I think in 6 months time I’ll be applying for a custom cash 💵
⚡ This is my setup, with one addition: Citi Prestige. Yes, I know it's no longer available and the annual fee is high, but when you get to carry it at $350 annual fee (as I'm lucky enough to do), it's a $100 effective annual fee card with 5x TY on restaurants and airlines plus Priority Pass. Hope they don't get rid of it when they roll out whatever Strata cards end up being.
I run the Citi Quinfecta (Custom Cash, Double Cash, Rewards+, Premier, and Prestige) very little overlap in categories and I've gotten incredible value from each of them. I hope they bring back the Prestige for new applicants since I'm grandfathered in.
I have all those except prestige. I also have American aadvantage business card & costco so 6 total citi cards. I wanted to get prestige but discontinued
Prestige problem is fixed easily by getting multiple Custom Cash with player 2. The Premier works just as well for cheaper and has equally non-existent travel protections. Their strata cards have to be a homerun.
⚡️ to answer the “no foreign transaction fee” dilemma, I think the Citi Costco Card is a fantastic solution. Yes there is an effective annual fee which is the Costco membership, but the amount of cash back you can get with costco gas, groceries and other purchases more than makes up for it too
I've been using Citi Costco card on costco, gas, and dining for the last few years.. but I'm looking to use Citi TY points for travel now, instead of cashback, so therefore, I'm going to use Custom Cash and Premier on gas and dining
I’m fairly new to the credit card game, but my current setup is: double cash, custom cash, and savor one. It’s a simple cash back setup with no annual fees.
I think one of the reasons this trifecta hasn't caught on is every credit card enthusiast gets turned down when they try to get it. 😂 One niche market it could serve is the road tripper. You get good points on gas and the best transfer partners possible for cheap roadside motels. It's the only card that gives 1:2 Choice. 1:1 Wyndham could be good if you take advantage of Caesar's and Vacasa Vacation Rentals.
Dude, you're pretty good with you CC info. Usually I dont listen much to bloviating YT personalities...but you strickly provide unbiased(mostly) information and allow us to decide.....no fluff ..provide info....Im down with ya
⚡⚡⚡So I was driving and listening to this upload. I had to pull over and revisit the @9:30 mark so I could view Sebby transcend to the level of Super Saiyan. Vegeta would be proud!
⚡ I love the DragonBall Z reference! An easy setup I've been running personally is a Capital One setup with the Quicksilver, Savor, And Venture X. Originally I had the Venture Card and product changed to get the 10k yearly points. It's a pretty cheap setup compared to the others and you can just run the Savor and Venture cards for a 2 card setup.
I'm thinking about rolling for the SavorOne Rewards (it's the $95 annual fee SO Rewards card) because of the additional 1x back on Dining, entertainment and grocery stores, whilst keeping the Premier for the additional 1x back on gas (we're going to be a two car family later this year), with our workhorse card being the VX from C1 for the 2x back on everything, and they're basically paying you to have the card. I have the Chase trifecta but it's just not as value inclusive as my Citi/C1 combo (plus they have largely overlapping transfer partners, so combining the points isn't much of a difficulty). I think in the future when I get my real estate investments going a bit further along, I may try using Bilt for all the mortgage payments and then maybe an AMEX Business Plat for the business card/intro bonus.
My trifecta is replacing the premier with the Costco card. 4% gas 3% restaurants, 5% custom cash for groceries. And double cash everything else. Best lineup with No annual fees.
⚡This is my primary setup, I also have a chase duo of freedom unlimited and sapphire preferred I got when the preferred had a huge bonus a while back, but I'm mostly just sitting on those for a large trip this year. It runs about 5-8k points a month with my current spend. I actually choose to put my grocery spend on the custom cash because it usually runs exactly $500 per month and there's nothing else significant I could put on it (my utilities are on a Southwest card). I really like it although their portal used to be kinda a pain to use. The new one seems better, but I haven't tried it yet. The hotel credit is nice to have if you can't find other options that are more than $100 cheaper. I once spent about $50 more on the raw booking than elsewhere because the credit made it cheaper, but otherwise I pretend it doesn't exist.
Okay, glad to know I'm not crazy w/ the $100 credit in the case of the Premier. IDK, feels like a slippery slope as well, especially if you think about all the Amex cards that have "spend $x get $y" back offers.
@@AskSebby yeah it’s definitely designed to get you to spend more through their portal which is usually 10% or so more expensive. It worked out well when I went to Hawaii during Covid. Was able to find the same property on the portal and net a small gain for it, but the premier’s super power is being paired with the others. By itself it’s just Ok. The double cash was my first and oldest credit card so they sucked me into the premier when they allowed the points to be combined.
Can we talk about credit card approvals. You make it sound like all these cards are out there ready for grab. Citi rejects me every time I apply for having too many revolving accounts. My scores are all over 800.
A bit of me does wonder if they'll pull the rug (or maybe it was because Costco side wasn't profitable): thepointsguy.com/news/citi-costco-credit-card-extended-warranty/
I feel all those extended warranty and possible travel protections will go to their Strata card. The same way Amex Platinum has all the good consumer features.
Venture X has no foreign transaction fees for a base 2% card. BBP, FU and DC all have one. If you are not abroad that much, just use Citi Premier at 1% and get that 3% on all the other bonus categories. I would still have a backup Visa card with no FTT when abroad. Sapphire preferred, perhaps?
⚡️ ⚡️ ⚡️ I agree, it’s a great setup for someone looking for a simple, low annual fee, good value card setup. I wish I had this information when I first started.
Thanks for the great content as always question for you I applied for Capital 1 Savor card and got denied, I have an 808 for Transunion, 788 experian and 819 for equifax. The reason for denial was Based on my credit report from one or more of the agencies there are too many new revolving accounts. Is there a reconsideration line for Cap 1 and how long do I have to use the line is it like 7 days from the date of the letter, 10 days etc. Keep the content coming
This was my target setup but I decided to get the Venture X first based on your advice. If the bonus had been higher on the Citi card I might have gone the Citi route.
I have a question: I have both the Citi double cash and Citi custom cash so if I apply for the Citi premier card today do I get charged this $95 fee right away after getting approved, or do I get charged after the first year of having the card?
👍 could not find the flaming thumbs up emoji, so I used this one. Great video and has me thinking to get back with Citi, just have to talk with the wife because she is the boss lol.
@@AskSebby thanks!… hoped that Citi had something, as I jus got the custom cash card for gas.. and as a high spender in Airbnb I was in search of a eco system which takes advantage of it. I avg 12-20k a year in Airbnb/Hotels.. late to the game but I’m learning.
I wish the premiere has something to counteract the annual fee. But i love the points categories. Chase marriot has similar points categories but redeeming points at Marriott is under 1 cpp😕
Thanks for sharing! I need some suggestions from y'all about choosing between citi trifecta vs chase trifecta I have a citi premier (TYP: 15000), CFU & CFF (UR:42000) right now, but I am kinda struggling choosing my next one to max out my rewards. Casual traveling in the US (3 to 5 times a year), and outside of US to Asia (1 to 3 times a year) Monthly credit card spend: $1500 ~ $3000 Most spend category: hotel = flight > grocery > shopping > restaurant > others Option 1: a. Citi Custom Cash: I go to concert really often, so that 5x live entertainment category would be helpful during ticket sale seasons b. Citi Rewards: 10% extra points transferred to airline partners Concern: I used my 90w TYP last month for flight ticket $1:1TYP (REALLY bad decision!). And now I only got 15K TYP available. Is it worth if I start accumulating my TYP with both cards above? Option 2: a. Chase Sapphire Preferred: Welcome bonus + 1UR: 1.25. Can add it up to my current UR 40K to exchange flight ticket. Concern: Not sure how I can maxmize my rewards since most categories are 2x. I am still new to the world of credit cards, so feel free to correct me if I was wrong on any details above.
If I get the Citi Premier card, and then downgrade it to Citi Rewards+ card, what happens to the sign-up bonus (60K/75K/80K) that I earned for meeting the Citi Premier spending requirement? Will the points be lost?
⚡️Great video. Thanks for breaking it down. Currently have the Custom Cash for just Groceries may get the premier to get more value for travel partners. But I’m working on chase trifecta currently so maybe will have spouse work on it. Any advice for couple and possible set ups???
I am currently working on my Chase Trifecta. I was considering adding the Gold card as my foodie card, I am now thinking considering adding the Premier. We are a family of 4 with under 100k in salary so we have to get as much points per spend with the least amount of AF possible.
Thanks for always making great content. Starting to get into the credit card game cause I'm planning to travel more, especially to the other side of the Pacifica such as Japan, Thailand, and Singapore. Since Citi trifecta is issued by Mastercard would there be any problems with acceptance? Am I better off with a Visa based system? Appreciate your input.
Thanks for the videos. But i want to know your thoughts on the BofA Elite card with the additional 75% bonus? It’s x3.5 on dining/travel and x2.625 on all else.
⚡️Hey Sebby! Do you intend on doing Venture X/ Capital One setup video? My current catch all card is the VX and just recently got the Bilt card for rent (Bay Area) and been wondering what to go for next, CSP for that in-branch bonus our the Savor One to cover 3x on groceries.
⚡Great video! My p2 and I are about done maxing out the chase system (personal & business), would you recommend we move to a citi or capital one system next? Or something else all together? Also, we're on team lux travel
If you don't mind adding cards / are hunting for bonuses, Capital One first. Really hard to break in after you have too many cards. CO => Citi / BofA / US Bank => Amex
The 2X opportunity cost would still be 1 CPP since you NEED the Premier to get 2 CPP. But yeah, agreed that multi-variable stuff is pretty annoying to generalize.
⚡️ so I was looking to get a new card and currently have thank you preferred which I had since college. Idk if this trifecta is what I would want to get into as I currently have the chase trifecta with sapphire preferred. Do you think this is worth it? If so how?
If you're willing to sign up for cards, I'd probably intro bonus hunt instead. This is more so for lean setups / people who don't want many cards. Venture X, Hyatt, United Quest, etc. would all be on my radar. YMMV.
Lounge access? I would simply add the Citi AA Exec card and share annual fee with family/friends. Or, if not an AA traveler, do the same with Venture X.
⚡🌩️... Sebby this was my fave video so far because I will soon be using the Citi Trifecta as my main setup... Just waiting to see if the Citi Premier 80k SUB returns and/or what these potential Citi Strata cards have to offer? Hopefully one of those things will happen soon, Im planning to take my wife to Hawaii sometime next year for our 10th anniversary, and I wanna use that sweet Turkish airline deal
⚡Thinking about starting to apply for the setup soon. Citi and I are not really getting along despite having the Costco card active many years now. It almost seems like Citi my manage the Costco card, but it does not play into their decision making for any other card. Plus they have denied my CLI twice and never auto incremented it despite how often I used the card.
This set up has one big flaw for me, and it’s that the Citi premiere seems kinda useless if you have the other two cards, and you don’t get the travel protections. Of course if you drive and pay for gas then it’d be worth it. ⚡️
That's my video idea for our next trip to Tokyo ;) Good read on other's thoughts: www.flyertalk.com/forum/hyatt-world-hyatt/1631836-hyatt-tokyo-38.html
Has anyone heard about the wait time for receiving the cards after approval being really long? I've heard some stories recently but wasn't sure how widespread it was.
Only thing that is preventing me from entering this setup is the $95 fee which I will never offset. Booking a hotel for $500 is not possible for me lol. I have the Amex gold but I know I will get back $240 so I am using it.
Function of the breakeven but - in my head - $2,000+ per month on the 3X categories for 1-2 people households feels high for dining, groceries, and gas.
⚡Citi set-up is pretty compelling but every time I look at it, other cards just edge it out based on my situation. I do really like the ThankYou transfer to Choice Hotels though. I value lounge access and the combination of CSR and US Bank Altitude Reserve, I end up getting the same multipliers. My non-category spend goes on my World of Hyatt card for the extra free night cert which I typically spend in Honolulu or Anaheim. No reason to get another AF card.
⚡️ Love the basketball references and citi is very tempting but citi's service sucks, I have the costco card and when I had a fraud issue it was a nightmare, whereas dealing with Amex is a dream so that is a factor that pushed me towards amex and chase
I think they need to rework the Premier card. The two cash back ones are fine. The Strata one (rumored to be out this year) sounds right in line with other premium cards, but Citi needs better travel protections on the Premier. No foreign transaction fees, but no travel protections. That combo makes no sense. Citi is probably also 4th in quality of transfer partners. Citi literally has their name on the AAdvantage card, but no direct partnership from any Citi card. They had a one time transfer offer in 2021 and never again. The Strata can have all the bells and whistles, but the Premier card needs travel protections and direct transfer to American Airlines...and then it would be part of my go-to trifecta (or whatever). They are so close.
Ideal setup for Player 1: Strata, Double Cash, Custom Cash and Rewards+ Player 2: Premier and 3 Custom Cash. You now have the ability to transfer points to Player 1 and have them use their 10% redemptions rebate on pooled household points. You also have enough CC to double up on popular categories.
⚡imo the Citi Trifecta with an added CSR is the ultimate simple setup, or a Platinum for someone who can make use of most of the credits. Covers the weaknesses of lounge access and travel protection. ⚡
⚡️Is there a way to get economy flights or hotels consistently at 2+ cpp with partners? Seems like the only way to beat that is with international and premium travel
Hotels = generally Hyatt. I've ran through a ton in the past as examples. Not exciting hotels but usually roadtrip ones and especially conference ones. Airlines = not really; maybe some sweet spots (transfer to Virgin to book Delta One for JFK to LAX/SFO)
@@AskSebby I’m sorry, I should have said specifically to Citi, Hyatt is basically the main reason I have the CSP. But if there aren’t any other partners, I suppose that answers my question too
Sebby have you talked about the Silicon Valley Bank collapse? Since your located in San Francisco and you talked about being part of tech investments, were you affected?
Tech companies banked there but most got money out since everyone was pretty spooked mid-week already. Setup now is Chase + Mercury for most startups :)
No travel protections, no lounge access, not investing in personal bank lounges ... Citi is definitely not serious about the travel industry. Cashback, sure. But if you're not Chase, Amex, or even C1 then you're not on the map right now.
⚡️I think the problem with this setup is two-fold: 1. Very spend dependent 2. Points don’t add much utility for the target demo you mention I don’t think busy professionals are going to have the time to learn transfer partners when they have career, family, health, and hobbies to worry about. This negates the upside of this setup and makes me think these people should just stick to cash back. Makes much more sense to stick to a few cash back cards like BCE, Savor 1, Altitude Go, Double Cash, and get one travel card for protections (CSP). Citi points definitely don’t get the recognition they deserve, but I think this setup doesn’t quite meet the mark
If you have the points, there are services that help you book the airline and hotel segments. Basically all the annoying steps (finding availability, etc.) they do it for you. It is $200 to $300 per person, but generally worthwhile for that demo. Ran into a decent number of finance and medical professionals who happily pay this.
@@AskSebby I don’t think that addresses the issues though. Paying those prices for help booking economy is out of the question and the average professional is not spending enough on their cards to accumulate enough points for an aspirational trip for the family. When you have a young family, you’re not going for aspirational anyway. You wanna stretch your dollar/points. I don’t think the aspirational argument fits for that target demo like you’re thinking it does. Plus the Citi clock can slow down application speed and accumulation of cards and bonuses. Is Citi a good setup? Yes. Definitely not underrated though
Great video. The Citi Trifecta/Quadfecta is surprisingly good. With how low the effective annual fee is for the Capital One Venture X (at least for now), the Capital One Duo of Venture X and SavorOne might even be a better setup for the busy family.
💳 Sebby's Card Picks: www.asksebby.com/credit-cards
Blog Post: www.asksebby.com/credit-card-reviews/citi-trifecta
So glad people are finally giving the Citi trifecta some love. So underrated
Glad it was helpful :)
Hey Sebby! I’ve been watching for like four years now, and might I say the editing in your videos has become absolutely amazing. Production quality on your end has improved so much, keep up the good work!
@MandyRoams
Totally me and not @MandyRoams ;)
Still not where I would want it (search "Johnny Harris" who is like S-Tier on that front)
This is going to be my primary setup. Already had the Citi Premier and DoubleCash. I was just approved for the Custom Cash 2 days ago. I already have the Chase trifecta, but their lack of higher multipliers for gas and groceries all year around made me consider the Citi Trifecta instead.
If you're on the fence and don't want to do a full shift, adding the Custom Cash might be a good stop gap for gas.
Down the road I could see myself rocking this setup! It can cover 99% of the usual spend categories with a 2% floor and having one log in sounds amazing! I’m over here with 7 log ins and sometimes it gets annoying jumping through hoops. Simplicity is definitely a selling point for some people, me included! I think in 6 months time I’ll be applying for a custom cash 💵
⚡ This is my setup, with one addition: Citi Prestige. Yes, I know it's no longer available and the annual fee is high, but when you get to carry it at $350 annual fee (as I'm lucky enough to do), it's a $100 effective annual fee card with 5x TY on restaurants and airlines plus Priority Pass. Hope they don't get rid of it when they roll out whatever Strata cards end up being.
Prestige is a bit underrated as well; hard to even talk about it since it's not a product change option (like with the Ritz).
I run the Citi Quinfecta (Custom Cash, Double Cash, Rewards+, Premier, and Prestige) very little overlap in categories and I've gotten incredible value from each of them. I hope they bring back the Prestige for new applicants since I'm grandfathered in.
I think Superfecta rolls off the tongue better. But I'm jealous of your prestige
Super sounds cooler. Quinfecta sounds more exclusive (to me at least).
I have all those except prestige. I also have American aadvantage business card & costco so 6 total citi cards. I wanted to get prestige but discontinued
Prestige problem is fixed easily by getting multiple Custom Cash with player 2. The Premier works just as well for cheaper and has equally non-existent travel protections. Their strata cards have to be a homerun.
⚡️ to answer the “no foreign transaction fee” dilemma, I think the Citi Costco Card is a fantastic solution. Yes there is an effective annual fee which is the Costco membership, but the amount of cash back you can get with costco gas, groceries and other purchases more than makes up for it too
Good point!
D W the x4 on gas is anywhere
I've been using Citi Costco card on costco, gas, and dining for the last few years.. but I'm looking to use Citi TY points for travel now, instead of cashback, so therefore, I'm going to use Custom Cash and Premier on gas and dining
I’m fairly new to the credit card game, but my current setup is: double cash, custom cash, and savor one. It’s a simple cash back setup with no annual fees.
Good cash back setup!
For someone and wife who do only annual international trip, this may be the perfect setup. Thx for this video.
Glad to help :)
I think one of the reasons this trifecta hasn't caught on is every credit card enthusiast gets turned down when they try to get it. 😂 One niche market it could serve is the road tripper. You get good points on gas and the best transfer partners possible for cheap roadside motels. It's the only card that gives 1:2 Choice. 1:1 Wyndham could be good if you take advantage of Caesar's and Vacasa Vacation Rentals.
I really wish capital one would make the quicksilver rotating. That would be the killer trifecta setup with the venture x and savor one.
"Introducing, the brand new Capital One QuickSpinning card!"
Dude, you're pretty good with you CC info. Usually I dont listen much to bloviating YT personalities...but you strickly provide unbiased(mostly) information and allow us to decide.....no fluff ..provide info....Im down with ya
I appreciate that!
⚡⚡⚡So I was driving and listening to this upload. I had to pull over and revisit the @9:30 mark so I could view Sebby transcend to the level of Super Saiyan. Vegeta would be proud!
Could have done a better job with it but was in a rush haha
@@AskSebby grab a senzu bean and go get em next time
⚡ I love the DragonBall Z reference!
An easy setup I've been running personally is a Capital One setup with the Quicksilver, Savor, And Venture X. Originally I had the Venture Card and product changed to get the 10k yearly points. It's a pretty cheap setup compared to the others and you can just run the Savor and Venture cards for a 2 card setup.
I'm thinking about rolling for the SavorOne Rewards (it's the $95 annual fee SO Rewards card) because of the additional 1x back on Dining, entertainment and grocery stores, whilst keeping the Premier for the additional 1x back on gas (we're going to be a two car family later this year), with our workhorse card being the VX from C1 for the 2x back on everything, and they're basically paying you to have the card.
I have the Chase trifecta but it's just not as value inclusive as my Citi/C1 combo (plus they have largely overlapping transfer partners, so combining the points isn't much of a difficulty).
I think in the future when I get my real estate investments going a bit further along, I may try using Bilt for all the mortgage payments and then maybe an AMEX Business Plat for the business card/intro bonus.
My trifecta is replacing the premier with the Costco card. 4% gas 3% restaurants, 5% custom cash for groceries. And double cash everything else. Best lineup with No annual fees.
Just wish the cash back from the Costco Citi Visa was allowed to transfer to thank you points. THIS WOULD BE A GAME CHANGER
⚡Great setup for that reluctant P2. Not much to think about at all. Thanks for the video.
Question for you. I’m just getting into cards. How often should you wait in between applying for cards?
I’m in Korea long term, and Citi multipliers have been working well.
The basketball analogies really make this easy af to comprehend
Thanks! Wasn't sure if it was over the top haha
Great strategy overview. Thank you!
I agree with your bull case but would add the citi ui as a bear case. They need to get on that.
Hmm have you gotten the updated UI? New one feels pretty slick (not sure if it's available across the board yet)
⚡This is my primary setup, I also have a chase duo of freedom unlimited and sapphire preferred I got when the preferred had a huge bonus a while back, but I'm mostly just sitting on those for a large trip this year. It runs about 5-8k points a month with my current spend. I actually choose to put my grocery spend on the custom cash because it usually runs exactly $500 per month and there's nothing else significant I could put on it (my utilities are on a Southwest card). I really like it although their portal used to be kinda a pain to use. The new one seems better, but I haven't tried it yet. The hotel credit is nice to have if you can't find other options that are more than $100 cheaper. I once spent about $50 more on the raw booking than elsewhere because the credit made it cheaper, but otherwise I pretend it doesn't exist.
Okay, glad to know I'm not crazy w/ the $100 credit in the case of the Premier. IDK, feels like a slippery slope as well, especially if you think about all the Amex cards that have "spend $x get $y" back offers.
@@AskSebby yeah it’s definitely designed to get you to spend more through their portal which is usually 10% or so more expensive. It worked out well when I went to Hawaii during Covid. Was able to find the same property on the portal and net a small gain for it, but the premier’s super power is being paired with the others. By itself it’s just Ok. The double cash was my first and oldest credit card so they sucked me into the premier when they allowed the points to be combined.
yo about time you give this setup the love it deserves. IMO even for strictly cashback this is a no brainer.
Pretty no nonsense :)
Another great video, great runnin into you a few weeks back at the JFK Centurian, thanks again for all the advice, Dave
:)
Eagerly awaiting the launch of the Citi Strata cards to further improve this set up.
Me too, I'm hoping they add AA as a transfer partner.
Fingers crossed for AA as a TP :)
Same. I got the Premier for the bonus and am willing to pay one annual fee meanwhile to see if the upgrade provides any travel benefits or insurance.
In what order would you recommend getting these cards including the rewards+?
Would you recommend this setup to add if I have the chase quad setup with cic getting me 5%? Essentially should I have a citi and chase setup combo?
Can we talk about credit card approvals. You make it sound like all these cards are out there ready for grab. Citi rejects me every time I apply for having too many revolving accounts. My scores are all over 800.
Yep, can do another video on Citi application rules: www.asksebby.com/guides/citi-rules
Great video Seb. I'm completing the Citi setup in July with the Citi premier. I already have 3 customs and a double cash.
Love, love, love the 3 stack haha
Citi Premier does have 2y extended warranty benefit, while most other cards have 1y. That’s why I use it on most big ticket items
A bit of me does wonder if they'll pull the rug (or maybe it was because Costco side wasn't profitable): thepointsguy.com/news/citi-costco-credit-card-extended-warranty/
I feel all those extended warranty and possible travel protections will go to their Strata card. The same way Amex Platinum has all the good consumer features.
Do you have to give your Tax information to get Citi Custom and Double cash ? and how soon can you apply for both these cards-
Thanks for all the info! I'm subscribing because of the DragonBall Z reference ;)
Sebby, the foreign transaction fee kills the Double Cash for me. What card do you recommend for general spend? Thank you.
Venture X has no foreign transaction fees for a base 2% card. BBP, FU and DC all have one. If you are not abroad that much, just use Citi Premier at 1% and get that 3% on all the other bonus categories. I would still have a backup Visa card with no FTT when abroad. Sapphire preferred, perhaps?
(SLF beat me to it)
I have been getting a lot of mailers from Citibank, and am considering going for the trifecta!
⚡️ ⚡️ ⚡️ I agree, it’s a great setup for someone looking for a simple, low annual fee, good value card setup. I wish I had this information when I first started.
Pretty low stress setup given downgrade paths as well :)
Thanks for the great content as always question for you I applied for Capital 1 Savor card and got denied, I have an 808 for Transunion, 788 experian and 819 for equifax. The reason for denial was Based on my credit report from one or more of the agencies there are too many new revolving accounts. Is there a reconsideration line for Cap 1 and how long do I have to use the line is it like 7 days from the date of the letter, 10 days etc. Keep the content coming
Can I have a Citi Custom Cash Card and Citi Double Cash Card both at the same time?
What do you think about the limited time (06/2024) 10x points back on hotels, rentals, and attractions with the Citibank Premier card?
This was my target setup but I decided to get the Venture X first based on your advice. If the bonus had been higher on the Citi card I might have gone the Citi route.
Venture X + SavorOne is a great setup!
I have a question: I have both the Citi double cash and Citi custom cash so if I apply for the Citi premier card today do I get charged this $95 fee right away after getting approved, or do I get charged after the first year of having the card?
👍 could not find the flaming thumbs up emoji, so I used this one. Great video and has me thinking to get back with Citi, just have to talk with the wife because she is the boss lol.
⚡️ does premier allow Airbnb to fall under hotels?
Nope; not "hotels" so doesn't work. CSR is still the best bet if you have heavy Airbnb spend.
@@AskSebby thanks!… hoped that Citi had something, as I jus got the custom cash card for gas.. and as a high spender in Airbnb I was in search of a eco system which takes advantage of it. I avg 12-20k a year in Airbnb/Hotels.. late to the game but I’m learning.
I wish the premiere has something to counteract the annual fee. But i love the points categories. Chase marriot has similar points categories but redeeming points at Marriott is under 1 cpp😕
Hotel credit might help but agreed. Wish there was something more tangible.
Thanks for sharing! I need some suggestions from y'all about choosing between citi trifecta vs chase trifecta
I have a citi premier (TYP: 15000), CFU & CFF (UR:42000) right now, but I am kinda struggling choosing my next one to max out my rewards.
Casual traveling in the US (3 to 5 times a year), and outside of US to Asia (1 to 3 times a year)
Monthly credit card spend: $1500 ~ $3000
Most spend category: hotel = flight > grocery > shopping > restaurant > others
Option 1:
a. Citi Custom Cash: I go to concert really often, so that 5x live entertainment category would be helpful during ticket sale seasons
b. Citi Rewards: 10% extra points transferred to airline partners
Concern: I used my 90w TYP last month for flight ticket $1:1TYP (REALLY bad decision!). And now I only got 15K TYP available. Is it worth if I start accumulating my TYP with both cards above?
Option 2:
a. Chase Sapphire Preferred: Welcome bonus + 1UR: 1.25. Can add it up to my current UR 40K to exchange flight ticket.
Concern: Not sure how I can maxmize my rewards since most categories are 2x.
I am still new to the world of credit cards, so feel free to correct me if I was wrong on any details above.
at 6:25 I do not understand
How Citi double-cash considered 4% instead 2% ? Can someone please help explain ?
If I get the Citi Premier card, and then downgrade it to Citi Rewards+ card, what happens to the sign-up bonus (60K/75K/80K) that I earned for meeting the Citi Premier spending requirement? Will the points be lost?
⚡️ I just have the Citi Costco card & not looking at other Citi cards rn.
⚡⚡⚡Thanks Sebby, always enjoy your Credit Card critiques!!!
⚡️Great video. Thanks for breaking it down. Currently have the Custom Cash for just Groceries may get the premier to get more value for travel partners. But I’m working on chase trifecta currently so maybe will have spouse work on it.
Any advice for couple and possible set ups???
I am currently working on my Chase Trifecta. I was considering adding the Gold card as my foodie card, I am now thinking considering adding the Premier. We are a family of 4 with under 100k in salary so we have to get as much points per spend with the least amount of AF possible.
Can the citi costco card transfer to the premier?
⚡.. Citi Business Cards ? Any good?
Just AA and Costco. Not really imo unless you're playing for AA status.
@@AskSebby Thanks
Thanks for always making great content. Starting to get into the credit card game cause I'm planning to travel more, especially to the other side of the Pacifica such as Japan, Thailand, and Singapore.
Since Citi trifecta is issued by Mastercard would there be any problems with acceptance? Am I better off with a Visa based system?
Appreciate your input.
AFAIK, MC was fine. I think Korea was more annoying (but that was also 4-5 years ago).
Thanks for the videos. But i want to know your thoughts on the BofA Elite card with the additional 75% bonus? It’s x3.5 on dining/travel and x2.625 on all else.
Covered here: ua-cam.com/video/5Z8taAV42hI/v-deo.html
Makes sense if caps on restrictive; also no travel upside (outsized value)
⚡️Hey Sebby! Do you intend on doing Venture X/ Capital One setup video? My current catch all card is the VX and just recently got the Bilt card for rent (Bay Area) and been wondering what to go for next, CSP for that in-branch bonus our the Savor One to cover 3x on groceries.
On the list :)
Probably CSP (non-branch offer should be coming soon as well)
@@AskSebby Thanks! Highly appreciated.
Great breakdown!
Thanks for watching Jose :)
⚡Great video! My p2 and I are about done maxing out the chase system (personal & business), would you recommend we move to a citi or capital one system next? Or something else all together? Also, we're on team lux travel
If you don't mind adding cards / are hunting for bonuses, Capital One first. Really hard to break in after you have too many cards.
CO => Citi / BofA / US Bank => Amex
@@AskSebby Thanks for the response. I love bonus hunting, best return on spend.
If you value 3x at 2 cents per point, then you need to value 2x at 2 cents per point also in your formula.
Enjoyed the video and want the custom cash
The 2X opportunity cost would still be 1 CPP since you NEED the Premier to get 2 CPP. But yeah, agreed that multi-variable stuff is pretty annoying to generalize.
⚡️ so I was looking to get a new card and currently have thank you preferred which I had since college. Idk if this trifecta is what I would want to get into as I currently have the chase trifecta with sapphire preferred. Do you think this is worth it? If so how?
If you're willing to sign up for cards, I'd probably intro bonus hunt instead. This is more so for lean setups / people who don't want many cards. Venture X, Hyatt, United Quest, etc. would all be on my radar. YMMV.
Lounge access? I would simply add the Citi AA Exec card and share annual fee with family/friends. Or, if not an AA traveler, do the same with Venture X.
Citi AA Exec still feels overpowered to me, haha :)
Love the miles&smiles partnership for domestic flights
I already have the custom cash. Can I just get another Citi card and product change to another custom cash?
Yes
I like this... But am waiting for info on the Strata. I would hate to get the Premiere and then find out that I'm locked out of the Strata for a year.
Yeah, that's the big question mark; debated on holding off on this video but wasn't sure if the Strata launch would be in 1 month or 10 months.
Throw in the rewards+ and it's a Citi party!! Don't forget the ability to product change to another custom cash!
⚡🌩️... Sebby this was my fave video so far because I will soon be using the Citi Trifecta as my main setup... Just waiting to see if the Citi Premier 80k SUB returns and/or what these potential Citi Strata cards have to offer? Hopefully one of those things will happen soon, Im planning to take my wife to Hawaii sometime next year for our 10th anniversary, and I wanna use that sweet Turkish airline deal
⚡Thinking about starting to apply for the setup soon. Citi and I are not really getting along despite having the Costco card active many years now. It almost seems like Citi my manage the Costco card, but it does not play into their decision making for any other card. Plus they have denied my CLI twice and never auto incremented it despite how often I used the card.
Yeah, Costco cards feel like they're on an island sometimes. I wonder how much of their cost cutting related to "winning" the Costco contract as well.
This set up has one big flaw for me, and it’s that the Citi premiere seems kinda useless if you have the other two cards, and you don’t get the travel protections. Of course if you drive and pay for gas then it’d be worth it. ⚡️
Sebby..quick question. What's your favorite Hyatt in Tokyo?
That's my video idea for our next trip to Tokyo ;) Good read on other's thoughts: www.flyertalk.com/forum/hyatt-world-hyatt/1631836-hyatt-tokyo-38.html
Has anyone heard about the wait time for receiving the cards after approval being really long? I've heard some stories recently but wasn't sure how widespread it was.
Only thing that is preventing me from entering this setup is the $95 fee which I will never offset. Booking a hotel for $500 is not possible for me lol. I have the Amex gold but I know I will get back $240 so I am using it.
⚡ looks appealing but I prefer a little more frills.
Some people hate lounge access but it makes traveling fun for me haha :)
What do you consider moderate to high spend?
Function of the breakeven but - in my head - $2,000+ per month on the 3X categories for 1-2 people households feels high for dining, groceries, and gas.
⚡Citi set-up is pretty compelling but every time I look at it, other cards just edge it out based on my situation. I do really like the ThankYou transfer to Choice Hotels though. I value lounge access and the combination of CSR and US Bank Altitude Reserve, I end up getting the same multipliers. My non-category spend goes on my World of Hyatt card for the extra free night cert which I typically spend in Honolulu or Anaheim. No reason to get another AF card.
You can use the cert at Honolulu? That’s bad ass. I’m thinking about getting that card
no chase still gives you trip insurance and bangs insurance. so the chase is still batter.
YMMV :) (that's the fun part of the game!)
⚡️ Love the basketball references and citi is very tempting but citi's service sucks, I have the costco card and when I had a fraud issue it was a nightmare, whereas dealing with Amex is a dream so that is a factor that pushed me towards amex and chase
Yep! Another weak spot within Citi. All of them have hits/misses so is a giant balancing act :)
Citi looks ok. Hyatt is my favorite transfer partner though so I'll stick with Chase for now. ⚡️
Hard to beat Hyatt imo :)
I think they need to rework the Premier card. The two cash back ones are fine. The Strata one (rumored to be out this year) sounds right in line with other premium cards, but Citi needs better travel protections on the Premier. No foreign transaction fees, but no travel protections. That combo makes no sense. Citi is probably also 4th in quality of transfer partners. Citi literally has their name on the AAdvantage card, but no direct partnership from any Citi card. They had a one time transfer offer in 2021 and never again. The Strata can have all the bells and whistles, but the Premier card needs travel protections and direct transfer to American Airlines...and then it would be part of my go-to trifecta (or whatever). They are so close.
Is it possible to downgrade the premier to a second custom cash if the ROI isn't efficient?
AFAIK, yes. Someone else in the comment has 3 CCCs :)
Ideal setup for Player 1: Strata, Double Cash, Custom Cash and Rewards+
Player 2: Premier and 3 Custom Cash.
You now have the ability to transfer points to Player 1 and have them use their 10% redemptions rebate on pooled household points. You also have enough CC to double up on popular categories.
⚡️ it is an interesting set up; I didn’t realize how useful the Premiere is. Not at all a bad set up.
Even as a standalone, not a bad "1 and done" card :)
@@AskSebby not at all. If I didn’t already have those categories covered; it would be definitely the card to consider.
⚡imo the Citi Trifecta with an added CSR is the ultimate simple setup, or a Platinum for someone who can make use of most of the credits. Covers the weaknesses of lounge access and travel protection. ⚡
Arguably even the Venture X given lounge perks and as a breakeven card :)
⚡️Is there a way to get economy flights or hotels consistently at 2+ cpp with partners? Seems like the only way to beat that is with international and premium travel
Hotels = generally Hyatt. I've ran through a ton in the past as examples. Not exciting hotels but usually roadtrip ones and especially conference ones.
Airlines = not really; maybe some sweet spots (transfer to Virgin to book Delta One for JFK to LAX/SFO)
@@AskSebby I’m sorry, I should have said specifically to Citi, Hyatt is basically the main reason I have the CSP. But if there aren’t any other partners, I suppose that answers my question too
Sebby have you talked about the Silicon Valley Bank collapse? Since your located in San Francisco and you talked about being part of tech investments, were you affected?
Tech companies banked there but most got money out since everyone was pretty spooked mid-week already. Setup now is Chase + Mercury for most startups :)
I’ve said before that Citi has the best points earning trifecta.
Yep! Pretty strong for what it is :)
Just commenting for Al Gore’s rhythm.
Hey I know that guy, he invented the internet!
Randomly thought of Space Jam instead haha: ua-cam.com/video/ZXQBXRjKA0Y/v-deo.html
You should get an award for that one. 🏆 😂
No travel protections, no lounge access, not investing in personal bank lounges ... Citi is definitely not serious about the travel industry. Cashback, sure. But if you're not Chase, Amex, or even C1 then you're not on the map right now.
I run a Amex and chase setup but I do have the custom cash as my gas card⚡️
That's my favorite part about the Custom Cash, you can slot it in to any role :)
Wooh this is my setup :))
Pretty sharp setup for a swordy fish!
Don’t forget about the Amex EDP with its 3X on gas (w/ 30+ transactions)
Very fair. I probably wrongly dismiss that card due to the 30+ transactions. Even with auto-reloads and stuff, feels like too much work ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
All I have to do to get the hotel credit is book 1 room for the 2 night minimum on any home game football weekend. I would never pay for this card.
⚡ Halfway there, if only i can get the physical cards in the mail lol.
Capital One SavorOne easy pickup.. ehh not for me. Capital One will never issue me a card it seems
Too many cards? Yeah, SUPER annoying / hard to get CO in the late game.
The basketball references> we see you Seb
#Team Jokic 3peat MVP
⚡️I think the problem with this setup is two-fold:
1. Very spend dependent
2. Points don’t add much utility for the target demo you mention
I don’t think busy professionals are going to have the time to learn transfer partners when they have career, family, health, and hobbies to worry about. This negates the upside of this setup and makes me think these people should just stick to cash back.
Makes much more sense to stick to a few cash back cards like BCE, Savor 1, Altitude Go, Double Cash, and get one travel card for protections (CSP).
Citi points definitely don’t get the recognition they deserve, but I think this setup doesn’t quite meet the mark
If you have the points, there are services that help you book the airline and hotel segments. Basically all the annoying steps (finding availability, etc.) they do it for you. It is $200 to $300 per person, but generally worthwhile for that demo. Ran into a decent number of finance and medical professionals who happily pay this.
@@AskSebby I don’t think that addresses the issues though. Paying those prices for help booking economy is out of the question and the average professional is not spending enough on their cards to accumulate enough points for an aspirational trip for the family. When you have a young family, you’re not going for aspirational anyway. You wanna stretch your dollar/points. I don’t think the aspirational argument fits for that target demo like you’re thinking it does.
Plus the Citi clock can slow down application speed and accumulation of cards and bonuses. Is Citi a good setup? Yes. Definitely not underrated though
⚡️I'm still in Chase's world, but this does seem like an interesting setup to run.
Venture X is still a solid pickup if you're working your way to Citi ;)
Get a custom cash for you and your spouse, then you have two fixed 5% categories for your family with a $500 limit each and every month. Pretty sweat.
Citi custom cash + citi premier + us bank altitude reserved is the perfect 3 card setup imo for low travelers 😊
Commenting to help your channel
Thanks :)
Great video. The Citi Trifecta/Quadfecta is surprisingly good. With how low the effective annual fee is for the Capital One Venture X (at least for now), the Capital One Duo of Venture X and SavorOne might even be a better setup for the busy family.
Agree. Only thing missing is gas.
That's next week's video ;)