Citi UAE Partners With Gulf News For Credit Card Cashback
If you have subscribed to Gulf News, this offer would be hard to miss. I see full-page of half-page advertisements everyday.
Is this offer worth it? Let us find out.
Get Citi Credit Cards with Gulf News
It is important to note that the cashback is subject to spending a minimum of AED 3,000 in 60 days from card approval date. Also, AED 1,000 is the maximum cashback offered only on Citi Prestige and Citi Ultima Skywards. For other cards, the cashback amount is lower.
I would be looking at the three most popular credit cards in Citi portfolio – Citi Prestige, Citi Ultima Skywards and Citi Cashback. Of course, the analysis holds true for other cards as well.
Citi Prestige
Annual Fee: AED 1,500
Cashback: AED 1,000
If you follow this blog, you know Citi Prestige is one of my favorite cards. You can read a full review here.
The card has plenty of interesting features including
- Full points on utilities, groceries, insurance, school fee etc.
- 4th night free on any hotel worldwide
- A number of conversion partners including Etihad, British Airways and Singapore Airlines
- Great MasterCard benefits including Qatar Gold and Discovery Black membership
The Gulf News offer will reduce you annual fee from AED 1,500 to AED 500 for the first year. This is a reasonable annual fee for this card. However, as you will read below, there are better offers available.
Citi Ultima Skywards
Annual Fee: AED 3,000
Cashback: AED 1,000
This is the most premium credit card by Citi in UAE. It also comes up with a bonus of 25,000 Skywards miles in first year and 10,000 Skywards miles upon renewal. The card also has one of the best earnings rate for a co-branded Skywards credit card.
The Gulf News offer will reduce you annual fee from AED 3,000 to AED 2,000 for the first year.
Citi Cashback Credit Card
Annual Fee: AED 3,000
Cashback: AED 1,000
I was told by a sales associate that this is the most popular credit card by Citi in UAE. And there are good reasons for it. The card is simple to use and has no annual fee if you spend more than a threshold amount. The card offers
- 3% cashback on international spends
- 2% cashback on grocery spends
- 1% cashback on other spends
Applying for Citi Cashback card through Gulf News will earn you an cashback of AED 200.
Get Citi Credit Cards with Referrals
All the above offers are interesting. However, these are not the best offers. Applying for Citi Credit Cards through referrals gives you higher cashback. For instance, if you were to use the referral link below, the cashback increases substantially.
Referral link to apply for Citi Credit Cards
The cashback / statement credit you could earn is AED 1,500 for Citi Prestige and Citi Ultima Skywards and AED 250 for Citi Cashback credit cards. This is higher than Gulf News offer. However, there is a catch. The minimum spend requirement is higher than Gulf News offer. The threshold spending needed in 3 months are
- Citi Prestige: AED 25,000
- Citi Ultima Skywards: AED 25,000
- Citi Cashback: AED 5,000
Final Thoughts
I have had a very positive experience with Citi Prestige and I know some people who love the Citi Cashback credit card. The Gulf News / Citi offer is a good way to get some cashback. The spending requirements can be achieved easily.
However, if you are a high spender, you should consider applying through a referral.
Hi,
I am confused.
I can’t find any info about GN offer annual fee being reduced to AED 500 in first year for Citi Prestige. I am even more confused by your article. If the cashback is AED 1000 for spending just AED 3000 in 60 days, this would be better offer than cashback AED 1500 with AED 1500 annual fee.
Or perhaps it’s some old offer?
Hi,
AED 500 annual fee for the first year is the net cost i.e. AED 1,500 less AED 1,000 cashback you would get on achieving the spend threshold.
So, in a way, the AED 1,500 cashback offer is better but the spend thresholds are higher.
Thanks,
AK