Question
Hey there,
I've decided to sign up for the Citibank PremierPass Elite card.
I have some questions for you smart fellow FlyerTalkers AND also as a pre-thankyou, I have created a calculator in the form of an Excel spreadsheet that may help those of you still trying to decide whether the card is worth it or not for you :-) (I wanted to attach it here but could not, so I've uploaded it to my own site at http://www.lasnik.net/data/misc/premierpass.xls)
And now for my questions:
I already have a Citibank Diamond Preferred Rewards card. Not sure if I'm getting 2x or 5x on "Everyday Purchases," but since I don't make many of those type charges, it doesn't really matter to me. Any idea if I'll miss anything if I convert the card?
One thing I will apparently miss if I convert to the PremierPass Elite card rather than applying for it separately, unfortunately, is the 15K point signup bonus. Anyone finagled a conversion with a signup bonus of that magnitude? Anyone gotten an even greater signup bonus?
I seem to recall seeing someone on the forum mention a 5x multiplier on travel-related purchases on the card for a year, but I couldn't re-find that post, nor could I find any details on such a promotion. Anyone have any more info on that? That'd be a huge bonanza for me! (my DiscoverCard, incidentally, offers 5% cash back on travel stuff like airfare, hotels, etc... but only for 2007 Q1 :-(
If there's no way to get the 15K signup bonus by converting, I'll just sign up for the darn card separately. In that case, is there any benefit to calling vs. signing up online...?
Thanks in advance for your wisdom, and hope you like the calculator! (feedback welcomed!)
Answer
I'm almost positive that you won't get the signup bonus for a conversion - however, I don't see any reason not to get another card. The signup is really quick since you're already a cardholder (I'm not sure if the approval is while on the phone, but it was certainly within 1 day). And you can link both cards to your existing Thank You account.
btw - the Discover 5% back had a limit of $1,000 spend in the quarter (so max $50 back). I'll most likely max that out on rental cars, so I'm keeping my flights on PPE to get the flight points (I didn't do the calculation on if it was worth it lose the flight points for the extra 1-3% back from Discover, but I'd guess not unless you had a ton of unmatched flight points).
jon
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Citi does not give bonuses for converting. 15k is all I've ever seen for PPElite.
5x bonus was a targeted offer.
Best place to apply is probably through CardOffers.com. Register for an account and you can see which cards they give cash back on. It's usually $30-$40 per successful application. Or if you have a friend with a PP Elite card, I believe they can refer you and get 5k bonus TY points.
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Or if you have a friend with a PP Elite card, I believe they can refer you and get 5k bonus TY points.
I have a PP Elite card and got the referral offer. Your friend's 5k bonus points come out of your signup bonus-- the referral offer only has a 10k bonus while the citi website has the card with a 15k bonus.
Answer
I have a PP Elite card and got the referral offer. Your friend's 5k bonus points come out of your signup bonus-- the referral offer only has a 10k bonus while the citi website has the card with a 15k bonus.
You sure it's not a referral for a regular PremierPass (not the elite version)? I've received offers linked to my PP Elite to refer people to the regular PP card with a 10k bonus (which is actually 5k more than the standard offer). I've also received offers for a similar bonus to refer to PP Elite, and the person gets the regular 15k bonus. There may be multiple offers floating around out there though. YMMV.
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You sure it's not a referral for a regular PremierPass (not the elite version)? I've received offers linked to my PP Elite to refer people to the regular PP card with a 10k bonus (which is actually 5k more than the standard offer). I've also received offers for a similar bonus to refer to PP Elite, and the person gets the regular 15k bonus. There may be multiple offers floating around out there though. YMMV.
It's definitely for referral to the PP Elite card. I signed up for the card about a month ago, so I may be seeing a different offer than other card users. Seems like a new user shouldn't count on getting the 25k bonus for 5 referrals. As always, YMMV.
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OP, thanks for the calculator ^ ^ ^
Sorry to be a little paranoid but can anyone verify if this program is legit for a puter challenged FTer like me? (i.e. no viruses etc?) gotta ask! ;)
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It's clean i just opened up...
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Hey, psyflyer, no worries about being paranoid. I haven't been a very longtime poster here, and it's good to be cautious overall. Also, it's smart to run an anti-virus program that checks all files before opening them (I like AVG).
And MNAudiS4, thanks for vouching for the file.
Btw, I just updated it... primarily to provide a contrast between the PP Elite and PP Regular cards (it recommends which one is better for you based upon your projected spending). Still at the same link as above:
http://www.lasnik.net/data/misc/premierpass.xls
Feedback always welcomed :)
(and frankly, I'd like to get this online to eliminate virus fears and such... particularly on Google Spreadsheets... but for some reason, GS can't yet handle it. Grr.)
P.S. Thanks for the signup info. I tried chatting with a couple folks at Citibank, and they were adamantly opposed to giving the 15K signup bonus unless I actually signed up for the card (rather than converted a current card). But -- assuming I get mine approved (it wasn't approved instantly) -- it's all good. My current Citi rewards card is still getting 5 points per "everyday" purchase, so I'll continue to use that card for those purchases and my PP Elite for most everything else. And the rep said that, in the event I get approved for the PP Elite with a very low credit line, they are happy to move some of the credit from my current rewards card over to the new one.
I'll keep you posted how it goes :)
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That's a really great spreadsheet. Thanks!
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Very helpful! Thanks for posting it for all to use!
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Very helpful calculator as I am thinking about applying for the PP Elite card. One question that still confuses me:
I am planning to head to Europe w/GF. Airline cost is ~$1000, round trip miles per person is ~7100.
So, with your calculator, I will earn 16200 (7100x2 + 1000) miles and 16000 (15000 bonus+1000) TY points.
Now my question is: can I redeem 16000 miles earned (with the 16000 earned TY points) into additional 16000 TY points for a total of 32000 TY points?
Thanks.
Answer
Very helpful calculator as I am thinking about applying for the PP Elite card. One question that still confuses me:
I am planning to head to Europe w/GF. Airline cost is ~$1000, round trip miles per person is ~7100.
So, with your calculator, I will earn 16200 (7100x2 + 1000) miles and 16000 (15000 bonus+1000) TY points.
Now my question is: can I redeem 16000 miles earned (with the 16000 earned TY points) into additional 16000 TY points for a total of 32000 TY points?
Thanks.
You mean $1000 for two?
If yes, I think you will earn 14200 (7100x2) fly points and 16000 (15000 bonus+1000) spending points
Your statement will look like..(copy from my statement)
Flight Points Summary1 Period ending 01/05/07
Beginning Flight Points 0.00
Flight Points Earned 14200.00
Flight Points Transferred to ThankYou Account 14200.00
Remaining Flight Points Balance 0.00
Purchase Points Summary1 Period ending 01/05/07
Purchase Points Earned 1000.00
Special / Bonus Points 15000.00
Total Purchase Points Earned 16000.00
Purchase Points Transferred to ThankYou Account 16000.00
Total Points Transferred to ThankYou Account 30200.00
Answer
You mean $1000 for two?
If yes, I think you will earn 14200 (7100x2) fly points and 16000 (15000 bonus+1000) spending points
Your statement will look like..(copy from my statement)
Flight Points Summary1 Period ending 01/05/07
Beginning Flight Points 0.00
Flight Points Earned 14200.00
Flight Points Transferred to ThankYou Account 14200.00
Remaining Flight Points Balance 0.00
Purchase Points Summary1 Period ending 01/05/07
Purchase Points Earned 1000.00
Special / Bonus Points 15000.00
Total Purchase Points Earned 16000.00
Purchase Points Transferred to ThankYou Account 16000.00
Total Points Transferred to ThankYou Account 30200.00
Thanks for the info. Much appreciated. I did mean $1K for 2 ppl. Air India...