Credit Card News
Citizens Bank Premieres Four New Credit Card Options
Citizens Bank is rolling out a new suite of credit cards, meeting the needs of multiple customers.
About Citizens’ New Card Line-Up:
Today, Citizens introduced four new cards:
- Citizens Amp Mastercard
- Citizens Spring World Mastercard
- Citizens Summit World Mastercard
- Citizens Summit Reserve World Elite Mastercard
Starting with the Citizens Amp Mastercard, this no-annual-fee card is designed for those looking to establish and build credit. Specifically, the card is available to those with limited or even no credit history. As cardholders make on-time payments and display positive credit behaviors, they’ll then have the opportunity for credit limit increases and product upgrades. Amp customers will also have access to financial literacy tools and content.
As for the Citizens Spring card, it’s built for those looking to pay down debt. Not only does this card bear Citizens’ lowest variable APR but also offers a low introductory rate on balance transfers. The card also has no annual fee.
Moving on to rewards cards, the Citizens Summit allows customers to earn cashback on everyday purchases. This includes 3% back on dining and 3% back on groceries as well as 1.5% back on all other purchase categories. The no-annual-fee Summit card also features a 0% intro APR on balance transfers for the first 12 billing cycles.
Lastly, the Citizens Summit Reserve is the bank’s new premium card. In terms of rewards, it earns 3% back on dining, 3% on groceries, and 3% on entertainment — including streaming services, concerts, museums, sporting events, and more. All other purchases earn 1.5% back.
While the Summit Reserve does have a $295 annual fee, it does feature some key perks and credits. For one, cardholders can earn up to $10 a month in statement credits when they spend $25 or more on Lyft. Additionally, customers can get up to $120 in annual statement credits (up to $10 per statement cycle) when spending $10 or more on eligible travel purchases. Cardmembers also enjoy up to four complimentary visits per year to airport lounges with Priority Pass.
Also interesting is that select customers can get a discount on their Citizens Summit Reserve card annual fee. Those who maintain a Citizens Quest Checking Account relationship can get a $200 annual fee reduction, which equates to a $95 annual fee. Moreover, those with a Private Bank or Private Client Checking Account relationship can get the Summit Reserve card for no annual fee.
As Citizens launches these new card options, current customers will not be required to switch to a new product. However, Citizens is no longer accepting applications for their previous card options.
My Thoughts:
Jumping straight to the rewards cards, I do think these could be some interesting options. For the Citizens Summit card, the most comparable option I can think of is the Capital One Savor, which also has 3% back on dining and groceries. The Summit Reserve is even closer to the Savor as it throws in the 3% back on the entertainment category that Capital One also offers. But, while the Savor earns the standard 1% back on all other purchases, these Citizens Summit options raise that to 1.5%.
I’m also super intrigued by the idea of getting a discounted annual fee on the Summit Reserve. Of course, I’m sure that those associated products require large sums of money and/or fees. Also, although the credits sound good, the restrictions on them (such as needing to spend $25 for Lyft and the travel credit being divided up monthly) make them less appealing.
Ultimately, I could see the Citizens Summit or Summit Reserve being a good pick for some, such as those who want a single card solution and prefer to earn cash back. However, neither is quite right for me personally.
Author
Other Articles by Kyle Burbank
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