Citi® Gold/AAdvantage® World MasterCard®

Get 12,500 Bonus Miles after the First Purchase Earn One AAdvantage® Mile for Every Dollar Spent on Eligible Purchases No Blackout Dates Reduced Mileage Awards – 5,000 Fewer Miles To Select Destinations

Review: The Citi® Gold/AAdvantage® World MasterCard®, one of several Citi® AAdvantage® credit cards offered by Citibank, is designed for those with good credit who travel with American Airlines. Through the reward program, cardholders earn one mile for every dollar spent on the card. Miles can be redeemed for hotel stays, car rentals, and free flights via American Airlines and its participating partners. There is a maximum of 60,000 miles that can be accumulated each year, and miles have no expiration as long as there is account activity at least once every three years. At first glance, it may be difficult to distinguish between all of the Citi® AAdvantage® credit cards due to their close similarities. The gold card differs, because it offers 12,500 bonus miles for the first purchase and has a no 'pre-set spending limit' policy, which simply means that cardholders can occasionally exceed their credit limit based on their credit and payment history. The fact that the annual fee for the gold card is waived for the first year and is $50 thereafter, which is lower than that of the platinum card, may prove to be a better option for those who do not plan on spending more than $60,000 per year on the card. The APR for purchases is above average for a reward card. There is also a minimum cap of 19.99% for cash advances, so no matter how low the Prime Rate falls (the APR is tied to the Prime Rate), the interest rate will not go below the minimum cap. However, cardholders can expect common gold benefits that include up to $1,000,000 in travel accident insurance, auto rental insurance, and a year-end financial statement. Therefore, those who can afford to pay in full each month (to avoid finance charges), do not plan to spend more than $60,000 on the card a year (due to the yearly limit on miles), and will be able to earn a free ticket within a three-year period (due to the annual fee) will benefit most from what the Citi® Gold/AAdvantage® World MasterCard® has to offer.

Date of Review: 2006-03-31 00:00:00

Notes: The minimum APR for cash advances is 19.99%. The card has no pre-set spending limit; however, purchases are approved based on credit record, account history, and personal resources. Any amount that exceeds the credit limit must be paid in full. See website for complete terms and conditions of card usage and application disclosure.

Additional Perks: Various Internet account related services. Access to reduced mileage awards. Identity theft solutions. Lost and stolen card reporting. Emergency cash replacement. Emergency card replacement. Fraud and security protection services. Automatic bill payments. Up to $1,000,000 in travel accident insurance. Auto rental insurance. No liability for unauthorized transactions. Year-end financial statement (upon request). See website for additional benefits.