Citibank currently has 1 top-tier miles credit card and 1 good cashback card for big online spending. There are also other Citibank credit cards with okay benefits and limited use cases.
In this guide, I’ll be sharing the best method that I use to get a Citibank annual fee waiver on credit cards and what to do if/when the request is not granted.
Related: Annual fee waiver guides for UOB and DBS credit cards
Citibank credit card annual fees
Here’s a quick recap of the annual fees of all noteworthy Citibank credit cards in Singapore and the miles that come with annual fee payments (if any).
✍️ FYAFW = First-year annual fee waived
| Card | Annual Fee | Can Be Waived? | Miles With Annual Fee | Cost Per Mile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Citi Rewards | S$196.20 (FYAFW) | ✅ | ❌ | – |
 Citi PremierMiles | S$196.20 (FYAFW) | ✅ | 10,000 | 1.96 cents |
 Citi Prestige | S$651.82 | ❌ | 32,000 | 2.04 cents |
 Citi SMRT | S$196.20 (FYAFW) | ✅ | ❌ | – |
 Citi Cash Back | S$196.20 (FYAFW) | ✅ | ❌ | – |
 Citi Cash Back+ | S$196.20 (FYAFW) | ✅ | ❌ | – |
Should you waive your Citibank credit card annual fee?
You absolutely should! There is pretty much no useful benefit in voluntarily paying your Citibank credit card annual fee every year. Paying the annual fee negates your gains (in miles or cashback) for the card membership year.
Cardholders are encouraged to keep track of their card anniversary date on the calendar and/or spreadsheet and request for an annual fee waiver as soon as it appears in the card’s transaction history (in the app). Feel free to use Suitesmile’s free Google Sheet template if you don’t already have one.
Related: My Miles & Credit Card Strategy
“But, I get miles for paying the annual fee!”
As shared above, Citibank tries to sweeten the fee with miles (on selected credit cards only), but in my opinion, it is never worth it to “buy miles” through annual fee payments. Here’s a quick calculation for the Citi PremierMiles Card:
- Annual fee: S$196.20
- Miles with annual fee payment: 10,000
- Effective cost per mile: 1.96 cents
While 1.96 cents per mile is not a horrible price to pay, it’s certainly on the pricey side, even for ultra-flexible Citi miles. Need more miles? You can simply buy miles all year for cheaper.
Remember, the above example is just for the Citi PremierMiles Card. The Citi Rewards Card, which is unequivocally a better miles card with far better earn rates, does not include any miles with annual fee payments.
tl;dr: Definitely get your Citibank credit card annual fees waived whenever you can!
Related: Values of Miles and Points
How to waive Citibank credit card annual fees
Citibank credit cards annual fees can only be waived via the automated phone banking system The best time to do so is when the annual fee charge has appeared in your credit card’s latest transaction in the app.
Note: If you’re holding the Citi PremierMiles Card, you’ll notice an additional 10,000 miles in your balance. It’s important that you do not redeem these miles that came with the annual fee charge, to allow Citibank to take it back if/when the waiver request is granted.
Waive Citibank annual fee via phone
Citibank cardholders can request for an annual fee waiver through the CitiPhone hotline at +65 6225 5225.
To do so, simply follow the instructions by the automated messages. You should be able to get it done within 5 to 10 mins, without interacting with a human being.
In my recent experiences, the result of the waiver request and refund of the annual fee are provided instantly after the phone call.
Here’s how your card’s latest transactions should look like after the annual fee waiver approval:
What if the annual fee waiver request gets rejected?
Was your annual fee waiver request rejected? Don’t give up just yet!
Submit an appeal
Call Citibank at +65 6225 5225 once again to submit an appeal. To do this, you’ll need to speak to a customer service officer. Once the appeal is submitted, you should receive an update regarding the appeal via SMS or email in 3 to 4 working days.
Appeal rejected?
Still rejected after trying the above method and appealing? It’s probably best to cancel the card. The way I see it, most (if not all) credit cards in Singapore are only good when the annual fee is waived.
To cancel the credit card, you’ll need to ensure that the latest bill (except the annual fee amount) and all unbilled transactions are fully paid off. This has to be done before the latest statement (with the annual fee charge) is due. Then, call the bank once again to cancel it.
✍️ You shouldn’t have to pay the pending annual fee charge if you choose to cancel it before the statement balance is due.
If you are using a miles or rewards card and have Citi miles/points attached to the card, you can initiate a miles/points conversion to a preferred frequent flyer program and/or redeem any smaller balances for vouchers before cancelling the card.
As points conversions generally take 2 to 5 days, it’s best to plan early and request for annual fee waiver as soon as they appear in your credit card.
Tracking your credit cards is a basic rule of the Miles Game. If it’s too difficult or time-consuming, the Miles Game is probably not for you (don’t feel bad, there are many great cashback cards and fuss-free credit cards without an annual fee out there).
What are your chances of getting the annual fee waived?
Citibank doesn’t share official requirements to get a credit card annual fee waiver request approved.
In my experience over the past 10 years or so, and based on what’s shared by other Citibank cardholders reported in the Suitesmile Chat Telegram group, it’s pretty easy to get the annual fees on Citibank credit cards waived if you use them somewhat regularly (my guess: around 5 transactions of any amount per month). Of course, the actual threshold could be different and the bank can change it anytime.
Best Citibank credit cards
Here are the key details of some of the best Citibank miles and cashback credit cards:
Earn 4 mpd on online spending, selected in-person shopping and even in-person overseas spending with Amaze linkage
More information
Key details of the Citi Rewards Card
Ease of use :
Minimum annual income:• S’porean/PR: S$30,000
• Foreigner: S$42,000Annual fee: S$196.20 (first year waived; request waiver every year)
Earn 4 mpd on online spending, selected in-person shopping and in-person overseas spending (via Amaze ), up to S$1,000 per statement month
No minimum spending
5-year miles expiry cycle
9 useful miles transfer partners
⚠️ 0.4 mpd earn rate on non-bonus spending
⚠️ Travel-related spending (e.g. flights, hotels) excluded from bonus earn rate
⚠️ In-person shopping bonus earn rate (without Amaze linkage) is MCC-sensitive
⚠️ 3.25% foreign transaction fee (save ~1% via Amaze)
⚠️ Amaze linkage for SGD spending comes with a 1% fee
Get 2 free airport lounge visits per year, earn 1.2 mpd on local spending and 2.2 mpd on foreign currencies
More information
Key details of the Citi PremierMiles Card
Ease of use :
Minimum annual income:• S’porean/PR: S$30,000
• Foreigner: S$42,000Annual fee: S$196.20 (first year waived; always comes with 10,000 miles, but request waiver every year )
Get 2 free airport lounge visits per calendar year
No minimum spending
Uncapped earn rates
Miles don’t expire
9 useful miles transfer partners
⚠️ Low earn rates (spend with 4 mpd cards instead):
• 1.2 mpd on local spending
• 2.2 mpd on foreign currency spending⚠️ 3.25% foreign transaction fee
Get 12 free airport lounge visits per year, earn 1.3 mpd on local spending and 2 mpd on foreign currencies
More information
Key details of the Citi Prestige Card
Ease of use :
Minimum annual income: S$120,000
Annual fee: S$651.82 (no waiver; always comes with 32,000 miles)
Get 12 free airport lounge visits per calendar year
4th night free on hotel bookings
No minimum spending
Uncapped earn rates
Miles don’t expire
9 useful miles transfer partners
⚠️ Low earn rates (spend with 4 mpd cards instead):
• 1.3 mpd on local spending
• 2 mpd on foreign currency spending⚠️ 3.25% foreign transaction fee
⚠️ Many unfavourable rules on 4th night free benefit
Get 5% cashback on online spending, groceries, ride-hailing and public transport with generous annual limit
More information
Key details of the Citi SMRT Card
Ease of use :
Minimum annual income:• S’porean/PR: S$30,000
• Foreigner: S$42,000Annual fee: S$196.20 (first 2 years waived; request waiver every year)
Get 5% cashback on online spending, groceries, ride-hailing and public transport, up to S$12,000 per card membership year
Great for big online purchases (e.g. tech gadgets, appliances, buying miles/points)
⚠️ Minimum card spend of S$500 per statement month required for bonus cashback
⚠️ 0.3% cashback on non-bonus spending
⚠️ Travel-related spending (e.g. flights, hotels) excluded from bonus cashback
⚠️ 3.25% foreign transaction fee
More information
Key details of the Citi Cash Back Card
Ease of use :
Minimum annual income:• S’porean/PR: S$30,000
• Foreigner: S$42,000Annual fee: S$196.20 (first year waived; request waiver every year)
Get 8% cashback on ride-hailing & petrol, 6% cashback on dining & groceries spending, up to S$1,000 – S$1,333 per statement month
⚠️ Minimum card spend of S$800 per statement month required for bonus cashback
⚠️ Bonus categories are MCC-sensitive
⚠️ 0.25% cashback on non-bonus spending
⚠️ 3.25% foreign transaction fee
