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CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard®
Annual fee
$99, waived for first 12 months
Regular APR
18.99% - 27.99% (Variable)
Recommended Credit Score
Excellent (740 - 850)
Citi is an advertising partner. Editor’s note: Some of the offers on this page may be expired. Check out our Best Credit Cards page for the most up-to-date offers for our favorite credit cards. The information about the Citibusiness/AAdvantage Platinum Select Mastercard and Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.
CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard® Overview
For the devoted American Airlines flier, the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard® is worth considering — especially since you can test drive it for a year without paying the $99 annual fee.
What are the pros and cons?
Pros
- Earn a companion travel certificate if you spend $30,000 within one year and renew your card
- 65,000-mile bonus after spending $4,000 within your first 4 months
- No foreign transaction fees
- The $99 annual fee is waived the first year
Cons
- There’s no introductory offer on purchases or balance transfers
- You can’t redeem miles for cash back or a statement credit
A deeper look into the current card offer
It’s obvious that this card’s most attractive benefits are primarily designed for business travelers who are frequent flyers. Cardholders kick things off by earning 65,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 within the first four months of account opening.
In addition, cardholders get one free checked bag on domestic American Airlines flights, which goes a long way toward reducing travel costs and boosting your bottom line. You also earn 2 miles per dollar on certain business-related categories, including telecommunications merchants, cable and satellite providers, car rental merchants and gas stations, as well as eligible purchases made through American Airlines. All other purchases earn 1 mile per dollar.
Combine all that with preferred boarding and 25 percent off in-flight Wi-Fi, food and beverages and you might stand to earn a decent bundle in the first year.
How much are the rewards worth?
If you spend $700 a month within the 2X category and $300 a month on everything else, you’ll earn 20,400 miles. When you include the welcome bonus you’ll obtain from spending $4,000 within your first 4 months of card ownership, you could have enough miles to get you seven one-way flights across the U.S. and Canada.
How to redeem rewards
To redeem miles, go to the American Airlines website, log into your AAdvantage account and book your travel. Citi AAdvantage cardholders also are eligible to redeem their accrued miles for reduced mileage awards when available.
Bankrate’s Take: Is the CitiBusiness / AAdvantage Platinum Select Mastercard worth it?
Business owners who use American Airlines regularly will certainly get the most value out of this card, especially if you tend to check bags and make purchases on the plane. Since the annual fee is waived for the first year ($99 thereafter), there’s no reason for frequent flyers to not give it a try. You have to have excellent credit to qualify for this card, so be sure to check your credit score before you apply.
If you were hoping for a more pampered airport experience, you might want to check out the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®, which comes with luxury perks like the Admirals Club Membership or VIP airport experience. Of course, you will also have to pay the luxury annual fee on that one which is $450.
If your business has you flying American Airlines regularly, theCitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard® is almost a must-have — especially if you're checking bags. The card boasts a competitive sign-up bonus, high travel rewards and a slew of AA-specific perks. Plus, it gives extra rewards on several categories of common business purchases.
Among business credit cards from major airlines with similar annual fees, this card rates highly. Its main competition, however, will be general travel cards, which offer more flexibility for earning and spending rewards outside of American Airlines.
CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard®: Basics
Rewards:
2 AAdvantage miles per dollar spent on eligible American Airlines purchases.
2 AAdvantage miles per dollar spent on purchases at telecommunications merchants, cable and satellite providers, car rental merchants and gas stations.
1 AAdvantage mile per dollar on all other purchases.
NerdWallet values American miles at 1.5 cents each. This is a baseline value, drawn from real-world data on hundreds of economy routes, not a maximized value. In other words, you should aim for award redemptions that offer 1.5 cents or more in value from your American miles.
Sign-up bonus: Earn 65,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $4,000 in purchases within the first 4 months of account opening.
Interest rate:The ongoing APR is 15.99% - 24.99% Variable APR.
Foreign transaction fees: None.
Noteworthy perks:
First checked bag free for you and up to four companions traveling on the same reservation.
Preferred boarding.
25% savings on in-flight purchases of food, beverages and Wi-Fi service.
American Airlines Companion Certificate each year you spend $30,000 or more.
Why you might want the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard®
Free checked bags
American Airlines charges $30 on domestic flights for a first checked bag each way. So the savings on just two round trips (or one with a colleague) cover this card's annual fee of $0 intro for the first year, then $99.
Preferred boarding
The CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard® allows you to board the plane earlier in the process. That gives you time to settle in before takeoff and almost guarantees you overhead bin space for your carry-on.
Companion certificate
Every year you spend $30,000 on this Citi business credit card, you’ll receive a $99 companion certificate. This means you can take someone with you on a domestic economy trip for $99 plus applicable taxes and fees (as of November 2021, taxes and fees were $21.60 to $43.20, depending on itinerary, according to American's website). Keep in mind that you need to renew your card membership — and pay the annual fee — to take advantage of this perk.
2X miles and a great bonus
Aside from earning bonus miles on purchases from American Airlines, the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard® also earns 2 miles per dollar on several common business expenses, including telecommunications, gas and rental cars (terms apply). Plus, this Citi business credit card starts you off right with a meaty sign-up bonus: Earn 65,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $4,000 in purchases within the first 4 months of account opening.
Why you might want a different card
Locked into the AAdvantage program
As an airline-branded credit card, the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard® limits how you can redeem miles. If you fly American often, it's no problem. But if you want the flexibility of redeeming rewards for flights on any airline, or for other travel expenses, consider a general-purpose business travel card.
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is a great option. It earns 3 points per dollar on the first $150,000 spent each year on travel and select business categories, and 1 point per dollar on other purchases. Points are worth 1.25 cents apiece when redeemed for travel through Chase. The sign-up bonus is potentially huge if you can spend enough to earn it: Earn 100k bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 cash back or $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.. The annual fee is $95.
Bonus categories might not be useful
For many small businesses, the bulk of spending won’t fall under the bonus categories of telecommunications, gas and rental cars. That's when a card with flat-rate rewards could be much more valuable.
Consider the Capital One Spark Miles for Business, for example. It earns an unlimited 2 miles per dollar on all purchases. Miles can be redeemed for statement credit against any travel purchase. Book however you want, then use miles to pay for it, with no blackout dates or restrictions. There's a great sign-up bonus, too: Earn a one-time bonus of 50,000 miles – equal to $500 in travel – once you spend $4,500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening. The annual fee is $0 intro for the first year, then $95.
No lounge access
The CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard® doesn't get you into American Airlines Admirals Club airport lounges. If you're in airports often, lounge access can be a nerve-soother. The airline's premium card, theCiti® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®, includes Admirals Club access for you and up to two guests or immediate family members traveling with you. It comes at a cost, however. The annual fee is $450. It isn’t specifically a business credit card, but it’s the best choice for getting into American Airlines lounges.
How it compares to other Citi business credit cards
The CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard® is one of two Citi credit cards designed for small businesses. This card is a great fit for business owners who like Mastercard and frequently fly American Airlines.
If you want to stick with the Citi family of cards, prefer simple cash-back rewards and are a frequent Costco shopper, consider the Costco Anywhere Visa Business Card by Citi. This card earns 4% per dollar spent on eligible gas purchases, 3% on restaurants and eligible travel purchases, 2% on all other purchases from Costco and Costco.com, and 1% on all other purchases. This Citi business credit card has no annual fee or foreign transaction fees.
The card does come with a few limitations: You will need to have a Costco membership in order to apply for this card, and your cash back will come in the form of an annual credit card reward certificate after your February billing statement closes. You’ll need to go to a Costco warehouse within the U.S. and Puerto Rico to redeem your certificate for cash or merchandise.
Is the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard® right for you?
American Airlines loyalists will easily squeeze enough value from the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard® to justify its annual fee. The main question is whether you’re OK being locked into the American Airlines rewards system, which has unique perks, as opposed to earning flexible rewards with a general travel card.