Citibank Travel Card: All you need to know

Citibank Australia¹ is in the process of moving its services to NAB, after NAB bought the business in 2022. If you’re a Citibank customer, you may be wondering what your options are now for a Citibank travel card for overseas spending and withdrawals.

This guide looks at the available Citibank travel money cards and also touches on an alternative - the Wise card, which is a debit option supporting 40+ currencies for holding and exchange, with low fees and mid-market exchange rates.

Is a Citibank Travel Card available in Australia?

There is no dedicated Citibank travel debit card or Citibank multi-currency card for customers in Australia. However, there are several different Citibank-branded credit cards that offer specific travel perks and are marketed as a good solution for travellers. This guide examines your options.

Travel cards available with Citibank

Although Citibank is in the process of transitioning to NAB following their acquisition, you can still apply for and use a Citibank credit card in Australia². If in the future you are required to move over to an NAB product, you’ll be notified, and the transition will be managed centrally to support customers changing products.

While there’s no dedicated multi-currency card offered by Citibank in Australia, there are 5 credit cards which are marketed as travel cards, offering travel rewards and lifestyle benefits³. We’ve summarised the key points of each below.

Citi Rewards Card

The Citi Rewards Card⁴ is a low annual fee credit card that offers Citi rewards points on spending, which you can use to pay for purchases or claim as vouchers or merchandise.

• Annual fee: 249 AUD
• Reward earning: 1 Citi reward point per dollar spent, capped at 10,000 AUD for domestic spending
• Lounge benefits: Not applicable
• Foreign transaction fee: 3.4%⁵

Citi Premier Card

The Citi Premier Card⁶ has a slightly higher annual fee compared to the rewards card, but also offers increased reward-earning opportunities, lounge access, and complimentary travel insurance.

• Annual fee: 300 AUD
• Reward earning: 2 Citi reward points per dollar spent online and internationally, 1 point per dollar domestically spent - maximum 200,000 points annually
• Lounge benefits: 2 entries annually
• Foreign transaction fee: 3.4%

Citi Prestige Card

The Citi Prestige Card⁷ is a premium-tier card that has a high annual fee but offers lounge access on a regular basis, hotel discounts and perks, and complimentary insurance policies, as well as a high reward earning opportunity as you spend.

• Annual fee: 700 AUD
• Reward earning: 3 Citi reward points per dollar spent on travel and international, 2 points per dollar for domestic spend with partner retailers, 1 point per dollar on other spending
• Lounge benefits: 15 entries annually
• Foreign transaction fee: 3.4%

✈️ Don't leave without the right card. Compare the best travel cards for your next trip abroad and spend smarter.

Citi Premier Qantas Card

The Citi Premier Qantas Card⁸ allows you to earn Qantas points directly with no need to convert, and also has great benefits like concierge services and lounge access, with a relatively low annual fee.

• Annual fee: 350 AUD
• Reward earning: 1 Qantas Point per dollar spent online and internationally, 0.5 points for domestic spending
• Lounge benefits: 2 entries annually
• Foreign transaction fee: 3.4%

Citi Prestige Qantas Card

The Citi Prestige Qantas Card⁹ allows for quick point accumulation, discounts on luxury travel bookings, complimentary hotel stays, and 15 lounge passes annually so you can travel in style.

• Annual fee: 749 AUD
• Reward earning: 1.5 Qantas points per dollar spent on travel and international, 1 point per dollar for domestic spend with partner retailers, 0.5 point per dollar on other spending
• Lounge benefits: 15 entries/annually
• Foreign transaction fee: 3.4%

Things to look out for when choosing a travel card

If you’re searching for the best travel card in Australia, you’ll need to weigh up your options, which can include debit and credit card options, from banks and specialist providers. Here’s what to look at:

• Annual fees: Credit cards tend to have annual fees, while debit cards can offer a low-cost alternative with no ongoing charges to pay.
• Supported currencies: Specialist multi-currency accounts allow you to convert to the currency required for your travel in advance, locking in the exchange rate.
• Exchange rate: Look at the rates used to switch from one currency to another, usually set by the bank or card network - getting a rate that’s as close as possible to the mid-market rate is usually ideal.
• Foreign transaction fees: If your card charges a foreign transaction fee, it is likely to push up your costs of overseas spending by 3% or more.
• ATM fees: Credit cards can have especially high ATM costs, including cash advance fees - read your card’s fee schedule carefully before you withdraw

Alternative: Wise card lets you to spend abroad with no foreign transaction fees

Credit cards may offer travel perks, but they often come with high foreign fees and poor exchange rates when you're spending overseas. The Wise card is a simple way to save up to 7x when you're spending internationally. You can spend in 150+ countries at mid-market rate — basically the rate you see on Google. With no foreign transaction fees and low, transparent pricing, Wise usually gives you the best value for your money.

Simply create a Wise account for free, order a card and top-up AUD to get started. Having a physical Wise card allows you to make chip and pin payments, as well as make some free ATM withdrawals each month for when you're abroad. You can get digital cards and add to your Google or Apple Pay wallet for instant use. Spend directly with the Wise account in AUD and let auto-conversion do the trick or convert in advance to your desired currency. You can hold and exchange 40+ currencies in your Wise account and spend the currencies you hold for free.

Wherever your travel takes you, the Wise card makes spending money abroad cheaper and easier.

🚀 Get your Wise card

1. Citibank Australia
2. Citibank - the move to NAB
3. Citibank travel and rewards cards
4. Citi Rewards Card
5. Citi credit card fees and charges
6. Citi Premier Card
7. Citi Prestige Card
8. Citi Premier Qantas Card
9. Citi Prestige Qantas Card