ThankYou Premier Bonus Categories Changing, Expanding, Gas at 3x Added

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The Citi ThankYou® Premier Card is changing its category bonuses and adding gas and more as a 3 points per dollar category, effective April 19, 2015.

I got this card last year for its 40,000 point sign up bonus and have used it frequently since then for the category bonuses.

Commenter OakCliffTX let me know that upon signing into his Citi account, he saw the news. I saw it too when I clicked the link to learn about my Card Benefits.

Until April 18, 2015, unless you are participating in a limited-time offer like this one for 5x, you will earn:

• 3 ThankYou Points for every dollar you spend on purchases at restaurants and on select entertainment merchants including sports promoters, theatrical promoters, movie theaters, amusement parks, tourist attractions, record stores and video rental stores
• 2 ThankYou Points for every dollar you spend on purchases at airlines, hotels and travel agencies
• 1 ThankYou Point for every dollar you spend on other purchases.

Starting April 19, 2015, you will earn:

• 3 ThankYou Points for every dollar you spend on purchases at airlines, hotels, car rental agencies, travel agencies, gas stations, commuter transportation, taxi/limousines, passenger railways, cruise lines, bridge and road tolls, parking lots/garages, campgrounds and trailer parks, time shares, bus lines, motor home/RV Rental and boat rentals
• 2 ThankYou Points for every dollar you spend on purchases at restaurants and on select entertainment merchants, including sports promoters, theatrical promoters, movie theaters, amusement parks, tourist attractions, record stores and video rental stores
• 1 ThankYou Point for every dollar you spend on other purchases.

The Changes

The 3x and 2x categories have been flipped and are now in line with the Citi Prestige® Card. Now restaurants and entertainment will only earn 2x. Whether this is a good or bad change for you depends on which category you spend more in obviously, and less obviously whether you have both a Citi ThankYou® Premier Card and a Citi Prestige® Card. I have a Citi ThankYou® Premier Card and plan to open a Citi Prestige® Card, so I liked that they had different 3x categories.

In addition to flipping the categories, they also added extensively to what qualifies as travel, which is now the 3x category. Before it was just airline purchases, hotel purchases, and travel agency purchases (like Expedia.) All those still count plus tons more like taxis, car rentals, tolls, trains, parking, and gas!

That puts the category in line with the 2x category for travel on the Chase Sapphire Preferred except the Sapphire Preferred does not bonus gas purchases.

Overall I think these changes are going to be positive for most people. Moving travel from 2x to 3x, and adding tons of things that count including gas is a huge win.

My enthusiasm is only tempered because I wanted to earn 3x on this card on dining and entertainment and 3x on my future Citi Prestige on air travel and hotels.

I’ll put the full definitions of the categories mentioned at the bottom of this post.

Reminder on ThankYou Premier

The Citi ThankYou® Premier Card offers a 40,000 point sign up bonus, points that transfer to nine airline or can be used for any cash flight, and big category bonuses. It is one of the three cards I carry since I met my minimum spending requirements because of its category bonuses and lack of foreign transaction fees.

My full review of ThankYou Premier.

Full definitions:

Airlines are classified as merchants that provide air travel. Hotels are classified as merchants that provide sleeping or meeting room accommodations, and may include goods and services that are on bill for these accommodations by a hotel, motel or inn. Car rental agencies are classified as merchants that provide short-term or long-term rentals of cars. Travel agencies are classified as merchants that provide travel information and booking services, and include travel aggregators and tour operators. Gas stations are classified as merchants that sell fuel for consumer use and may or may not be attended. Commuter transportation is classified as merchants that provide suburban and local mass passenger transportation over regular routes and on regular schedules, including ferries, commuter railways and subways. Taxis/limousines are classified as merchants that provide passenger transportation services for hire and include horse-drawn cabs and carriages, bicycle taxis, aerial tramways, airport shuttles or cable cars. Passenger railways are classified as merchants that primarily provide long-distance transportation and may include overnight accommodations on the train. Cruise lines are classified as merchants that provide passenger transportation on the open sea or inland waters for the purpose of vacation or pleasure and operate predefined and advertised routes. Bridge and tolls are classified as merchants who collect fees associated with toll roads, highways and bridges. Parking lots/garages are classified as merchants that provide temporary parking services for automobiles, usually on an hourly, daily or monthly contract or fee basis.Campgrounds and trailer parks are classified as merchants that provide overnight or short-term campsites for recreational vehicles, trailers, campers or tents. Timeshares are classified as retailers that sell, lease and rent timeshare real estate and arrange timeshare condominium exchanges. Bus lines are classified passenger bus transportation services that operate on a regular schedule over predetermined routes. Motor home and recreational vehicle rentals are classified as merchants that rent motor homes, RVs, pop-up campers, tent trailers and other recreational vehicles on a daily, short-term or extended-term basis. Boat leases and boat rentals are classified as merchants that primarily provide boat rental and leasing services, including fishing boats, non-crew houseboats, sailboats, powerboats, jet skis and yachts. Restaurants are classified as dining establishments that primarily prepare food and drinks for immediate consumption by consumers, either on the merchant’s premises or packaged for takeout, and include bars, cocktail lounges, discotheques, nightclubs, taverns and fast food restaurants. Sports promoters are classified as merchants that operate and promote live sporting events (professional or semi-professional), and may also include sports stadiums.Theatrical promoters are classified as merchants that operate live theatrical productions or concerts, and include ticketing agencies. Movie theaters are classified as establishments that sell tickets and refreshments for movie productions. Amusement parks (including zoos, circuses and aquariums) are classified as establishments that operate parks or carnivals and offer mechanical rides and games and/or live animal shows. Tourist attractions and museums (including art galleries) are classified as establishments that operate attractions and exhibits for tourists. Record stores are classified as establishments that sell CDs and related items, including online record stores. Video rental stores are classified as merchants that rent DVDs and/or games and related equipment for consumer use, including online video rentals.

We do not determine how merchants or establishments are classified; however, they are generally classified based upon the merchant’s primary line of business. We reserve the right to determine which purchases qualify for this offer.