Question of the Day - 08 November 2021

This question refers to the Citi Premier credit card that gives you $800 in gift cards when you charge $4,000 on it in the first three months -- including from MGM Resorts. Our Travel Game experts, Michael Friedman and Michael Traeger, have selected the Premier card as the best in class and if you're interested in finding out more about it, you can read their coverage here. 

Michael Friedman was kind enough not only to send the list, but also to offer his perspective on gift cards for credit card points. Take it, Mike. 

This is a variation on a question we hear often: "If I get a credit card from Citibank, Chase, or AMEX, they give me a bonus in their proprietary points. If I don't want to use them for travel, can I get other gift cards?"

The answer is yes! It didn't used to be that way. At one time, you had a choice of only one or two travel rewards.

As the credit-card business has gotten more competitive, though, banks have been coming up with additional ways to use your points, including merchant gift cards (see the partial list below).

Citi and AMEX each offer about 100 partners where you can redeem for gift cards at a rate of a penny per point (e.g., 5,000 points equals $50). Chase has more than 100. Chase is also the only one that has Amazon at full redemption value.

As for your wife's preferred retailers, Best Buy and Macy's are among the more than 100 retailers you can redeem your points for on Citi Premier (Costco and Whole Foods aren't). Two out of four ain't bad, in my opinion. As for the rest of the Citi gift cards, MGM Resorts is just one of just about any category of retailer that she or you could think to spend money at.

The gift-card option for redeeming points makes these cards increasingly valuable and, in general, I prefer them to the hotel/airline cards that give you points good at only one (although those cards offer you better perks when you're traveling). Flexibility is key.

Thank you, Mike. Here's a list of a little more than half of the gift cards that, given your wife's preferences, will most likely interest her. The other half is more of the same, while doubling the choices.

Ace Hardware, Adidas, Albertsons, Apple, Applebee's, AutoZone, Banana Republic, Barnes and Noble, Big Lots, Burger King, Cracker Barrel, CVS, Dillards, DoorDash, Fandango Theaters, FootLocker, GameStop, Gap, GrubHub, Home Depot, Hulu, IHOP, Jiffy Lube, Krispy Kreme, Kohl's, LL Bean, Lowe's, Macy's, Maggiano's, McCormick and Schmick's, MGM Resorts (of course), Michael's, Morton's, Nike, Nordstrom, Old Navy, Olive Garden, Omaha Steaks, Outback Steakhouse, Petsmart, Pottery Barn, Safeway, Saks, Sears, Sephora, Spotify, Staples, Starbucks, Subway, TJ Maxx/Marshalls/Home Goods, Target, Texas Roadhouse, Ulta, Williams Sonoma, Zappos.