The Citi Prestige relationship bonus: Why “30%” doesn’t mean what you think

Over the years we’ve covered the Citi Prestige card’s “Relationship Bonus” a few times, but since this is probably one of the most misunderstood features in Singapore’s credit card landscape, we decided it’s high time we dedicated an article to it!

At first glance, Citi’s marketing materials suggest you could earn up to 30% more miles on every purchase as a bonus for your tenure and status as a customer – but sadly the reality is far more modest than it appears.

If you’re considering the Citi Prestige card partly because of this seemingly generous bonus, it’s crucial to understand how it actually works, before making your decision.

The marketing vs. the reality

Citi advertises its Relationship Bonus as offering between 5% and 30% extra rewards, depending on your tenure with the bank and whether you’re a Citigold customer.

Source: Citi Prestige Cardmember Agreement
Those with a credit card or bank account with Citi Singapore who are not Citigold customers are regarded as Citibanking (Regular) customers

The natural assumption? That your earn rates get multiplied by these percentages.

For instance, many assume that with a 30% Relationship Bonus, the Prestige card’s standard 1.3 mpd on local spending becomes an impressive 1.69 mpd (1.3 mpd × 1.3).

Similarly, the 2 mpd on overseas spending would become 2.6 mpd – not bad!

However, this is completely wrong.

How the Relationship Bonus actually works

The Relationship Bonus isn’t applied as a multiplier to your earn rate. Instead, it works like this:

1. The bonus percentage is applied to your total eligible spending amount
2. This generates bonus Citi ThankYou Points (not miles)
3. These ThankYou Points are then converted to miles at a 2.5:1 ratio

Confused? Yeah you’re not alone. Let’s break it down.

A real example

Let’s say you’re a regular banking customer (not Citigold) with four years of tenure, qualifying for a 5% Relationship Bonus:

• Annual spending: S$10,000
• Relationship Bonus calculation: S$10,000 × 5% = 500 ThankYou Points
• Bonus miles earned: 500 ÷ 2.5 = 200 miles
• Actual bonus: 200 miles ÷ S$10,000 = 0.02 mpd

That’s right – a “5% bonus” translates to just 0.02 additional mpd on your spend.

In other words, you’d need to spend S$50,000 annually just to earn an extra 1,000 miles from this ‘generous’ 5% bonus.

If your transactions were all in foreign currency, that’s just a 1% bump (2.02 mpd vs 2 mpd)!

The real numbers

Here’s what the Relationship Bonus actually adds to your earning rates:

Your actual earn rates

When you factor in these bonuses, here’s what you’re really earning:

For regular Citi banking customers, which covers most of our readers who merely hold card products with the bank, earn rates for local spend are actually 1.32 – 1.36 mpd, depending on tenure, while overseas spend clocks in at 2.02 – 2.06 mpd.

Why this matters

Even at its maximum, the Relationship Bonus delivers far less value than Citi’s marketing suggests. A fully maxed-out 30% bonus (available to Citigold customers with over 10 years of tenure) adds only 0.12 mpd to your earn rates.

To put this in perspective:

• The entry-level Citi PremierMiles card earns 2.2 mpd on overseas spending without any tenure requirements, better than even a 10-year+ Citigold Prestige cardholder gets!
• The BOC Elite Miles card earns 1.4 / 2.8 mpd for local / overseas spending, in a recent boost
• The UOB PRVI Miles card offers 1.4 / 2.4 mpd for local / overseas spending
• The DBS Vantage card provides 1.5 / 2.2 mpd for local / overseas spending

Even with the maximum Relationship Bonus, the Prestige card’s effective earning rates (1.42 mpd / 2.12 mpd) still lag behind several competitors, strangely including the bank’s own entry-level PremierMiles card when it comes to FCY spend.

When do you receive the bonus?

The Relationship Bonus is credited as a lump sum around your annual fee charging date, based on your eligible spending for the previous year.

Look out for this on the monthly statement that includes your annual renewal fee.

As you can see for my account a 15% bonus applies for more than 10 years tenure as a Citi customer in Singapore, but without Citigold status.

What spending counts?

The Relationship Bonus applies to the same transactions that earn regular points, excluding:

• Annual fees and bank charges
• Bill payments (including utilities)
• Education payments
• Financial services payments
• Government payments
• Insurance premiums
• Top-ups to digital wallets

Notably, Citi PayAll transactions do count toward the bonus calculation (except where you opt not to pay the service fee), as do fourth night free hotel bookings.

Other aspects of the Citi Prestige card

This card saw its unlimited lounge access perk massively diluted to 12 annual visits in July 2025, plus its annual fee was hiked.

Our full article has all the details of the most recent benefits cut, which you definitely need to consider before applying for this card for anything other than its cheap miles via the welcome bonus, and most certainly its “Relationship Bonus”.

Other features of the Citi Prestige card include fourth night free for selected hotel stays, plus golf privileges and complimentary airport limo transfers when you meet minimum spend criteria.

Speaking of ‘cheap’ miles though, they are certainly part of the deal for new Citi Prestige cardholders, with the bank’s latest offer good for a 57,000 miles welcome bonus for payment of the S$651.82 annual fee, subject to a reasonable S$2,000 spend in the first two full months.

It’s the equivalent of ‘buying’ a useful stash of miles at 1.14 cents each – easily good value against future flight redemptions with one of the bank’s 10 frequent flyer programme partners like KrisFlyer and BA / Qatar Avios.

While the Citi Prestige Relationship Bonus provides some additional value, it’s essentially a minor sweetener rather than a compelling reason to choose the card.

Don’t let the “up to 30%” marketing sway your decision – focus instead on the card’s other benefits like the fourth night free, 12x annual lounge access, and multiple transfer partner options.

The Relationship Bonus is best viewed as a small annual rebate rather than a meaningful boost to your everyday earning potential. If maximising miles earned on regular spending is your primary goal, you’ll find better options elsewhere in the market.

Understanding this distinction is crucial for making an informed decision about whether the Citi Prestige card deserves a place in your wallet.

Do note, however, the card has recently seen some significant changes in perks, which give it questionable long-term value after you’ve pocketed the attractive sign-up bonus.

(Cover Photo: Shutterstock)