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Most premium Visa products in the U.S. are offered as Visa Signature — this includes Chase Sapphire Preferred and even President Obama’s Palladium card.
Several banks in Canada and around the world offer cards that are a notch higher — Visa Infinite — but it hasn’t taken hold in the US. I vaguely recall that US Bank used to offer a Stratus card that was Visa Infinite. Now there’s a Visa Infinite US card. I wrote about it back in May.
What I first learned from Rene’s Points is that the card is now available with a 100,000 point bonus after $5000 spend within 90 days. Application link (.pdf) Per Rene, send it to Michael Thomas, Michael.Thomas -at- cnb.com.
Doctor of Credit says City National Bank only has branches in New York, Deleware, Georgia, Tennessee, Nevada and California — and may limit cards to individuals who live in those states although some have been able to e-mail applications from elsewhere and get approved.
When I reviewed the card in May I discovered the following benefits:
The card comes with:
- Priority Pass Select membership for lounge access, including two free guests per visit (like Citi Prestige)
- Triple points on travel and dining (which includes “airlines, hotels, taxis, limousines, rental cars, trains, buses, gas, restaurants, fast food and takeout food dining establishments”). Searching through the airfare search tool you should get between 0.9 and 1.1 cents per point on tickets.
- $250 per card airline fee credit each year
- Global entry enrollment fee credit
- The rental car collision damage waiver is secondary (so not as good as what’s offered by Chase Sapphire Preferred whose coverage is primary), only valid for rentals up to 15 days inside the U.S., and doesn’t provide coverage in Israel, Jamaica, Ireland, or Northern Ireland.
- National Car Rental Executive status (which American Express Platinum also offers)
- $100 off domestic airline reservations for 2-5 passengers, when booked through the cardmember portal at myvisainfinite.com/cnb
- Fast track to Relaix & Chateau Club 5C status after 2 nights in 12 months
The card is $0 the first year, $400 thereafter and additional cardholders are fee free.
It’s pretty awesome as a ~ $1000 value signup bonus and no fee the first year. However it’s not yet clear what their approval criteria will be as City National is interested in signing up high net worth individual accounts.
Bo-ring. If it isn’t black and doesn’t weigh as much as a cell phone, it has no place in my wallet.
(Just kidding.)
I’d be curious to hear about others’ experiences signing up for it.
The offer may well be dead. Update from Rene’s Points:
“EDIT: I have info that this offer has been suspended. Also they are only going to honor the offer for those who live in the states the bank has location in (disappointing new info as this was, and is, an amazing deal). Congrats to all who got apps in in the states that are: https://www.cnb.com/sitepages/locator.aspx“
Do the points transfer to hotel or airline loyalty programs? What can you do with 100k points? A magazine subscription perhaps?
@beachfan they do not transfer, so for instance use them to buy airline tickets
@Buck Smith of course I warn about the residency for eligibility in the post
@Buck – The latest update I have is you can only get it in the states where they have banks. Then, it is best to go into the branch and ask for the offer. In NY Michael can help you. I have had readers approved so it is happening but not simple. But dang what an amazing Delta.
Thanks for HT Gary!
They seem to have the in-house redemption scheme similar to credit unions. I imagine a flight to Europe runs 200,000 points or so.
I still don’t see how it’s above the visa signature. It’s been around a while. If anything I would just say it’s India’s version of the visa signature. Most of the benefits you announce are bit that great other than the signup bonus. Why not primary rental car? Even some world mastercards offer that. I guess it just based on ones on views of tier class. I will keep my csp in the mean time. Or even my diners club before looking for a infinite.
On the one hand, Gary, thanks for sharing this offer. And I even believe you understate the potential value at being about $1,000, when in fact it would seem to be about $1,350 (about $1,000 in air fare plus $250 in airline fee credit plus $100 of domestic airline reservations if 2+ passengers).
BUT, on the other hand, there’s a lot of hyperbole here, in that the offer is worth far less than many other credit card bonuses since the points can’t be transferred into hotel or airline programs. So “exclusive” in only a narrow and kind of misleading sense, and certainly far from awesome compared to the value of those other credit card bonuses.
I strongly suggest that in writing about future credit card offers like this, you make clear whether or not the points can transfer into hotel or airline programs.
If you’ve had it since mAy, What’s your experience been with the airline “incidentals”- does it work for ticket purchases? Gift cards?
Does it really work for additional cards? How many do you have?!
@tom – i haven’t had it since may, i first wrote about it in may
@Steve I think I say what the points are worth in the post, and ‘exclusive’ is about Visa Infinite
Does anyone have a link to their award chart? I don’t have an account with City National so I can’t see anything about their award system.
Do you have a link to the Sperbank Visa Infinite made of 24 K gold and diamonds for $100,000?
I was thinking that would be my Infinite card of choice. I’d be getting free overnight card replacement after losing my card regularly.
Crystal breaks too easily. Sort of like my relationship with Chase.