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Citi quietly devalues $120 Avis-Budget car rental credit on the Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard

Aug. 05, 2024
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3 min read
Rental Cars in a lot
Citi quietly devalues $120 Avis-Budget car rental credit on the Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard
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What is with card issuers quietly sneaking in devaluations of key card benefits without clearly letting their customers know ahead of time? (See: Bilt's recent Rent Day devaluation.)

As reported by Frequent Miler, the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® (see rates and fees) benefit of an up to $120 statement credit on eligible Avis or Budget car rentals every calendar year has been devalued.

When logging into my Citi account and navigating to "Card Benefits," I noticed the following wording:

"Earn up to $120 in statement credits every calendar year when eligible prepaid car rentals are booked directly on avis.com or budget.com. Note: Cardmembers who applied for their accounts prior to July 15, 2024, can earn up to $120 in statement credits every calendar year on other eligible Avis® or Budget car rentals in addition to prepaid car rentals directly booked on avis.com or budget.com through December 31, 2025."

Airport car rental counters
JEFFREY GREENBERG/UIG/GETTY IMAGES

This means that if you applied for the card before July 15, 2024, you can still use this year's and next year's credits for both prepaid and postpaid rentals. However, if you applied for the card from July 15, 2024, onward, you'll need to prepay your reservation to access the credit.

While prepaid reservations can be cheaper at the time of booking, they do carry a $50 cancellation fee if you cancel more than 24 hours before pickup or $150 within 24 hours of that time. So, you'll want to be quite sure you will actually move forward with the booking if you choose to go this route.

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THE POINTS GUY

I am planning to use this credit on a car rental in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, later this month. Luckily, I applied for the card in July 2023, just after it was refreshed and this statement credit was added. I'll use the credit on a postpaid rental next year, too. I probably won't risk the cancellation fee by using it from 2026 onward, though, and I'll likely book car rentals with my Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) instead.

Related: Credit card rental car insurance: Best cards and how it works

Featured image by ALEXFAN32/SHUTTERSTOCK
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.