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City National Bank Crystal Visa Infinite (USA); NY GA TN NV CA MA DC & MN

Old Nov 6, 2015, 11:03 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: mia
Current welcome offer is 50,000 30,000 Crystal points with $5,000 $3,000 spending in the first 90 days. First annual fee not waived. (as of telephone call with bank employee 8/7/2019)

Past bonuses were:

***** #1502 - signup bonus 1/16/18 BUT ANNUAL FEE NOT WAIVED ******

100,000 points after spending $5,000 in first three months. Offer expires 30 December 2015. EXPIRED

A 70,000 points offer was offered back in March 2017 and expired March 31st, 2017. EXPIRED

The requirements for the application process varies from bank to bank based on various online data points collected from FlyerTalk, Doctor of Credit, etc.

Some banks require that you go into a branch and apply personally. Other banks want you to have another account open for 90 days before you can get this card. Some banks (if you already have a relationship with them) let you apply via mail. Sometimes you have to be a resident of the state they operate in, while some were able to get the card without living in those states. It is very much YMMV. You will need proof of income (W2, check stubs, etc). The only states City National Bank operates in are: NY, DE (only trust office, no go), DC, GA, TN, MN, NV & CA. The bank is looking for high net worth individuals, but that's not exactly consistent either.

The card has no foreign transactions fees and is fee-free the first year, then $400 annually.

Register your card for online access (cno.cnb.com). This changed on Sept 19 2019.
Register separately for the award page (www.cnbrewards.com).
Register for Visa Infinite info and access at https://myvisainfinite.com/cnb/en_us/home.html
Click "my info" to see details on points awarded.
Best* redemption found to date is $1,000 prepaid visa for 105K pts. It's now 125K pts for a $1,000 prepaid visa. Link to catalog
*(other than spending for flights etc. & getting 1.2 cents each in value)

To set-up spending alerts, create an account here : http://citynationalbank.digitalcardservice.com

Point redemptions for flights have been reported as being as high as 1.35cpp (see here) by calling the Concierge service at +1 800 595 8950 and having them book direct from airline website for you

Significant benefits:

$250 per calendar year airline incidental credit - works on AU card as well - STARTING JAN 1ST, 2020 THE CREDIT WILL BE $350 PER ACCOUNT
$100 Global Entry fee credit - works on AU card as well Per DDResq post 842
Priority Pass lounge membership for up to 2 people. No fee for any number of guests, but lounge policy may limit the number of guests admitted.- STARTING JAN 1ST, 2020 EACH ADDITIONAL GUEST BEYOND ACCOUNT HOLDER WILL BE CHARGED $32
12 GoGo inflight passes - create an account at myvisainfinite.com/cnb. Once the account is created, you enter, then search for GoGo passes. You then input your card number again, create a GoGo account if you don't have one, and the 12 passes post to it ready to be used when you fly again on a participating airline. - works on AU card as well
$100 off when you book a qualifying airline itinerary via visa discount air portal (https://www.visadiscountair.com/CNB/default.aspx - STARTING JAN 1ST, 2020 THIS WILL NO LONGER BE OFFERED AS A BENEFIT
$30 off GroundLink car service (works with AU cards as well) plus instant 15% off rides. There are $25 current user referrals to go for first.

Airline fees are reimbursed up to $250 per calendar year. Fees must be from domestic carriers. There is no need to declare a carrier, and fees can be reimbursed from multiple carriers. Partial Ts and Cs:

Qualifying Airline Purchases are defined as incidental airline fee transactions made at eligible US Domestic Airline Carriers and include: ticket change/cancellation fees, checked baggage fees, inflight entertainment, onboard food and beverage charges, airport lounge membership fees and day passes, onboard wireless charges (excluding Gogo Wireless), and TSA Pre✓® membership application fee.


What works
AA: Award Fees/Taxes, Award Redeposit Fees ($150)
AA: e-Gift cards $250 including AUs (1x per card max 4)
AS: Award ticket fees, $16
AS: In flight food, entertainment.
AS: Premium Class Upgrade, $59

HA: Interisland Flight, $48.80
UA: award ticket fees, $51
WN: Award Fees/Taxes, Award Redeposit Fees (limit unknown, but it's between $75 and $80 per transaction), Early Bird boarding fees ($15)
DL: Baggage fees
B6: $53.30 airfare

What doesn't work
AS: Award ticket fees, $130ish
DL: GC; PGGM (reports of not working since April/2016)
DL: Just about anything. Don't use on Delta
UA: MPX, Award Fees (~$170)
UA: Gift card registry (up to $75) (No longer working as of 11/25/17)
UA: Seat Selection Fee
WN: GC
EY: Award Fees
TW: Change fee
UO: Seat fee
AA: Award Fees/Taxes on an itinerary originating outside the US.

To Be Confirmed
UA: Award Redeposit Fees ($200)


Global Entry reimbursements: (works on AU also)

user - mnsweeps ( https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/29336509-post1549.html )

Used mine and a AU card to register for GE for in laws
01/17/201801/18/2018USCUSTOMS TRUSTEDTRAVELER$100.00
01/17/201801/18/2018USCUSTOMS TRUSTEDTRAVELER$100.00

Credit posted today for both cards.
01/20/201801/24/2018GLOBAL ENTRY STMT CREDIT $100.00
01/20/201801/24/2018GLOBAL ENTRY STMT CREDIT $100.00

In 2016, 2017 AND 2018 airline incidental credits for transactions on-or-after January 1st did not start posting until the third week of January. In 2019 they started posting on Jan 11th.

For further information, see this

STARTING JAN 1ST, 2020 there are going to be major changes to this card, these being:[/s]
  • $350 airline incidental credit per account (was $250 per AU)
    • $95 Annual Fee per AU
      • $32 per guest using PriorityPass (used to be free & unlimited)
        • Elimination of $100 Visa Air Discount Benefit
          • Groceries and Gas only earn 1x (used to be 3x)

Sources:

discussion starting here

https://www.cnb.com/content/dam/cnbc...ewards2020.pdf
https://www.cnb.com/content/dam/cnbc...rystal2020.pdf


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City National Bank Crystal Visa Infinite (USA); NY GA TN NV CA MA DC & MN

Old Sep 9, 2016, 12:21 am
  #931  
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Programs: AA Executive Platinum, IHG Spire, Marriott Silver, Hyatt Platinum, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 308
Originally Posted by DaveInLA
I'm also undecided if I should renew in October/November. I have 1 AU so I should be able to get $500 in annual travel credits vs $400 AF. But recent reports indicate that it's getting pretty difficult to get that credit. I'm about to use the $100 RT credit for the first time, not sure it's something I'll use a lot.
The seat fees are almost definitely gone, but gift cards seem to work...under a certain limit. No reason you can't order multiple gift cards!

Keep in mind, the terms could change at any moment...CNB is wacky like that.
anime333 is offline  
Old Sep 10, 2016, 8:58 pm
  #932  
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: TYS/BNA/ATL
Programs: UR, TYP, MR, C1, AA, UA, WN, BA, AS, AV, AC, Choice, Hyatt, IHG, Hilton, Wyndham, Marriott
Posts: 1,959
I'm planning to renew. $500 in reimbursements covers $400 AF + PP + GE and nice categories. But the points are junk.
yugi is offline  
Old Sep 11, 2016, 7:37 am
  #933  
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: NY, NY
Posts: 695
I actually really like this card (though the website for managing the credit card looks like it was created in 2002).

The points are not the best in terms of what you can do with them, but I have been steadily whittling down the points to book paid airfare. At roughly 1.17cpp on average it won't win any prizes, but 100K+ of them go a long way, and if you consider travel, gas, groceries, and dining all earn 3x, that works out to a really nice 3.5c/$ on flight redemptions. Not many cards can do that unless you're transferring into an airline's FFP and redeeming a premium cabin. It has allowed me to get get rid of or downgrade some cards, e.g. my Amex EDP to a regular Amex ED, saving me some annual fees right there.
ukinny2000 is offline  
Old Sep 11, 2016, 9:06 am
  #934  
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: LAX
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, AA EXP, Hilton Diamond, Wyndham Diamond, DL PM, Marriott Platinum, IHG Platinum
Posts: 1,305
Got reimbursed for Alaska fees (taxes) for reward redemption.
jediwho is offline  
Old Sep 11, 2016, 9:16 am
  #935  
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: LAX
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, AA EXP, Hilton Diamond, Wyndham Diamond, DL PM, Marriott Platinum, IHG Platinum
Posts: 1,305
Anyone has got their business/commercial card? How many AU can you add and does it also reimburse $250 per AU for airline credit?
jediwho is offline  
Old Sep 13, 2016, 5:41 pm
  #936  
 
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 406
Is taxes from Southwest eligible for Airline incidental charges?
ponickka is offline  
Old Sep 16, 2016, 12:08 pm
  #937  
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 11
Does anyone know if the rewards points are forfeited if you cancel the card?
flyingdogg is offline  
Old Sep 18, 2016, 12:28 pm
  #938  
 
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 1
Originally Posted by needmref
I've gotten my AA GCs reimbursed this past week. $150 and $100 both work
Were the AA GCs plastic or virtual needmref? Great to hear it's still working!
yoper is offline  
Old Sep 19, 2016, 6:04 pm
  #939  
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 24
Originally Posted by yoper
Were the AA GCs plastic or virtual needmref? Great to hear it's still working!
I've only done the virtual ones.
needmref is offline  
Old Sep 20, 2016, 6:43 pm
  #940  
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: SFO
Posts: 108
I decided not to renew. Even though it's essentially fee-negative with an AU, it's also a pain in the ... to do 10 separate $50 United gift registry transactions. Especially since they don't always get reimbursed, so I end up putting extra into the registry.

Still, the biggest dealbreaker for me is that I have no confidence that CNB won't change the benefits. When I applied for the card, it earned 3x at grocery stores, included a free CLEAR membership, and reimbursed seat upgrade fees. In the first six months, those benefits all went away. I don't want to pay $400 now only to find out that gift registry transactions no longer get reimbursed. I still think it's a great card, but I'd rather not tie up cash I have now in the annual fee, especially since I have other cards with similar benefits.

Last thing - I asked about converting it to a no-fee CNB card, and the agent didn't know if that's possible or not. She's supposed to call me back after researching it.
jordan_h is offline  
Old Sep 21, 2016, 11:00 am
  #941  
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 279
Originally Posted by jordan_h
I decided not to renew. Even though it's essentially fee-negative with an AU, it's also a pain in the ... to do 10 separate $50 United gift registry transactions. Especially since they don't always get reimbursed, so I end up putting extra into the registry.

Still, the biggest dealbreaker for me is that I have no confidence that CNB won't change the benefits. When I applied for the card, it earned 3x at grocery stores, included a free CLEAR membership, and reimbursed seat upgrade fees. In the first six months, those benefits all went away. I don't want to pay $400 now only to find out that gift registry transactions no longer get reimbursed. I still think it's a great card, but I'd rather not tie up cash I have now in the annual fee, especially since I have other cards with similar benefits.

Last thing - I asked about converting it to a no-fee CNB card, and the agent didn't know if that's possible or not. She's supposed to call me back after researching it.
Keep us updated. Also the 3X on groceries is back.
jwgmaldives is offline  
Old Sep 21, 2016, 1:17 pm
  #942  
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 4,431
Is the only remaining way to "cash" out by booking/cancelling WN award flights?
DaveInLA is offline  
Old Sep 27, 2016, 1:20 pm
  #943  
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 136
Originally Posted by jordan_h
i have only ever tried it for alaska gift cards ($50) and it didn't work. it does work for united gift registry, though - again, $50 increments. my most recent reimbursement was on 8/10 for a charge posted 8/1.
Hi Jordan,
Did you mean that you purchased $50 UA gift registry in August and got the $50 reimbursed?

Thanks. Need the information to decide if I want to renew the card in a couple of week.
popomama is offline  
Old Sep 28, 2016, 4:09 pm
  #944  
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: SFO
Posts: 108
Correct. I have had a couple GR purchases not get reimbursed, but those are outliers. I've been able to get $500 in 2015 and 2016. It was almost enough to convince me to keep the card, but I decided I didn't want to spend the cash on the annual fee right now.
jordan_h is offline  
Old Oct 1, 2016, 5:43 pm
  #945  
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: CA
Posts: 91
Authorized Users

Now that we're coming up on the final quarter of the year and another opportunity to get travel fee reimbursements, what's the latest and greatest on adding AUs? I managed to add a few at the beginning for free, is there a fee now per AU? A limit?
drekin is offline  

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