Citibank doubles down with new linked Diners Club credit card
By Chris C., August 23 2018
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Executive Traveller may receive a commission when you apply for these credit cards via our links.
The information provided on this page is purely factual and general in nature. You should seek independent advice and consider your own personal circumstances before applying for any financial product.
Citibank is broadening its portfolio of points-earning credit cards with a new Citibank Diners Club card, available in conjunction with the bank’s existing Citibank Platinum, Signature and Prestige Visa credit cards.
Issued by Diners Club but serviced by Citibank, cardholders have access to a single credit limit across both cards, a single card PIN, one online banking login and one credit card statement (and monthly payment), loosely resembling American Express dual-card accounts of the years gone by from the Big Four Banks.
Shoppers can earn 2 Citibank Rewards points per dollar spent on Diners Club purchases using the Linked Diners Club Card – equal to one Virgin Australia Velocity point for Citibank Prestige and Signature cardholders (2:1 conversion), or 0.8 Velocity points for Platinum members, when converted from Citibank Rewards at a 2.5:1 rate.
Citibank Qantas Rewards members can instead earn one Qantas Point per $1 spent via Diners Club, whether holding a Citi Platinum, Signature or Prestige credit card, with all points awarded on Diners Club spend uncapped, but with the usual exclusions such as no points on government payments.
While Diners Club acceptance in Australia trails Visa, Mastercard and American Express outside major businesses like airlines, hotels and chain stores, using the Linked Diners Club Card overseas comes without any international transaction fees, compared to the 3.4% charge levied by Citibank on the attached Visa.
What’s more, Diners Club is accepted in the USA wherever Discover cards are welcome (helped by a Discover logo on the back of the card); in China wherever UnionPay international cards are accepted; in Japan wherever JCB is valid; in India via the RuPay network; and as a BC Card in South Korea, joining other Diners Club merchants worldwide for increased acceptance, and at no additional annual fee over and above that charged on the linked Citibank Visa card.
New Citibank Rewards customers who opt-in for the Linked Diners Club during their Prestige, Signature or Platinum credit card application can also earn 10,000 bonus Citibank Rewards points after their first Diners Club transaction within 90 days, when applying by March 31 2019.
Existing Citibank Rewards Platinum, Signature and Prestige cardholders can also contact Citibank to request the Linked Diners Club Card to begin earning points at higher rates, when using the Diners card.
However, Citibank has confirmed to Australian Business Traveller that Linked Diners Club cardholders will not receive access to Diners Club's global airport lounge network, a perk that will remain reserved for cards both issued and serviced by Diners Club, including the Qantas Diners Club Card and the Diners Club personal charge card.
There's no change to the Priority Pass airport lounge benefits included with Citi's Prestige and Signature cards – being one unlimited membership with Prestige, and two complimentary visits per year with Signature – so these cardholders can whip out their Priority Pass card instead to access many of the same lounges.
Disclaimer
Executive Traveller may receive a commission when you apply for these credit cards via our links.
The information provided on this page is purely factual and general in nature. You should seek independent advice and consider your own personal circumstances before applying for any financial product.
Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.
05 Feb 2015
Total posts 23
24 Apr 2012
Total posts 2482
Thanks for sharing! Yes, as it's only just gone live today, some of the procedural things like that are slowly coming online.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
22 Jul 2011
Total posts 4
Is this also supported in Apple Pay (& Google Pay)?
24 Apr 2012
Total posts 2482
Hi Beau, Australian Diners Club cards don't even have chips yet, let alone contactless, so no, the Diners card can't be added to Apple Pay or Google Pay – even if it could, wouldn't work properly without software upgrades on EFTPOS terminals to support Diners Club contactless, as was required when AMEX started issuing contactless cards - and even now, some terminals still require the physical card.
03 May 2017
Total posts 22
Does Diners take a whack out of the exchange rate, or are they pretty much the same as Visa/MC who only take a tiny tiny cut
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
19 Nov 2011
Total posts 244
I think this combo is also missing the points transfer to the current partners that Diners and World Mastercard gives.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
06 Nov 2014
Total posts 361
@ChrisCh:
10 Jan 2019
Total posts 1
I got a Citi Diners card in October. First observation was no chip, which didn't seem very secure. However, within a few weeks Citi issued a new card with a chip and paywave. Then the fun began - it refused to work anywhere (terminal message = not available). After a series of 4 new cards were issued, I began to wonder whether the terminals were set up, and I contacted Coles and Woolworths. Sure enough, it will be mid June 2019 before the terminals are updated. So, why would Citibank issue cards ahead of them actually being functional? They have no idea - only apologies. Neither do they seem to understand that issuing a card with a chip doesn't automatically enable it to work without the terminal network being updated. Pretty sad that a bank doesn't understand its own products. Meantime, this card is as insecure as ever. By experimentation, I have found a way to make it work using the magnetic strip: first insert the card into the terminal to de-active the chip; and then swipe. Sometimes it asks for the PIN; sometimes not. Painful! If it wasn't for the double points, hardly worth the bother. So far, I have found the card is only accepted at Coles and Woolworths (ok for the weekly supermarket shop) but very few other places. I have suggested that Paypal would be useful for overseas internet purchases, but not confident that Citibank will manage this anytime soon. Being free it's a little hard to complain too much, but I shake my head at the incompetence of Citibank in issuing cards that don't work. Maybe I shouldn't be surprised.
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