Miles · Mastercard · No annual fee
Last verified 2026-09-09. Review issuer source
Citi American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp Mastercard is a no-annual-fee miles card from Citi. Its best everyday rates are 2x on grocery stores; everything else earns 1x. There is also 2x on American Airlines, a single-merchant rate. Rewards are American AAdvantage miles that only spend inside that program, so we value them at roughly a third of a cent each.
On our reference budget of $24,600 a year it returns about $102, an effective 0.4% back. The welcome bonus, 15,000 miles after $500 in 3 months, adds to the first year's return.
Get it if you already fly or stay with American AAdvantage often enough to use the perks. A general travel card earns points that go more places. It charges 3% on foreign purchases, so leave it home when you travel abroad.
Earn 2 AAdvantage® miles for each $1 spent at grocery stores, including grocery delivery services, and eligible American Airlines purchases.
Earn 2 AAdvantage® miles for each $1 spent at grocery stores, including grocery delivery services, and eligible American Airlines purchases.
Earn 15,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles and receive a $50 statement credit after making $500 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
Enjoy 25% savings on food and beverage purchases when you use your card on American Airlines flights.
Get an extra 24 months added to your warranty when you purchase items at least in part with your Citi card and/or ThankYou® Points. If your eligible item breaks, we’ll repair, reimburse or replace it, up to the amount charged on your Citi card and/or ThankYou® Points or up to $10,000 per item, whichever is less.
The ID Theft Protection program offered by Mastercard helps eliminate the worry of identity theft by monitoring the information you choose to protect and alerting you if suspicious activity is found. It takes just a few minutes to enroll for free, and as soon as you do, your monitoring begins. Visit mastercardidps.idprotectiononline.com to learn more.
These come from Mastercard, not from Citi. Every card on the Standard Mastercard tier carries them, so they should not decide between two cards.
Call 1-800-MASTERCARD (1-800-627-8372) for 24/7 assistance to report a lost or stolen card.
Enjoy a HealthLock for Mastercard Medical Claim Monitor complimentary membership plus a 90-day upgrade to all HealthLock services at no monthly cost.
Groceries and more delivered in as fast as one hour. Get $10 off your second order each month, and new Instacart+ members can also get three free months of Instacart+.
Monitor your credit file for fraud, get alerts for suspicious activity and access a resolution specialist.
Mastercard gives you exclusive access to ticket presales at top venues and festivals across the U.S. Eligibility restrictions, exclusions and terms apply. Offer expires 3/31/2027.
Save when you tap and go with your eligible Mastercard and receive a $2.50 statement credit when you spend $10 or more each month at participating transit systems.
With Mastercard Zero Liability protection you’re protected against unauthorized transactions in stores, online and in app.
Benefit descriptions are the issuer’s and network’s own wording, trimmed for length. Limits and exclusions are in the guide to benefits.
| Card | Annual fee | Rewards earned | Net after fee | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® Mastercard®This card · 2x on grocery stores | None | $102 | +$102 | 988th of 1,291 |
| Citi Double Cash®Citi's most-held other card · 2% on everything | None | $492 | +$492 | 282nd of 1,291 |
| Savor RewardsThe strongest no-fee card on this budget · 3% on dining | None | $642 | +$642 | 4th of 1,291 |
| Robinhood Gold CardHighest net return on this budget · 3% on everything | $50 | $798 | +$748 | 1st of 1,291 |
Reference budget: groceries $6,000, dining and restaurants $3,600, gas and ev charging $2,400, travel and transit $3,000, online shopping $2,400, entertainment and streaming $1,200, everything else $6,000. Points are valued at 1¢ unless the program is worth less; statement credits, welcome bonuses, and perks are left out. Run it with your own spending.
