The City National Bank (CNB) Crystal Visa Infinite is a high-end luxury card for travelers. It competes with other Visa Infinite cards, but the long-term value is less clear for CNB. What was once a card with rare benefits is now one of several choices. Comparable cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve could be better for most people. However, the Crystal card isn’t without its merits.
FEATURES AT A GLANCE
- $400 annual fee (sometimes waived the first year)
- No foreign transaction fees
- 3x points on most travel (airline, hotel, taxi, rideshare, limousine, rental car, train, bus)
- 3x points on dining (restaurants, fast food, takeout)
- 1x points on everything else
- $100 credit towards Global Entry or TSA PreCheck (once every 4 years)
- Metal card
SIGN UP BONUS
The sign-up bonus for this card can vary widely, and it’s usually not public. People must apply for the card in a branch (in one of 6 states) to get a welcome bonus.
One signup bonus was 70,000 points after $5,000 in spend within 90 days. This is a $595-812 value depending on how points are redeemed.
OTHER BENEFITS OF THE CNB CRYSTAL CARD
- Visa Infinite benefits
- $350 Airline Incidental Fees Statement Credit (domestic-originating flights only)
- Priority Pass Select (no free guests)
- $550 Airline Lounge Club Membership Fee Statement Credit (if spending $50,000 or more annually with the CNB card)
- 12 free Gogo Inflight Wi-Fi Passes each year
- Visa Infinite Luxury Hotel Collection plus Relais & Châteaux access and benefits
- Primary insurance coverage on car rentals plus benefits with Avis, Hertz, National, Silvercar
- 24/7 concierge
- CNB Experience Access
- Troon Golf benefits
- Various purchase protections
- Various trip insurances
- Unique benefits like Personal Identity Theft Protection and Hotel Theft Protection
RESTRICTIONS AND CREDIT SCORE
Recommended credit score: 740+
The card can be difficult to get, especially if you don’t live near a branch. The Crystal card is more for high-net-worth CNB clients rather than a public product. Other Visa Infinite cards might be easier to apply for.
The Crystal card’s “travel” category is slightly more restrictive than competitors. It doesn’t specifically mention subcategories like parking or tolls.
MAXIMIZING REWARDS WITH THE CNB CRYSTAL CARD
CNB’s site says that points can be combined between your CNB business or personal credit cards. Any card which earns City National Rewards can help you acquire points more quickly.
Points are unlimited and don’t expire.
Point value varies depending on redemption options. Typically they’re worth at least 0.85 cpp ($0.0085 per point) when redeeming for things like gift cards. With flights, you can usually get at least 1 cpp ($0.01 per point), but not much more than that. People have found that 1.2 cpp is generally the best rate, and that’s only for the most expensive travel options. The CNB website adds an automatic booking fee which slightly devalues points. It’s minimal, and points are still generally worth at least 1 cpp for travel, but it’s a downside nonetheless.
With 3x points as an earn rate, CNB is usually getting 2.5% to 3.5% cash back on travel and dining expenses. No-fee cards can exceed these rates, making Crystal unimpressive for cash back rewards. Its main draw is Visa Infinite benefits. Fortunately, the effective annual fee of the Crystal can be $0 if you’re able to use all credits and benefits. It doesn’t take much effort to gain rewards from no-fee cards.
ALTERNATIVES TO THE CNB CRYSTAL
The closest competitors are other high-fee metal cards. This includes:
- American Express Gold
- American Express Platinum
- Capital One Venture X
- Chase Sapphire Reserve
- U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve
Or try one of the best no-fee travel cards. Airline and hotel cards might be good too, depending on your travel preferences.
For a general-use card, any of the best everyday cards will work. You can earn at least 2% cash back on all purchases. Credit cards like the Alliant Cashback Visa Signature earn 2.5% cash back on everything without category restrictions.
CONCLUSION
For some people, the annual fee is effectively zero. The CNB Crystal card has decent potential in the right wallet. The downside is a lack of flexibility and the points you’d earn aren’t worth much. Most travelers are likely better off with one of the above alternatives.
This isn’t a “bad” card, it’s just that other options are typically better, for one reason or another. The CNB card doesn’t have a lot of star power among a growing sea of competitors. A big draw, however, is the comprehensive suite of insurance and protection coverages. It’s equal or superior to the industry-leading Chase Sapphire Reserve, depending on how one weighs each benefit. CNB’s benefits guide has a lot of details to read through, and could be very useful for peace of mind.
We rate the CNB Crystal card 3 out of 5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐
Note: This review was last updated in January 2022. Details may have changed since then. Please do your own research where applicable, to ensure you’re getting the best deal. Or contact us directly to take advantage of our personalized consulting services!