California Bank & Trust Elite
California Bank & Trust and related product names are trademarks of their respective owners. Madeen is not affiliated with, sponsored by, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of California Bank & Trust. Madeen is an independent credit-card comparison and education service. Issuer websites control current terms, fees, and eligibility.
How we calculate effective rate →
The California Bank & Trust Elite from California Bank & Trust earns up to 3% effective value on dining in Madeen's catalog snapshot. Its annual fee is $195. New applicants may see: $300 bonus offer or 30,000 bonus points when you spend $5,000 in the first 90 days..
- Top category
- Dining
- Effective value
- 3%
- Annual fee
- $195
Best for dining-heavy spend when the $195 fee fits your usage; confirm issuer terms before applying. Best for spenders who put meaningful volume in dining and can earn 3x points. The welcome bonus can help if you can meet the spend requirement.
What does the California Bank & Trust Elite earn in each category?
Dining is the strongest category at 3% effective value (3x points at about 1 cents each). That dining rate ranks higher than about 81% of the 2,850 cards we track in that category. The five-category effective-rate table on this page shows how California Bank & Trust Elite compares across dining, grocery, gas, travel, and other spend. Catalog spend signals highlight.
Dining is the strongest category at 3% effective value (3x points at about 1 cents each). That dining rate ranks higher than about 81% of the 2,850 cards we track in that category. The five-category effective-rate table on this page shows how California Bank & Trust Elite compares across dining, grocery, gas, travel, and other spend.
| Category | Earn rate | Effective value |
|---|---|---|
| Dining Restaurants, cafes, takeout | 3x points | 3% Top category |
| Grocery Supermarkets and grocery stores | 1.5x points | 1.5% |
| Gas Gas stations and fuel | 1.5x points | 1.5% |
| Travel Flights, hotels, transit | 1.5x points | 1.5% |
| Other General everyday spend | 1.5x points | 1.5% |
Madeen values California Bank & Trust Points at about 1 cents each. Madeen compares every card using this cash-equivalent estimate while still showing the raw earn rate for context.
Who should get the California Bank & Trust Elite?
The California Bank & Trust Elite fits spenders who put meaningful volume in dining and can earn 3x points. Best for spenders who put meaningful volume in dining and can earn 3x points. The welcome bonus can help if you can meet the spend requirement.
California Bank & Trust Elite fits spenders who put meaningful volume in dining and can earn 3x points. Madeen ranks its dining effective rate higher than about 81% of the catalog in that category. Compare it against cards you already carry with Madeen — no bank login required.
Best for spenders who put meaningful volume in dining and can earn 3x points. The welcome bonus can help if you can meet the spend requirement.
Compare it against simpler no-fee cards if you want minimum complexity.
Best for dining-heavy spend when the $195 fee fits your usage; confirm issuer terms before applying.
Pros
- Strongest Madeen category is dining at about 3% effective (3x points).
- That dining rate ranks higher than about 81% of cards we track in the category.
- No foreign transaction fee listed.
- Welcome bonus may add value if you can meet spend requirements.
Cons
- $195 annual fee requires enough spend in bonus categories to offset.
- California Bank & Trust Points value depends on how you redeem, not straight cash back.
What is the California Bank & Trust Elite welcome bonus?
In Madeen's catalog snapshot, the California Bank & Trust Elite welcome offer is $300 bonus offer or 30,000 bonus points when you spend $5,000 in the first 90 days.. Minimum spend, eligibility, and offer windows are set by the issuer and can change — confirm on the issuer application page before applying.
- Offer
- 30k California Bank & Trust Points (~$300 estimated)
- Terms (catalog snapshot)
- $300 bonus offer or 30,000 bonus points when you spend $5,000 in the first 90 days.
- Minimum spend
- $5,000
- Window
- 90Days
Does the California Bank & Trust Elite have an annual fee?
The California Bank & Trust Elite has an annual fee of $195 and a foreign transaction fee of None. Confirm current fees on the issuer page before applying.
- Annual fee
- $195
- Foreign transaction fee
- None
What benefits come with the California Bank & Trust Elite?
The California Bank & Trust Elite includes Annual Travel Credit, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Booking.com in our snapshot. Perks and benefits can change; verify coverage on the issuer site before you rely on them.
Cell Phone Protection
$7,200/yrmay provide reimbursement for your stolen or damaged cell phone when you pay your wireless phone bill with your card.
Lost Luggage Assistance
$3,000/yrWhen you use your covered Card to purchase an airline or common carrier ticket, you can be eligible to receive reimbursement for your checked luggage or carry-on baggage and their contents in the event of theft or misdirection up to $3,000 per trip ($2,000 maximum if resident of New York). This coverage applies to travel by air, ferry, cruise ship, train, or bus.
Travel Accident Insurance
$3,000/yrWhen you purchase an airline ticket with your Card, you can receive $500,000 of accidental death and dismemberment coverage. But this coverage doesn’t just apply to air travel, it can also be in place when you’ve used your covered Agility Cash Card to purchase a ticket for other means of travel like a ferry, cruise ship, train, or bus.
Roadside Dispatch®
$1,000/yrThis is a pay-per-use roadside assistance program available 24x7. Roadside Dispatch will ask for your location, find out what the problem is, and will remain on the phone with you while arranging a dispatch to a reliable tow operator or locksmith. You pay a set price per service call.
Annual Travel Credit
$250/yr$100 travel credit every year.
Sofar Sounds
$240/yrEnjoy a free ticket per show with the purchase of one or more tickets, plus you can access 7-day Visa Exclusive Presale opportunities.
Visa Signature Concierge
$150/yrGet assistance with travel planning, entertainment tickets and more.
Global Entry Statement Credit
$120/yrApply for Global Entry, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection program and use your Visa Signature card to pay the application fee (currently $120) to receive a $120 statement credit.
OpenTable
$120/yrEligible Visa cardholders can enjoy special events access to the hottest dining events on OpenTable. Restrictions apply.
Priority Pass airport lounge access
$99/yrEnjoy access to over 1,700 airport lounges and experiences around the globe.
Visa Signature® Hotel Privileges
$25/yrThe Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection gives you access to a premium collection of benefits from over 900 of the world’s finest hotels, including brands like The Peninsula Hotels, Park Hyatt and Shangri-La.5 Enjoy an unparalleled experience with special amenities, discounts, room upgrades upon arrival and 3 p.m. checkout (when available)—plus, a $25 food or beverage credit and more.
Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver
$10/yrCar Rental Collision Damage Waiver may protect you if your rental car is damaged from an accident or theft.
Related encyclopedia topics
Common questions about the California Bank & Trust Elite
Where do cardholders spend most with the California Bank & Trust Elite?
Madeen's RewardsCC catalog snapshot shows the strongest bonus categories on coffee (3x), fast food (3x), other food and drink (3x) for the California Bank & Trust Elite. These are anonymized issuer category signals, not individual cardholder transactions. Route everyday spend through categories that match your habits, then compare effective rates with Madeen at checkout.
Does the California Bank & Trust Elite have an annual fee?
The California Bank & Trust Elite carries an annual fee of $195 in Madeen's catalog snapshot. Issuer terms can change, so confirm the current fee on the issuer's site before you apply. Madeen does not predict approval or prequalification.
What category earns the most with the California Bank & Trust Elite?
Dining is the strongest Madeen category for the California Bank & Trust Elite at about 3% effective value, based on our catalog snapshot and standard point valuations. Other categories are listed in the effective-rate table on this page.
Does the California Bank & Trust Elite charge foreign transaction fees?
The California Bank & Trust Elite does not charge a foreign transaction fee in Madeen's catalog snapshot, which can make it stronger for purchases outside the U.S. Issuer terms still control international acceptance and other fees.
What is the California Bank & Trust Elite welcome bonus?
The California Bank & Trust Elite welcome offer in our snapshot: $300 bonus offer or 30,000 bonus points when you spend $5,000 in the first 90 days.. Minimum spend, eligibility, and offer windows are set by the issuer and can change.
Is the California Bank & Trust Elite annual fee worth it?
Whether the $195 annual fee pays off depends on how much you spend in dining and whether you use the card's benefits. Compare effective rates across the cards you already carry in Madeen.
How does the California Bank & Trust Elite compare to similar cards?
Compare the California Bank & Trust Elite against California Bank & Trust Reserve (3% on Dining, $450 fee); California Bank & Trust Vivid Rewards (3% on Dining, $0 fee); California Bank & Trust Agility Cash (1.5% on Dining, $0 fee). Madeen ranks effective value by category and annual fee using the same catalog snapshot dated 2026-05-01.
| Card | Top category | Effective value | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|
California Bank & Trust Elite This card | Dining | 3% | $195 |
California Bank & Trust | Dining | 3% | $450 |
California Bank & Trust | Dining | 3% | $0 |
California Bank & Trust | Dining | 1.5% | $0 |
California Bank & Trust | Dining | 1.5% | $95 |
Store-specific guides
Madeen publishes merchant guides that rank cards for specific stores and services. Browse guides for dining spend to see which cards win at checkout.
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See how this card ranks in your wallet
Madeen compares the cards you already carry for dining, groceries, gas, travel, and everyday purchases — free, no bank login required.
California Bank & Trust and related product names are trademarks of their respective owners. Madeen is not affiliated with, sponsored by, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of California Bank & Trust. Madeen is an independent credit-card comparison and education service. Issuer websites control current terms, fees, and eligibility.
Madeen compares cards you add to your wallet using published catalog rules — no bank login required. Issuer pages control current fees, caps, exclusions, and eligibility; Madeen does not issue cards, make approval decisions, or provide financial advice. Apply links are temporarily hidden on madeen.app. Affiliate disclosure