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Citi Rewards+ Card review: Good for rewards newbies who don’t mind a learning curve

Citi Rewards+ review·Yahoo Personal Finance
Kat Tretina
Updated 6 min read

Rewards credit cards are increasingly popular as people look for ways to get more value from their purchases and reduce their expenses. But with so many rewards cards on the market, choosing the right one can be overwhelming.

The Citi Rewards+® Card can be a good — unlike many other popular rewards cards, the Citi Rewards+ Card doesn't charge annual fees and offers a generous bonus promotion for new cardmembers.

However, the multiple different you can earn and redeem points could seem complicated to those new to rewards credit cards, so it may take some time to learn the ins and outs of the program to maximize the card's value.

  • Annual fee: $0

  • Welcome offer: Earn 20,000 bonus points after spending $1,500 in the first 3 months (redeemable for $200 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com)

  • Rewards:

    • 2x points per $1 spent at supermarkets and gas stations for the first $6,000 spent per year

    • 1x points on all other purchases

  • Purchase APR: 0% APR for 15 months (18.74% – 28.74% variable APR after)

  • Balance transfer APR: 0% APR for 15 months on balance transfers completed within four months of account opening (18.74% – 28.74% variable APR after)

  • Cash advance APR: 29.99%

  • Penalty APR: 29.99%, and it applies if you make a late payment or a payment that's returned to you.

There is no annual fee on the Citi Rewards+ Card.

For balance transfers completed within four months of opening an account, the fee is either $5 or 3% of the transfer amount, whichever is greater. After that, the fee is either $5 or 5% of the transaction amount.

There is a cash advance fee of either $10 or 5% of the advance amount, whichever is greater.

With the Citi Rewards+ Card, new card members can earn 20,000 bonus points after spending at least $1,500 in the first three months after opening an account. Those rewards points are redeemable for $200 in gift cards or travel rewards booked through Citi’s ThankYou.com.

You can earn rewards in a variety of ways with the Citi Rewards+ Card:

  • Two points per $1 spent at grocery stores and gas stations on up to $6,000 of purchases

  • One point per $1 spent other purchases

Through June 30, 2024, you can also earn five points per $1 spent on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through Citi Travel.

Through the Citi Rewards+ Card rewards program, you can earn two points per $1 spent at grocery stores and gas stations (up to $6,000 in purchases per year), and one point per $1 spent on all other purchases. For a limited time, you can also earn five points per $1 spent on travel booked through the Citi Travel platform.

There are two other rewards perks with the Citi Rewards+ program:

Roundup feature: With the Citi Rewards+ Card, you benefit from its roundup program. When you use the card to make a purchase, the card automatically rounds your points up to the nearest 10 points. For example, if you spend $12, you'll earn 20 points rather than the 10 you'd earn at the existing rewards rate. Thanks to this feature, the Citi Rewards+ Card is particularly useful for those who make several small purchases — such as grocery store or pharmacy transactions — per month.

Points back: When you redeem your points, Citi will give you 10% back on up to the first 100,000 points redeemed per year. For example, if you redeem 20,000 points, you'll get 2,000 points returned to you.

You can redeem your points in the following ways through Citi's ThankYou.com rewards portal:

  • Gift cards: You can redeem your points for gift cards from major retailers and restaurant chains. Occasionally, retailers offer special discounts on gift cards so you can get more value for your points.

  • Shop with points: You can redeem your points at checkout with select retailers, such as BestBuy or Amazon, to pay for your purchase.

  • Travel: Through ThankYou.com, you can use your points to book hotel stays, flights, and cruises.

  • Statement credits: You can use your points as a statement credit to pay off a portion of your bill.

  • Everyday rewards categories. You’ll earn this card’s rewards at supermarkets and gas stations, making it a good choice for common everyday spending — even if it’s not the highest rewards rate available today. If you’re able to max out the combined $6,000 annual cap, that’s a potential $120 in rewards in just those categories.

  • Opportunities for bonus rewards. On top of the regular rewards categories, the Citi Rewards+ round up feature and annual points back benefit can potentially offer substantial boosts to your overall rewards each year.

  • 0% intro APR offer: This card has a competitive 0% APR among other rewards cards today on both new purchases and balance transfers. If you want to make a big purchase after opening your card or you have some debt to pay off, this could make a good option — and still give you long-term rewards value.

Although the Citi Rewards+ Card has some useful perks, there are some drawbacks to consider:

  • No travel or shopping protections: Unlike other rewards cards, the Citi Rewards+ Card doesn't provide travel insurance, purchase protection, or extended warranty benefits.

  • Charges foreign transaction fees: The Citi Rewards+ Card charges foreign transaction fees, so you'll pay an added fee every time you use your card outside the country or to make purchases in foreign currency.

  • Complex rewards structure: For those new to rewards credit cards, the Citi Rewards+ Card's program can be intimidating. You need to keep track of different spending categories and limited-time offers. If it seems too complex, you may be better off with a card with a flat rewards rate, such as the Citi Double Cash Card.

Citi is a leading credit card issuer, and the Citi Rewards+ Card is issued under the Mastercard network — the second-largest credit card network. It's accepted by most retailers in the U.S. and internationally, so you can use the card to make purchases online and at most brick-and-mortar stores.

You can make payments over the phone, online, through a mobile app or through the mail.

  • Phone: Citi's customer support line is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can make a payment by calling 1-800-347-494.

  • Online or mobile app: Visit Citi.com or download the Citi mobile app and log into your account to make payments.

  • Mail: Payments can be sent through the postal mail; direct your payments to the following address:

Citi

P.O. BOX 9001037

Louisville, KY 40290-1037

Citibank Customer Service

P.O. Box 6500

Sioux Falls, SD 57117

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

  • Annual fee
    $95
  • Welcome offer
    Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months
  • Card type(s)
    Travel
  • Ongoing Purchases APR
    21.49% - 28.49% Variable
  • Recommended credit score
    Excellent/Good
  • Rewards rate
    • 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
    • 3x points on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries
    • 2x points on all other travel purchases
    • 1x points on all other purchases
  • Benefits
    • Points are worth 25% more when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel
    • Earn up to $50 in annual statement credits for hotel stays purchased through Chase Travel
    • On every account anniversary, earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year

Why we like it: Chase Sapphire Preferred is one of our top rewards cards options today with plenty of ways to maximize points and boosted redemptions. If you redeem your points for travel through Chase travel, they’re worth 1.25 cents each.

Chase Sapphire Preferred has a similar points back offer to the Citi Rewards+. Each account anniversary, you’ll get bonus points worth 10% of your total purchases from the year prior.

Learn more

Read our full review of the Sapphire Preferred card

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

  • Annual fee
    $95
  • Welcome offer
    Earn 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months
  • Card type(s)
    Travel
  • Purchase APR
    19.99% - 29.99% variable
  • Recommended credit score
    Good, Excellent
  • Rewards rate
    • 5x miles on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
    • 2x miles on all other purchases
  • Benefits
    • Receive up to a $120 statement credit for Global Entry or TSA Precheck application fees
    • Receive a $50 experience credit, room upgrades, and early check-in at eligible hotels
    • Access Hertz's Five Star membership tier, offering free upgrades, a wider selection of vehicles, and more

Why we like it: The Capital One VentureOne can make a comparable choice for travel rewards and an intro APR for no annual fee. This card has a generous welcome bonus and intro APR on new purchases and balance transfers.

You’ll earn 5x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 1.25x miles on all other purchases you make with the VentureOne card. Capital One miles are flexible; you can use them for new travel purchases through Capital One Travel, transfer to partners, or put them toward travel purchases already on your statement.

Learn more

Chase Freedom Unlimited®

  • Annual fee
    $0
  • Welcome offer
    Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back
  • Card type(s)
    Cash-Back
  • Introductory Purchases APR
    0% Intro APR on Purchases for 15 months
  • Ongoing Purchases APR
    20.49% - 29.24% Variable
  • Introductory Balance Transfer APR
    0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers for 15 months
  • Ongoing Balance Transfer APR
    20.49% - 29.24% Variable
  • Recommended credit score
    Excellent/Good
  • Rewards rate
    • Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
    • 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants (includes takeout and eligible delivery service)
    • 1.5% on all other purchases
  • Benefits
    • You can choose to receive a statement credit or direct deposit into most U.S. checking and savings accounts
    • Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, alerts, and more
    • 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers (20.49% - 29.24% variable APR after that).

Why we like it: Chase Freedom Unlimited is another great rewards credit card to maximize your everyday spending, especially in the first year. It has no annual fee and a generous intro APR for new purchases and balance transfers. Rewards categories include 5% cash back on travel through Chase Travel, 3% cash back at drugstores, 3% cash back on dining, and 1.5% cash back on all other purchases. For the first year, every purchase also gets a 1.5% boost — so you’ll earn 4.5% on eligible dining purchases that would otherwise earn 3%, for example.

Learn more

 

Related: Chase Freedom Unlimited vs. Freedom Flex: Cash-back cards with plenty of perks

This article was edited by Rebecca McCracken

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