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Quick Review
The Citi Rewards+® Card has a lot to offer, especially in the first year of card ownership. Here’s how the card stacks up:
- Rounded up rewards: You earn 2x ThankYou® Points at supermarkets and gas stations, up to $6,000 a year (then goes down to 1x), and 1x point on all other purchases. However, the points you earn on a purchase are rounded up to the nearest 10. So you’re racking up a lot more points than you assume.
- Decent welcome bonus: As a sign-up offer, you get 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,500 in your first 3 months ($200 value). Any bonus is a good thing to have, but this is lower than others we’ve seen.
- Additional bonus: While the cash bonus isn’t all that much, you do get a second bonus of 10% extra points up to the first 100,000 points you redeem in your first year.
- No interest for over a year: You get 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, making this a good card for debt consolidation or for paying off a major purchase over time.
Citi Rewards+® Card Pros & Cons
Citi Rewards+® Card Important Details
- Annual fee: $0
- Purchase APR: 17.24%–27.24% (variable)
- Introductory APR: 0% for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers
- Rewards rate: 1x-2x points
- Welcome bonus: 20,000 points ($200 value)
- Initial credit limit: $1,000+
Citi Rewards+® Card Rates & Fees
Fees
- Annual fee: $0
- Balance transfer fee: 5% or $5 (whichever is greater)
- Introductory balance transfer fee: 3% or $5 (whichever is greater) for first 4 months
- Cash advance fee: 5% or $10 (whichever is greater)
- Foreign transaction fee: 3%
- Late and returned payment fee: Up to $41
Interest Rates
- Purchase APR: 17.24%–27.24% (variable)
- Balance transfer APR: 17.24%–27.24% (variable)
- Introductory APR: 0% for 18 months on purchases and balance transfers
- Cash advance APR: 28.99%
- Penalty APR: 29.99%
Depending on your creditworthiness, the APRs for the Citi Rewards+® Card could end up being quite high. If you’re likely to carry a balance over multiple billing cycles, this may not be the card for you after the first 18 months of 0% APR, especially if you’re offered an APR on the high side.
Citi Rewards+® Card Rewards
The Citi Rewards+® Card earns you 2 points per dollar spent at supermarkets and gas stations on up to $6,000 a year on purchases before dropping down to 1 point per dollar spent. You also earn 1 point per dollar on every other purchase you make, regardless of how much or how little you spend.
What’s more is that the Citi Rewards+® Card offers several ways to maximize your earnings.
Points Rounding Up
Every time you make a purchase using your Citi Rewards+® Card, your points will be rounded up to the nearest 10 points. Therefore, an 11 point purchase is actually 20 points, and a 27 point purchase will earn you 30 points. You can earn up to 9 points more per purchase, which is equivalent to about 9 cents. These types of savings can add up quickly, making this card worth more than it initially appears.
Rewards Redemption
There are multiple ways that you can redeem your ThankYou® Points:
- Use them to shop on Amazon.com or Bestbuy.com: You can link your Citi card to your Amazon or Best Buy account, making it easy to redeem and shop.
- Redeem as gift cards: CitiBank has a wide range of gift cards to choose from, including restaurants, clothing brands, and technology stores.
- Redeem as a statement credit: Statement credits can be used to pay off recent purchases and credit card balances.
- Use as travel rewards: You can redeem points for plane tickets, hotels, and cruises.
ThankYou® Points never expire, but you will need to remember to manually redeem them through your online banking app. Their value may also vary based on how you redeem them, so check your options to get the most value for your points.
10% Points Back Introductory Offer
The Citi Rewards+® Card lets you earn an additional 10% of all points redeemed in your first year, up to 100,000 points. You will not be able to take advantage of this offer until your points are redeemed, so make sure to redeem as many points as possible before your first year ends.
Welcome Bonus
You can earn an extra 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,500 in your first 3 months. When redeemed as a gift card, this welcome bonus is valued at $200. However, its value may fluctuate depending on how the bonus is redeemed.
While the spending requirement for the Citi Rewards+® Card is relatively reasonable, it’s still higher than some other similar cards on the market, so you should consider if it aligns with your current spending habits.
Citi Rewards+® Card Benefits
Introductory APR Offer
The Citi Rewards+® Card comes with an introductory 0% APR for your first 15 months on all purchases and balance transfers. This is perfect for people who plan on making large purchases that they won’t be able to pay off in one billing cycle. Just make sure to pay off all outstanding balances before the 15-month period ends.
Cash Advance
A cash advance is when you withdraw cash using your credit card. While this can be helpful in emergencies, the Citi Rewards+® Card comes with a cash advance APR of 28.99% and a minimum fee of $10. These types of charges can add up quickly, so we recommend avoiding cash advances when possible. If you’re in need of cash, use your debit card instead.
Balance Transfers
Balance transfers are a helpful tool when trying to consolidate debt from other credit cards. Any balances transferred to your Citi Rewards+® Card after your first 4 months of card ownership will be subject to a variable APR of 17.24%-27.24% and a minimum fee of $5, both of which are quite high.
However, if you transfer a balance within your first 4 months, you’ll get 0% APR for 15 months and a reduced balance transfer fee of 3% or $5 (whichever is greater). So if you have deb to consolidate, make sure you initiate the transfer within 4 months of opening your account and pay off the balance within 15 months.
Travel Benefits
While the Citi Rewards+® Card isn’t a travel card, you can redeem your ThankYou® Points for travel-related purchases like airline tickets or cruise ship bookings. You can also transfer points to a number of participating airlines. However, ThankYou® Points’ value may vary depending on which airline you transfer them to.
Other Benefits
The Citi Rewards+® Card doesn’t come with the long list of additional benefits many other credit cards offer. Here’s what you can get:
- 24/7 customer service
- Exclusive access to Citi Entertainment
- Digital wallet and contactless pay
The City Entertainment platform gives users access to concert, live event, and comedy show tickets. Depending on the event, cardholders may even get early access to tickets.
Beyond that, the benefits and perks on this card are limited. If you’re looking for a credit card that does more than just earn rewards on purchases, consider looking elsewhere.
Authorized Users
The Citi Rewards+® Card allows authorized users of any age to be added to the account, making it perfect for parents looking to help their build credit. You can add up to 10 authorized users to your card at once, although we recommend only sticking to one or two to start.
As the primary account holder, you will be legally responsible for any charges incurred on your Citi Rewards+® Card, so add authorized users with caution.
Credit Reporting
Citibank reports to all three major credit bureaus, so you can use your card knowing that your activity will be reported monthly. You can also check your FICO score using your card, which is based on your Equifax credit report.
Customer Service
If you want to speak to Citibank directly regarding the Citi Rewards+® Card, you can use these contact numbers.
Credit Card Assistance
(800) 347-4934
Customer Service
(800) 374-9700
Should You Get the Citi Rewards+® Card?
We would recommend the Citi Rewards+® Card for individuals and couples who are looking for consistent point-earning opportunities and don’t mind manually redeeming their rewards. The welcome bonus, 10% points back offer, and point roundup make earning more points easy and hassle-free. However, the card does have a distinct lack of additional benefits, which makes it less attractive than similar cards on the market.
