Citi Rewards+ card review
Citi Rewards+® Card overview
The Citi Rewards+® Card (see rates and fees) is a no-annual-fee card that offers 2 points per dollar at gas stations and grocery stores on up to $6,000 per year (and 1 point per dollar thereafter). It also has two relatively unique features: it rounds the earnings on all purchases up to the nearest 10 points and gives you 10% back on the first 100,000 points you redeem yearly. Card rating*: ⭐⭐⭐½
* Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG's editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
The Citi Rewards+ Card is great if you make many small purchases because each purchase will be rounded to the nearest 10 points. Even a one-dollar pack of gum will earn 10 points, which is an impressive return for a card with no annual fee.
Most cardholders will get the highest value from their points by redeeming them for gift cards at a rate of 1 cent per point. But your rewards can become even more valuable if you also have the Citi Prestige® Card (not available to new applicants) or Citi Premier® Card (see rates and fees). If so, you can transfer them to the ThankYou Rewards program's airline and hotel partners.
This card has no annual fee.
Let's take a closer look at this card so you can decide whether it could be a valuable addition to your wallet.
The information for the Citi Prestige has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Citi Rewards+ welcome offer
The Citi Rewards+ Card is offering a 20,000 bonus points after you spend $1,500 in purchases with your card within three months of account opening. Plus, for a limited time, earn 5 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel(SM) portal through June 30, 2024.
The welcome bonus is not available if you have received a new account bonus for a Citi Rewards+ account in the past 48 months.
But if you also have the Citi Prestige or the Citi Premier, you can move points from your Rewards+ account to your Prestige or Premier account. Doing so allows you to transfer your points to airline partners, in which case the bonus is worth $450, based on TPG's valuations.
Related: Not traveling for now? How to maximize your reward points on other redemptions
Citi Rewards+ benefits
As a no-annual-fee card, the Citi Rewards+ Card doesn't offer many perks. Its main appeal is how it accrues points.
However, the card is set up for contactless payment so that you can tap and go. You'll also get access to Citi Concierge and Citi Entertainment, both of which can provide useful assistance.
You won't want to use the Citi Rewards+ Card when traveling abroad since the card levies a 3% foreign transaction fee.
Related: The best no-annual-fee credit cards
Earning points with the Citi Rewards+
The Citi Rewards+ Card generally earns 2 ThankYou points per dollar spent at supermarkets and gas stations on the first $6,000 per year and 1 point per dollar thereafter. You'll also earn 1 ThankYou point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
Also, cardholders can earn up to 5 points per dollar on bookings through the Citi Travel portal through June 30, 2024.
Merchants must classify themselves as a supermarket or gas station for you to earn 2 points per dollar. So, online supermarkets, warehouse clubs, wholesale clubs, superstores, discount stores, department stores and convenience stores may not provide this earning rate. The card's terms and conditions also explicitly exclude "fuel purchased for commercial purposes or used for non-automobile purposes" from earning bonus points, as well as the following types of merchants:
"General merchandise/discount superstores, freezer/meat locker provisioners, dairy product stores, miscellaneous food/convenience stores, markets, drugstores, warehouse clubs, wholesale clubs, specialty vendors, bakeries, candy stores, nut stores, confectionery stores, and meal kit delivery services."
However, beyond these standard accrual rates, one of the Citi Rewards+ Card's selling points is that all earning is rounded to the nearest 10 points. For instance, you could purchase a $3 coffee at a restaurant and earn 10 points. If you use your card at a supermarket and make $42 in purchases, your earning would be 84 points (since it's a 2-point-per-dollar category), then rounded up to the nearest 10, which is 90 points total.
Obviously, this rounding could be exploited. As a result, the card's terms and conditions explicitly prohibit "fraud, misuse, abuse, or suspicious activity" that includes "Using your Card Accounts or Citibank Checking Account in an abusive manner for the primary purpose of acquiring Points."
That said, the Citi Rewards+ Card is perfectly designed for all of your expenses that happen to be small. Indeed, all supermarket and gas station purchases of $5 and under and all other purchases of $10 and under will earn 10 points. To maximize your earning while spending normally, consider your threshold for using the Citi Rewards+ Card in each spending category. This will be based on the other credit cards you have.
For example, let's see how your earning would stack up for some sample purchases if you have the Citi Premier and the Citi Rewards+ (note that this is based on standard earning rates and doesn't factor in limited-time bonuses).
| Purchase | Using the Citi Premier | Using the Citi Rewards+ |
|---|---|---|
| $2 coffee at a gas station. | 6 points (3 points per dollar). | 10 points (2 points per dollar, rounded up). |
| $16 of gas at a gas station. | 48 points (3 points per dollar). | 40 points (2 points per dollar, rounded up). |
| $2 coffee at a cafe. | 6 points (3 points per dollar). | 10 points (1 point per dollar, rounded up). |
| $6 burrito at a cafe. | 18 points (3 points per dollar). | 10 points (1 point per dollar, rounded up). |
| 50-cent pack of gum at a grocery store. | 1.5 points (3 points per dollar). | 10 points (2 points per dollar, rounded up). |
| $16 grocery store purchase. | 48 points (3 points per dollar). | 40 points (2 points per dollar, rounded up). |
| 50-cent public transit ticket. | 0.5 points (3 points per dollar). | 10 points (1 point per dollar, rounded up). |
| $4 public transit ticket. | 4 points (1 point per dollar). | 10 points (1 point per dollar, rounded up). |
So, if you only have the Citi Premier and the Citi Rewards+, you'll always want to use the Premier for grocery and most restaurant purchases.For all other categories, you'll want to use the Rewards+ for small purchases and the Premier for larger purchases — you just need to find the break-even point for each spending category.
Related: The best cash-back credit cards for each bonus category
Redeeming points with the Citi Rewards+
The points earned by the Citi Rewards+ Card are considered "basic" Citi ThankYou points that you can redeem at Amazon or Best Buy for purchases at less than 1 cent each. Alternatively, redeeming gift cards at 1 cent each is a better option.
In addition, when you redeem your points, you'll receive 10% points back for the first 100,000 points redeemed per calendar year. If you redeem 10,000 points in a year, you'll receive 1,000 of those points back.
Related: How to redeem Citi ThankYou Points for maximum value
Transferring points on the Citi Rewards+
With the Rewards+ alone, you won't be able to transfer your ThankYou points, but you'll unlock transfer options if you also have the Citi Prestige or the Citi Premier. If you have one of these cards, you can move points from your Citi Rewards+ account to your Prestige or Premier account and transfer them to partners such as Avianca LifeMiles and Etihad Guest. This increases the value of the points you earn with the Citi Rewards+ from 1 cent each to approximately 1.8 cents each.
TPG senior points and miles writer Katie Genter gets good value from Citi ThankYou points by utilizing transfer partners like Air France-KLM Flying Blue and Avianca LifeMiles for flights and Choice Privileges for hotels.
Related: How to maximize your Citi ThankYou card
Which cards compete with the Citi Rewards+?
No other cards round up your earnings to the nearest 10 points or give you a blanket rebate on the points you redeem, so there's no direct competitor. But, the Citi Rewards+ Card should be compared against other no-annual-fee credit cards:
- If you want an Amex card: The Amex EveryDay Credit Card from American Express is perhaps the most similar to the Citi Rewards+ Card because it accrues 2 points per dollar on the first $6,000 you spend at U.S. supermarkets each year (then 1 point). Plus, the card rewards making at least 20 transactions in a month with a 20% points bonus, so you'll probably be making lots of small purchases with either card. For more information, read our full review of the Amex EveryDay.
- If you have a Chase Sapphire card: The Chase Freedom Unlimited is a solid card that earns 1.5% cash back on most purchases if you don't have a full-fledged Chase Ultimate Rewards card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card. But if you have one of these Ultimate Rewards cards, using the card is like earning 1.5 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent on most eligible purchases since you can combine your points with those from your other card. For more information, read our full review of the Freedom Unlimited.
- If you want simplicity: The Citi Double Cash® Card (see rates and fees) provides 2% cash back on all purchases — 1% when you buy and 1% as you pay off your statement. Cardholders can also convert cash back to ThankYou points via a linked ThankYou account. However, if you can maximize your bonus category spending and the 10-point round-up with the Citi Rewards+, it might still be a better card for your needs. For more information, read our full review of the Citi Double Cash.
For additional options, check out our full list of no-annual-fee cards.
Related: Why you should double down with the Citi Premier and Citi Rewards+
The information for the Amex EveryDay card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Is the Citi Rewards+ worth it?
The Citi Rewards+ Card can be a good choice if you make small purchases frequently or benefit from a 10% return on redeemed points, especially if you have a Citi Prestige or Citi Premier that can boost the value of the ThankYou points earned by the Rewards+ Card. However, if you make many large purchases or want perks like travel insurance, a different card will likely serve you better.
Related: Why the Citi Rewards+ is great for college students
Bottom line
The Citi Rewards+ offers the opportunity to earn more points on small purchases. It's a good choice if you make small purchases and already have another ThankYou points-earning credit card that will allow you to transfer your points to travel partners. However, there are some other cards with no annual fee that provide better earning on everyday spending, so one of those may be a better option.
Apply for the Citi Rewards+ Card with a 20,000 bonus points after you spend $1,500 in purchases with your card within three months of account opening.
Additional reporting by Emily Thompson, Ryan Wilcox and Joseph Hostetler.