Citi Rewards+® Card review: Unique perks without an annual fee

Citi Rewards+® Card Highlights

Card type: Cash back, Travel

• Welcome Bonus: Earn 20,000 bonus points after you spend $1,500 in purchases with your card within 3 months of account opening; redeemable for $200 in gift cards at thankyou.com.
• Annual Fee: $0
• Rewards: Earn 2X ThankYou® Points at Supermarkets and Gas Stations for the first $6,000 per year and then 1X Points thereafter.

Overview

The Citi Rewards+® Card is a solid option within the Citi card portfolio. Not a bad choice on its own, it works even better when paired with a premium card like the Citi Premier® Card. That’s because when you also have one of these premium cards, you can combine the points earned from your Citi Rewards+® Card with the points earned on your premium account to access all of Citi’s hotel and airline transfer partners.

This card earns 2 points per dollar spent at supermarkets and gas stations, up to $6,000 in spend per year. This is excellent, considering those are categories that most of us use each and every week. Even better, the automatically rounds up to the nearest 10 points on every purchase with no cap. For example, if you make a $6 purchase, you’d earn 10 points. This perk applies to the supermarket and gas station bonus categories, too. So if you made that same $6 purchase at a supermarket, you’d earn 20 points. This feature makes this card especially exciting for small purchases—buying a pack of gum has never been so fun.  

Another excellent feature of the Citi Rewards+® Card is the ability to get a 10% points rebate on redeemed points (up to 100,000 redeemed points per year.) That means if you redeemed 20,000 points, you’d get a 2,000-point rebate. This applies not only to points redeemed for shopping and travel but also to points transferred to airline and hotel partners as well (you’ll need a premium card like the Citi Premier® Card to access all of these partners.) That’s a fantastic perk for a no-annual-fee card.

Who is Citi Rewards+® Card good for? 

The Citi Rewards+® Card is especially beneficial for those who also hold a premium card like the Citi Premier® Card. The points earned from both cards can be combined and then transferred to any of Citi’s airline and hotel partners through the premium card. This opens the door to more valuable redemption options above and beyond redeeming points for things like gift cards.

This card could also be good for someone who would like to earn Citi ThankYou points without an annual fee. It’s true there are other Citi cards without annual fees, but the 10% points rebate and points rounding feature make this card a unique option.

Who shouldn’t get Citi Rewards+® Card? 

This card isn’t a good choice for someone who is looking for a single do-it-all card. While it makes a nice addition to other Citi cards, it’s somewhat weak as a stand-alone option. Additionally, anyone who is looking for a card to use while traveling overseas should look elsewhere, as the Citi Rewards+® Card has foreign transaction fees.

Citi Rewards+® Card: How to earn rewards

• 5X ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through June 30, 2024.
• 2X ThankYou® Points at Supermarkets and Gas Stations for the first $6,000 per year and then 1X Points thereafter.
• 1X ThankYou® Points on All Other Purchases.
• Points earned are rounded up to the nearest 10 on all purchases. A $22 purchase would earn 30 points.
• 10% of the first 100,000 points redeemed each will be awarded back to the cardholder’s account. 

How to redeem Citi Rewards+® Card rewards 

There are multiple ways you can redeem the points earned from your Citi Rewards+® Card. The best options are for gift cards and travel through the Citi portal, as both of these offer a 1 cent per point value.

Gift Cards

Use Citi ThankYou Points to purchase gift cards from select retailers at a value of 1 cent per point. 

Travel

Use Citi ThankYou Points to book hotels, flights, car rentals, and attractions through the Citi Travel portal at a rate of 1 cent per point.

Shop with Points

You can use your points to make purchases online and in-store at participating retailers, but the value is subpar.

• 1-800-Flowers: 0.8 cents per point, used for a statement credit
• Amazon: 0.8 cents per point
• Best Buy: 0.8 cents per point, used for a statement credit
• BP/Amoco: Use points to pay for up to $0.50 cents per gallon, up to 20 gallons
• CVS (in-store): 1,250 points for a $10 discount
• Dollar General (in-store): 625 points for a $5 discount
• PayPal: 0.8 cents per point
• Shell: Use points to pay for up to $0.50 cents per gallon, up to 20 gallons
• Walgreens (in-store): 1,250 points for a $10 discount
• Walmart (in-store): 2,500 points for a $20 discount

Transfer Points

If you have a Citi Rewards+® Card, you’ll be able to take advantage of a limited number of Citi transfer partners. Unfortunately, the transfer rate is lower than what you can get by holding a Citi Premier card or a Citi Prestige card.

• Choice: 1,000 Citi points = 1,500 Choice Privileges points
• JetBlue: 1,000 Citi points = 800 JetBlueTrue Blue points
• Wyndham: 1,000 Citi points = 800 Wyndham Rewards points

Citi Rewards+® Card rates and fees

• Annual fee: $0
• Foreign transaction fee: 3% of each purchase in USD
• Intro APR: 0% intro for 15 months from the date of account opening
• Purchase APR: After the introductory period, APR is 18.74%–28.74%
• Balance transfer fee: Introductory balance transfer fee of intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).
• 0% balance transfer: Introductory 0% intro for 15 months from the first transfer when that transfer is done within 4 months of account opening. After that, the APR for balance transfers will be 18.74%–28.74%.

Additional benefits

• Access to Citi Entertainment: Get access to special tickets, including pre-sale options, for popular concerts, sporting events, and dining events.
• Contactless pay: Enjoy more security and convenience with the tap-to-pay feature on this chip-enabled card.
• Access to Citi Merchant Offers: Citi Merchant Offers are card-linked deals offering cash-back on select purchases using a Citi consumer card.

Credit cards similar to Citi Rewards+® Card

The Citi Rewards+® Card is a solid no-annual-fee card that offers unique benefits like rounding up to the nearest 10 points and a points rebate on the first 100,000 points. However, there are other cards out there that come with a similar earning structure and robust benefits.

Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express vs. Citi Rewards+® Card

The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express is similar to the Citi Rewards+® Card because they are both no-annual-fee cards that earn 2X points per dollar on U.S. supermarket purchases ($6,000 limit on purchases per year, 1% thereafter). The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express’s benefit is limited to U.S. supermarkets, but since both cards have foreign transaction fees, neither should be considered for spending outside the U.S. 

The Amex EveryDay card offers a 20% bonus when you make 20+ purchases in a billing cycle. This is a good option for those who make lots of small purchases each month. Hitting the 20 transaction minimum increases the earning rate at supermarkets to 2.4x, which is excellent for a card without an annual fee. However, ensuring you’re making 20 transactions each month takes some effort to track, so the Citi Rewards+® Card may be a better option for someone who isn’t organized or who won’t make at least 20 transactions each month.

Additionally, the Amex EveryDay card comes with car rental loss and damage insurance and access to all American Express hotel and airline partners. These are superb benefits on a card without an annual fee and make the Amex EveryDay card a more well-rounded option for many people. 

Chase Freedom Unlimited^® vs. Citi Rewards+® Card

The Freedom Unlimited card is a no-annual-fee option that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points. It earns 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases, and  1.5% cash back on all eligible purchases. It also comes with some solid protections for a no-annual-fee card, including car rental insurance, purchase protection, extended warranty protection, and trip cancellation/interruption insurance. 

While the rewards on the Freedom Unlimited card are advertised as cash-back, they are actually rewarded as Ultimate Rewards points which can be redeemed multiple ways. If you have a Freedom Unlimited card and a premium Chase card (Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve®, or Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card), the points earned on the Freedom Unlimited card can be transferred to the premium card to take advantage of Chase’s hotel and airline partners.

Is the Citi Rewards+® Card right for you?

The Citi Rewards+® Card could be a rewarding option if you are looking for a way to earn Citi points without an annual fee. While there are other no-annual-fee Citi cards, this is an interesting choice since it rounds the points earned up to the nearest 10 and offers a 10% rebate on points redeemed.

This card makes an excellent addition to a wallet that already includes a premium ThankYou Points earning card like the Citi Premier card. The points earned from the Citi Rewards+® Card can be combined with those from the premium card to gain access to Citi’s full list of transfer partners. 

If you’re looking for supercharged earnings on large purchases and premium travel benefits, the Citi Rewards+® Card won’t be a good fit for you.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Citi Rewards+® Card a good card?

The Citi Rewards+® Card is a good option for someone who wants to earn rewards with no annual fee. It also makes a great addition for anyone who holds a premium Citi ThankYou Points earning card.

What credit score do you need for the Citi Rewards+® Card?

Citi doesn’t publish credit score requirements for its cards. However, it is generally understood that you’ll need a good to excellent score to be approved for a Citi credit card. This would include credit scores of about 670 and higher.

What is the credit limit for the Citi Rewards+® Card?

The credit limit for the Citi Rewards+® Card will vary based on factors including your creditworthiness. However, all approved applicants will get a minimum credit limit of $1,000.

Please note that card details are accurate as of the publish date, but are subject to change at any time at the discretion of the issuer. Please contact the card issuer to verify rates, fees, and benefits before applying.

Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.

Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.