2020 Review: Citi Rewards+ Card — Best No Annual Fee Rewards Card?
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Citi seems to think that the Citi Rewards+℠ Card has one main selling point: The card automatically rounds up to the nearest 10 points on every purchase.
And, sure, that’s pretty cool. But there’s a lot to consider beyond this nifty perk in order to determine whether the Rewards+ is a card that meets your needs.
It earns 2X ThankYou points per dollar on up to $6,000 in purchases per year at supermarkets and gas stations, appealing to the everyday cardholder. You get 1X point on everything else.
The card also offers a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, then 14.99% - 24.99% (Variable), as well as a reasonably compelling introductory bonus. Spend $1,000 in the first three months, and you’ll get 15,000 bonus points back.
Some of the card’s more useful benefits include virtual account numbers and access to a free credit score.
All in all, it’s a decent offer. Hang tight to find out what we like about it, plus what we don’t.
Citi Rewards+℠ Card
Details
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Our Rating: 3 Out of 5 Stars
We’re giving the Citi Rewards+ 3 out of 5 stars. There’s no annual fee, and it’s easy to get value from the card’s supermarket and gas station categories. Your rewards automatically round up to the next 10 points, boosting the earning potential of every purchase. Still, the Rewards+ isn’t really up to par with our favorite no annual fee credit cards.
Why We Like It
- Supermarket and gas station spending categories are quite useful, and lower spenders may never reach the $6,000 annual limit
- Rewards are rounded up to the nearest 10 points
- Several redemption options, including statement credits, transfers to JetBlue, gift cards, and more
- 10% of your first 100,000 rewards points redeemed yearly are returned to you
- Points can be transferred to other Citi credit cards for enhanced redemption flexibility
- Valuable welcome bonus with a relatively nonthreatening spending requirement
- Long introductory APR offer lets you pay off a balance transfer and/or purchases interest-free for a while
- No annual fee
- Contactless card enables tap-and-go payment
Why It Could Be Better
- $6,000 spending cap on 2X earnings is restrictive
- 1 cent per point isn’t a very good value for travel redemptions
- 3% foreign transaction fee
- Only transfer partner is JetBlue
Insider Advice: Getting the Most Out of Your Card
- Make tiny purchases: Yearning for a coffee or a quick snack? Whip out the Rewards+ card. If you spend $3, for example, the card’s rounding feature means you’d get 10 points, earning you more than 3X points per dollar.
- Buy gas and groceries: The card earns 2X points at supermarkets and gas stations, so that’s where you’ll typically get the best value aside from the tiny, everyday purchases described above.
- Get the signup bonus: Considering the cost of groceries and gas, it shouldn’t be all that hard to spend $1,000 in three months to get the 15,000-point bonus.
- Redeem how you want: Travel, statement credit, and gift card redemptions all provide a value of one cent per point. Nothing special, but the lack of variation gives you some flexibility.
- Transfer your points to JetBlue at a 5:4 rate: JetBlue is the Rewards+ card’s only transfer partner. It’s a good option if you actually dig the airline, because while your point value will depend on how you redeem, you shouldn’t have much trouble making your TrueBlue points worth more than a cent each. You won’t get the 10% rebate, however.
- Transfer to another Citi card if you can: To get the highest value from the points earned with this card, transfer them to either the Citi Premier℠ Card (Review) or the Citi Prestige® Card (Review), and then to a ThankYou travel partner.
- Pay off a balance transfer: Thanks to the card’s introductory APR offer, the Rewards+ is a solid candidate if you need a way to carry a balance without incurring interest. But bear in mind that there’s a 3% ($5 minimum) transfer fee.
The Rewards
The Citi Rewards+ offers a decent rewards program with a few nice quirks. Earn in the 2X categories, and you’d ordinarily get the cash back equivalent of around 2.2%, thanks to the card’s 10% Points Back perk.
Factor in the Round Up feature and various redemption options, and your cash back equivalent could rise much higher, especially when it comes to small purchases — think 10%–20%, depending on how you redeem.
Earning
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The Citi Rewards+ earns 2X points at supermarkets and gas stations, both places where the typical cardholder is likely to drop at least a few bucks on a regular basis.
There’s a $6,000 spending cap at the 2X rate, but that’s pretty common for a fairly simple card at this fee tier.
The Rewards+ card’s earning potential is fairly strong thanks to its Round Up and 10% Points Back features. No matter how many points you’d ordinarily earn on a given purchase, your earnings will automatically be rounded up to the next 10 points. Plus, 10% of your first 100,000 points redeemed are returned to you.
This makes the Rewards+ a solid go-to option for inexpensive purchases. Spending $1 and getting 10 points rather than the 2 points you’d get without Round Up, for example, provides an exceptionally good return on spend. That’s 11%, incorporating the 10% you’ll get back upon redemption.
Or, if you transfer these points to an airline program and manage to use them for 2 cents each, you’re basically doubling your value for a final huge cash back equivalent of 20%.
But the impact of Round Up diminishes as you spend more money. Say you spend $151 at the supermarket on a few week’s worth of groceries, which would ordinarily net you 302 points. The slight boost up to 310 points isn’t all that impressive, is it?
Be Careful Where You Shop
The supermarket and gas station categories have certain exclusions that may keep you from earning the 2X rate at your favorite stores.
Both gas stations and supermarkets must be coded as such (using the gas station and supermarket merchant codes, respectively) in order for you to earn at the 2X rate.
This means that drugstores, warehouse clubs, superstores like Target and Walmart, and several other types of merchants are excluded from the supermarket category. Likewise, you likely won't be able to earn 2X points on gas purchased at wholesale clubs or superstores with gas stations, or even at certain convenience stores that aren't coded as gas stations.
The good news is that you shouldn't have much trouble earning 2X points at a regional grocery chain, or on gas at your everyday gas station.
Redeeming
Looking to redeem your stash of ThankYou points? You’ll have a few options to choose from. Most of them will seem pretty familiar if you’ve ever used another rewards credit card. You’ll receive 10% of the first 100,000 points you redeem back each year, adding an extra $100 or so of potential annual value.
You can swap your points for statement credits or gift cards at one cent per point, or you can use points to shop at Amazon.com or BestBuy.com. We don’t recommend using them to shop because you won’t earn any points on those purchases, like you would with a credit card purchase.
Redeem for travel through Citi’s own portal, and you’ll receive the same flat-rate value of one cent per point. That’s not awful, nor is it game changing.
If you’re committed to redeeming your points for travel rewards, there are a few ways to ramp up your return on spend. One option is to transfer your points to JetBlue’s TrueBlue loyalty program, the Rewards+ card’s only partner program, at a 5:4 rate.
You’ll probably get an even better value by transferring your points to another Citi card, as outlined below.
If you’re not prepared to do that, we recommend either transferring to JetBlue if you expect to fly with it in the future, or simply redeeming for statement credits if not.
Transferring Points to the Citi Premier or Citi Prestige Cards
If you’re willing to put even more effort into the redemption process, ThankYou points can be transferred to the Citi Premier℠ Card (Review) or Citi Prestige® Card (Review) and then transferred once more to one of those cards’ partner airline loyalty programs.
This list of partners is much bigger, featuring Air France, Cathay Pacific Asia, Qantas, Virgin Atlantic and more. Transfers are mostly at a 1:1 rate, and transferring to JetBlue TrueBlue from one of those two cards will give you a 1:1 rate versus the 5:4 rate you’d get with this card. The per-point value you ultimately receive with this method will vary, but may be better than one cent per point.
Redeeming for airfare directly through Citi with the Premier card will grant you a 25% bonus — a valuable option, at 1.25 cents per point.
Unfortunately, both the Premier and Prestige cards feature annual fees, which is why the Citi Rewards+ may not be the best credit card for travel enthusiasts looking to squeeze major value out of their rewards.
The Benefits
The Citi Rewards+ card supplies a rather thin array of benefits, and none provides much in the way of monetary value. You may find some convenient, however, like the free FICO score (helpful for monitoring your credit) and the ability to lock your card on the fly.
- Citi Concierge: Enjoy personal, non-emergency assistance with tasks like booking travel, restaurant, and hotel reservations, securing tickets to your favorite sporting events, and seeking out gifts.
- Citi Entertainment: Receive special access to tickets for a vast selection of events, like VIP concert packages and dining experiences.
- Citi Quick Lock: Lock your Rewards+ card instantly if you think it’s been lost or stolen.
- Free FICO score: Starting 30 days after account opening, you’ll be able to access your FICO Bankcard 8 credit score, based on your Equifax credit report, for free.
- Virtual Account Numbers: Step up your online shopping security by creating virtual credit card account numbers for use with specific merchants. Select your own spending limits and expiration dates.
The Terms & Fees
| Purchase APR | Balance Transfer APR | Cash Advance APR |
|---|---|---|
| 0% for 15 months, then 14.99% - 24.99% (Variable) | 0% for 15 months, then 14.99% - 24.99% (Variable) | 26.74% (Variable) |
| Annual Fee | Foreign Transaction Fee |
|---|---|
| $0 | 3% |
| Balance Transfer Fee | Cash Advance Fee |
|---|---|
| 3% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum. | 5% of each cash advance; $10 minimum |
| Penalty APR | Late Fee | Returned Payment Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 29.99% Variable | Up to $40 | Up to $40 |
The Rewards+ is quite competitive when it comes to promotional APR offers. You get 0% on both purchases and balance transfers for 15 months. The regular 14.99% - 24.99% (Variable) APR kicks in afterward. The Rewards+ charges a balance transfer fee, however, so if you’re dead set on transferring a balance, you may prefer a credit card without one.
The 3% foreign transaction fee is also worth noting; you’ll want to pick another card for use outside the country.
The Bottom Line
The Citi Rewards+ is good, but not great.
It features a relatively strict $6,000-a-year limit on its 2X spending categories, and that 2X rate isn’t anything to brag about when compared to the Citi® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer, which earns 2% cash back on every single purchase you make (1% when you swipe, 1% when you pay it off), or to the 3% supermarket reward rate offered by the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express (also bound by a $6,000 annual spending restriction).
Nor are the card’s benefits likely to turn heads. A free credit score is nice, and virtual account numbers are a huge perk if you’re a stickler for security, but there are all sorts of ways to check credit scores for free even without a Citi card. And the card lacks protections that some of our favorite no annual fee cards provide — think extended warranties, purchase protection, travel insurance, and that kind of thing.
But the Rewards+ isn’t the worst card on the market. The Round Up feature highlights the card’s unique value when it comes to smaller purchases in particular.
For example, swipe the card for a $2 cup of coffee, and you’ll earn 10 points. Buy a $1 candy bar for another 10 points. If you tend to rely heavily on these types of tiny purchases, then this could be a great card to add to the mix.
Otherwise, there are better cards out there, whether you’re looking for a travel rewards card, something that’ll save you a bit on groceries, or a gas card with no annual fee.
How to Apply for the Citi Rewards+ Card
If you’d like to apply for the Citi Rewards+, click the Apply Now button below. You’ll be taken to the Citi website, where you’ll have to fill out a straightforward application before Citi performs an inquiry to look into your creditworthiness. You should typically receive a decision right when you submit the application, unless the issuer needs more information or time to decide.
What Credit Scores Do You Need to Get the Citi Rewards+ Card?
The Citi Rewards+ is designed for good credit. “Good credit score” typically indicates a FICO score of at least 670, and/or a VantageScore of at least 700. You’re not guaranteed to be approved with good credit scores, though, and you still have a chance to be approved even if your scores are below this threshold.
Qualifications and Requirements
- Personal information: Name, date of birth, Social Security number, U.S. citizenship status
- Address and contact information: Home address, phone number, email address
- Financial information: Total annual income, monthly mortgage or rent payment
Citi Rewards+℠ Card
Details
securely on the issuer's website
Alternatives to the Citi Rewards+ Credit Card
Citi® Double Cash Card - 18 month BT offer
Details
securely on the issuer's website
The Citi® Double Cash Card - 18 month BT offer (Review) is one of our favorite cash back credit cards. There’s no fee, and you get the same flat 2% reward rate on every dollar you spend (1% for purchases, 1% for payments). What’s not to like?
Like the Rewards+, the Double Cash card is pretty featureless aside from its rewards, but it does provide an excellent introductory APR offer for balance transfers.
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Bear in mind that you won’t earn the full 2% back all at once.
You’ll only get 1% back at the point of purchase. The next 1% comes once that purchase has actually been paid off.
This won’t be much of an obstacle if you’re using your credit card responsibly and paying off your balance in full each month.
Also worth noting is that there are cards, even with no annual fee, that will give you a better reward rate than 2% cash back on certain categories. You may get the most value out of this card by using it as a fallback whenever you don’t have another card that can give you a better return.
- Free FICO credit score: Monitor your FICO Bankcard Score 8, based on your Equifax credit report.
- Quick customer service: Say “representative” when calling customer support to be connected with a rep more quickly.
- Balance Transfer APR: 0% for 18 months on Balance Transfers, and then 15.49% – 25.49% (Variable)
- Annual fee: $0
Amazon Rewards Visa Signature Card
Details
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The Amazon Rewards Visa Signature Card (Review) is an interesting card. It’s light years better than the Amazon.com Store Card (Review), but it naturally doesn’t quite measure up to its upgraded version, the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card (Review).
With that said, the Amazon Rewards Visa Signature is a great pick if you prefer to buy your groceries at Whole Foods, but don’t really want to commit to an Amazon Prime membership to get the aforementioned Prime card.
It provides 3% back at Amazon and Whole Foods, both popular sources for groceries. Buy your fresh goods in person at Whole Foods, and then order perishable snacks and stuff like that from Amazon.
The card packs in even more value with its benefits, which are pretty good for no annual fee, since it’s a Visa Signature. Protections include lost luggage reimbursement, baggage delay insurance, travel and emergency assistance, purchase protection, extended warranties, and more, easily edging out the Citi Rewards+ in the perks department.
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You have some flexibility here in terms of redemptions — you can redeem rewards not only for statement credits (or deposits directly to your bank account), but for travel, at checkout on Amazon.com, or in exchange for gift cards.
We typically recommend redeeming for statement credits or through bank account deposits, however.
- Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection: Offers automatic room upgrades, free WiFi, and other perks at more than 900 hotels globally
- Visa Signature Concierge: For 24-hour help with non-emergency tasks, like booking concert tickets or making restaurant reservations
- Shopping and travel protections: Including Purchase Protection, Extended Warranty Protection, Travel Accident Insurance, Lost Luggage Reimbursement, and more
- No foreign transaction fee
- Annual fee: $0
Bank of America® Cash Rewards Credit Card
Details
securely on the issuer's website
A fairly unique rewards program makes the Bank of America® Cash Rewards Credit Card (Review) one of the stronger cash back cards available for no annual fee. You get to pick your 3% cash back category from six different practical options, and then you get 2% back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs.
The catch? There’s a $2,500 quarterly spending limit on the 3% and 2% categories, amounting for a $10,000 total spending limit per year.
That’s still more generous than the Rewards+, so the card remains a compelling offer, especially when you factor in its potential benefits, which range from various types of travel protections to extended warranty protection. Just note that the benefits you receive depend on whether your card is issued as a Platinum Mastercard or a World Mastercard (which you get by default if your credit limit is $5,000 or above).
The card also features a decent introductory purchase and balance transfer APR offer.
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There are two major points of interest here.
The first is that you get to choose where you earn 3% back from the categories listed above. You can change your 3% category once a month, or you can leave it be and it’ll remain the same.
Second, there’s a quarterly spending limit of $2,500 on the 3% and 2% categories. That seems strict at first glance, but it’s quarterly, so the limit amounts to $10,000 per year — a considerable increase over the Citi Rewards+.
- Free FICO credit score: Check your FICO Score 8 for free, based on your TransUnion credit report.
- Shopping and Travel protections: Price Protection, Extended Warranty Protection, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, and more, depending on your card’s network tier.
- Purchase and Balance Transfer APR: 0% for 12 billing cycles, then 16.24%–26.24% Variable APR
- Annual fee: $0
securely on the issuer's website
The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express (Review) is arguably the best credit card for groceries. Delivering a whopping 6% cash back on up to $6,000 in U.S. supermarket purchases, plus cash back in several other useful categories, it easily overtakes the competition.
The card’s benefits are limited, but its impeccable rewards system does a fine job of justifying its $95 annual fee (Rates & Fees).
If you don’t think you’ll spend enough to justify the fee , there’s always its annual-fee-free counterpart, the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express (Rates & Fees). It’s more or less the same, with a downgraded rewards system.
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The $6,000 yearly spending limit on supermarket purchases might seem like an oddly limiting move for a card with a $95 annual fee , but the lack of spending caps on the card’s other bonus categories means there are plenty of ways to make the card worth it.
Even if you only use the cards for groceries, and spend exactly $6,000 a year, you’ll earn $360 in cash back, offsetting the fee thrice over and then some.
- Amex Offers: Find significant discounts at a rotating selection of merchants and websites, like (at the time of publishing) Adidas.com, Macys.com, Pizza Hut, and many more.
- ShopRunner membership: ShopRunner provides free two-day shipping and returns at participating online retailers.
- Purchase and Balance Transfer APR: 0% for 12 months, then 14.49–25.49% Variable (for transfers made during the first 60 days)
- Annual fee: $95
American Express is a Credit Card Insider advertiser.
Citi Rewards+℠ Card
Details
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If you found this review useful, feel free to share it with a friend! Or, if you think we forgot something important, comment below with what you think we missed.
The Citi Rewards+ Card earns 2X points at supermarkets and gas stations. Uniquely, each purchase rounds up to the next 10 points, making the card a solid choice for small transactions. Points can be redeemed for statement credits, travel, and more, and can be transferred to the Citi Premier or Prestige cards for added flexibility.
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The information related to Citi Premier℠ Card and Citi Prestige® Card have been collected by Credit Card Insider and have not been reviewed or provided by the issuer or provider of these products.
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