It’s easy to find credit cards that reward cardmembers for large purchases and extravagant travel — but it’s not often you find a credit card that is great for small purchases. Enter the Citi Rewards+® Card. It’s the perfect credit card for people who want to earn points when they stop for milk on the way home from work. Learn why in this Citi Rewards+ review.
Who should get the Citi Rewards+ Card?
The Citi Rewards+ Card is perfect for people who use their credit cards to make smaller purchases. With Citi Rewards+, every purchase is rounded up to the nearest 10 points, so a $1 candy bar will earn the same amount of points as a $9.99 purchase.
If you spend money on gas and groceries frequently, you’ll like the Citi Rewards+ Card as well. Cardmembers earn 2X points per dollar spent at supermarkets and gas stations (on the first $6,000 in purchases per year, then 1X points thereafter).
This Citi card is also a good option if you'd like to transfer a balance from another high-interest credit card. It offers a 0% introductory APR on balance transfers for 15 months (then 18.74% to 28.74% (variable) APR). Pay off your balance before that period ends, and you’ll avoid incurring interest.
If you’re looking for a card to use for international travel, the Citi Rewards+ is not the best option. The Rewards+ card has a foreign transaction fee of 3%.
While the Citi Rewards+ Card is great for small purchases, it makes sense to use it strategically and not as an everyday spending card. Other credit cards offer better earning rates for everyday spending outside of groceries and gas.
Card basics
Card type | Travel |
Credit card issuer | Citi |
Credit card network | Mastercard |
Annual fee | $0 |
Intro 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. Plus, for a limited time, earn 5 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through June 30, 2024 |
Reward rate | 2X points at supermarkets and gas stations (on the first $6,000 in purchases per year, then 1X points thereafter), and 1X points on all other purchases |
Recommended credit | Excellent, Good |
Intro APR | 0% introductory APR on purchases for 15 months (then 18.74% to 28.74% (variable) APR) 0% introductory APR on balance transfers for 15 months (then 18.74% to 28.74% (variable) APR) |
Foreign transaction Fee | 3% |
Citi Rewards+ Card benefits and perks
- Generous welcome offer: New cardholders can benefit from Citi’s welcome offer. You’ll 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. Plus, for a limited time, earn 5 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through June 30, 2024.
- Round up feature: No matter what you buy or how much you spend, points earned from purchases are rounded up to the nearest 10 points. If you spend $4 on your morning coffee, you’ll earn 10 points. If you spend $10.01 eating out on your lunch break, you’ll earn 20 points.
- $0 annual fee: The Citi Rewards+ Card offers a $0 annual fee.
- Introductory APR: New cardholders get a 0% intro APR on purchases for 15 months (then 18.74% to 28.74% (variable)). They also get a 0% introductory APR on balance transfers for 15 months (then 18.74% to 28.74% (variable)). Note that there is a balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer ($5 minimum) within 4 months of account opening; then 5% of each transfer ($5 minimum).
- 10% points back: Citi Rewards+ users get 10% points back for the first 100,000 ThankYou points redeemed annually. If you redeem 30,000 ThankYou points, you’ll get back 3,000 points at the end of the year.
Drawbacks to the Citi Rewards+ Card
- Spending limits on rewards: The bonus points on air travel and hotels are only for the first year, and there's a spending cap on the amount of purchases that would be eligible for the bonus. The bonus at supermarkets and gas stations also is limited to the first $6,000 spent each year.
- Foreign transaction fee: Many cards have no transaction fee, but this card has a 3% fee.
Earning & redeeming ThankYou Points
Potential earnings in years one and two
Here's a look at how your ThankYou Points can add up with the Citi Rewards+ Card. To calculate these values, we used a point valuation of one cent.
Remember, this is an estimation. The actual value will be determined by how much you spend and in which categories you spend.
Year one earnings: $735
Year two earnings: $535
These values are based on the FinanceBuzz Credit Card Rewards Valuation Model, which takes a look at points earned via spending, the welcome bonus, and the annual fee.
Keep in mind that these values do not include points from the first $6,000 spent at supermarkets and gas stations. Your yearly earnings could potentially be higher than what is projected here if you take advantage of the 2X rewards rate in those categories.
Best ways to earn
Earning ThankYou points with the Citi Rewards+ card is relatively straightforward. Cardmembers can earn 2X points at supermarkets and gas stations (on the first $6,000 in purchases per year, then 1X points thereafter), and 1X points on all other purchases.
Not all grocery stores or gas stations qualify for extra points, though. Wholesale clubs, discount superstores, drugstores, convenience stores, bakeries, meal delivery services, and various other stores will only earn 1X points per dollar spent. The same goes for gas stations owned by retail stores, like grocery stores or wholesale clubs.
Categories | Rewards rate |
Supermarkets and gas stations (on the first $6,000 in purchases per year, then 1X points thereafter) | 2X |
All other purchases | 1X |
Maximizing your redemptions
ThankYou points earned with your Citi Rewards+ credit card are best spent on travel rewards and gift cards. Points are worth 1 cent each toward travel booked through the ThankYou portal. Flights, hotels, cruises, and rental cars can all be booked directly through the portal using points.
Other possible redemption options include:
- Shopping with points on Amazon.com and BestBuy.com
- Statement credits (app will alert you when you’ve made an eligible purchase)
- Pay bills online (must have an enrolled Citibank checking account)
- Cash rewards, paid by check
- Payments to mortgage
- Payments to student loans
- Give points to charity
- Share or transfer points
Point values vary depending on the redemption type and are available on the card agreement that comes with new accounts.
Citi Rewards+ Card FAQs
Yes, the Citi Rewards+ card is a good card. It doesn’t have the rewards earning potential for everyday purchases that other cards possess. Still, it's an excellent option as a secondary card used for gas station and grocery store purchases. Credit limits are based on your income and creditworthiness. Cardholders are informed of their credit limit when they receive their new card. This card also has a revolving credit limit, which can be as low as $1,000. To get approved for Citi Rewards+ card, you need good to excellent credit. A good FICO credit score ranges from 670 to 739. FICO scores between 700 and 749 are considered very good, and an excellent FICO credit score is between 800 and 850. The value of Citi ThankYou points varies depending on the way you redeem them. Points are worth approximately 1 cent each when redeemed for gift cards and travel. The value can be lower for other redemptions, such as statement credits, which start at 2,000 points for a $10 credit on your account. Is the Citi Rewards+ a good card?
What is the credit limit for a Citi Rewards+ card?
What credit score do you need for a Citi Rewards+ card?
What are Citi Rewards points worth?
Other cards to consider
In addition to the Citi Rewards+ Card, another cashback card worth considering is the Citi Double Cash® Card. It has a $0 annual fee, and cardmembers earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases; plus, for a limited time, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the citi travel℠ portal through 12/31/24. Plus, there's a 0% intro APR on balance transfers for a whopping 18 months (then 19.24% - 29.24% (Variable)).
One of the most popular rewards cards on the market is the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. While this Chase card has a $95 annual fee, it's more than worth it because new cardmembers can earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening of account opening. Chase Sapphire Preferred cardholders also earn 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®; 3X points on dining, select streaming services, and eligible online grocery purchases; 2X points on all other travel purchases, and 1X points per $1 on all other eligible purchases.