Is the Citi Rewards+ Card Worth It?
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The Citi Rewards+® Card is a no-annual-fee card that puts a spin on earning rewards: Most notably, all points earned per purchase are rounded up to the nearest 10 points. Plus, when it comes to redeeming points, you'll get a 10% points rebate on up to 100,000 points redeemed each year.
Although these features are enticing at first glance, there's more to consider in order to evaluate whether this card is worth getting. To help you decide if the Citi Rewards+® Card is right for you, let’s explore all aspects of the card.
Factors to consider before getting the Citi Rewards+® Card
The welcome offer
The welcome offer on the Citi Rewards+® Card is currently: 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. For a limited time, earn 5 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on air travel and hotels up to $6,000 in the first 12 months and then 1 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent thereafter.
What to consider: There are more rewarding welcome offers out there, but if you’re trying to bolster your Citi ThankYou points, this card can be a good option, especially for an annual fee of $0.
» Learn more: How to choose a travel credit card
Rounded up rewards and 10% points back
The Citi Rewards+® Card earns 2 ThankYou points per $1 spent at supermarkets and gas stations for the first $6,000 spent per year. On all other purchases, the card earns 1 point per $1 spent.
On top of that, the card rounds up all points earnings on purchases to the nearest 10 points. For instance, if you buy a coffee for $2, instead of earning 2 ThankYou points, you'll earn 10. Although this is a nice rewards boost on frequent small purchases, there are more rewarding cards on the market.
A $98 purchase on this card in a non-bonus category will earn you 100 points after rounding up. But on a flat-rate card, like the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, that same $98 purchase could get you as many as 196 points. You could also potentially earn 2% cash back with the Citi® Double Cash Card instead. Both of these possible outcomes are more valuable than the offerings of the Citi Rewards+® Card.
Another feature of the card is that you'll get 10% points back on the first 100,000 ThankYou points redeemed per year. It's indeed as simple as it sounds. For example, redeem 15,000 points, get 1,500 back.
What to consider: Even with rounding up rewards and 10% points back, you'll probably fare better with a credit card that offers higher points-earning rates or flat cash back.
Varying redemption values
Like with most rewards cards, the ThankYou points earned from this card can be redeemed in a variety of ways.
Redemption options and their associated value include:
Redeem for gift cards: Usually 1 cent per point.
Redeem points at Amazon: Typically 0.8 cent each.
Cash back and statement credit: Usually 0.5 cent each.
Shop With Points: Value varies depending on the online outlet.
Transfer to JetBlue TrueBlue loyalty program: 1,000 ThankYou points per 800 JetBlue points.
Unfortunately, not all redemptions are valued equally and many net you less than maximal value.
However, if you have a premium ThankYou points earning credit card, such as the Citi Prestige® Card or the Citi Premier® Card, you can transfer your points to additional airline partners, unlocking more redemption opportunities. To do so, you'll need to transfer points from your Citi Rewards+® Card account to your Citi Prestige® Card or Citi Premier® Card account and then to an airline program.
What to consider: Redemption values can be less than ideal unless you can transfer points to airline or hotel partners through one of the premium Citi cards.
Not the best for international travel
With a 3% foreign transaction fee, you’re better off leaving this card at home when you travel internationally. There are many better card options out there when it comes to earning rewards while abroad.
What to consider: See NerdWallet’s list of the best credit cards with no foreign transaction fees for our top choices.
The bottom line
With earned points rounded up to the nearest 10, the Citi Rewards+® Card may make sense for shoppers who routinely make small purchases. However, given the lack of travel benefits and overall rewards earning rates, even with no annual fee, there are more rewarding credit cards available. Take a look at NerdWallet’s best credit card picks for other options.
The information related to Citi Prestige® Card has been collected by NerdWallet and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer or provider of this product or service.
How to maximize your rewards
You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2023, including those best for:
Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card
Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express
Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
