How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here.Our take: The Citi Rewards+® Card is an average rewards card with a lackluster earning rate. But, it does offer a long intro APR for balance transfers and new purchases, making it a great choice for someone who wants to save on paying down a balance.
The Citi Rewards+® Card is an OK rewards credit card for people who don’t want to pay an annual fee. Its most noteworthy feature is a longer-than-average intro APR for new purchases and balance transfers. It also has a unique roundup feature that rounds up your points to the nearest 10. As an example, if you buy a pack of gum at a drugstore for $1, you’ll earn 10 points instead of the normal 1 point per dollar spent — this makes it an especially rewarding card for small purchases.
However, the remainder of its rewards are underwhelming due to a strict limit on its bonus categories. The card’s 2X bonus on gas and supermarket purchases only applies to $6,000 in purchases per year. The majority of purchases on this card only earn 1X points.
If you’re looking for a standalone rewards card, you’ll find that there are much better no-annual-fee options, including the Citi Double Cash® Card.
Intro Purchase APR
0% intro APR for 15 months on Purchases
Regular Purchase APR
18.24% - 28.24% (Variable)
Intro BT APR
0% intro APR for 15 months on Balance Transfers
Regular BT APR
18.24% - 28.24% (Variable)
Annual Fee
$0
Cash Advance Fee
5% of each cash advance; $10 minimum
Foreign Transaction Fee
3%
Balance Transfer Fee
There is an 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)
Sign-up bonus (3 out of 5)
How large is the sign-up bonus on the Citi Rewards+® Card? The Citi Rewards+® Card starts you off with a solid one:
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
Because the card offers a 10% redemption bonus for up to 100,000 points redeemed each year, this sign-up bonus is actually worth $220, and that’s better-than-average for a no-annual-fee card. This bonus is also relatively easy to earn with a modest spending requirement. However, there are rewards credit cards with better sign-up bonuses out there.
Should you apply now? Now is a good time to apply to earn a sign-up bonus with the Citi Rewards+® Card. In the past year, the sign-up bonus has only had one modest 5,000-point increase.
| Recent offers for the Citi Rewards+ Card | |
|---|---|
| Date | Number of Points |
| July 2023 | 20,000 |
| April 2023 | 25,000 |
Earning rewards (2.8 out of 5)
How do you earn points with the Citi Rewards+® Card? While the Citi Rewards+® Card does have some bonus categories and a unique “round-up feature” that helps users earn more points on small purchases, its overall rewards rate is unimpressive. This is due to a strict spending cap on its bonus categories. You’ll Earn 2X ThankYou® Points at Supermarkets and Gas Stations for the first $6,000 per year and then 1X Points thereafter. Plus, earn 1X ThankYou® Points on All Other Purchases. Plus, as a special offer, earn a total of 5 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on CitiTravel.com through December 31, 2025.
The Citi Rewards+® Card falls short in terms of rewards potential compared to similar no-annual-fee rewards credit cards. For example, the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards for Good Credit has more bonus rewards categories with no spending cap. Further, the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card lets users transfer miles to a full list of Capital One airline and hotel transfer partners for premium travel redemptions.
Rewards earned per $1 spent*
Redeeming points (4 out of 5)
How do you redeem Citi Rewards+® Card points? The points that you earn with the Citi Rewards+® Card are very flexible. Points don’t expire, and you can redeem them for a wide variety of rewards. Your best bets when it comes to redemptions include gift cards or flights booked through Citi. And since you get a 10% redemption bonus on up to 100,000 points per year, you’ll net 1.1 cents per point on these redemptions until you hit the cap.
You can even transfer points to a few of Citi’s transfer partners, albeit at a low ratio (mostly 1,000:800 points/miles).
Unfortunately, you’ll get a low value on other redemptions, including cash back, which will only get you up to 0.6 cents per point.
| Redemption option | Example | Value per point |
|---|---|---|
| Cash back | $50 Cash Back: 10,000 points | 0.5 cent (0.55 cent with 10% bonus) |
| Gift cards | $25 Best Buy Gift Card: 2,500 points | 1 cent (1.1 cent with 10% bonus) |
| Redeem for flights | $450 fare: 45,000 points | 1 cent (1.1 cent with 10% bonus) |
| Charity donation | $25 donation: 2,500 points | 1 cent (1.1 cent with 10% bonus) |
| Shopping | $829 Apple iPad Mini: 100,000 points | 0.83 cent (0.913 cent with 10% bonus) |
| Statement credit | $10 statement credit: 2,000 points | 0.5 cent (0.55 cent with 10% bonus) |
| Amazon | $80 purchase: 10,000 points | 0.8 cent (0.88 cent with 10% bonus) |
Pairing the Citi Rewards+® Card with other Citi ThankYou cards If you pair the Citi Rewards+® Card with the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card, the Citi Custom Cash® Card and/or the Citi Double Cash® Card, you can position yourself to earn more rewards on everyday spending. Having the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card allows you to transfer points that you earn with all these cards to a larger selection of Citi ThankYou airline and hotel partners, which could dramatically increase the value of each point.
0% balance transfer APR (4.1 out of 5)
How does the balance transfer APR on the Citi Rewards+® Card compare? The Citi Rewards+® Card is an excellent choice for a balance transfer with a longer-than-average intro APR. Cardholders get a 0% intro APR for 15 months on Balance Transfers from account opening, followed by an 18.24% - 28.24% (Variable) APR.
Note that there are longer intro APR offers for balance transfers out there, but most of them come from credit cards that don’t earn rewards. That said, the Citi Double Cash® Card is a notable exception since it comes with a 0% intro APR for 18 months on Balance Transfers, followed by a 18.74% - 28.74% (Variable) APR.
Savings on a $6,000 balance transfer
| Estimated savings | |
|---|---|
| BankAmericard® credit card | $1,180 |
| U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card | $1,161 |
| Citi Double Cash® Card | $1,162 |
| Citi Rewards+® Card | $1,086 |
| Chase Freedom Unlimited® | $1,082 |
0% purchase APR (3.8 out of 5)
How does the purchase APR on the Citi Rewards+® Card compare? Cardholders also get 0% intro APR for 15 months on Purchases from account opening, followed by a 18.24% - 28.24% (Variable) APR.
While this is also a longer-than-average intro APR, you’ll find that there are many cards that offer similar intro APRs and much better rewards. As you can see from the chart below, the Citi Rewards+® Card ranks lower than these cards on overall savings once rewards are factored in:
Two-years savings (including interest savings and rewards earned)
| Estimated savings* | |
|---|---|
| Chase Freedom Flex℠ | $2,545 |
| Citi Custom Cash® Card | $2,282 |
| Discover it® Cash Back | $2,271 |
| Citi Rewards+® Card | $2,101 |
Other benefits (1 out of 5)
What other benefits does the Citi Rewards+® Card offer? While the Citi Rewards+® Card definitely has some redeeming qualities, it falls short when it comes to consumer protections and cardholder perks. This card doesn’t offer many of the benefits you’ll find with other rewards credit cards that don’t charge an annual fee. Notably, it doesn’t include purchase protection, extended warranties or travel insurance benefits.
| Credit Cards | Our Ratings | Annual Fee | Rewards Rate | Welcome Offer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Citi Rewards+® Card
 Apply Now
on Citibank's secure site Rates & Fees |
$0 | Earn 2X ThankYou® Points at Supermarkets and Gas Stations for the first $6,000 per year and then 1X Points thereafter. Plus, earn 1X ThankYou® Points on All Other Purchases. Plus, as a special offer, earn a total of 5 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on CitiTravel.com through December 31, 2025. | 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 |
Apply Now
on Citibank's secure site Rates & Fees |
|
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
Apply Now
on Capital One's secure site Rates & Fees |
$0 | 1.25 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day; 5 Miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel | Earn a bonus of 20,000 miles once you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $200 in travel |
Apply Now
on Capital One's secure site Rates & Fees |
|
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Apply Now
on Chase's secure site |
$0 | Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases | Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back. That's 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases. |
Apply Now
on Chase's secure site |
|
Citi Double Cash® Card
Apply Now
on Citibank's secure site Rates & Fees |
$0 | Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time. Plus, a special travel offer, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 12/31/25. | Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back. |
Apply Now
on Citibank's secure site Rates & Fees |
Verdict: A better option for maximizing rewardsThe Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card is a much better no-annual-fee rewards card that offers a high flat rate on every purchase. You’ll earn 1.25 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day; 5 Miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
You can redeem rewards for statement credits to cover any travel purchase, as well as for gift cards, merchandise and other flexible options. You can also transfer miles (mostly at 1:1 ratio) to Capital One’s 15-plus hotel and airline partners, for a much better return than the Citi Rewards+® Card.
Verdict: One of the most rewarding cash back cards aroundThe Chase Freedom Unlimited® is one of the most rewarding no-annual-fee cash back cards around. You’ll earn 1.5% cash back on most purchases, plus bonus rewards on travel, dining and drugstore purchases.
This card comes with a 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 15 months and a 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers for 15 months, followed by a 19.99% - 28.74% Variable APR. And on top of all that, you’ll also get a bevy of other benefits, like trip cancellation and interruption insurance, purchase protection, extended warranties and secondary auto rental coverage. All around, it’s a much more valuable option than the Citi Rewards+® Card.
Verdict: A better source of ThankYou pointsUnlike the Citi Rewards+® Card, Citi Double Cash® Card offers up to 2% cash back on every purchase, with no limits. You’ll get 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. It also comes with a longer 0% intro APR for 18 months on Balance Transfers (followed by a 18.74% - 28.74% (Variable) APR).
Like the Citi Rewards+® Card, you can pool the rewards that you earn with the Citi Double Cash® Card with the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card. It’s a superior choice if you’re trying to stack up points to transfer to outside loyalty programs.
If you want to finance a new purchase or pay down a balance with 0% interest, the Citi Rewards+® Card is worth applying for. And if you’re a fan of Citi ThankYou points, it may be a good companion to your other Citi ThankYou cards. You can rack up bonus points on small purchases due to its round-up feature. However, everyone else may find it to be a middling card that falls short on rewards.
If you’re looking for a great all-around rewards credit card, you’ll find that there are much better no-annual-fee credit cards, including the Citi Double Cash® Card.
Apply Now
The Citi Rewards+® Card requires Good / Excellent credit, so it’s more difficult to qualify for than some other rewards credit cards on the market today. If your credit score is below 670, you may want to consider credit cards for fair credit and bad credit instead.
Citi doesn’t list a minimum or maximum credit limit for this card. The credit limit you’re assigned can vary based on your credit score, your income and other factors.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by third parties such as Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as certain terms, conditions, and exclusions apply.
The information related to the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards for Good Credit, Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card, BankAmericard® credit card, U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card, Chase Freedom Flex℠ and Discover it® Cash Back has been collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication. Terms apply.
The content above is not provided by any issuer. Any opinions expressed are those of LendingTree alone and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any issuer. The offers and/or promotions mentioned above may have changed, expired, or are no longer available. Check the issuer's website for more details.
