Best Citi® Rewards Credit Cards
Credit cards from Citi, an advertising partner, come in all shapes and sizes. If you’re looking for a rewards credit card, for example, Citi offers four specific cards that offer a wide range of benefits. Citi’s proprietary rewards program, ThankYou Rewards, has its own dedicated rewards card, and those looking for cash back, bonus categories or large sign-up bonuses will find cards meeting their needs. Here’s a look at the four primary Citi rewards credit cards, along with a quick review of their APRs and best features.
Best for: High spending in one category
If you’re looking to maximize your cash back in your highest-spending category, the Citi Custom Cash Card is your best option.
While providing a decent unlimited 1% cash back on all spending categories at all times, the card provides a rotating kicker of 5% cash back on whatever you spend the most on in a given month, up to the first $500 spent. For example, one month you might spend the most money on groceries, while the following month you end up spending more at big-box retail stores. Whatever you end up spending the most money on, the card will reward you with 5% cash back, up to the first $500 you spend per billing cycle. All other purchases earn 1% cash back.
The card comes with a 15-month, 0% intro APR period that applies to purchases and balance transfers. After that, the card comes with an APR.
In terms of a sign-up bonus, the Citi Custom Cash Card is fairly generous, offering a $200 cash bonus after you spend $1,500 within the first six months after account opening. Best of all, this card has no annual fee.
Best for: Overall rewards
If you’re looking to go all out with credit card rewards, the Citi Premier Card is the right call for you. Right off the bat, you can earn a huge sign-up bonus of 60,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first three months, which can give you the equivalent of $600 in gift cards.
But the rewards really pile up after that, as the card pays an ongoing, generous three times the points in a number of popular categories, from restaurants and supermarkets to gas stations and travel.
For those who like to travel and spend on their credit cards, the Citi Premier Card offers the perfect match of big rewards for everyday spending. However, this card has a annual fee. Additionally, there’s no introductory APR at this time. Instead, the card carries a APR from account opening.
Best for: ThankYou Points
Some customers prefer earning ThankYou Points rather than simple generic rewards. For those types of users, the Citi Rewards+ Card is the answer.
This card offers 2x ThankYou Points at supermarkets and gas stations, up to $6,000 per year, in addition to 1 point per dollar spent everywhere else. Plus, for a limited time, you can earn 5 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals, and attractions booked on the Citi Travel℠ Portal. Offer ends June 30, 2024.
This card features a 0% introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers, which changes to a APR after 15 months. A sign-up bonus convertible into $200 in gift cards is available for those who spend $1,500 in the first three months of card ownership and can be redeemed at thankyou.com. Plus, this card has no annual fee.
Best for: Overall cash back
If all you’re looking for is general cash back with no annual fee, then the Citi Double Cash Card might be the best option. The rewards structure of this card is simple: You’ll earn 1% cash back when you spend on the card, and you’ll earn an additional 1% cash back when you pay your bill.
As responsible credit card ownership requires paying off your bill, this card effectively provides users with a stellar 2% cash back on everything. You won’t have to keep track of rotating categories or try to tailor your spending, which can be time-consuming and aggravating. Simply put all of your purchases on the card and you’ll end up earning 2% cash back on everything. 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 and earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening.
If you’re looking to transfer a balance, this can also be a valuable card, as it offers a 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months, followed by an APR.
Which Citi Rewards Card Is Best for You?
Citi offers a wide range of rewards cards, meaning you can likely find one that matches your own spending patterns. While you shouldn’t ever spend more money than you normally do simply to earn a reward, if you’re already putting most of your credit card spend on groceries, for example, you might want to pick the Citi card that rewards grocery spending the most.
Although it can be tempting to go right for the Citi Premier Card, as it offers the widest range of benefits, make sure that you consider all the costs of having the card, from the annual fee to the APR it charges on outstanding balances. As with any credit card, you’ll want to find the card that doesn’t just provide the most benefits overall, but the one that provides you personally with the highest benefit-to-cost ratio.
Cynthia Measom contributed to the reporting for this article.
Rates are subject to change; unless otherwise noted, rates are updated periodically. All other information on accounts is accurate as of Jan. 19, 2023.
Methodology: GOBankingRates identified the best rewards credit cards by analyzing the following factors: (1) annual fees; (2) APR for purchases; (3) promotional APR; (4) sign-up bonuses; (5) rewards and features. All fees and rates are subject to change at the credit card issuers’ discretion. Some bonus offers may or might no longer be available on the credit card issuers’ websites, depending on how one accesses the webpage. Data was sourced from each financial institution’s website or promotional material on Jan. 19, 2023. Please verify terms and conditions before opening an account.
Editorial Note: This content is not provided by any entity covered in this article. Any opinions, analyses, reviews, ratings or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author alone and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any entity named in this article.
