Citi card combinations that maximize rewards

With the launch of the new Citi Rewards+® card, Citi is offering a great new option for cardholders looking for a better rewards credit card that earns points for everyday purchases. But how do you know which Citi card is right for you?

Other Citi credit cards, such as the Citi® Double Cash Card and Citi Custom Cash℠ Card, offer cash rewards that can also be redeemed for ThankYou points. The Citi Double Cash Card is a fixed rate cash back card that doubles your cash back on purchases, while the Citi Custom Cash Card is a cash back card in the bonus tier that automatically gives you 5% cash back up to $500. purchases in your highest eligible spending category in each billing cycle.

Whether you’re signing up for your first Citi card, or planning to add the new Citi Rewards+ program to your wallet, you can benefit greatly by combining the two. You’ll earn bonus Thank You Points in new categories and unlock extra perks. Depending on your spending patterns, combining Citi Rewards+ with Double Cash or Custom Cash can increase your earnings.

Which Citi cards earn ThankYou points?

If you are considering linking another Citi card to the new Citi Rewards+ program, a ThankYou Points card can be a great way to earn rewards. Points can be easily transferred between accounts and redeemed for gift cards, merchandise, travel purchases and more.

Here’s a quick look at the new Citi Rewards+ program, as well as Citi Double Cash and Citi Custom Cash, two of our favorite ThankYou points-earning cards.

	Citi Rewards+® Card	Citi® Dual Cash Card	Citi Custom Cash℠ Card
Interest rate	Limited Time Offer: 5 ThankYou Points per dollar spent on flights and hotels for the first 12 months (up to $6,000 on purchases). 2 ThankYou points for every dollar at supermarkets and gas stations (up to $6,000 in purchases per year) 1 ThankYou point per dollar on other purchases Each purchase rounds up to the nearest 10 ThankYou Points (a $12 lunch will earn you 20 ThankYou Points). ** 10% points back for using ThankYou points (up to 100,000 points per year)	1% cashback on regular purchases (excluding gift cards) 1% extra cashback on these purchases	5% cash back on your highest spending category per billing cycle (up to $500 on purchases per cycle) 1 ThankYou point per dollar on other purchases
Bonus for registration	20,000 ThankYou points if you spend $1500 in the first 3 months	N/A	20,000 ThankYou points if you spend $750 in the first 3 months
Annual fee	$0	$0	$0
Estimated first year income ($1,325 per month)	$308	$318	$399

Why do you need pair cards?

Registering more than one Citi credit card offers many great benefits.

More bonus categories for better reward rate

All three of these cards offer unique reward rates. The Citi Double Cash Card rewards you for making payments on time, while the Citi Rewards+ and Citi Custom Cash Card give you the opportunity to earn ThankYou Points across a variety of purchase categories. The Citi Rewards+ Card offers ThankYou Points at flights, hotels, supermarkets and gas stations. The Citi Custom Cash Card automatically awards Thank You Points in one of the following eligible categories based on your highest billing cycle spending: Restaurants, Gas Stations, Grocery Stores, Some Trips, Some Public Transportation Services, Some Streaming Services, Pharmacies, home goods stores. , fitness clubs and entertainment programs. By using each card first for purchases that earn more points, you increase your overall income.

ThankYou Points Exchange Bonus

With the Citi Rewards+ Card, cardholders receive a 10% bonus on ThankYou Points redemption for the first 100,000 points redeemed each year. This means you get 10% of your points back every time you use them, up to a maximum of 10,000 points per year. Unfortunately, Citi only awards this redemption bonus to points earned on a Citi Rewards+ card, not to points shared between cards. This means that you will not receive any additional value from transferring points to a Citi Rewards+ card before redemption.

Extended Card Benefits

All three options include additional perks such as Citi Entertainment® (which gives you exclusive access to pre-sale tickets and VIP events) and the ability to make shopping easier with digital wallets and contactless payment. Citi Custom Cash also offers Mastercard ID theft protection, while Citi Custom Cash and Citi Rewards+ give you free access to your FICO credit score.

Which Citi cards should be linked?

If you want to increase your reward levels and start accumulating ThankYou Points, here are some strategic Citi card combinations depending on where you spend your money.

Best Gourmet Combination: Citi Rewards+ and Citi Custom Cash

By pairing your Citi Rewards+ card with your Citi Custom Cash Card, you’ll earn ThankYou Bonus Points for both in- and out-of-restaurant dining. Citi Custom Cash boasts one of the highest reward rates for restaurant purchases – 5 ThankYou points or 5% cashback per dollar (on purchases up to $500 per billing cycle, then 1 point per dollar). This bonus rate is only appropriate if food is your highest eligible expense category in this billing cycle, so keep that in mind when planning your restaurant visit. Then for the evenings you cook for yourself, Citi Rewards+ can earn you 2 ThankYou points per dollar in supermarkets (on purchases up to $6,000 per year) and then 1 ThankYou point per dollar).

Traveler’s Best Combination: Citi Rewards+ and Citi Custom Cash

Both Citi Rewards+ and Citi Custom Cash reward travelers by offering bonus tiers for on-the-go purchases. The Citi Rewards+ Card offers 5 ThankYou points per dollar on flights and hotels for the first 12 months (on purchases up to $6,000). The Citi Custom Cash Card offers 5 ThankYou points or 5% cashback per dollar at restaurants, select trips and select transportation purchases (up to $500 per billing cycle in the highest spend category).

By combining a Custom Cash card with a Rewards+ card, you can earn 5 ThankYou points for every dollar spent on many of your major travel expenses. You can then use Rewards+ to earn extra ThankYou Points on products and any small purchases. Because the Rewards+ card automatically rounds all points earned to the nearest 10 points and offers a 10% refund on up to 100,000 points per year, you can earn a lot of rewards on your next trip.

Best combo for everyday spending: Citi Rewards+, Citi Custom Cash, Citi Double Cash

If you really want to get the most out of your Citi credit cards, try combining Citi Rewards+, Citi Custom Cash and Citi Double Cash. Use your Rewards+ card for flights and hotels (first year) and your first $6,000 for shopping at supermarkets and gas stations annually. Choose your favorite custom cash bonus category and spend at least $500 per billing cycle to take advantage of the 5% cash back bonus. Use your Double Cash card for all other purchases and receive a 1% refund (or 1 ThankYou point) when you make a purchase and an additional 1% refund (or 1 ThankYou point) when you pay.

Who can apply for a Citi Premium Card?

Unlike other issuers, Citi does not limit the number of cards you can open at the bank, making it easy to combine offers. However, this limits the frequency of applications. For personal credit cards, you are limited to one application every eight days and no more than two in 65 days.

We recommend applicants for Citi Rewards+, Citi Double Cash and Citi Custom Cash have a good to excellent credit history (FICO credit score between 670 and 850). If your credit score isn’t quite there yet, we have a guide to help you get a loan quickly.

bottom line

When deciding which Citi bonus card is right for you, there can be several answers. You’ll earn ThankYou points in other reward tiers and quickly build up funds for your next gift card or credit statement.

** Citi Fine Print: “When you use Thank You points, you get 10% back on the first 100,000 Thank You points used in a calendar year. This means that if you use 10,000 Thank You Points, you will receive 1,000 Thank You Points as part of the 10% Points Refund feature. You will not receive a 10% refund on points that you have used in Points Exchange transactions.”

Nicole Dicker is a freelance writer specializing in personal finance and habit formation. She spent five years as a writer and editor on The Billfold, a personal finance site where people talk candidly about money, and she regularly teaches classes on how to increase your income as a freelancer.