Citi Rewards+

The Citi Rewards+ Card was one of those cards that sounded gimmicky until you actually ran the numbers. Its trick: round-up rewards that bumped every purchase to the nearest 10 ThankYou points, plus 10% points back on redemptions (the first 100,000 points a year). A $1.50 coffee earned 10 points instead of 1. Redeeming 10,000 points got you 1,000 back. It was like the card had a built-in loyalty bonus on top of your loyalty bonus.

Important note: As of July 2025, all Citi Rewards+ cards have been converted to the Citi Strata Card. If you opened your Rewards+ between July 20, 2024 and July 19, 2025, you kept the round-up and 10% points back features until July 19, 2026 — and that window has now closed, so no former Rewards+ account earns round-ups or the 10% rebate anymore. This page is a look back at how the Rewards+ worked; if you're shopping today, its successor is the Citi Strata Card (3x at supermarkets, gas/EV charging, select transit and one category you pick; 2x at restaurants).

• Round-up rewards — every purchase rounded up to the nearest 10 ThankYou points. A $3 coffee earned 10 points instead of 3. A $7 lunch earned 10 instead of 7. The smaller and more frequent your purchases, the more this feature shone — until it ended along with the 10% points back.
• 10% points back when you redeemed ThankYou points, on the first 100,000 points each year (so up to 10,000 points back). It was essentially a 10% discount on everything you redeemed — until Citi retired it along with the card.
• 2x ThankYou points at U.S. supermarkets and gas stations
• 1x ThankYou point on all other purchases
• $0 annual fee — free to hold.
• Transfer partners at a discount: On its own, the no-fee Strata (what every Rewards+ became) can transfer to most of Citi's airline and hotel partners, but at reduced ratios — most airlines at 10:7, so 1,000 points become 700 miles. Pair with a Strata Premier or Strata Elite to unlock full-value ratios (1:1 on nearly every airline) across all 20 partners — 15 airlines and 5 hotel programs, including American AAdvantage.
• Citi Entertainment — access to presale tickets and VIP experiences.

No annual fee means it costs nothing to keep in your wallet. The 3% foreign transaction fee is a deal-breaker for international use though — leave this one at home when you travel abroad.

The Citi Rewards+ previously offered 20,000 bonus ThankYou points after spending $1,500 in purchases within the first 3 months — worth $200 in gift cards or statement credits, or potentially more through transfer partners.

Since the card has transitioned to the Citi Strata, new applicants should look at the Citi Strata Card, which offers a similar 20,000-point welcome bonus with a lower $1,000 spend requirement. Heads up: as of September 2026, Citi's terms say the Strata bonus isn't available if you currently have or previously had a Citi Strata (or Citi Strata Student) account — and since every Rewards+ was converted into a Strata, an old Rewards+ may well count against you. Citi's bonus rules are strict — plan accordingly.

On paper, these rates are nothing special. But the round-up feature was where the magic happened on small purchases. That $3 coffee? 10 points — effectively a 3.3x rate. A $1 pack of gum? Still 10 points — a 10x rate. The more small purchases you made, the more the math tilted in your favor. The card rewarded frequency over transaction size, which made it the perfect companion for a daily coffee habit — until the round-up ended (July 19, 2026 for the last holdover accounts).

ThankYou points earned with the Rewards+/Strata can be put to work in a few ways:

• Statement credits — 1 cent per point. Simple.
• Gift cards — select retailers at 1 cent per point.
• Shop with points at Amazon and other participating retailers.
• Transfer to partners — and this is the big one. When paired with an eligible Citi card (Strata Premier, Strata Elite, or legacy Premier/Prestige), you unlock full-value transfers to partners like JetBlue, Singapore Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Turkish Airlines, and more. On its own, the no-fee card transfers at a reduced ratio (mostly 10:7).

The 10% points back on redemptions was the card's secret weapon. Redeem 10,000 points, get 1,000 back. Every redemption (on your first 100,000 points a year) was effectively worth 10% more. No other card did this — and after July 19, 2026, not even this one does.

Let's be upfront: the Rewards+ / Strata base card is not a travel card. No credits, no lounge access, no premium insurance. Here's what you do get:

• Citi Entertainment — presale access to concerts, sports, dining, and other events. Nice for snagging tickets before the general public.
• Citi ThankYou travel portal — book flights, hotels, and car rentals at 1 cent per point.
• Transfer partners (reduced ratios on its own, mostly 10:7; full value when paired with a Strata Premier or Elite) — this is how your ThankYou points become airline miles worth significantly more than 1 cent each.

With a 3% foreign transaction fee and no travel insurance, keep this card domestic. It's built for everyday spending at supermarkets, gas stations, and coffee shops — not for globetrotting. Pair it with a travel card that handles the international stuff.

Here's the honest truth: the Rewards+ earning rates lose to basically every competitor listed here. The Autograph does 3x across six categories with standalone transfer access. The Freedom Unlimited does 3x on dining and drugstores. The SavorOne does 3x on dining, entertainment, and groceries. Where the Rewards+ carved out its niche was the round-up trick and the 10% points back — features nobody else offered, and both are now gone for good. They worked best as accelerators within a Citi card strategy, not as your only card.

Back when it was open (and before the round-ups and 10% back ended), the Rewards+ was best for:

• Frequent small-purchase buyers — if your day involves coffee, transit taps, convenience store runs, and quick bites, the round-up feature turned micro-purchases into surprisingly efficient point earners.
• Citi ecosystem builders who already have (or plan to get) a Strata Premier or Elite for full-value transfer partner access. The Rewards+ was the perfect wingman card.
• Grocery and gas spenders who want 2x at supermarkets and gas stations without paying an annual fee.
• Points poolers who want to combine ThankYou points across multiple Citi cards for bigger redemptions.

Not the right fit for: people who want strong earning rates across many categories (the Autograph's 3x on six categories is objectively better), international travelers (3% FTF is a non-starter), or anyone who doesn't want to pair this with a premium Citi card to unlock full-value transfers. As a solo card, there are stronger options. As part of a Citi strategy, it was a clever little earner.