Citi Rewards Credit Card Lets You Accumulate Points for Miles, Cash Rebates and More—MoneySmart Review 2024

If you shop a lot, buy groceries for the whole family, dine out often and take rides everywhere, the Citi Rewards Credit Card may be the most worth it for you. 

Its main draw is points accumulation which can be converted into frequent flyer miles or cash rebates. It offers 10X rewards points or $1 for 4 miles for online purchases across several categories such as online groceries, food delivery, ride-hailing, and offline purchases in department stores and several fashion brands. 

Let’s dig in to see what else this card offers.

Citi Rewards Credit Card—MoneySmart Review 2024

1. Citi Rewards Card: Summary
2. Citi Rewards Card—How does it work?
3. Should I get the Citi Rewards Card?
4. Citi Rewards Card—Sign-up promo
5. Alternatives to the Citi Rewards Card

Citi Rewards Card—Is it MoneySmart?
Overall: ★★★☆☆ (3.5/5) Best for: Those who need to buy everything for the household including groceries, clothing, and sportswear. It’s good for those who often order food delivery and take ride shares.
Pros—What we like			Cons—What we don’t like
Lets you earn 10X points on certain categories Able to earn 1X point on all other purchases  Minimal effort card Points can be redeemed for cash rebates			Spending on travel not eligible for cashback  Bonus Points are subject to a cap of 9,000 per statement per month
Citi Rewards Card
Category		Our rating		The deets
Earn rates: Cashback		★★★★☆		10X Points for online purchases (for online grocery, food delivery, ride-hailing and more). 10X Points for shopping purchases (for department store, clothing stores and more) 1X Point for all other purchases Exclusions: mobile wallet and travel-related transactions
Earn categories		★★★★☆
Annual fees and charges		★★★★☆		$196.20 3.25% foreign currency transaction fee
Accessibility		★★★☆☆		Be at least 18 years old $30,000 for Singaporean/PR; $42,000 for foreigners
Extras/periphery rewards		★★★☆☆		Up to 14% savings at Esso or Shell Free travel insurance Access to dining deals on Citi World Privileges
Sign-up bonus		★★★☆☆		Receive 40,000 bonus Citi ThankYouSM Points with a minimum spend of S$800 in the first 2 months

See our credit card ranking rubric to find out how we rank credit cards.

Citi Rewards Card: Summary

The Citi Rewards Card by Citibank has been around for quite a few years and is one of the bank’s main cards for those who wish to rack up points in the Citi Rewards Programme.

The card lets you earn Citi Rewards points (which can also be exchanged for miles) when you shop online and offline, take Grab or Gojek rides or spend on online food or grocery delivery.

The Citi Rewards Card is a reliable option for building points within Citi’s Rewards Programme. It lets you earn points, which can be converted to miles on all sorts of purchases including—online shopping, offline sprees, Grab/Gojek rides, and even online food and grocery deliveries. Swipe it for everyday spending and watch those points pile up—pretty satisfying.

Citi Rewards Card—How does it work? 

The Citi Rewards Card offers rewards points when you spend with a base earn rate of: 1X point per $1 spent. You can earn up to 10X points (equivalent to 4 miles) for spending on certain items. 

Here’s what you can spend on to get that sweet, sweet 10X point earn rate:

1. Online purchases, including: 

• Groceries (e.g. NTUC FairPrice, Cold Storage, Redmart)
• Food delivery (e.g. Deliveroo, Foodpanda)
• Ride hailing (e.g. Grab, Gojek)

1. Offline in-store purchases

• Department stores 
• Men’s, women’s and children’s clothing stores 
• Sports and riding apparel stores
• Shoe stores
• Miscellaneous apparel and accessory shops
• Luggage and leather goods stores

The 10X Rewards comprise:

• 1X base point for every $1 spent 
• 9X bonus points for every $1 spent 

Here’s an example: 

Category	Points eligible	Amount spent (S$)	Base points earned	Bonus points earned
Department Stores	10X	800.99	800 x 1 = 800	800 x 9 = 7,200
Shoe stores	10X	550.24	550 x 1 = 550	550 x 9 = 4,950
Total			1,350	9,000*

 Bonus points are capped at 9,000 per statement month, so that’s the maximum amount you’ll get even though 7,200 + 4,950 = 12,150. 

However, with the base and bonus points, you’ll earn a total of 10,350 points. 

For any spending that does not qualify for the 10X rewards points, you receive the base earn rate of 1X reward point for every $1 spent.

Unfortunately, mobile wallet and travel-related transactions do not earn 10X points. This includes airlines, car rental agencies, travel accommodations, passenger transport and railways, cruises, travel agencies, and other travel-related purchases. So if you’re thinking of racking up points on big-ticket travel purchases, you’re out of luck.

Another benefit is free travel insurance when you buy and pay for your airfare with the Citi Rewards Card.

The card also gives you discounts—up to 14%—at Esso and Shell: 

• 5% Esso station discount + 5% Esso Smiles discount + 4% Citi Card discount 
• 5% Shell site discount + 5% Shell GO+ discount + 4% Citi Card discount = Total of 14% savings effectively

Most types of spending should be eligible for at least the 1X point earn rate, but there are some categories in which you cannot earn any points, according to the terms and conditions. They are:

• annual fees, interest charges, late payment charges, GST, cash advances, installment/easy/extended/equal payment plans, preferred payment plans, balance transfers, cash advances, quasi-cash transactions, fees and charges
• funds transfers using the card
• Bill payment
• educational institutions
• payments to government institutions and services including fines, taxes, postal services, parking
• insurance
• financial institutions
• non-profit organisations
• betting or gambling
• top-ups to payment service providers, prepaid cards or prepaid accounts
• transit-related transactions

	Citi Rewards Card
Annual Fee	$196.20
Annual Fee Waiver	Available
Supplementary Card Annual Fee	$98.10 (waived for first year)
Interest Free Period	25 days
Annual Interest Rate	27.9%
Late Payment Fee	Determined by Citibank
Minimum Monthly Repayment	1% plus 1% of any outstanding unbilled installment amounts plus interest charges plus late payment charge or S$50, whichever is higher
Foreign Currency Transaction Fee	3.25%
Cash Advance Transaction Fee	8% or $15, whichever is higher
Overlimit Fee	$40
Minimum Income	$30,000 (Singaporean/PR) / $42,000 (non-Singaporean)
Card Association	Mastercard
Contactless Payment	MasterCard PayPass, Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, Google Pay, Citi Pay

Should I get the Citi Rewards Card?

So scoring those sweet 10X points sounds pretty awesome, especially if you’re the type who’s always grabbing new threads, hopping into cabs, or feasting at home. This card’s a real winner for those who constantly find themselves picking up the tab for the fam—whether you’re ordering in during movie nights or when you’re organising those Lululemon hauls with your yoga crew.

Your points can then be converted to miles (10X points = 4 miles), or redeem them for vouchers, products or cash rebates. Check out Citibank’s website to find out the whole range of redemptions available.

But here’s the deal: to max out at 9X bonus points, you have to stick to spending no more than $1,000 per month on the statement. Anything over, and you’re missing out on extra rewards. If you’re regularly hitting that limit and then some, it might be worth looking into adding another card to your wallet for even more goodies. That might sound a little troublesome for the lazy folks who want to go all in for a single card.

Now, onto the not-so-great part: this card doesn’t give you any points for your travel expenses. Yeah, that’s kind of a bummer if you’re a globe-trotter. If you’re all about those travel adventures, it might be time to find a card that’s got your back no matter where you roam.

Citi Rewards Card sign-up promo

Sign up for the Citi Rewards Card and get a welcome gift of 40,000 bonus Citi ThankYou Points when you spend $800 in the first 2 months.

If you sign up on MoneySmart’s website, you also get exclusive MoneySmart promotions not available elsewhere. Check back for new promos as they are subject to change. 

Alternatives to the Citi Rewards Card

If you’re still not too sure about the Citi Rewards Card, here are a couple of alternatives to consider:  

HSBC Revolution Card 

• 10X rewards points (equivalent to 4 air miles or 2.5% Cashback) for every S$1 spent online or via contactless payments
• 1X reward point for every $1 spent on all other categories

Standard Chartered Rewards+ Credit Card

• 10X rewards points (equivalent to 4 air miles) for every S$1 spent in foreign currency
• 5X rewards points for every S$1 spent locally
• 1X reward point for every $1 spent on all other categories

It all depends on your spending habits and what types of categories you are most likely to spend on, so you can use the right card to get the most number of points. 

However, if you are more interested in the points to be converted to miles, it may be more worth it getting an air miles credit card with a good earn rate. Plus, many also offer pretty good welcome bonuses! 

What is your favourite credit card sign-up promotion? Share your recommendations in the comments!