The Rewards Mastercard is Citi’s entry-level card linked to their flexible program – Citi Rewards.
Other cards in the Citi Rewards program line up are the higher tier Citi Premier and the featured-packed high-end Citi Prestige Card. This guide covers the earn rates and benefits of the Citi Rewards Card.
New cardholders will receive 75,000 bonus Citi reward Points after spending $5,000 or more within the first 90 days from approval and an additional 75,000 bonus Citi reward Points on the first year anniversary of your card approval date.
Digging into the details of the Citi Rewards Card
Card Details
| Card | Citi Rewards Credit Card |
| Loyalty program | Citi Rewards Program |
| Citi Rewards earn rate | 1 Citi reward Points per $1 spent on eligible purchases |
| Points cap | $10,000 on domestic spend, uncapped for international spend |
| Earns points at ATO | No |
| Overseas transaction fee | 3.4% of the converted amount |
| Mobile wallet | Apple Pay, Samsung Pay |
| Minimum income requirement | $35,000 p.a. |
Effective Frequent Flyer Program Point Earn Rates
| Frequent Flyer Program | Points earned from spend |
|---|---|
| Velocity Points | 0.4 point / $ |
| Singapore Airlines Krisflyer miles | 0.33 mile / $ |
| Emirates Skywards (ends 31 January 2023) | 0.33 mile / $ |
You will be automatically enrolled in the Citi Rewards Program once you’re approved for the Citi Rewards Card, which is a flexible credit card points program that allows you to transfer your points to various airline programs at a time of your choosing. The Citi Rewards program linked to the Rewards card has 3 frequent flyer transfer partners:
- Virgin Australia Velocity (2.5:1)
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer (3:1) and
Unlike the Citi Premier or Citi Prestige cards, the Citi Rewards Card does not allow for the option to direct earn Qantas Points through the ‘Citi Qantas Rewards’ program.
The points earn rate for all purchases is 1 Citi Rewards Point per AUD1 – which transfers at a 2.5:1 ratio to Velocity and 3:1 to KrisFlyer. This results in an effective earn rate of 0.4 per dollar for Velocity Points and 0.33 miles per dollar for KrisFlyer.
Citi Rewards cardholders have a points cap of $10,000 on purchases within Australia per statement period, but no capping for international spend.
International spend incurs a 3.4% international transaction fee, with no points being earned on the fee.
Features of the Citi Rewards Card
The minimum number of Citi Rewards Points required to make a transfer varies depending on the partner program, and are as follows:
- Velocity Frequent Flyer – Minimum 2,000 points in 1 point increments
- Singapore KrisFlyer – Minimum 20,000 points in 1 point increments
- Emirates Skywards – Minimum 15,000 points in 1 point increments
Any balance less than the minimum is ineligible to be transferred to frequent flyer programs until the minimum threshold is reached.
The card offers benefits in addition to reward points, including complimentary insurances, free wine when you dine at selected restaurants and a personal concierge. Further information on these benefits can be found here.
Apple Pay & Samsung Pay Support
Citi cards supports Apple Pay & Samsung Pay, meaning you can use this card on your smartphone for easier payments. Unfortunately, Google Pay is currently not supported.
Citi Payall
You can now earn uncapped Citi reward Points on larger everyday expenses such as rent, taxes, education fees, property management fees, childcare and miscellaneous bills with Citi Payall. Offers are subject to eligibility and are only available if your account is in good standing.
Summing up
The key benefit of the Citi Rewards Card is the flexibility of the Citi Rewards program, which allows you to transfer reward points to your frequent flyer program of choice at a time that best suits your travel needs, or to take advantage of special offers like the bi-annual Velocity transfer bonus offers.
The card is best suited to travelers who do not want to be locked into any particular airline. While the choice of airlines in the Citi Rewards program linked to the Rewards Card is quite limited, it does cover high quality premium airlines that are very active in the Australian market.
It will also suit those who might not be eligible for more premium cards with higher income requirements who are looking for a card that still offer some ‘premium’ features, such as complimentary insurances and concierge.
Remember though that if you decide to take the current Balance Transfer offer, you will not be able to take advantage of interest-free days on your retail purchases.
Editorial Note: Opinions expressed on this guide are the author’s alone and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by Citi.
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