Citi card combinations that maximize rewards

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

Other Citi credit cards, like the Citi® Double Cash Card and the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card, offer cash back rewards that can also be redeemed as ThankYou points. The Citi Double Cash card is a flat-rate cash back card that doubles your cash back when you pay off your purchases, and the Citi Custom Cash card is a bonus category cash back card that automatically rewards 5% cash back on up to $500 in purchases in your highest eligible spending category every billing cycle.

Whether you are signing up for your first Citi card or considering adding the new Citi Rewards+ to your wallet, you might actually get more value by combining two of these options. You’ll earn bonus ThankYou points in new categories and unlock additional perks. Based on your spending patterns, pairing the Citi Rewards+ with the Double Cash or Custom Cash can boost your earnings.

Which Citi cards earn ThankYou points?

If you are considering pairing another Citi card with the new Citi Rewards+, a card that earns ThankYou points can be a great way to stockpile rewards. Points are easily transferred between accounts and redeemable for gift cards, merchandise, travel purchases and more.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the new Citi Rewards+, as well as the Citi Double Cash and Citi Custom Cash – two of our favorite ThankYou point-earning cards.

	Citi Rewards+® Card	Citi® Double Cash Card	Citi Custom Cash℠ Card
Rewards rate	Limited time offer: 5 ThankYou points per dollar at restaurants in your first 12 months (up to $6,000 in purchases) 2 ThankYou points per dollar at supermarkets and gas stations (up to $6,000 in purchases per year) 1 ThankYou point per dollar on other purchases Every purchase gets rounded up to the nearest 10 ThankYou points (a $12 lunch will earn you 20 points) ** 10% points back for redeeming ThankYou points (on up to 100,000 points per year)	1% cash back on general purchases (excludes gift cards) 1% additional cash back as you pay off those purchases	5% cash back in your top eligible spending category each billing cycle (up to $500 in purchases per cycle) 1 ThankYou point per dollar on other purchases
Sign-up bonus	20,000 ThankYou points if you spend $1,500 in first 3 months	N/A	20,000 ThankYou points if you spend $1,500 in first 6 months
Annual fee	$0	$0	$0
Estimated earnings in the first year ($1,325 monthly spend)	$308	$318	$399

Why should you pair cards?

Signing up for more than one Citi credit card unlocks a slew of great benefits.

More bonus categories for a better rewards rate

All three of these cards offer unique rewards rates. The Citi Double Cash Card rewards you for on-time payments, while the Citi Rewards+ Card and the Citi Custom Cash Card give you the opportunity to earn bonus ThankYou points in different purchase categories. The Citi Rewards+ Card offers bonus ThankYou points on air travel, hotels, supermarkets and gas stations. The Citi Custom Cash Card automatically awards bonus ThankYou points in one of the following eligible categories, based on your highest spending per billing cycle: restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, select travel, select transit, select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs and live entertainment. By using each card primarily on purchases that earn more points, you boost your overall earnings.

ThankYou point redemption bonus

With the Citi Rewards+ Card card, cardholders receive a 10% ThankYou points redemption bonus on the first 100,000 points redeemed each year. This means that you get 10% of your points back every time you redeem, for a maximum of 10,000 points back per year. Unfortunately, Citi only awards this redemption bonus to points earned on the Citi Rewards+ card, not on points shared between cards — which means you won’t get any extra value from transferring your points to your Citi Rewards+ card before redeeming.

Expanded card benefits

All three of these options come with additional perks, such as Citi Entertainment® (which gives exclusive access to presale tickets and VIP events) and the ability to make shopping simple with digital wallets and contactless pay. The Citi Custom Cash also offers Mastercard ID Theft Protection, and both the Citi Custom Cash and the Citi Rewards+ give you free access to your FICO credit score.

Which Citi cards should you pair?

If you are eager to boost your rewards rate and start stockpiling ThankYou points, here are some strategic Citi card combinations based on where you spend your money.

Best combination for foodies: Citi Rewards+ and Citi Custom Cash

By pairing the Citi Rewards+ Card with the Citi Custom Cash Card, you’ll earn bonus ThankYou points on both eating in and dining out. The Citi Custom Cash boasts one of the highest rewards rates available for dining purchases – 5 ThankYou points or 5% cash back per dollar (for up to $500 in purchases per billing cycle, then 1 point per dollar). This bonus rewards rate only qualifies if dining is your highest eligible spending category that billing cycle — so keep that in mind as you plan your restaurant visits. Then, for the nights you cook for yourself, the Citi Rewards+ can snag you 2 ThankYou points per dollar at supermarkets (on up to $6,000 in purchases per year), then 1 point per dollar).

Best combination for travelers: Citi Rewards+ and Citi Custom Cash

Both the Citi Rewards + and the Citi Custom Cash are rewarding for travelers, offering bonus category rewards for travel purchases. The Citi Rewards + Card offers 5 ThankYou points per dollar at restaurants in your first 12 months (on up to $6,000 in purchases). The Citi Custom Cash card offers 5 ThankYou points or 5% cash back per dollar on restaurants, select travel and select transit purchases (on up to $500 per billing cycle on your highest spending category).

By combining the Custom Cash card with the Rewards+, you could earn 5 ThankYou points per dollar on many of your big travel expenses. Then you can use the Rewards+ to stockpile extra ThankYou points with bonuses on groceries and any small purchases. Since the Rewards+ card automatically rounds up all points earned to the nearest 10 points and offers 10% points back on up to 100,000 in points redemptions per year, you could get a lot of rewards out of your next trip.

Best combination 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 the Citi Rewards+, Citi Custom Cash and Citi Double Cash. Use your Rewards+ card for air travel and hotels (in your first year) as well as your first $6,000 in supermarket and gas station purchases annually. Pick 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, earning 1% cash back (or 1 ThankYou point) when you make the purchase and an additional 1% cash back (or 1 ThankYou point) when you pay it off.

Who can apply for a Citi rewards card?

Unlike other issuers, Citi doesn’t put any limit on the number of cards you can have open with the bank, making it easy to combine offers. It does, however, limit the frequency with which you can apply. For personal credit cards, you are limited to one application every eight days and no more than two in 65 days.

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

Bottom line

When deciding which Citi rewards card is right for you, the answer might be more than one. You’ll earn ThankYou points in more bonus categories and quickly stock up for your next gift card or statement credit.

** Citi fine print: “When you redeem your ThankYou Points, you’ll receive 10% points back for the first 100,000 ThankYou Points redeemed per calendar year. This means that if you redeem 10,000 ThankYou Points, you’ll receive 1,000 ThankYou Points from the 10% Points Back feature. You will not receive 10% Points Back on points you redeem on Points Sharing transactions.”