Citi Rewards+ Card Review 2026

Quick answer

The Citi Rewards+ Card is the only credit card that rounds up every purchase to the nearest 10 ThankYou points — making it a powerful complement to other Citi cards. With a $0 annual fee, 5x at supermarkets and gas stations (on first $6,000/year), and a unique 10% points back feature on the first 100,000 redemptions annually, Rewards+ punches above its weight for a no-fee card. Alone, it's a decent grocery card. Paired with the Citi Strata Premier, it becomes a points-multiplying engine.

TL;DR: The Citi Rewards+ Card earns 5x ThankYou points at supermarkets and gas stations (on first $6,000 combined per year), 1x elsewhere with rounding up to nearest 10 points on every purchase. Annual fee: $0. Welcome bonus: typically 20,000 ThankYou points after $1,500 in 3 months. Key feature: 10% back on the first 100,000 points redeemed annually (effectively 10% discount on all redemptions).

At a glance

The rounding feature explained

Every purchase rounds up to the nearest 10 ThankYou points. This means:

• A $0.50 coffee earns 10 points (instead of 0)
• A $3.20 lunch earns 10 points (instead of 3)
• A $14.50 gas fill-up earns 20 points (instead of 14, rounded from 14 to 20 — BUT at 5x gas this would be 73 points, rounded to 80)
• A $1 purchase at 1x = 10 points minimum (effectively 10x for very small purchases)

For small, frequent purchases — coffee, vending machines, parking meters — the rounding dramatically improves effective earn rates.

5x on supermarkets and gas stations

The 5x rate at supermarkets and gas stations (combined cap of $6,000/year) is the same as cards charging $95+ annual fees. The cap means:

• $500/month on groceries/gas = you hit the $6,000 cap in 12 months (spend exactly to the cap)
• $300/month on groceries + $200/month gas = $500/month, perfect utilization
• After the $6,000 cap, these categories drop to 1x

Annual value at the cap: 5x × $6,000 = 30,000 TY points. At 1 cent/point, that's $300 in value — or up to $600 in airline transfers if you have the Strata Premier.

10% points back feature

When you redeem ThankYou points through the Citi portal, you get 10% back — up to 10,000 bonus points per year (based on first 100,000 redeemed). This is essentially a 10% discount on every redemption.

Example: You redeem 50,000 TY points for a flight. You get 5,000 points back. Effectively, that flight cost you 45,000 net points.

This feature is most valuable for moderate redeemers (50,000–100,000 points/year). Heavy redeemers may exceed the 100,000 threshold.

Combining with Citi Strata Premier

The Rewards+ earns transferable ThankYou points only when you hold a premium TY card (Strata Premier or former Prestige). Without a premium card, Rewards+ points can only be used for gift cards, cash back, or the Citi portal — NOT transferred to airline partners.

With Strata Premier: Rewards+ becomes a transfer points earner that feeds into the Citi ThankYou program.

The recommended combo in the Citi Trifecta:

• Strata Premier: 3x flights, hotels, dining, groceries, gas, EV (main travel card)
• Custom Cash: 5x on your top category (dedicated category booster)
• Double Cash: 2x on everything (catch-all)
• Rewards+: Adds 5x grocery/gas cap + 10% points back on redemptions

Most Citi Trifecta users don't need Rewards+ because the Strata Premier already covers groceries at 3x and gas at 3x — see the Citi Double Cash review for how the catch-all card fits in. Rewards+ is useful if you max out the Custom Cash's $500/month cap and want additional 5x on a second gas/grocery purchase.

Welcome bonus value

20,000 TY points after $1,500 in 3 months is solid for a no-fee card. Value:

• Cash/statement credit: $200 (1 cent/point)
• With Strata Premier transfer: $200–$400 in airline miles
• Effective spend requirement: $500/month (very achievable)

Who benefits most from Rewards+

Good candidate:

• Already has Citi Strata Premier and wants to maximize the TY ecosystem
• Makes many small purchases where rounding adds up
• Has grocery + gas spend that exceeds the Custom Cash $500/month cap
• Wants the 10% points back on redemptions

Not the right card if:

• You don't have a premium TY card — points won't transfer to airlines
• You want a simple setup — three Citi cards is already complex
• You prefer Chase or Amex ecosystems

Rewards+ vs Custom Cash for groceries/gas

For most users, the Citi Custom Cash review shows it's the better starting point because:

1. You choose the category (can be groceries OR gas depending on your month)
2. Same $500 monthly cap as effective Rewards+ use
3. Simpler

Rewards+ makes sense as an addition to Custom Cash if you exceed the $500/month cap in groceries or gas.

Bottom line

The Citi Rewards+ is a niche card that shines as a portfolio complement rather than a standalone — and it's one of the best no-annual-fee Citi cards for ecosystem maximizers. The 10% points back feature is genuinely unique and valuable. The rounding benefit rewards frequent small purchases. For Citi TY ecosystem maximizers with the Strata Premier, it's worth adding. Some Strata Premier holders also consider the downgrade path from Strata Premier to Rewards+ when reassessing their annual fees. For everyone else, the Custom Cash is a better starting point for the 5x earn.