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It’s at all times excellent news when bank card issuers concoct new merchandise to assist us all earn extra miles and factors.
Citi has introduced their latest addition to the Citi ThankYou points-earning household of playing cards: The Citi Customized Money℠ Card. And whereas the identify sounds fairly uninteresting, the cardboard truly gives a really, very straightforward path to incomes two round-trip tickets to Hawaii yearly (I’ll clarify close to the top of the put up). Fairly nice for a no-annual-fee bank card!
I’ll present you the way this card can match into your free journey technique.
What you should know concerning the Citi Customized Money
Earlier than we speak concerning the Citi Customized Money advantages, there’s one majorly vital element you should know: Citi markets this card as a “money again” card, but it surely’s not. It earns Citi ThankYou factors, which will be redeemed for money at a worth of 1 cent every.
You’re very welcome to redeem your factors for money, but when you understand the very best methods to make use of Citi ThankYou factors, you will get exponentially extra worth per level that simply 1 cent. I’ll present you under.
Key advantages
Welcome bonus
The Citi Customized Money℠ Card gives a modest $200 in money again (20,000 Citi ThankYou factors) after spending $750 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.
Once more, for those who strategically switch your factors to airways, this bonus could possibly be value rather more than $200. We estimate you’ll get a median Citi ThankYou factors worth of 1.7 cents whenever you convert your factors into airline miles, that means you may count on a worth of $340 in flights from this bonus.
Incomes price
The cardboard’s greatest promoting level is its ongoing incomes potential. You’ll earn 5% money again on purchases in your prime eligible spending class every billing cycle, as much as the primary $500 spent. After that, you’ll get 1% money again. You’ll additionally earn limitless 1% money again on all different purchases. The eligible bonus classes are:
- Eating places
- Fuel stations
- Grocery shops
- Choose journey*
- Choose transit**
- Choose streaming providers***
- Drugstores
- House enchancment shops
- Health golf equipment
- Stay leisure
*Choose journey is outlined as airways, inns, cruise strains and journey businesses
**Choose transit is outlined as automotive leases, ferries, commuter railways, subways, taxis/limousines/automotive providers, passenger railways, bridge and street tolls, parking tons/garages, bus strains and motor dwelling and leisure car leases.
***Choose streaming providers are outlined as cable, satellite tv for pc and streaming suppliers resembling Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Music, Apple Music, CBS All Entry, Disney+, AT&T TV NOW, ESPN+, fuboTV, HBO Max, NBA League Cross, Netflix, Pandora, Showtime, Sling TV, Spotify, Starz, SiriusXM, Vudu, YouTube Purple, YouTube TV and Tidal
That may be a HEALTHY record of bonus classes. And it’s very cool that the cardboard identifies your class with the very best spend and offers you a bonus for it. 5% again is excellent for a no annual price card (just like the Chase Freedom Flex℠). Nonetheless, there are two less-than good points to this card’s incomes price:
- You’re capped at 2,500 bonus factors every billing cycle
- All different spending yields a 1% return, which is pitiful — so that you’ll wish to solely use this card for $500 in spending every billing cycle (in one of many above classes)
Citi particularly states that they may solely situation one Citi Customized Money account per individual — so you may’t maintain multiple to artificially enhance your bonus cap. Nonetheless, your associate or journey buddy can actually open one, too, which can assist the each of you journey extra.
Be aware: You qualify for the bonus solely if in case you have not obtained a bonus provide for opening a brand new Citi Customized Money Card up to now 48 months. That’s not a related element now, for the reason that card is spanking new, but it surely’s one thing to remember for the longer term.
Use your factors for journey — not money again!
When you’ve got both a Citi Premier® Card or Citi Status® Card, you may convert your factors into airline miles as a substitute of money again! I’ve personally bought each of those playing cards, as they serve completely different functions in my free journey technique.
Whereas there are a number of nice Citi ThankYou switch companions (Avianca, Flying Blue, Singapore Airways), the largest win is Turkish Airways. For 7,500 miles one-way, you may fly from wherever within the U.S. to wherever within the U.S. on United Airways, a associate of Turkish. Whether or not you wish to hop a pair states over for a go to to Grandma’s otherwise you wish to fly transcontinental from Miami to Seattle, it might all be accomplished for 7,500 Turkish miles.
You possibly can even fly to Hawaii from United hubs like Newark, Chicago, Washington, DC, Houston, San Francisco, and many others. — all for 7,500 miles every manner, or enterprise class flights for 12,500 miles every manner (together with lie-flat seats!).
The knowledge for the Citi Status card has been collected independently by Million Mile Secrets and techniques. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or offered by the cardboard issuer.
When you efficiently max out your $500 bonus spending with this card every billing cycle (which can be tremendous straightforward to do), you’ll accrue no less than 30,000 Citi ThankYou factors every year. That’s sufficient for 2 round-trip coach flights — or one round-trip enterprise class flight — to Hawaii yearly! Identify one other no annual price card that may obtain that.
Backside line
The Citi Customized Money is the latest contributor to the road of Citi ThankYou points-earning playing cards. With no annual price, it’s an ideal card to start with — although its actual potential is unleashed if in case you have both the Citi Premier® Card or the Citi Status® Card, as they can help you switch your rewards to useful airways.
Let me know what you consider this new card! And subscribe to our e-newsletter for extra bank card data and evaluations delivered to your inbox as soon as per day.
Editorial Be aware: We are the Million Mile Secrets and techniques crew. And we’re pleased with our content material, opinions and evaluation, and of our reader’s feedback. These haven’t been reviewed, authorised or endorsed by any of the airways, inns, or bank card issuers which we frequently write about. And that’s simply how we prefer it! 🙂