Citi Rewards

If you have a Citi Rewards credit card, you’ll earn points for all your eligible spending. You could also get thousands of bonus points when you sign up for a new Citi Rewards card with an introductory offer.

You can then use your points for rewards including travel and frequent flyer points, gift cards and cashback. So if you're interested in a Citi Rewards credit card, here's a look at how the program works – and how much value you can get for your Citi Rewards points.

How to earn Citi Rewards points

With a Citi Rewards credit card, you'll earn points for every $1 spent on eligible purchases made in Australia and overseas (including online). This covers most everyday spending, such as supermarket and retail shopping, petrol, dining and travel bookings.

Introductory bonus point offers

Citi Rewards credit cards sometimes offer introductory bonus points when you sign up for a new card and meet the spending requirements. Usually, you'll need to be a new customer and spend a set amount of money in the first few months you have the card.

Depending on the offer, you could get thousands of bonus Citi Rewards points when you start using your card. Just remember to check the offer requirements so you know exactly what you need to do to collect your bonus points.

What rewards can I get with Citi Rewards points?

The Citi Rewards program offers you a range of different ways to use points, including:

• Frequent flyer point transfers. You can transfer your Citi Rewards points to frequent flyer points with Emirates Skywards, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer or Velocity Frequent Flyer. The amount of Citi Rewards points you'll need per frequent flyer point and the minimum transfer requirements can vary from card to card, so you'll need to log in to your account and go to citirewards.com to get the most accurate details.
• Flybuys points. You can exchange your Citi Rewards points for Flybuys points. If you have a Platinum card, you can transfer your Citi Rewards Points at a rate of 1.33 for 1 Flybuys point. Gold and Classic cards offer 2 Citi reward Points for 1 Flybuys point exchange rate.
• Travel. You can use your points to pay for flights, hotel bookings, car hire or activities such as tours and theme park tickets. From time to time, Citi may also offer you exclusive deals or travel packages that you can redeem with points.
• Shop with partners. You can redeem Citi Rewards points for items from Apple or Kogan.com, with Points Plus Pay also available.
• Gift cards and cash. You can redeem Citi Rewards points for gift cards from a range of popular brands including Bunnings, Coles, David Jones, iTunes and Woolworths. You can also use Citi Rewards points for cashback on your account or to pay for your annual fee.
• Charity donations. Citi Rewards gives you the option of supporting the Australian Red Cross, Fred Hollows Foundation or Starlight Children Foundation by using points for a donation.

How can I use 150,000 Citi Rewards points?

Frequent flyer points

If you have a Citi Rewards, Premier or Prestige credit card, you can transfer points to your Virgin Australia Velocity, Emirates Skywards or Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer frequent flyer account. Point transfers are also available if you have an existing Citi Rewards Gold Visa or CitiBusiness card. The transfer rates vary depending on the Citi card you have, but to give you a basic idea, the key details for Platinum or Gold cards are:

• Transfer rates. With Velocity, every 2.5 Citi Rewards points = 1 Velocity Point. With both Emirates Skywards and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, the transfer rate is 3 Citi Rewards points for 1 frequent flyer mile. Note that if you have a Citi Prestige or Premier credit cards, the exchange rates may be different. For example, the transfer rate to Velocity with either of these cards is 2 Citi Rewards points for 1 Velocity Point.
• No minimum transfer amount. While some credit card reward programs require a minimum number of points before you can convert them to frequent flyer rewards, there is no lower or upper limit through the Citi Rewards program.
• Eligible frequent flyer accounts. You can only transfer your Citi Rewards points to a Velocity, Skywards or KrisFlyer account that’s also in your name.
• Transfer times. While your Citi Rewards points will be taken from your account as soon as you successfully complete the redemption process, it may take up to 28 days before they land in your frequent flyer account.

How to transfer your Citi Rewards points to frequent flyer points

1. Log in to your Citi Online account.
2. Select "Rewards" from the navigation bar at the top of the page.
3. In Citirewards.com, select 'travel' followed by 'points transfer' and select the program you'd like to transfer your points to.
4. Provide the number of points you'd like to exchange, your frequent flyer membership details (such as your Velocity Frequent Flyer number) and complete the transfer.

How many frequent flyer points can I get with 150,000 Citi Rewards points?

These examples are based on the conversion rates for Citi Platinum cardholders (or existing Gold cardholders) as of 1 April 2019. Log in to the Citi Rewards website for current transfer details based on your card and frequent flyer program.

Based on these conversion rates, you’d have enough Velocity Points for a one-way economy flight from Melbourne to Los Angeles (from 44,800 points) or a return premium economy flight from Sydney to New Zealand (from 53,400 points).

Alternatively, 50,000 Skywards Miles could get you a one-way business class flight from Perth to Singapore with Qantas – which costs a total of 50,000 Skywards Miles for a flight with a QF booking code when you use the “Plan & Book” feature on the Emirates website. Meanwhile, 50,000 KrisFlyer Miles could get you a return economy flight from Australia to Singapore with Singapore Airlines (from 40,000 KrisFlyer Miles depending on which Australian capital city you fly from).

Travel

You can redeem your points for flights, accommodation, cruises, car hire and travel packages booked through the Citi Rewards website or by phoning Citi on 13 24 84. This service is provided by Connexions Loyalty Travel and in some cases a booking fee or other additional charges may apply.

As travel booking prices and details are customisable, there are no public details of how many points you’d need for specific types of bookings. So you’ll need to log in to your Citi Rewards account to find out how far your points can take you with this option.

Travel gift cards

The Citi Rewards website also gives you the option of using points to get travel-related digital gift cards. While the dollar values and points may vary, here are some examples of gift cards that were available on the Citi Rewards website in April 2019:

^{*Points and items based on citirewards.com search results from 1 April 2019.}

Based on these details, you could redeem 150,000 Citi Rewards points for around $700 worth of digital gift cards from any of these brands. Although it’s worth noting you would have to redeem several gift cards to make up this value.

For example, if you wanted $700 worth of Flight Centre gift cards, you’d need to redeem one $500 gift card for 104,200 points and two $100 gift cards for 20,900 points each. All up, that works out to be 146,000 points for $700 value over three separate Flight Centre gift cards.

Shopping and merchandise

The Citi Rewards website has a variety of items you can redeem with your points, with categories including apparel, kitchen appliances, electronics and even musical instruments. As with any retail store, the stock and prices will vary, so log in to your account to see details of what’s available when you want to redeem your Citi Rewards points.

Gift cards, cashback and charity donations

The Citi Rewards website offers a range of digital gift card options, with brands such as Coles Myer, Bunnings Warehouse, David Jones, iTunes and Woolworths WISH. You can also use your points for cashback on your account, an annual fee credit or a donation to a charity.

As with other rewards on the website, the point values may vary between individual accounts, so you’ll need to log in to see what’s available to you. But to give you some idea of how far 150,000 points would go, here are a few options listed on the Citi Rewards website on 1 April 2019:

• $500 David Jones eGift card: From 104,200 points.
• Platinum card annual fee: From 79,600 points.
• $100 Red Cross donation: From 16,700 points.

What else do I need to know about using 150,000 Citi Rewards points?

To make the most of your Citi Rewards points, keep these details in mind:

• Availability. The different rewards available can vary. Make sure you log in to your Citi Rewards account to see the current options available to you.
• Point value. Each reward has a different dollar value. Make sure you factor this in to your redemption so that you can get the most value from your rewards.
• Points Plus Pay. Citi Rewards gives you the option of using a combination of points and cash for some rewards, such as travel bookings made directly through Citi Rewards. You’ll be able to see when this option is available by logging in to your account and browsing rewards before making a redemption.
• Point expiry. Citi Rewards points don’t expire, so you can save them up for specific rewards that you want.
• Credit card costs. Remember to weigh the cost of your card against the value of rewards. Ideally, the value you get from rewards should be worth more than the annual fee and any interest charges.
• Bonus point requirements. If you want a Citi Rewards credit card that offers introductory bonus points, make sure you meet the requirements. This typically includes meeting a minimum spend requirement in the first few months you have the card, for example, $3,000 in the first three months.

With so many different ways to use Citi Rewards points, the “best” option will depend on your individual circumstances. But you can look at the dollar value of different rewards to help you weigh up your options. Just remember to log in to your Citi Rewards account so you can find the most accurate details.

Compare Citi Rewards credit cards

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Name	Product	Bonus points	Rewards program	Rewards points per $ spent	Purchase rate	Annual fee
Citi Rewards Card - Points & Gift Card Offer		90,000	Citi Rewards Program	1	21.49% p.a.	$49 annual fee for the first year ($149 p.a. thereafter)	Receive 90,000 bonus Citi reward Points (worth $400 in gift cards) and a $100 Coles eGift Card when you spend $3,000 in the first 90 days.	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Citi Rewards Card - Balance Transfer Offer		N/A	Citi Rewards Program	1	21.49% p.a.	$49 annual fee for the first year ($149 p.a. thereafter)	Save on interest with 0% p.a. on balance transfers for 30 months with no balance transfer fee. Plus, a $49 first-year annual fee.	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Citi Prestige Card		200,000	Citi Rewards Program	1	21.49% p.a.	$700	Enjoy 200,000 bonus reward Points, unlimited airport lounge access, hotel perks and more.	More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Citi Premier Card		130,000	Citi Rewards Program	1	21.49% p.a.	$150 annual fee for the first year ($300 p.a. thereafter)	Enjoy 130,000 bonus points (worth $450 in eGift cards) when you spend $4,000 within the first 90 days. Plus, a first-year annual fee discount.	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Citi Rewards Card - Bonus Points Offer		100,000	Citi Rewards Program	1	21.49% p.a.	$49 annual fee for the first year ($149 p.a. thereafter)	Get 100,000 bonus Citi reward Points (worth $460 in gift cards) when you spend $3,000 in the first 90 days.	More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...

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Frequently asked questions about Citi Rewards

If you're interested in other details of the Citi Rewards program, here you'll find answers to some of the most common questions about it. You can also get in touch with us using the comment box below if you have any specific questions you want to ask.

• Is there a membership fee for joining the Citi Rewards program?

  There are no additional fees for joining Citi Rewards. When you choose an eligible credit card, you'll automatically be enrolled as soon as you activate your credit card.

  But keep in mind that Citi Rewards credit cards do have annual account fees, which may be higher than some cards that don't offer rewards.

• What if I don't have enough points for my chosen reward?

  Depending on the reward, you may be able to use a combination of points and cash to redeem your reward. When this option is available, it will be listed next to specific rewards on the Citi Rewards catalogue.

• How can I earn Qantas Points with a Citi Rewards credit card?

  If you have a Citi Premier (existing customers only) or Prestige credit card, you can opt-in to the Citi Qantas Rewards program. This allows you to earn Qantas Points per $1 spent on eligible purchases, with the points automatically credited to your Qantas Frequent Flyer account at the end of each statement period.

  You can also opt in to Citi Qantas Rewards when you apply for an eligible Citi Rewards credit card. Just select this option and include details of your Qantas Frequent Flyer membership. Alternatively, you can switch from Citi Rewards to Citi Qantas Rewards by calling one of the following priority phone numbers:

  • Premier Priority Service Centre: 1800 818 008
  • Prestige Priority Service Centre: 1800 782 948

  Note that any points you've collected will be lost if you switch between Citi Rewards and Citi Qantas Rewards.

• How can I check my point balance?

  Log in to Citibank Online and click on the "Rewards" button to see your balance and other reward options.

• When will I get my bonus points?

  If you've successfully applied for a Citi Rewards credit card that offers bonus points, you'll need to meet the offer's spending requirements to be eligible for these points. Once you've done that, it could take up to two billing cycles for the points to be added to your account.

  If you have a specific question about bonus points, you could also call Citi on 13 24 84 to check the eligibility and offer details.

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