Overview: Citi Rewards Card
An easy-to-earn 4 mpd coupled with a wide variety of transfer partners make the Citi Rewards Card a no-brainer to get— even with the changes to Amaze. Once upon a time, this was marketed as a card for shopaholics to earn bonus points when buying bags, shoes or clothes. But insiders knew that “bags, shoes and clothes” was just a suggestion; in reality, cardholders could earn 4 mpd on all manner of things including Points.com purchases, ride-hailing and even GrabPay top-ups.
Citi finally dropped the charade in March 2019 by officially expanding the bonus scope to cover almost all online transactions, which has made it an essential card for any miles chaser ever since— even if some of the shine has been lost because of Amaze.
Card Basics
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Income Requirement | S$30,000 p.a. |
| Annual Fee | S$196.20 (first year free) |
| Supplementary Card Fee | S$98.10 (first year free) |
| Points Validity | Up to 5 years |
| Local Earn | 0.4 mpd |
| FCY Earn | 0.4 mpd |
| Special Earn | 4 mpd on online transactions (except travel & in-app mobile wallet) |
| Transfer Partners | 11 |
| Minimum Transfer | 25,000 TY points (10,000 miles) |
| Transfer Fee | S$27.25 |
| FCY Fee | 3.25% |
| Lounge Access | No |
| Airport Limo | No |
| Points Pooling | No |
Mastercard and Visa Versions
The Citi Rewards Card was originally issued on the Visa network, but ever since 2020 all newly-issued Citi Rewards Cards have been switched over to Mastercard. Legacy Citi Rewards Visa Cards remain valid. Both the Mastercard and Visa have their own 4 mpd bonus caps.
Otherwise, both cards offer similar perks and benefits. It is still best practice to monitor your points balance each month and check for discrepancies.
Income Requirement and Secured Option
The Citi Rewards Card has an income requirement of S$30,000 per annum, the MAS-mandated minimum for a credit card. Applicants who don’t meet the minimum may be able to place a S$10,000 fixed deposit with Citibank to get a secured version of the card.
Annual Fee
- Principal Card: S$196.20 (first year free)
- Supplementary Card: S$98.10 (first year free)
Annual fee waivers are at Citi’s discretion. Citibank does not award any bonus points for renewals of the Citi Rewards Card.
Sign-Up Bonus
New Citi Rewards Cardholders can enjoy a bonus of 40,000 ThankYou points (16,000 miles) when they:
- Apply online for a Citi Rewards Card
- Get approved within 30 days from application
- Spend at least S$800 on eligible transactions within the first 2 months of approval
This offer is open to those who do not currently hold a principal Citi card, and have not cancelled one in the 12 months before application.
Earn Rates
| Spend Type | Earn Rate |
|---|---|
| Local Spend (SGD) | 0.4 mpd |
| Foreign Currency Spend | 0.4 mpd |
| Bonus Spend (online & selected retail) | 4 mpd |
1 ThankYou point per S$1 spent. 1 TY point = 0.4 miles. All FCY transactions are subject to a 3.25% fee.
Bonus Categories
Citi Rewards Cardholders earn 4 mpd on:
- Online transactions (except travel and in-app mobile wallet)
- Department stores, or shops selling bags, shoes and clothes
Cap: S$1,000 per statement month (Mastercard and Visa each have their own bonus cap = up to S$2,000 per month).
Travel Exclusion
Travel transactions (airlines, car rental, hotels, cruises, travel agencies, timeshares) are excluded. Amaze won’t help, because it only changes merchant description, not MCC.
In-App Mobile Wallet Exclusion
No 4 mpd for in-app Apple Pay or Google Pay. Example:
- No 4 mpd for in-app Google Pay Deliveroo.
- Yes 4 mpd for in-app credit card Deliveroo.
Everyday Online Transactions
Food delivery, groceries, Netflix, Lazada, Shopee, Grab, and movie tickets are all fair game.
Amaze Card Pairing
All Amaze transactions code as online, even if made physically in-store. This means you could dine in a restaurant or shop at a merchant, pay with Amaze paired to Citi Rewards, and earn 4 mpd.
⚠️ But from 10 March 2025, Amaze imposed a 1% admin fee on all SGD-denominated transactions.
Department Store & Fashion MCCs
Citi Rewards Cardholders earn 4 mpd at merchants with department store and apparel MCCs:
- MCC 5311: Departmental Stores
- MCC 5611, 5621, 5631, 5641, 5651, 5655, 5661, 5691, 5699: Clothing & Shoes
- MCC 5948: Luggage or Leather Goods Stores
Payments via Apple or Google Pay at these merchants are still eligible.
Blacklist vs Whitelist
- Blacklist cards (Citi Rewards, DBS Woman’s World): earn bonuses on all transactions except excluded MCCs.
- Whitelist cards (HSBC Revolution, UOB Lady’s Card): bonuses only on explicitly listed MCCs.
With Citi Rewards, so long as payment is processed online and not in the excluded list, you earn 4 mpd.
ThankYou Points
- Credited 1–3 working days after transaction posts.
- Base points = round down to nearest S$1 × 1.
- Bonus points = round down to nearest S$1 × 9.
Expiry
All TY points expire every 5 years (+3 months) from date of card approval/renewal.
Pooling
Citibank does not pool points across cards. Separate fees apply if transferring from Visa and Mastercard separately.
Transfer Partners
Citibank has 11 airline and hotel partners. Points transfer at 25,000 TY = 10,000 miles. Fee: S$27.25. Transfer time: 24–48 hours for KrisFlyer, 2–4 working days for others.
Citi PayAll
Pay bills with Citi PayAll and earn points. Regular earn = 0.4 mpd with 2.6% fee. Cost per mile ~6.5 cents. Promotions may increase earn rate up to 1.8–2.5 mpd.
Verdict: Citi Rewards Credit Card
The Citi Rewards Card may have started as a niche product for fashionistas, but today it is one of the most versatile tools for miles collectors. With 4 mpd on a wide range of online transactions and 11 transfer partners, it’s an easy recommendation.
Sure, it’s not perfect. Amaze’s 1% fee, no points pooling, and the confusing “up to 5 years” validity remain issues. Exclusions for travel and in-app wallets also need caution. But for many, the value of 4 mpd and broad transfer partners outweighs these drawbacks.
For those holding both Mastercard and Visa, that’s an easy 96,000 miles per year.
