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Citi offers some highly underrated credit cards, some of which can help you rack up thousands of points each year without paying annual fees. However, it's important to consider the bigger picture when applying for a new card. How does it fit into your overall rewards strategy? Failing to consider the best approach for getting a new card could mean missing out on valuable sign-up bonuses in the future.
To develop a comprehensive rewards strategy, consider how you can combine different cards to maximize your earnings. The ideal situation is being able to do this without paying annual fees, and even better if you can take advantage of a limited-time sign-up bonus. Here's everything to know about Citi's no annual fee credit cards, including how to get them and maximize their earnings.
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Citi Strata℠ Card: Best for Earning Potential
The Citi credit card lineup underwent a major refresh in 2025. One of the changes was converting the old Citi Rewards+® Card (no longer open to applicants) into the new Citi Strata Card (Rates & Fees). For a no-annual-fee card, it offers an impressive earning potential and welcome bonus.
- For a limited time, earn 30,000 bonus Points after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months of account opening.
- 0% Intro APR on balance transfers and purchases for 15 months; after that, the variable APR will be 18.74% - 28.74%, based on your creditworthiness. There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).
- Earn 3 ThankYou® Points for each $1 spent in an eligible Self-Select Category of your choice (Fitness Clubs, Select Streaming Services, Live Entertainment, Cosmetic Stores/Barber Shops/Hair Salons, or Pet Supply Stores). Choose your eligible Self-Select Category on Citi Online or by calling customer service. The default Self-Select Category is Select Streaming Services.
- Earn 5 ThankYou® Points for each $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals and Attractions booked on Citi Travel® via cititravel.com; earn 3 ThankYou Points for each $1 spent at Supermarkets, on Select Transit purchases, and at Gas & EV Charging Stations.
- Earn 2 ThankYou® Points for each $1 spent at Restaurants; earn 1 ThankYou® Point for each $1 spent on All Other Purchases.
- No Annual Fee
- 5X – Earn 5 ThankYou® Points for each $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals and Attractions booked on Citi Travel℠ via cititravel.com
- 3X – Earn 3 ThankYou® Points for each $1 spent in an eligible Self-Select Category of your choice (Fitness Clubs, Select Streaming Services, Live Entertainment, Cosmetic Stores/Barber Shops/Hair Salons, or Pet Supply Stores). Choose your eligible Self-Select Category on Citi Online or by calling customer service. The default Self-Select Category is Select Streaming Services.
- 3X – Earn 3 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent at Supermarkets
- 3X – Earn 3 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on Select Transit purchases
- 3X – Earn 3 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent at Gas and EV Charging Stations
- 2X – Earn 2 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent at Restaurants
- 1X – Earn 1 ThankYou® Point per $1 spent on All Other Purchases
Citi Strata Card card highlights
- Cardholders earn 5X on Citi Travel℠ bookings (including hotels, car rentals, and attractions); 3X on supermarkets, gas and EV charging stations, select transit, and one self-selected category (choose from fitness clubs, select streaming services, live entertainment, cosmetic stores/barber shops/hair salons, or pet supply stores); 2X at restaurants; 1X on everything else.
- For a limited time, earn 30,000 bonus Points after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months of account opening.
- Take advantage of an intro 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, then an APR rate of 18.74% - 28.74% (Variable).
The self-select bonus earning category is a nice feature. Of the available categories, most people might spend the most at fitness clubs each month, but if you're a live entertainment enthusiast, then that could also be a lucrative option. It would be even better if you could choose travel as the self-select category. Still, increased customization is a feature anyone can appreciate.
Unfortunately, Citi removed a lucrative feature when it converted the Citi Rewards+® Card (no longer open to applicants) into the new Citi Strata Card. Cardholders were previously able to receive 10% ThankYou® Points back on the first 100,000 ThankYou Points redeemed per calendar year. If you redeemed a lot of ThankYou Points each year, you'd get some pretty substantial rebates. This didn't carry over to the new card.
Citi Double Cash® Card: Best for Everyday Spending
The Citi Double Cash is one of the best everyday spending cards from any issuer. Cardholders earn 2% cash back on every purchase (1% when you buy plus 1% as you pay). This cash back is technically earned as ThankYou points that can transferred to all of Citi's 21 airline and hotel partners instead of being redeemed for cash back.
However, you'll still want a premium ThankYou Rewards card to unlock the ability to convert those points at a 1:1 ratio (1% cash back = 1 ThankYou Point).
If you're looking to pay down debt or finance a larger purchase, this card also comes with one of the best available introductory APR offers on balance transfers.
- Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
- Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time.
Plus, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked with Citi Travel. - Balance Transfer Only Offer: 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months. After that, the variable APR will be 17.74% - 27.74%, based on your creditworthiness.
- Balance Transfers do not earn cash back. Intro APR does not apply to purchases.
- If you transfer a balance, interest will be charged on your purchases unless you pay your entire balance (including balance transfers) by the due date each month.
- There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).
- Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time.
Plus, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked with Citi Travel.
Citi Double Cash card highlights
- Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time. Plus, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked with Citi Travel.
- Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
- Introductory 0% APR on balance transfers for 18 months then an APR of 17.74% - 27.74% (Variable).
The Citi Double Cash‘s 2% cash back is already one of the best returns available with no annual fee, but pairing it with cards like the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card (Rates & Fees), the Citi Strata Premier® Card (Rates & Fees), or the Citi Prestige® Card (no longer open to new applicants) allows you to earn 2X transferrable points on every purchase. Plus, you can combine your rewards across accounts to unlock better transfer ratios.
There are only a few cards out there (among all card issuers) that can earn 2x points on all purchases, making these extremely valuable cards to have in your wallet to maximize your earning potential.
Read More: Citi Double Cash Card Review
Citi Custom Cash® Card: Best for Bonus Categories
You also can earn cash back with the Citi Custom Cash, which adapts to your spending habits to provide the best earning rates possible. The same ideas apply here: You'll want to pair the Citi Custom Cash with a premium card to unlock the best transfer ratios.
- Sign-up bonus of $200 in cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening, issued as 20,000 ThankYou® Points
- 5% cash back in your top eligible spend category on up to $500 of purchses each billing cycle
- No rotating bonus categories to sign up for--the top earning category adjusts automatically each month to the eligible category in which you spend the most.
- Excellent intro APR offer on purchases and balance transfers
- No annual fee
- Earn 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent
- 1% cash back thereafter, plus, you'll earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases
- No rotating bonus categories to sign up for – as your spending changes each billing cycle, your earn adjusts automatically when you spend in any of the eligible categories.
- Eligible spending categories are: Restaurants, Gas Stations, Grocery Stores, Select Travel, Select Transit, Select Streaming Services, Drugstores, Home Improvement Stores, Fitness Clubs and Live Entertainment.
- Special Travel Offer: Earn an additional 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on Citi Travel℠ portal.
Citi Custom Cash card highlights
- Earn 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent, 1% cash back thereafter. Also, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases. Special Travel Offer: Earn an additional 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on Citi Travel℠ portal.
- Earn a $200 bonus after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening
- Introductory 0% APR on balance transfers for 15 months, then an APR of 18.24% - 28.24% Variable.
If used strategically, the Citi Custom Cash can become a very powerful card in your wallet. If you optimize spending on this card to one category you already spend $500+/month in (i.e. gas, groceries, etc.) you are guaranteeing that you'll earn 2,500 points each month, or 30,000 points annually.
Plus, you don't have to enroll in a bonus category to earn bonus rewards, saving you a step. Eligible 5% categories include restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, select travel, select transit, select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs, live entertainment.
Just like with the Citi Double Cash, you'll get more value out of the Citi Custom Cash if you pair it with a card like the Citi Strata Elite, the Citi Strata Premier, or the Citi Prestige® Card. Although you can access all the same transfer partners as a Citi Custom Cash cardholder, the transfer ratios are much better with a premium card.
Read More: Citi Custom Cash Card Review
Citi Application Strategy and Sign-Up Restrictions
If you are serious about collecting ThankYou Points, getting the sequencing right is critical. Long term, you want to get each of these cards in your arsenal:
- Citi Strata Card — Lucrative 3X bonus categories
- Citi Double Cash — Industry-leading 2X base points earning
- Citi Custom Cash — 5X in your top spending category (up to $500 in spending per month)
Citi limits you to earning a welcome bonus on the same card to once every 48 months. For instance, the Citi Strata Card has the following terms on the application page:
“Bonus ThankYou® Points are not available if you received a new account bonus for Citi Strata℠, Citi Strata Student, Citi Rewards+® or Citi Rewards+ Student account in the past 48 months.”
Thus, you can't earn a sign-up bonus on this card if you earned a bonus on the Citi Strata Card or on the old Citi Rewards+ in the last 48 months. If you're not sure about your timing, contact Citi to confirm when you received your previous bonus.
It's also important to note that Citi has a 8/65 rule, meaning Citi will only approve you for at most one card every eight days, and two cards every 65 days.
Related: Citi Credit Card Offer History: Best-Ever Offers and When You Should Apply
When It Makes Sense to Apply for Citi’s No Annual Fee Rewards Cards
There are several situation in which it would make sense to apply for one of Citi's fantastic no-annual-fee rewards cards.
If you don’t currently hold any Citi ThankYou cards
Start with the Citi Custom Cash. Pick a category you already know you spend consistently on (such as groceries, gas, dining, etc.) and use your new card only on this one category.
For example, if you pick groceries, then use the Citi Custom Cash every single time you buy groceries. You'll earn 5% cash back on all of your purchases (up to $500 spend/month) without paying an annual fee, and quickly start racking up ThankYou points.
Then, apply for the Citi Strata Card so you can earn 3X points on other categories. For instance, if you use your Citi Custom Cash at restaurants to earn 5% cash back, then use your Citi Strata Card at supermarkets, on transit and gas, and on your self-select category to earn unlimited 3X points on all of these purchases.
Finally, you can get the Citi Double Cash last in order to maximize points earning on all purchases. Once you have your no-annual-fee trifecta complete, you can apply for the Citi Strata Premier so you can unlock access to better transfer ratios.
Related: The Citi ThankYou Trifecta: 10X on Travel, 5X on Top Category, 3X on Food, 2X on Everything Else
If you already have a Citi ThankYou card
If you already have a Citi ThankYou card, don't worry. There are still some situations where it's worth it to apply for a no-annual-fee card.
Pay lower fees
If you only hold only hold a Citi card with a high annual fee, you can apply for the Citi Strata Premier. You'll earn its welcome bonus, and you can then downgrade your existing card to the Citi Double Cash or the Citi Custom Cash. But don't do this within your first year of holding the card.
This strategy provides a significant bonus while significantly reducing your annual fees. Plus, you retain the ability to transfer ThankYou Points to partners at a lucrative rate but with a significantly reduced out-of-pocket expense.
Eliminate annual fees
If you want to avoid paying an annual fee completely, the other option is to apply for the Citi Strata Card before downgrading or canceling your premium ThankYou card. This way, you earn the 30,000 bonus points-point bonus on the Citi Strata Card and keep your existing ThankYou Points alive.
Instead of applying for the Citi Strata Card directly, you could instead downgrade your premium card to the Citi Strata Card. You won't earn a bonus, but you won't have a hard pull on your credit report (since it's not a new application).
Keep in mind that if you go these routes, you'll still be able to access transfer partners, but at a reduced transfer ratio.
Related: These Credit Cards Earn Transferrable Points With No Annual Fees
Final Thoughts
We think Citi ThankYou Rewards is widely underrated. Especially when compared to its main rivals like Amex Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards. With its current roster of ThankYou points-earning cards, it’s arguably easier to build a sizable balance of ThankYou Rewards than any other flexible currency through spending alone. Using these cards strategically has the potential to add tens of thousands of points to your balance every year.
- 5X – Earn 5 ThankYou® Points for each $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals and Attractions booked on Citi Travel℠ via cititravel.com
- 3X – Earn 3 ThankYou® Points for each $1 spent in an eligible Self-Select Category of your choice (Fitness Clubs, Select Streaming Services, Live Entertainment, Cosmetic Stores/Barber Shops/Hair Salons, or Pet Supply Stores). Choose your eligible Self-Select Category on Citi Online or by calling customer service. The default Self-Select Category is Select Streaming Services.
- 3X – Earn 3 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent at Supermarkets
- 3X – Earn 3 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on Select Transit purchases
- 3X – Earn 3 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent at Gas and EV Charging Stations
- 2X – Earn 2 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent at Restaurants
- 1X – Earn 1 ThankYou® Point per $1 spent on All Other Purchases
- Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time.
Plus, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked with Citi Travel.
- Earn 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent
- 1% cash back thereafter, plus, you'll earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases
- No rotating bonus categories to sign up for – as your spending changes each billing cycle, your earn adjusts automatically when you spend in any of the eligible categories.
- Eligible spending categories are: Restaurants, Gas Stations, Grocery Stores, Select Travel, Select Transit, Select Streaming Services, Drugstores, Home Improvement Stores, Fitness Clubs and Live Entertainment.
- Special Travel Offer: Earn an additional 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on Citi Travel℠ portal.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Citi Strata℠ Card (Rates & Fees), Citi Double Cash® Card (Rates & Fees), Citi Strata Elite℠ Card (Rates & Fees), and Citi Strata Premier® Card (Rates & Fees)
The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Would this downgrade strategy work? Spouse and I each have our own Citi Premier cards. My card is coming up on the 1yr renewal and i’d like to downgrade but spouse will keep their Premier card.
Can I change to the Citi Double Cash, keep all my TYP points (no expiration), transfer up to 100k TYP/year to spouse who can then use on transfer partners when we need them?
I’m thinking the Double Cash would be better for us so we get 2x points on categories that only earn 1x points with our other cards.
Hi Sammy, That should work.
No meu caso, eu irei utilizar aqui no Brasil assim mesmo vale a pena?
Qual seria o mais aconselhável no meu caso?
The cobranded Citibank Sears Mastercard accrues Thank You Points. It has a low credit limit, no annual fee, and offers unbeatable spending deals. They’re always sending me offers, like for the current 3 monthes, 10X Thank You Points for up to $500 per month on utilities including internet and cable. I get up to 15X points at supermarkets offers, online spending offers, and other offers. Linking it to my Thank You Rewards account with my Rewards+ card (and any other Thank You Rewards earning cards), makes any redemptions of points earned from these offers eligible for the 10% point rebate also.
Bingo! I have the same CC. It has earned me 50K of points for spending on things that I would buy or pay for anyway!
Shirley – Agreed that it can be a great card. Unfortunately, it’s not available to new applicants.
I plan to product change from my Expedia card to either the double cash or custom cash later this year. Then eventually get the Premier.
I do want to get these cards someday. I’ll certainly refer back to this article if I decide to apply as I’d hate to lose out on any of the potential bonuses. It would be perfect if the Citi Double Cash card ever had a sign on bonus.
This is truly great. Who knew that CITI now has so many options. I thought Chase was the best. Now I truly have to rethink which credit card bank to apply with the next time I have a need! Good to know.
Great to know that downgrading to the Rewards+ card can get rid of annual fee but keep the points. Fantastic tip!
Using the citi double cash coupled with plastiq to cover my mortgage, probably not worth it now I managed to keep the old rate due to all the future transactions were grandfathered in
I like citi as a competitor to amex and chase. With competition, we the consumers should end up as the winner as each of them try to get our business.
Absolutely! We wouldn’t be seeing nearly these sweet of sign-up bonuses without this healthy competition.
100% agreed! Citi isn’t for me however I’m glad they’re around to keep Chase and Amex on their toes.
Good article but I find other banks cards to have better incentives. I rarely use Citi unless they have a special promo inventive which is far and few between and usually capped at a $25 value.
ummm….. CustomCash??? 5% back on your highest monthly spend catagory (Up to $500 per statement period.)?
A reward earning card with no fee is a rarity these days! I’m in
If my wife is an authorized user on my Citi Premier card, can she apply for her own Premier card and get the bonus points?
Yes!
Citi cards are underrated and should be considered after 5/24.
Citi’s customer service is awful, they’re not worth the trouble.
Amex is the preferred card. This bank has always had bad CS.
I just got Citi custom card (no annual fee card). My issue with Citi’s no annaul fee cards is there is foreing transcatin fee, which is a big turn-off for expats abroad like me.
I think this is great to know right now that AA is a temp transfer partner. If Citi keeps AA on as a transfer partner then Citi cards will become even more valuable. I know I have looked closer at Citi. Am I ready to get a card? No. I want AA on a partner permanently before I would go for a card.
Nice for those who use Citicards. However, since the best strategy is to work within a card portfolio, I prefer the Chase Ultimate Rewards and AMEX Member Rewards programs, or cashback rewards.
The Citi Double Cash Card is a great option for everyday spend where you don’t have a more lucrative choice in a bonus category – for example, the Wells Fargo Propel card is a terrific choice for 3% cash back on Gas & Dining with no annual fee and free cell phone insurance if you pay your monthly cell bill with the card. Add in the option to get Thank You points when combined with a premium card and the Double Cash card is hard to beat as an all around go to card for day to day spending.
It is well worth valuing the ability to combine the Citi Double Cash Card with a premium card. Earning Thank You points really maximizes the rewards potential. I would find it tough to switch away and beat this.
Just an FYI, there’s a typo in the parenthetical in this sentence: If you only hold the Prestige Card and you are concerned about the high annual fee: You could apply for the Citi Premier (assuming you your Prestige Card bonus posted at least 24 months ago).
Thanks for pointing that out! Fixed now.
Thanks for the great article. I do the similar strategy with Chase Sapphire P and Freedom Unlimited. As soon as I max out my Chase card herd, I think I’ll move over to the Citi platform for the Premiere and Double Cash. I’ll be able to come at things from two angles with UR and TY points.
The answer to my earlier question turrs out to be: Call ThankYou (not Citi!) and ask them to “Combine Citi Accounts”. Once they did so, I did indeed get the points merged and having the benefits from both cards.
Just a note on these Citi cards – if you have a non-US address registered on your account (even temporarily), Citi will attempt to close your account.
The letter advising you of such takes so long to arrive that by the time you find out, your account will already be closed!
It takes a lot of phone calls to get them to reinstate you.
Wow! Good to know. Any idea on if that includes APO/DPO/FPO boxes for government overseas?
Great layout of key strategies here. Likely going to downgrade Prestige this summer before the next annual fee (first for me since the increase) to the Rewards+ to pair with the Premier then add the Double Cash.
Downsizing from annual fee to no annual fee cards is what I am doing. now. Citi Rewards Plus is on my close horizon.
I currently have just the Citi Premier card, and I’m not sure which card to downgrade to: the Rewards+ card or the double cash card.
If my Rewards+ and Premier cards are both shown on my Accounts page, does that mean they’re “linked”? I ask because the TYP balances for the 2 cards are listed separately.
The only “Link” option I see on the page dredges up a couple cancelled cards and offers to link them.
When I try to redeem using the “Rewards+” points, I see its total and can transfer only to JetBlue.
When I try to redeem using the “Premier” points, I see its total and can transfer to a whole host of airlines.
So they’re definitely being treated as neither getting the benefits of the other.
What am I missing?
Good news. The best thing about ThankYou points is to transfer them to some partners like Air France, Qatar or Turkish Airlines.
Thank you for this info. I’ve been a long-time user of the Chase platform, but The Reserve (and Citi’s Prestige) for that matter have really been quite a high premium given the climate, so I’ll be looking to axe the higher priced cards.
Prestige lost most (all) the benefits I’d use regularly or ones that would help substantiate the cost. The CSR as well.
Citi Double Cash card is great for any spend that does not earn bonuses with other cards. Only downside is I have to remember NOT to use it when outside of US as it charges at 3% foreign exchange fee.
i like programs like this one. i especially like offers that have free luggage or TSA pre-check included. This un-necessary lockdown will end -hopefully soon, then we can get back to ravel!!
I am following this strategy myself. Just applied for and got the Premier. I will downgrade the Prestige when the annual fee comes due. (Good to know about asking for the same account #.) And this all works well with the (now defunct) AT&T More Thank You card.
Citi Rewards+
Citi Premier
Prestige Card
This combo sounds great for the leisure travelers.
Such a valuable post, learned lots of unknown tricks. Thanks!
Also, don’t make the mistake of converting cards from other Citi product lines to one of the cards that excludes you from the Premier or Prestige bonus. I did that with an AA platinum card to a TY Preferred. I later decided I needed to apply for the increased bonus on the Premier so I could transfer to airline partners and I was DQed from the bonus on the Premier because they kept the original bonus earn date from the AA card attached the converted Preferred card. 🙁 Get the big card first to get those bonus points!
I love the citi double cashback, I combine that with my citi prestige to be able to get 2 transferable airline points per dollar spent, its the best deal out there.
Didnt read the article so carefully, but how do you get that??
I would love learn more from you, Eli. Please share your tips in great details.
When a Thank You program card is closed, the Thank You points accrued from it expire in 60 days or so. Learned this after Citi closed out one of mine for not being active in 18 months.
I’m actually surprised they’re not immediately forfeited and that you actually get 60 days to use them.
They closed an inactive card after 18 months? Causing a complete loss of points? I don’t like the sound of that at all. Is that actually the policy?
Very, very good info and detailed. A bookmarked page for sure. Thanks.
Thank you for such valuable info!!!