Citi Rewards Credit Card Review
An easy-to-earn 4 mpd coupled with a wide variety of transfer partners; 4 mpd on online transactions, caps, exclusions, points, transfers, and fees.
Once upon a time, this was marketed as a card for shopaholics to earn bonus points when buying bags, shoes or clothes. Insiders knew “bags, shoes and clothes” was just a suggestion; cardholders could earn 4 mpd on all manner of things including Points.com purchases, ride-hailing and even GrabPay top-ups, for a period. In March 2019 the bonus scope officially expanded to cover almost all online transactions— essential for any miles chaser, even with changes to Amaze.
Verdict, Good & Bad
☑ Take It / ☐ Take It Or Leave It / ☐ Leave It
The good
- Earn 4 mpd on most online transactions; extendable to offline via Amaze
- 11 airline and hotel transfer partners
- Mastercard and Visa versions can double the monthly bonus cap
The bad
- No bonuses for travel or in-app mobile wallet transactions
- Citi does not pool points
- 1% admin fee applies to all SGD-denominated transactions with Amaze
Overview: Key Facts
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Income Requirement | S$30,000 p.a. |
| Annual Fee | S$196.20 (First Year Free) |
| Points Validity | Up to 5 yrs. |
| Minimum Transfer | 25,000 TY points (10,000 miles) |
| Transfer Partners | 11 |
| Transfer Fee | S$27.25 |
| FCY Fee | 3.25% |
| Local Earn | 0.4 mpd |
| FCY Earn | 0.4 mpd |
| Special Earn | 4 mpd on online trxns. (except travel & in-app mobile wallet) |
| Points Pool? | No |
| Lounge Access? | No |
| Airport Limo? | No |
Originally Visa; since 2020 newly-issued cards are Mastercard. Legacy Visa remains valid; both have their own 4 mpd bonus caps. Monitor your points balance each month and check for discrepancies.
Eligibility & Fees
Income requirement: S$30,000 per annum (MAS-mandated minimum). Applicants who don’t meet the minimum may place a S$10,000 fixed deposit for a secured version.
Annual fee: S$196.20 (principal); S$98.10 (supplementary). First year free for both. Fee waivers at Citi’s discretion. No bonus points for renewals.
Sign-up Bonus
40,000 ThankYou points (16,000 miles) when you: apply online; get approved within 30 days; spend at least S$800 on eligible transactions within the first 2 months of approval. Open to those who do not currently hold a principal Citi card, and have not cancelled one in the 12 months before application.
Earning Miles
| SGD Spend | FCY Spend | Bonus Spend |
|---|---|---|
| 0.4 mpd | 0.4 mpd | 4 mpd on online trxns. (except travel and mobile wallet) |
- 1 ThankYou point per S$1 (SGD)
- 1 ThankYou point per S$1 (FCY)
- 1 ThankYou point = 0.4 airline miles
- FCY transactions: 3.25% fee
FCY Fees by Issuer & Network
| Issuer ↓ | MC & Visa | AMEX |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Chartered | 3.5% | N/A |
| American Express | N/A | 3.25% |
| Citibank | 3.25% | N/A |
| DCS | 3.25% | N/A |
| DBS | 3.25% | 3% |
| HSBC | 3.25% | N/A |
| Maybank | 3.25% | N/A |
| OCBC | 3.25% | N/A |
| UOB | 3.25% | 3.25% |
| BOC | 3% | N/A |
| CIMB | 3% | N/A |
Bonus Spending: Online & Categories
A total of 10 ThankYou points per S$1 (4 mpd) on:
- Online transactions (except travel and in-app mobile wallet payments)
- Department stores, or shops selling bags, shoes and clothes
Cap: S$1,000 per statement month shared between (1) and (2); excess earns 0.4 mpd. Mastercard and Visa each have their own cap (up to S$2,000 total per statement month if holding both).
Calendar vs statement month: statement month varies by card; the 4 mpd cap resets on your statement date.
Online Transactions: Exclusions
Travel (MCC Blacklist)
| MCC | Description |
|---|---|
| 3000–3350, 4511 | Airlines |
| 3351–3500, 7512 | Car Rental Agencies |
| 3501–3999, 7011 | Lodging—Hotels, Motels, Resorts |
| 4111, 4112, 4789 | Passenger Transport and Railways |
| 4411 | Cruise Lines |
| 4722, 4723 | Travel Agencies and Tour Operators |
| 5962 | Direct Marketing—Travel Related Arrangement Services |
| 7012* | Timeshares |
Amaze won’t help circumvent these restrictions; it changes description, not MCC. Avoid air tickets, cruises, hotels, rental cars, or booking activities with online travel agents.
In-App Mobile Wallet Payments
Using Apple Pay or Google Pay in-app does not earn 4 mpd.
Example: in-app Google Pay with Deliveroo = no 4 mpd; in-app credit card transaction with Deliveroo = 4 mpd.
Some apps only allow Apple/Google Pay; do not use the card there. In-person (tap phone) can earn bonuses if the MCC is eligible.
Everything else online is fair game: ride-hailing, food delivery, groceries, streaming, marketplaces, movie tickets, and more.
Extending Bonuses Offline via Amaze
- Link up to five Mastercard credit/debit cards
- Overseas transactions converted into SGD (subject to FX spread) and charged to the underlying card
- MCC remains the same; offline transactions charged to Amaze become online for the underlying card
All Amaze transactions code as online; dine or shop in-store, pair with Citi Rewards, and earn 4 mpd. There was a scare when transactions earned 0.4 mpd; resolved. Ever since 10 March 2025, a 1% admin fee (min. S$0.50) applies to all SGD-denominated transactions.
Department Stores, Bags, Shoes, Clothes (MCC List)
| MCC | Category | Examples (non-exhaustive) |
|---|---|---|
| 5311 | Departmental Stores | Takashimaya, TANGS, Isetan, OG, Metro, BHG, Marks & Spencer |
| 5611 | Men’s & Boys’ Clothing | Benjamin Barker, Timberland, Edit Suits, Berluti |
| 5621 | Women’s Ready to Wear | Zara, H&M, Mothercare |
| 5631 | Women’s Accessory & Speciality | Tory Burch, Love Bonito, Pandora |
| 5641 | Children’s & Infants’ Wear | Kiddy Palace, Mummys Market, Pupsik, Motherswork |
| 5651 | Family Clothing Stores | Uniqlo, ASOS, Club 21, Burberry, Yoox |
| 5655 | Sports & Riding Apparel | Nike, Lululemon, Adidas |
| 5661 | Shoe Stores | Skechers, Charles & Keith, Bata, Foot Locker, Pazzion |
| 5691 | Men’s & Women’s Clothing | Ezbuy, Zalora, Fartech |
| 5699 | Misc. Apparel & Accessories | Qoo10, Cotton On, Reebonz |
| 5948 | Luggage or Leather Goods | Louis Vuitton, Coach, Rimowa |
MCC lookup methods
| Method | Ease of Use | Reliability |
|---|---|---|
| HeyMax | ●●● | ● |
| Instarem app | ●● | ●● |
| DBS digibot | ● | ●●● |
4 mpd also applies when digitised into Apple Pay or Google Pay and used to pay at the merchant (not considered an in-app mobile payment).
ThankYou Points: Credit & Calculation
When credited: base and bonus points when the transaction posts (generally 1–3 working days).
How calculated
- Base Points (1X): round down to nearest S$1 × 1
- Bonus Points (9X): round down to nearest S$1 × 9
- Minimum spend to earn miles: S$1
Excel formulas
- Base:
=ROUNDDOWN(X,0)*1 - Bonus:
=ROUNDDOWN(X,0)*9
Where X = Amount Spent
Ineligible Transactions (Highlights)
Educational Institutions (MCC 8211–8299); Donations (MCC 8398); Government Services (MCC 9000–9999); Insurance (MCC 6300); Professional Services & Membership Organizations (MCC 8651–8661); Quasi cash (including top-ups to GrabPay and YouTrip, MCC 6529–6540); Real Estate Agents & Managers (MCC 6513); Utilities (MCC 4900).
CardUp earns rewards, but 0.4 mpd; Citi PayAll is preferred for rewards.
ThankYou Points: Expiry, Pooling, Transfers
| Expiry | Pooling | Transfer Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 5 years (+3 months grace) | No | S$27.25 per conversion |
| Minimum Transfer | Partners | Transfer Time |
|---|---|---|
| 25,000 TY Points (10,000 miles) | 11 | 24–48 hours (for KF) |
Expiry: all points earned on the card expire every 5 years + 3 months from card approval/renewal, not from when points are earned. Illustration:
- Points earned 15 Oct 2022–31 Oct 2027 → valid till 31 Jan 2028
- From 1 Nov 2027, a new validity period begins
- Points earned 1 Nov 2027–31 Oct 2032 → valid till 31 Jan 2033
- Up to 5 years + 3 months grace; as little as 3 months in an extreme case.
Pooling: Citibank does not pool points across cards. Separate conversion fees. Transfer out before cancelling, or forfeit.
Transfer partners & ratio (5:2, 25,000:10,000)
KrisFlyer; Asia Miles; British Airways; Etihad Guest; EVA Air; Flying Blue; IHG; Qantas; Qatar; Thai Airways; Turkish Airlines. Transfers cost S$27.25 each.
Transfer times: stated 14 business days; usually 24–48 hours for KrisFlyer; 2–4 working days for other programmes.
Instant via Kris+: 10,000 TY points = 3,400 KrisPay miles; convert to KrisFlyer 1:1.
Pros: 10,000 block (not 25,000); instant.
Cons: 15% haircut; convert within 21 days or spend none; otherwise stuck in Kris+ (six months; 0.67 cents each).
Citi PayAll
Pay various types of bills and earn rewards points; counts towards minimum spend when service fee is paid.
Supported payments (highlights): Insurance (S$200,000); Education (S$100,000); Rent; Electricity; Condo Management Fees (selected MCSTs); Renovation; Property Agent Fees; Wedding; Child Care; Domestic Helper Service Fees; Donation or Charity; Event Management; Membership; Club Membership; Maintenance; Medical Services; Payment for Retail Goods & Services; Parking; Professional Service Fees; Storage; Travel Expenses; Transport Fees; Utilities (S$30,000 each category); Taxes; Outstanding balance with IRAS.
0.4 mpd at 2.6% service fee → 6.5 cents per mile (not worth considering). Promotions have upsized earn to 2.5 mpd (0.8 cents each). Recent promotion for the 2025 income tax season: up to 1.8 mpd (1.44 cents).
While many categories are excluded by most issuers, check whether any existing cards would let you earn miles for free.
Summary
A niche offering for fashionistas transformed into one of the most versatile tools for miles collectors: 4 mpd on a wide range of online transactions; 11 transfer partners. Amaze’s 1% fee for SGD-denominated transactions hampers local spending, and there’s no points pooling; “up to” five years validity can be confusing; exclusions for travel and in-app mobile wallet spending can trip up first-timers. Hold both Mastercard and Visa and double the monthly cap— an easy recommendation.
