Citi has quietly pulled the plug on new applications for the Rewards+® Card, a quirky no-annual-fee offering in its ThankYou lineup. What started as a Reddit thread quickly spread across the points and miles world and was soon picked up by outlets like Doctor of Credit, Frequent Miler, NerdWallet, and Cards & Points.
The clearest sign yet? The application page is officially gone. Anyone who tries to visit the old signup link now lands on a generic “Page Not Found” screen from Citi:
Citi hasn’t issued a formal announcement, but removing the application page leaves little doubt: the Rewards+ card is no longer available to new applicants.
What the Citi Rewards+ Card Offered
The Rewards+ card wasn’t flashy, but it carved out a unique space among no-annual-fee cards that earn transferable points. It stood out thanks to two niche but valuable perks:
- Round-Up Rewards: Every purchase earned ThankYou points rounded up to the nearest 10 points. That meant a $2 coffee earned 10 points instead of 2, making it surprisingly effective for low-dollar transactions.
- 10% Points Back: Each calendar year, cardholders received 10% of their redeemed ThankYou points back, up to 10,000 points. When paired with a Citi Strata Premier card for point transfers, it effectively boosted the value of redemptions without costing a dime in annual fees.
These features made the Rewards+ a go-to “sock drawer” card—one you might not use every day, but definitely didn’t want to give up.
What This Means for Existing Cardholders
If you already have the Rewards+ card, you’re safe for now. Citi hasn’t announced any changes to existing accounts, and current cardholders will continue to enjoy the card’s benefits—round-up earnings, 10% points rebate, and all.
However, product changes to the Rewards+ are reportedly no longer possible. That means if you don’t already have the card, there’s no known way to get it, not even by downgrading from another Citi product.
Still, Citi does have a track record of keeping legacy cards alive for years after removing them from public view:
- The Citi Forward® card stopped accepting applications in 2013, but cardholders could keep it until 2017, when accounts were converted to the Citi Preferred®.
- The Citi Preferred card closed to new applicants in 2018 but is still available today via product change.
To be clear, the Citi Preferred is not the same as the Citi Strata Premier. The Preferred is a basic no-annual-fee card with limited perks, while the Strata Premier is Citi’s newly rebranded mid-tier ThankYou card (formerly the Citi Premier).
While Rewards+ appears to be off the table for both new signups and conversions, Citi’s pattern suggests it could remain in existing cardholders’ wallets for years to come.
Why Is Citi Pulling the Card?
Citi hasn’t released an official explanation, but there are a few theories:
- Strata Relaunch in Progress: Citi is in the process of revamping its ThankYou card lineup under the “Strata” branding. The Citi Strata Premier has already launched as a replacement for the Premier card, and rumors point to both a new premium card (likely replacing the long-retired Citi Prestige) and a revamped no-annual-fee card to take the Rewards+ slot.
- A Niche Product That Didn’t Scale: The Rewards+ offered unique value, but mostly for a subset of points-savvy users. The round-up feature encouraged lots of small purchases, which may not have been particularly profitable from the bank’s perspective.
- Simplification and Streamlining: Citi has long struggled to make its ThankYou program as consumer-friendly as Chase Ultimate Rewards or Amex Membership Rewards. Removing overlap and rebranding its offerings could be part of a broader push to modernize and simplify the lineup.
Final Thoughts
The Citi Rewards+ wasn’t a headline card, but for those who knew how to use it, it was a hidden gem. Between its round-up rewards and 10% points rebate, it played a valuable supporting role in a ThankYou points strategy, especially alongside the Citi Strata Premier.
With no path to apply or product change into it, the Rewards+ just became a collector’s item. Another discontinued card to add to my collection. If you’ve got it, hold onto it. If you missed it, watch what Citi launches next under the Strata name. This might be the first step in a bigger shake-up.
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1 comment
Rewards+ has been a very high value card for me. The 10% TYP rebate on redemptions has given me a nice six figure point rebate for no out of pocket cost.