Premium rewards cards tend to get a lot of attention thanks to their great perks and points programs, but they also charge annual fees of hundreds of dollars per year. Luckily, credit card issuers offer similar cards that don’t charge annual fees (and recommend a “good” credit score for approval), including both American Express and Citi.
The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express is a no-annual-fee alternative (see rates and fees) to some of Amex’s other powerhouse products. Like Amex’s more premium cards, it earns transferable American Express Membership Rewards points and offers category and transaction bonuses. For those reasons, it’s popular thanks to a simple earning formula and a decent return on spending.
The Citi Rewards+® Card (see rates and fees) also packs a punch with earning bonuses at supermarkets and gas stations, a 10-point roundup feature and a 10% points refund on the first 100,000 ThankYou points you redeem each year. Although the points you earn with it are (for the most part) not transferable to Citi ThankYou’s airline partners, if you have a premium Citi ThankYou card like the Citi Premier® Card (see rates and fees) or Citi Prestige® Card (not available to new applicants) you can combine your points and transfer from there.
If you’re considering applying for one of these two cards, it’s worth looking at how they match up and which might be best for your needs.
The information for the Amex EveryDay and Citi Prestige cards has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Amex EveryDay vs. Citi Rewards+ comparison
| Amex EveryDay | Citi Rewards+ | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $0 (see rates and fees) | $0 |
| Welcome bonus | 10,000 points after you use your new card to make $2,000 in purchases within the first six months of card membership | 20,000 points after you spend $1,500 on purchases with your card within the first three months of account opening |
| Earning | 2 points per dollar on purchases at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 in spending each year; then 1 point per dollar)
1 point per dollar on all other purchases Terms apply |
5 points on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel portal (through June 30, 2024)
2 points per dollar on purchases at supermarkets and gas stations (up to $6,000 in spending each year; then 1 point per dollar) 1 point per dollar on all other purchases |
| Additional benefits | 20% more points when you use your card 20 or more times on purchases in a billing period. Terms apply
Access to Amex’s Membership Rewards Program Car rental loss and damage insurance* Global Assist Hotline* |
For every purchase that earns ThankYou Points, your ThankYou Points will be rounded up to the nearest 10 points
10% points back for the first 100,000 ThankYou Points redeemed per calendar year |
*Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
Amex EveryDay vs. Citi Rewards+ welcome offer
The Amex EveryDay is offering 10,000 points after you use your new card to make $2,000 in purchases within the first six months of card membership. That’s an offer worth $200, per TPG valuations.
The Citi Rewards+, meanwhile, is offering 20,000 points after you spend $1,500 on purchases with your card within the first three months of account opening. If you just hold the Rewards+, you’ll get $200 worth of gift cards with this offer. However, if you hold a Premier or Prestige card too, your points are worth $360 per our valuations.
Winner: Citi Rewards+
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Amex EveryDay vs. Citi Rewards+ benefits
The Amex EveryDay* offers relatively standard benefits like car rental loss, damage insurance and access to the Global Assist Hotline**, plus access to Amex’s Membership Rewards program. You’ll also have the option to use the Pay with Points program to book your next flight or hotel stay.
*Enrollment is required for select benefits.
**Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
The Citi Rewards+ is comparatively light on benefits. However, you will enjoy an unusual perk called “Round Up”: For every purchase that earns ThankYou Points, your ThankYou Points will be rounded up to the nearest 10 points. That means even a one-dollar purchase will earn 10 points, which is impressive for a card with no annual fee.
You’ll also get 10% points back on your first 100,000 ThankYou Points redeemed per calendar year.
Winner: Tie. They have quite different types of benefits.
Earning points with the Amex EveryDay vs. Citi Rewards+
The two cards offer comparable and easy-to-comprehend earning rates.
The Amex EverDay offers 2 points per dollar on purchases at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 in spending each year; then 1 point per dollar), plus 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
The Citi Rewards+, similarly, offers 2 points per dollar at supermarkets and gas stations for the first $6,000 per year (1 point per dollar after), plus 1 point per dollar on all other purchases. For a limited time, though — through June 30, 2024 — you’ll also get 5 points per dollar on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked through the Citi Travel portal.
Winner: Citi Rewards+. With the upper hand at gas stations, plus the limited-time Citi Travel portal category, the Citi Rewards+ takes the cake here.
Redeeming points with the Amex EveryDay vs. Citi Rewards+
Rewards earned with the Amex EveryDay can be redeemed as cash back and for Amazon purchases, gift cards and more, but you’ll typically get maximum value when you redeem your points for travel through Amex’s 21 airline and hotel partners.
Citi Rewards+ points are considered “basic” Citi ThankYou points, which can be redeemed for purchases at Amazon and Best Buy at less than 1 cent each. Redeeming for gift cards at 1 cent apiece is a better option, although transferring is a superior option here as well.
Also, remember that when you redeem your Citi Rewards+ points, you’ll receive 10% points back for the first 100,000 points redeemed per calendar year.
Winner: Amex EveryDay
Transferring points with the Amex EveryDay vs. Citi Rewards+
Amex allows transfers to popular U.S.-based programs like Delta SkyMiles and JetBlue TrueBlue, but you’ll often get even more value by leveraging international airline programs. TPG values Amex points at 2.0 cents apiece, an extremely high rate, primarily because of the value of its points once transferred to its ample travel partners.
If you have the Citi Prestige or the Citi Premier along with your Rewards+, you can move your points to your Prestige or Premier account and transfer them to partners like Avianca LifeMiles and Etihad Guest. That increases the value of your points from 1 cent each to approximately 1.8 cents each per our valuations.
TPG senior points and miles writer Katie Genter enjoys transferring her Citi ThankYou points and leveraging transfer partners like Air France-KLM Flying Blue and Avianca LifeMiles for flights and Choice Privileges for hotels.
While both Amex points and Citi points are valuable, Amex gets the slight edge here. You also don’t need another Amex card to transfer your points, but you do need another Citi card to transfer your Rewards+ points.
Winner: Amex EveryDay
Should I get the Amex EveryDay or Citi Rewards+?
If you’re just getting started in the world of points and miles, either of these cards is a decent choice that lets you try out a major points program without an annual fee. The Amex EveryDay offers some decent travel protections and earning opportunities, plus the ability to take advantage of the Membership Rewards program’s phenomenal transfer partners, while the Citi Rewards+ provides a solid cash-back value and interesting category bonuses at both supermarkets and gas stations.
Bottom line
If you’re considering getting either of these cards, ensure you can meet the spending requirements for their bonuses. Getting both the Amex EveryDay and the Citi Rewards+, on the other hand, could be a worthwhile way to get started with Amex Membership Rewards and Citi ThankYou Rewards while giving you time to decide which program deserves more of your attention.
Both cards are compelling offerings if you spend more on everyday purchases — specifically groceries — than in the travel and dining categories that Amex and Citi’s higher-end cards emphasize.
To learn more, read our full reviews of the Amex EveryDay and Citi Rewards+.
Apply here: Citi Rewards+ card with 20,000 points after you spend $1,500 on purchases with your card within the first three months of account opening.
For rates and fees of the Amex EveryDay, click here.
