Good for rewards newbies who don’t mind a learning curve #CashNews.co

Rewards credit cards are increasingly popular as people look for ways to get more value from their purchases and reduce their expenses. But with so many rewards cards on the market, choosing the right one can be overwhelming.

The Citi Rewards+® Card can be a good — unlike many other popular rewards cards, the Citi Rewards+ Card doesn’t charge annual fees and offers a generous bonus promotion for new cardmembers.

However, the multiple different you can earn and redeem points could seem complicated to those new to rewards credit cards, so it may take some time to learn the ins and outs of the program to maximize the card’s value.

Through the Citi Rewards+ Card rewards program, you can earn two points per $1 spent at grocery stores and gas stations (up to $6,000 in purchases per year), and one point per $1 spent on all other purchases. For a limited time, you can also earn five points per $1 spent on travel booked through the Citi Travel platform.

There are two other rewards perks with the Citi Rewards+ program:

Roundup feature: With the Citi Rewards+ Card, you benefit from its roundup program. When you use the card to make a purchase, the card automatically rounds your points up to the nearest 10 points. For example, if you spend $12, you’ll earn 20 points rather than the 10 you’d earn at the existing rewards rate. Thanks to this feature, the Citi Rewards+ Card is particularly useful for those who make several small purchases — such as grocery store or pharmacy transactions — per month.

Points back: When you redeem your points, Citi will give you 10% back on up to the first 100,000 points redeemed per year. For example, if you redeem 20,000 points, you’ll get 2,000 points returned to you.

You can redeem your points in the following ways through Citi’s ThankYou.com rewards portal:

• Gift cards: You can redeem your points for gift cards from major retailers and restaurant chains. Occasionally, retailers offer special discounts on gift cards so you can get more value for your points.

• Shop with points: You can redeem your points at checkout with select retailers, such as BestBuy or Amazon, to pay for your purchase.

• Travel: Through ThankYou.com, you can use your points to book hotel stays, flights, and cruises.

• Statement credits: You can use your points as a statement credit to pay off a portion of your bill.

• Everyday rewards categories. You’ll earn this card’s rewards at supermarkets and gas stations, making it a good choice for common everyday spending — even if it’s not the highest rewards rate available today. If you’re able to max out the combined $6,000 annual cap, that’s a potential $120 in rewards in just those categories.

• Opportunities for bonus rewards. On top of the regular rewards categories, the Citi Rewards+ round up feature and annual points back benefit can potentially offer substantial boosts to your overall rewards each year.

• 0% intro APR offer: This card has a competitive 0% APR among other rewards cards today on both new purchases and balance transfers. If you want to make a big purchase after opening your card or you have some debt to pay off, this could make a good option — and still give you long-term rewards value.

Although the Citi Rewards+ Card has some useful perks, there are some drawbacks to consider:

• No travel or shopping protections: Unlike other rewards cards, the Citi Rewards+ Card doesn’t provide travel insurance, purchase protection, or extended warranty benefits.

• Charges foreign transaction fees: The Citi Rewards+ Card charges foreign transaction fees, so you’ll pay an added fee every time you use your card outside the country or to make purchases in foreign currency.

• Complex rewards structure: For those new to rewards credit cards, the Citi Rewards+ Card’s program can be intimidating. You need to keep track of different spending categories and limited-time offers. If it seems too complex, you may be better off with a card with a flat rewards rate, such as the Citi Double Cash Card.

Citi is a leading credit card issuer, and the Citi Rewards+ Card is issued under the Mastercard network — the second-largest credit card network. It’s accepted by most retailers in the U.S. and internationally, so you can use the card to make purchases online and at most brick-and-mortar stores.

You can make payments over the phone, online, through a mobile app or through the mail.

• Phone: Citi’s customer support line is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can make a payment by calling 1-800-347-494.

• Online or mobile app: Visit Citi.com or download the Citi mobile app and log into your account to make payments.

• Mail: Payments can be sent through the postal mail; direct your payments to the following address:

Citi

P.O. BOX 9001037

Louisville, KY 40290-1037

Citibank Customer Service

P.O. Box 6500

Sioux Falls, SD 57117

Why we like it: Chase Sapphire Preferred is one of our top rewards cards options today with plenty of ways to maximize points and boosted redemptions. If you redeem your points for travel through Chase travel, they’re worth 1.25 cents each.

Chase Sapphire Preferred has a similar points back offer to the Citi Rewards+. Each account anniversary, you’ll get bonus points worth 10% of your total purchases from the year prior.

Read our full review of the Sapphire Preferred card

Why we like it: The Capital One VentureOne can make a comparable choice for travel rewards and an intro APR for no annual fee. This card has a generous welcome bonus and intro APR on new purchases and balance transfers.

You’ll earn 5x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 1.25x miles on all other purchases you make with the VentureOne card. Capital One miles are flexible; you can use them for new travel purchases through Capital One Travel, transfer to partners, or put them toward travel purchases already on your statement.

Why we like it: Chase Freedom Unlimited is another great rewards credit card to maximize your everyday spending, especially in the first year. It has no annual fee and a generous intro APR for new purchases and balance transfers. Rewards categories include 5% cash back on travel through Chase Travel, 3% cash back at drugstores, 3% cash back on dining, and 1.5% cash back on all other purchases. For the first year, every purchase also gets a 1.5% boost — so you’ll earn 4.5% on eligible dining purchases that would otherwise earn 3%, for example.

Related: Chase Freedom Unlimited vs. Freedom Flex: Cash-back cards with plenty of perks

This article was edited by Rebecca McCracken

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