Citi Dividend World MasterCard Review (discontinued for new applications)
Updated September 30, 2016.
The Facts
Apr-Jun: Drug Stores, Fitness Clubs
Jul-Sep: Hilton Worldwide, Car Rentals
Oct-Dec: Best Buy, Department Stores
Apr-Jun: Home Depot, Home and Garden
Jul-Sep: Hilton Worldwide, Airlines
Oct-Dec: Best Buy, Department Stores
Apr-Jun: Home Depot, Home Furnishing, Home and Garden
Jul-Sep: Hilton, Car Rentals, Theme Parks, Movie Theatres
Oct-Dec: Best Buy, Department Stores, Toy Stores
Apr-Jun: Home Furnishings, Garden, Home Depot
Jul-Sep: Movies, Theme Parks, Car Rentals, Hilton Worldwide
Oct-Dec: Department Stores, Toy Stores, Best Buy
Apr-Jun: Home Furnishings, Garden, Home Depot
Jul-Sep: Airlines, Car Rentals, Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic
Oct-Dec: Macy's, Electronics Stores, Toy Stores
Apr-Jun: Home Improvement, Home Furnishings, Garden
Jul-Sep: Airfare, Hotels, Car Rentals
Oct-Dec: Department Stores, Clothing Stores, Electronics Stores, Toy Stores
The Math
Obviously this card is best for bonus categories, and you'd better use other cards for general spending. So not much math here. However, we do want to provide a comparison among three similar cashback cards that offer 5% on quarterly rotating categories.
Citi Dividend vs. Chase Freedom vs. Discover it: Even though Discover was the first to introduce the interesting concept of rotating bonus categories, before 2012 Discover was actually our least favorite among the three due to its lowest quarterly spending cap to earn 5% ($300~$800). Citi Dividend does not impose quarterly spending cap; however, it does set the annual cap of total cash back to be $300, which translates to an annual $6,000 spending cap assuming you only use it for 5% categories. In this sense Citi Dividend is almost the same as Chase Freedom whose quarterly spending cap is $1,500, but it does provide a little more flexibility. In 2012, Discover finally increased the quarterly spending cap to $1,500 to keep up with competition. Ultimately, it all comes down to their 5% calendar and your spending pattern to decide which card is the best for you. However, when paired with a premium UR card with fixed value travel redemption feature (up to 1.5 cents per point) and point transfer feature, Chase Freedom offers much higher value than its competitors.
The Conclusion
Citi Dividend is one of the three cards that offer 5% cash back on rotating categories. You will have to do your own math to figure out which is the best for you.
The Facts
- Annual Fee: None
- Signup Bonus: $100
- Rewards: 5% quarterly rotating categories, 1% everything else. The annual cash back earning limit is $300. Just like Discover More, you have to signup each quarter to qualify 5% bonus.
- 2016 Dividend 5% Bonus Calendar:
Apr-Jun: Drug Stores, Fitness Clubs
Jul-Sep: Hilton Worldwide, Car Rentals
Oct-Dec: Best Buy, Department Stores
- 2015 Dividend 5% Bonus Calendar:
Apr-Jun: Home Depot, Home and Garden
Jul-Sep: Hilton Worldwide, Airlines
Oct-Dec: Best Buy, Department Stores
- 2014 Dividend 5% Bonus Calendar:
Apr-Jun: Home Depot, Home Furnishing, Home and Garden
Jul-Sep: Hilton, Car Rentals, Theme Parks, Movie Theatres
Oct-Dec: Best Buy, Department Stores, Toy Stores
- 2013 Dividend 5% Bonus Calendar:
Apr-Jun: Home Furnishings, Garden, Home Depot
Jul-Sep: Movies, Theme Parks, Car Rentals, Hilton Worldwide
Oct-Dec: Department Stores, Toy Stores, Best Buy
- 2012 Dividend 5% Bonus Calendar:
Apr-Jun: Home Furnishings, Garden, Home Depot
Jul-Sep: Airlines, Car Rentals, Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic
Oct-Dec: Macy's, Electronics Stores, Toy Stores
- 2011 Dividend 5% Bonus Calendar:
Apr-Jun: Home Improvement, Home Furnishings, Garden
Jul-Sep: Airfare, Hotels, Car Rentals
Oct-Dec: Department Stores, Clothing Stores, Electronics Stores, Toy Stores
- History: Dividend enjoyed great popularity in the past as one of the very first cash back cards. It used to earn 5% on groceries, drugstores, and gas, then was devaluated to 2% on the three categories a couple of years later. In 2010, Citi followed Discover's 5% rotating bonus model and overhauled the long serving Dividend. In 2014, Citi discontinued accepting new applications while keeping the program for existing customers.
The Math
Obviously this card is best for bonus categories, and you'd better use other cards for general spending. So not much math here. However, we do want to provide a comparison among three similar cashback cards that offer 5% on quarterly rotating categories.
Citi Dividend vs. Chase Freedom vs. Discover it: Even though Discover was the first to introduce the interesting concept of rotating bonus categories, before 2012 Discover was actually our least favorite among the three due to its lowest quarterly spending cap to earn 5% ($300~$800). Citi Dividend does not impose quarterly spending cap; however, it does set the annual cap of total cash back to be $300, which translates to an annual $6,000 spending cap assuming you only use it for 5% categories. In this sense Citi Dividend is almost the same as Chase Freedom whose quarterly spending cap is $1,500, but it does provide a little more flexibility. In 2012, Discover finally increased the quarterly spending cap to $1,500 to keep up with competition. Ultimately, it all comes down to their 5% calendar and your spending pattern to decide which card is the best for you. However, when paired with a premium UR card with fixed value travel redemption feature (up to 1.5 cents per point) and point transfer feature, Chase Freedom offers much higher value than its competitors.
The Conclusion
Citi Dividend is one of the three cards that offer 5% cash back on rotating categories. You will have to do your own math to figure out which is the best for you.