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[8/24 Update] Citi AT&T Access More Credit Card updated its terms on July 22, excluding real estate payments and gift cards from the 3x categories. However, based on readers’ data points, various loan payments are still earning 3x, and purchases of gift cards in the MPX App are also still coding for 3x. My personal view is that Citi has no way to reliably identify many gift card purchases. Merchant names vary widely, and there is no dedicated merchandise code category specifically for gift cards. Of course, it’s still a good idea to test with a small purchase first and scale up only after confirming it works. Common websites and apps for buying gift cards include:

In addition, readers have tested that Walmart pay is also earning 3x! So this card is still very much worth having.

[6/14/2017 Update] AT&T cardholders all received an email saying that starting July 22, the 3x earning categories on this card would be subject to many new restrictions. Any purchases related to gift cards, car rentals, and rent payments would no longer earn 3x. At the moment, it is still unclear how Citi will identify these transactions, and we can only wait until the policy takes effect to know for sure. Merchants likely affected include gift card sites such as Raise.com, GiftCardMall, MPX, and PayPal Digital, as well as rent-payment services like Plastiq and radpad. My personal take is that Citi cannot identify every gift card purchase (for example, buying a Costco cashcard) , nor can it possibly track every website that sells gift cards, so the only way to know is to try. For people who use this card for regular spending, the impact should be limited. Whether for online shopping, proxy buying, or placing orders for others, this card is still a legendary keeper.

Citi AT&T Access More Credit Card

Application Link

  • This card can no longer be applied for directly, but it may still be available via product change from an existing Citi credit card.

Basics

  • Earning rates: Earn ThankYou Points on purchases. Earn 3X on online shopping (detailed list); earn 3X on travel-related websites (official explanation); earn 3X on AT&T purchases; all other purchases earn 1X
  • Redeeming points: Can be redeemed for cash at 1c each, or for flights and hotels at 1-1.25c each; points can also be transferred to airline miles or hotel points
  • Annual fee: $95 (not waived the first year)

Highlights

  • Phone credit as a welcome offer: Use the special link provided by Citi to choose and purchase a phone. The maximum reimbursement is $650; if the phone costs $500, you can only be reimbursed $500
  • Broad coverage for online shopping and travel
    • The 3X online shopping category includes major department store websites, walmart.com, Amazon, eBay, and many other online purchases (reader-compiled list)
    • The 3X travel category includes bookings made directly with major airlines and hotels, as well as online travel agencies such as orbitz
    • Paying your AT&T bill also earns 3X, which is nice. Buying a phone on the official website should probably also earn 3X
  • Spend 10,000 each year and earn an extra 10,000 TYP: effectively making the first 10,000 in online shopping and travel spending earn 4x
  • Citi card benefits
    • Price Rewind: if an item drops in price, you may be able to get Citi to reimburse the difference
    • Free FICO credit score: provided by Equifax, with historical tracking shown in chart form
    • Private Pass: they once offered free movie tickets, though I didn’t manage to get them
    • Generous retention offers: when the annual fee comes due, threatening to cancel may trigger some Promotion offers. For details, see “Retention Introduction” and “Retention Tips”

Drawbacks

  • You need another annual-fee Citi card to unlock the maximum value of TYP points
  • If your online shopping and travel spending is low, the annual fee may not be worth it. After the first year, you can product change to a no-annual-fee version or another no-annual-fee Citi card

Points Program Overview

  • Point value: Average value is 1.5c/p, 100 TYP = $1.5 (Point value and analysis)
  • Direct redemption: Redeem at 1c/p for Statement Credit
  • Point transfers: 1:1 transfer to AA (good for U.S.-China and U.S.-Europe redemptions, especially premium cabins); 1:1 transfer to Virgin Atlantic miles (good for Delta One nonstop awards and ANA round-trip first class between the U.S. and Japan); 1:1 transfer to Avianca miles (good for U.S.-China business class, ANA and Asiana first class between the U.S. and China, with no YQ on ticketing); 1:1 transfer to Qantas Airways (QF) miles (good for nonstop U.S. domestic awards and U.S. East Coast to Western Europe). You need to hold the ThankYou Premier or Prestige to transfer TYP to airline and hotel points.
  • Program features: You can pool all TYP points into one account and use them together. TYP points on each card expire separately, so it’s best to use up the TYP from a card before closing it. You can transfer up to 100k TYP per year to a friend’s account.
  • My quick take: For TYP airline partners, just keep AA, AV, and VS straight. Hilton as a hotel partner is also not really worth transferring to. Redeeming for cash/gift cards is only worth 1 cent per point. So the value is about 1.3c, and a few of the more niche airline partners still make it interesting.
  • Detailed analysis: ThankYou Points guide>>

My Take

I got this card via a product change from the Citi Dividend credit card. The first reason was that I had already maxed out the card’s $300 cash back for the year, making it basically useless for the rest of the year. Another important reason is that this card earns 3x points at most merchants for online shopping, which is an absolute blessing for heavy online shoppers. More importantly, the 3x coverage is extremely broad, including all department stores, plus Amazon, eBay, Walmart, and Target online purchases. Also, the 3x category has no cap, so if you do a lot of online shopping, hurry up and apply/product change. Of course, from a signup perspective, the card also offers up to $650 in AT&T phone reimbursement, including iPhones, which is pretty nice. But I personally didn’t need a new phone, so I wasn’t willing to burn an application slot just to get a phone. I’d rather save that slot for a card with a bigger signup bonus that fits me better. If you spend a lot online, this card is an excellent long-term keeper.

How to get the free phone from the signup offer? (Product changes are not eligible for the phone reimbursement)

  • If you need to buy a phone within three months (full-price device) : After you are approved and receive the credit card, Citi will send you a special link for purchasing a phone. Use that link to enter the AT&T website and buy a full-price phone (this purchase also counts toward the minimum spending requirement) . Then, if you spend $2,000 within three months, Citi will provide a statement credit within 2 billing cycles to reimburse the cost of the phone. Of course, taxes are not included. So ideally, the phone itself should cost $650 or more, so you don’t waste any of the reimbursement. If you’re buying an iPhone, that should be easy.
  • If you do not need to buy a phone within three months (full-price device) : Complete the required $2,000 spending within three months first. Then, when you need to buy a phone later, purchase it through the link Citi gave you, and you can still receive the $650 reimbursement. This is a good fit for people waiting for the next iPhone release. However, note that you must buy the phone through the provided link; pre-ordering or buying through any other link will not qualify for the reimbursement.
  • If you already have a phone but want to upgrade: The cost to upgrade is often lower than buying a full-price phone, so don’t waste the $650—just go for the full-price device.
  • Important notes
    • If you are an AT&T prepaid user or a customer of another carrier, AT&T may Hard Pull your credit when you buy a full-price phone, because even a full-price phone still requires you to enroll in an AT&T monthly plan
    • After purchasing the phone, you must use it on the AT&T network for at least 15 days (in other words, you must pay for at least 15 days of service)
    • If you are already an AT&T postpaid customer, you can request that the phone be unlocked after 15 days
    • If you are on an AT&T family plan but are not the holder, you may need the holder’s information to complete the purchase