Rapid Travel Chai

In 2020 Citi broke with the pattern on Citi Dividend by not announcing the entire year 5% cash back calendar at the start of the year. Only Q1 and Q2 were announced upfront.

$300 a Year

Q1 had grocery stores and Q2 Amazon.com and drug stores. Since the cash back per card account is capped at $300 annually, which can be earned all in one quarter, many cardholders will have maxed out their 2020 annual limit. After the $300, the card doesn’t even earn 1%.

I have not maxed out my limits due to travel in Q1 that ran into the March lockdown. Similarly, for Q2, I’ve not been frequenting drug stores.

Q3 that runs July 1-September 30 has typically been Citi Dividend ‘Summer Fun’ with categories like airlines and rental cars.

2020 Q3

Reflecting the times, the Q3 5% categories have been announced as:

• Home improvement stores
• Popular streaming services

Home Improvement stores includes home supply warehouse stores, lumber and building materials stores, paint and wallpaper stores, wallpaper stores, hardware stores, nurseries – lawn and garden supply stores, glass stores, and paints, varnishes, and supplies stores. You will not earn extra cash back at florists’ supply stores, nursery stock and flower stores.

Select Streaming Services includes the cable, satellite, and streaming providers listed below:
Amazon Prime Video, CBS All Access, fuboTV, Netflix, Pandora ,Showtime, Sling TV, Spotify, Starz, Vudu, YouTube Premium, YouTube TV

Registration Required

Advance activation opens June 15 and is required. The offer can take 1-2 business days from registration to be active.

It is hard to get credit for purchases prior to successfully activating the offer. In recent years, with multiple cards both for my wife and myself, I’ve found website registration is hit or miss, so instead I call or chat to ensure activation.

Q4 2020 has not been announced.