Credit Tips: Citi Dividend Platinum Select Credit Card Review

Posted On: April 1, 2006

Author: PhilBy
Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2005 3:49 pm
Post subject: CITI® DIVIDEND PLATINUM SELECT MC 5% Gas/Groceries Rewards

Hi

I checked the first gas puchase I made for gas with my new Citi Dividend Platinum card and it’s only giving 1%. I understand that the merchants identifier has to be programmed and Citi has no control over this. The main reason I am confused is because I intentionally got gas at Giant Food Store because I thought since it’s a grocery store (not a warehouse club either) and I was purchasing gas, I should get the 5%. either way. I figured it would be identified as either gas or grocery. Yesterday I got gas at Sheetz, which is a gas/conv. store. That transaction has not yet posted to the account, so I don’t know the reward percentage will be for sure. Just wondering if anyone else has encountered the same situation. Should I call customer service to question it, or wait until I double check the mailed paper statement. I remember reading on this fourm that sometimes paying at the pump rather than the cashier will effect the percentage. I paid at the pump, because paying inside is more of a hassel. I am in Pennsylvania and Sheetz and Giant usually offer the best price on gas in my area. I doubt if paying the higher gas price at another station to take a chance getting 5% is necessarily worth it.

Any comments or suggestions are appreciated

Author: PhilBy
Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2005 4:34 pm
Post subject: A little more info…

I just checked my AT&T Universal Cash Rewards Statement for July and by my calculations, it gave 5% at Sheetz. I never got gas or anything at Giant Food with that card. I got it in June and shortly took advantage of the 0% BT and have not purchased with it since. I will have to wait and see when the Sheetz transaction I did yesterday posts to the Dividend card to verify my new rewards balance. My AT&T statements break it down by catergory on the paper statement. Services, Merchandise and Vehicle Services. Sheetz Gasoline was considered Vehicle services and earned the 5%, and of course the other two did not Super Wal-Mart (merchandise) and my Verizon Wireless cell phone bill (services). Does the Citi Dividend paper catergorize as well? If the Sheets earns 1% on the dividend, but 5% on AT&T I will have to call.

Author: tonygoldston
Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2005 6:37 pm
Post subject:

I think the Citi cards do the extra 4% as a bonus at the end of the billing period. Give them a call to check how it was coded, or wait until the statement posts and see then.

Author: PhilBy
Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2005 8:53 pm
Post subject: Citi Dividend Platinum Select Credit Card Review

Thanks Tony I agree with you, because upon closer inspection of my AT&T Universal Cash Rewards Statement it seems like the website automatically codes everything as 1% and considers it base dollars until the statement prints. The extra (considered bonus dollars) 4% is added to the applicable transactions and combined with the base dollars earned to give you the total dollars earned for that billing period.
and I also noted this statment at the bottom of the cash rewards section.

Bonus Cash Back may take one to two billing cycles to appear on your statement.
Please refer to the specific terms and conditions pertaining to the promotion
for further details.

Thanks so much for helping me figure this out, because I am new to reward cards and it saved me a call to customer service.

Author: tonygoldston
Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2005 10:59 pm
Post subject:

No problems.

I have been using a MBNA AAA card for gas for the last few years, and they keep changing terms, (went from a $3 rebate per day limit to $2 and now they just dropped the rebate % to 3 from 5.) So I am trying to find a better card for gas. got a Citi Diamond Preferred, but just got a Driver’s Edge too.