Citi cardholders can now shop with points at Amazon.com
Online shopping just got a little more addictive - Aussies with a Citi credit card can now use rewards points to pay or partially pay for eligible purchases on Amazon.com.
According to Citi Australia’s Head of Cards and Consumer Lending, Alan Machet, more than 88% of Aussies shopped online last year, and racked up an estimated total bill of $20.2 billion.
“Australians’ fondness for online shopping continues to grow and Citi cardholders are no different,” Machet said.
“Whether it’s a complimentary bottle of wine when you dine with the Citi Dining Program or chance to win tickets to the football, collaborations such as this one with Amazon allow us to reward our cardholders with offers and benefits that they value.”
For now Aussie shoppers can only use points through the US website.
Expanding rewards programs, as Citi has done with its Amazon.com collaboration, is just one of the ways credit card providers are revamping rewards after recent interchange fee changes saw points value drop significantly.
One of the other innovations being embraced by a number of credit card providers is allowing customers the option of using points to pay for everyday spends, rather than piling up points for a big reward later on.
The scheme generally works by customers logging into their online banking accounts or card provider app and selecting which purchases they’d like to pay for using their rewards points. A cashback credit is then added to their account.
Citi cardholders can now use points to pay for eligible purchases through the “Select and Credit” feature, while other major credit card player Amex has rolled out a similar Pay with Points program through its online banking and app. Big bank CommBank went a slightly different route - it’s Pay with Points feature means cardholders can use their rewards points in-store at both Myer and Flight Centre.
RELATED: ANZ joins Samsung Pay, beating other big banks for mobile payment choice
Mozo Data Manager Peter Marshall said more choice in how Aussies redeem rewards points ultimately makes it easier for cardholders to get the best value possible.
“Having more flexibility in the way you redeem points is great, since everyone like to use their rewards in different ways,” said Mozo Data Manager Peter Marshall.
“For some regular spenders, using points for everyday purchases may be a handy way to handle life’s little costs - especially if they weren’t making use of rewards points for big ticket items like flights anyway.”
Ready to rack up some rewards value? Take our Rewards Revealer tool for a spin to find the piece of plastic that will bag you the best freebies.