December 12 2024: Citi has announced its Q1 2025 5% categories on the Citi Dividend card. This upcoming quarter’s categories include Amazon and Select Streaming Services.
As of our update, these new categories are not yet showing up on the Citi website, but you’ll see them if you log into your account online. And they are available to activate now.
If you don’t have Amazon Prime, Amazon is particularly useful, since there aren’t too many ways to get 5% cash back at Amazon without having one of the Amazon credit cards. For the next few months, this card will go on our list of the best cards to use for Amazon.com purchases.
Here’s what you need to know about the 2024 Citi Dividend categories.
Q1 2025 categories: Amazon and Select Streaming Services
The Citi Dividend categories in the first quarter of 2025 include Amazon and Select Streaming Services.
Amazon purchases include purchases at Amazon.com, but do not include purchases using Amazon Pay. Citi notes in its terms and conditions that Amazon often charges you when items ship and that charges are only eligible for 5% at Amazon if they post by 3/31/2024. Be aware of this if you’re making Amazon purchases near the end of March.
Select Streaming Services includes the following streaming providers: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Music, Apple Music, Disney+, DirecTV Stream, ESPN+, fuboTV, Max, NBA League Pass, Netflix, Pandora, Paramount+, Showtime, Sling TV, Spotify, Starz, SiriusXM, Vudu, YouTube Red, YouTube TV, and Tidal.
Citi Dividend 2025 categories at a glance
Here’s a quick look at the 2025 categories that Citi has announced for the Citi Dividend card. We’ll update this as further categories are announced.
- Q1 (Jan-Mar): Amazon and Select Streaming
- Q2 (Apr-Jun): Not yet announced
- Q3 (Jul-Sep): Not yet announced
- Q4 (Oct-Dec): Not yet announced
Q4 2024 categories: Restaurants and Citi Travel℠
The Citi Dividend categories in the fourth quarter of 2024 include restaurants and Citi Travel℠.
Restaurants includes the places you might expect, like sit-down restaurants and cafes. But it also includes places that other places exclude from restaurant rewards like fast-food restaurants, bars, and lounges.
Citi Travel℠ includes hotel, car rental, and attractions, but excludes air travel purchases.
Enrolling: You must activate your Dividend cash back categories
To earn 5% cash back on this quarter’s Citi Dividend categories, you must register for the quarterly category promotion. The easiest way to do that is to visit the Citi Dividend category landing page and click on “Sign up now.” You’ll be prompted to log into your Citi account.
Once you’ve logged in, you’ll be dropped onto the Limited Time Offers page. Select your Dividend card and click on “Sign up now” under the quarterly category bonus promotion. You’l be required to accept the terms and conditions of the 5% category offer. Once you click “Accept” you will be signed up for the quarterly category offer.
When do I need to activate?
Citi generally announces the Citi Dividend categories around the 15th day of month before a quarter begins. You can typically enroll in your quarterly cash back offer within a day or two after the announcement, though sometimes Citi opens registration earlier.
You must activate your cash back bonus categories prior to making purchases. Purchases made prior to activation will not receive additional cash back rewards. Note that activation may take up to two business days. You will only receive 5% cash back on you bonus category purchases once your enrollment has fully processed.
The Citi Dividend card is no longer available to new cardmembers. If you’re looking for a 5% rotating category card from Citi, consider the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card, which offers 5% back on the first $500 of spending each statement cycle.
Maximizing rewards: Understanding Citi Dividend cash back limits
The Citi Dividend card limits the total amount of cash back you can earn during the calendar year to $300. This limit includes all cash back you earn during the year. After earning $300 of cash back, you’ll earn no cash back on any purchases for the rest of the calendar year.
This means that if you use your card only for 5% bonus categories, you can earn 5% cash back on up to $6,000 of category spending during the year.
Another quirk to consider is that Citi’s limit on the cash back you earn with your Citi Dividend Card is based on when your cash back is awarded, not when it is earned. This becomes most relevant at the end of the year. If you use your card in late December, but your statement closes in January, you’ll earn cash back based on Citi’s fourth-quarter bonus categories, but next year’s cash back limit will apply to the cash back you earn.
How to use the Dividend cash back limits to your advantage
If you have maximized your cash back for the current year, you can still earn 5% rewards on some of your purchases in the fourth-quarter bonus categories. Here’s how.
Citi applies its cash back limits based on statement closing date. Any rewards you earn on your Citi Dividend card after your December statement closes be awarded with your January statement. And those rewards will apply toward next year’s rewards cap.
For example, if your December statement closes on December 15th:
- Spending prior to December 15th will earn 5% rewards based on based on the fourth quarter bonuses in the current year and count toward the current year’s rewards cap.
- Spending after December 15th, but before January 1st will earn 5% rewards based on the fourth quarter bonuses in the current year and count toward next year’s rewards cap.
If you’ve already maximized your cash back rewards for the current year, but want to take advantage of this year’s fourth-quarter bonus categories, you can wait until after your December statement closes and the cash back you earn will apply toward next year’s cap.
If you don’t have the card: You can’t get the Dividend card anymore, but you can get these alternatives
The Citi Dividend Card is no longer available to new cardmembers, but that doesn’t mean you can’t earn 5% rewards in rotating categories. Several banks offer cards that earn 5% rewards. Here are some alternatives to the Citi Dividend.
The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card offers 5% cash back as ThankYou® Points on the first $500 you spend in your top eligible category each quarterly. Visit our review of the Custom Cash to see eligible categories and learn more about the card. It is also possible to get multiple Custom Cash cards. The Custom Cash is a great add to almost any wallet, depending on how you use the card, it could be one of the best cards to use in any of its eligible 5% categories.
The Chase Freedom Flex℠ offers 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined spending in categories that rotate quarterly. The card earns its rewards as Ultimate Rewards®, which become even more valuable if you hold a premium card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. Read our review of the Chase Freedom Flex.
Discover It Cash Back is another 5% rotating category card offering 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in Discover’s quarterly rotating categories. If you get the card, you’ll get all of your cash back doubled at the end of your first cardmember year, making this effectively a 10% card in the first year!
The U.S Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card takes a slightly different approach to rotating categories. Instead of rotating categories, you get to select two 5% categories each quarter. The categories are admittedly not as attractive as the other 5% rewards cards, but there are a handful of useful category options like home utilities, electronics stores, and department stores.
Past categories: Every Dividend category bonus since 2021
There is no guarantee that Citi will offer any particular bonus category until it is announced, but knowing what categories have historically been offered on the Citi Dividend Card can give you an idea of what might be coming in the future. The Citi Dividend cash back categories have been similar in recent years. Because the card is not actively marketed to new cardmembers, there is a good chance that the categories will remain the same year-over-year.
Here are the previous 5% categories of the Citi Dividend.
Citi Dividend categories for 2024
- Q1 2024: Amazon.com and select streaming services.
- Q2 2024: Grocery stores and drugstores.
- Q3 2024: Gas stations.
- Q4 2024: Restaurants and Citi Travel
Citi Dividend categories for 2023
- Q1 2023: Amazon.com and select streaming services.
- Q2 2023: Grocery stores and drugstores.
- Q3 2023: Gas stations and home improvement stores.
- Q4 2023: Grocery stores.
Citi Dividend categories for 2022
- Q1 2022: Amazon.com and select streaming services
- Q2 2022: Grocery stores and drugstores
- Q3 2022: Gas stations and home improvement stores
- Q4 2022: Restaurants and select travel
Citi Dividend categories for 2021
- Q1 2021: Amazon.com and select streaming services
- Q2 2021: Grocery stores and drugstores
- Q3 2021: Gas stations and home improvement stores
- Q4 2021: Restaurants and Best Buy
Frequently asked questions
Is the Citi Dividend card available to new cardmembers?
No. The Citi Dividend card is not available to new cardmembers. Citi offers a 5% card in its current lineup, the Citi Custom Cash. Other 5% rotating category cards include the Chase Freedom Flex℠ and the Discover It Cash Back card.
Are the rewards of the Citi Dividend Card limited?
Yes. You can only earn $300 of total rewards each year on your Citi Dividend card. If you use your card exclusively for the 5% bonus categories, this represents $6,000 of spending.
How do rewards work at the end of the year?
Your rewards count toward your yearly cap in the year in which the rewards are credited, based on your statement date. If make a purchase in December after your December statement closes, that purchases will show up on your January statement and count toward your rewards for the following year.
What are the benefits of the Citi Dividend Card?
The biggest perk of the Citi Dividend Card is the cash back you can earn from the card’s 5% cash back categories. The card does not offer any benefits like extended warranty or purchase protection.
