Citibank's Shop Your Way Mastercard aims to reward customers who regularly shop at Sears and Kmart stores. Using this card for ordinary expenditures, such as petrol, earns hefty rewards.

At a Glance

Designed to optimize savings from the Shop Your Way rewards program, the Shop Your Way Mastercard® is a retail card with a co-branded logo. Sears and Kmart outlets and Sears brands like Sears Home and Kmart are included in this year-round reward program, which provides gas station purchases and groceries. If you're currently a member of Shop Your Way or intend to join, this credit card can help you maximize your earnings.

An Analysis of Shop Your Way with Mastercard

The Citi Mastercard Shop Your Way is a winner for co-branded reward cards. Cardholders can either sign up for Shop Your Way or link their existing accounts to earn extra points. Shop Your Way points are rewarded for purchases made at Sears and Kmart with the Citibank-issued credit card.

While this appears to be an excellent offer, managing it might be challenging if you're just getting started with the rewards program. Because of this, it's critical to thoroughly review the card's terms and conditions before deciding to use it.

Are There Any Places I Can Use My Citi Mastercard?

You may earn points and make purchases almost everywhere that accepts this rewards card. The Sears Shop Your Way Mastercard® isn't only for shopping at Sears, Kmart, or other affiliated businesses; you can use it to shop everywhere.

However, the number of points you may earn varies based on your shopping habits. You'll need to grasp the points structure in this program to optimize your benefits.

Earning Shop Your Way Reward Points

You may note that the reasoning for earning points in the Shop Your Way Mastercard terms and conditions sounds convoluted. The points you make with your credit card are included in the Additional Earn Program. This is because the Shop Your Way program does not require a credit card to be registered.

As a result, it might be challenging to understand what you're trying to say. A separate assessment would be necessary to cover all of the many ways Shop Your Way accounts might round up points.

The Shop Your Way Mastercard vs. Other Cards

A look at the Shop Your Way Mastercard from Citi and the Citi® Double Cash Card – 18-month BT offer to see how they stack up against one other.

Using Points

There is a more straightforward method of redeeming points on the Shop Your Way Citi Mastercard. Alternatively, you may use your points to shop at the Shop Your Way online store. The following are only a few of the many redemption options:

• Appliances

• Groceries

• Fitness gear

• Electronics

• Pet supplies

In addition to online purchasing, you can also check out the program's Redemption Partners for more deals. Restaurants and other establishments that accept Shop Your Way points are included in this category.

In addition, many of them have additional perks. This may need creating an account with the spouse in some circumstances. Using your Shop Your Way Mastercard points as a credit for your purchase is not an option.

Like other reward credit cards, this card's most significant drawback is that your points expire 12 months after you acquire them. This might make it more challenging to save for large expenditures. It may take up to a week for your points to be processed and made available.

What You Need to Know About Mastercard Shopping Rewards and Fees

You can get a $40 bill credit if you spend $50 in the first 30 days of using your Shop Your Way Mastercard. Although the spending criteria are minimal, this is one of the lowest incentives available for a high-value rewards card.

Is the Shop Your Way Mastercard Worth It?

If you're looking for a simple rewards program, this isn't the card for you. You may earn and spend points in various categories throughout the year with the Citi Mastercard's Shop Your Way program. Still, you'll only get additional points if you use the card at participating merchants. Because of this, you must know you’re buying patterns to get the most out of a credit card like this one.

If you're a regular at Sears or Kmart, you'll benefit from the Shop Your Way program. However, if you don't have a Shop Your Way credit card, you can still earn points. The Card link program allows you to link up to three Visa cards to make even more points.

Conclusion

If you don't intend to use all of Shop Your Way's features, more straightforward rewards cards are available. In petrol stations, for example, the PNC Cash Rewards® Visa® Credit Card gets 4% cashback, 3% at restaurants, 2% on groceries, and 1% on all other purchases. Though there is a limit to how many points may be earned in the upper categories, these points do not expire. In addition, this card offers a reduced APR, which is critical if you have a balance.