The statement will only show zero due if you have a zero or credit balance at the end of the billing cycle. This can occur if you receive credits for refunds, make early or excess payments, etc, but it won't happen because Citi is plotting to save $1.00 worth of points.

How many points do I need to save up in order to redeem for cash back on this card?

The redemption catalog is here:

https://rewards.thankyou.com/b2r/mer...handiseHome.do

Note that the return for giftcards is much better than for cash. When used for giftcards the points are worth $0.01 each. If Forward is your only ThankYou Rewards card you will probably need to accumulate 10,000 points and redeem for a $100 card. (Lower denomination cards will probably not offer the same proportionate value.) At 5 points per dollar that translates to $2,000 spending to earn $100. Bear in mind that you will earn 5 points per dollar on all Amazon (and other bookstore) purchases in addition to restaurants. This card should replace your Chase Amazon VISA.

Is it really better? I like with the Chase Amazon card that I can redeem for cash back fairly soon. The CitiForward I believe requires a minimum of 8000 points to be able to redeem cash back, versus Chase Amazon's 5000. Also, the Chase Amazon does give 2% cashback on dining (in addition to the 3% on Amazon purchases).

Look at the amount of spending required to earn the points, not the quantity of points. Amazon gives 3% back on amazon.com purchases, and 2% on dining. Forward gives 5% back on both. You will accumulate 10,000 ThankYou Points in about the same time as you now accumulate 5,000 Amazon points.

Thanks, that makes sense.

Anyone know if iTunes purchases count as music on this card? How about Netflix fees? Does that count as movies?

Thanks for this. My spending habit changed recently from flights heavy (thus AMEX PR) to dining heavy. Your post convinced me to sign up for Citi Forward.

As for the Citi MtvU card that gets 5x points on restaurants, do you have to be a college student to apply? I looked at the application page and it specified that it was only open to college students and graduate students. I suppose Citi won't actually verify that you are a college student, correct? But will you be allowed to have this same card forever...even for years after you are a "college student"? I already have the forward card but was looking at this one as a way to boost restaurant spend.

Actually I believe they do; there is a centralized database for student verification that a lot of schools report to and if you are not in it they have asked (this was a long time ago,though) for a current tuition statement and/or student ID to verify. Easy enough to get around, though, just enroll for any kind of course at a community college that is at least one credit. That should be good enough for all except offers that require full-time student enrollment status.

Citibank has begun differentiating among the different thank you accounts as well, depending either on the card you have and on the number of relationships you have with Citi (i.e., having a checking and a loan as well as a credit card). For example, you may be able to get the $100 gift card at a certain category of merchant (e.g., service master -- merry maids cleaning service, etc., or at Macy's for general merchandise) but be offered only the lower value cards with less favorable redemption rates at electronics merchants, where the profit margin on what they sell is tighter (try J&R electronics world and Best Buy).

So, though you do accrue more points with the Citi Forward/MTVu (they are 95% the same -- MTVu gives a bonus for grades but a lower monthly pay-on-time good customer monthly bonus if I remember right, but the same for restaurants) -- Citi does 'take back' some, but not all, of that advantage on gift card redemptions for certain merchants by not letting you get the $100 gift card for 10k points; only the $50 for 6k points or lower.

Citi used to give 'thank you bonuses' (like 200 points for having a checking each month). They seemed to have stopped that and are using this method instead. Citi Forward/MTVu are still better deals IMHO than the lower point-earning cards, just not proportionally as good as they initially seem to be, at least to me.

Hope this helps.

How many Thank You points do I need to save up before getting the best deal to redeem for cash back?

As discussed in the preceding posts Citi offers various versions of the redemption catalog to different customers. The best way to know your answer to this question is to login to thankyou.com and see what is offered.

I just have the citi forward card. I think they give the same for all. Is there any benefit to saving up more than 8000 points if I'm only interested in cash back?

Redeem 10k points $100 gift card to walmart, sell to plasticjungle for $92.

If you don't ahve the walmart option, I believe staples was the best at about $86 or so.