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Which rewards are better Amex Zync or Citi Forward

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Anonymous
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Which rewards are better Amex Zync or Citi Forward

Hey every one, I just got approved for both of these cards & I was just wondering what everyone thought was the card with the better rewards program. The both have bonus offers, but I heard that the Citi rewards site isn't that great. And them I heard that the Zync's point are worth less than usual Amex rewards points. So, despite all of these flaws, which one has the better rewards programs? Thanks! Smiley Very Happy
Message 1 of 7
6 REPLIES 6
Anonymous
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Re: Which rewards are better Amex Zync or Citi Forward

The answer would be subjective and really the best answer is your own however congratulations on being approved for both! Smiley Wink

Message 2 of 7
Anonymous
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Re: Which rewards are better Amex Zync or Citi Forward

I guess it is a matter of opinion. Thank you though!!
Message 3 of 7
Anonymous
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Re: Which rewards are better Amex Zync or Citi Forward

depends on what your spending habits are i guess. i would say forward though, 5x on all restaurants and entertainment, and amazon is included in the entertainment category. 

 

just wondering what your credit history is like and if you know your scores. im looking to get the forward eventually and was wondering what it would take. thanks.

Message 4 of 7
Anonymous
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Re: Which rewards are better Amex Zync or Citi Forward

Here is a great article regarding the value of AMEX MR EXPRESS POINTS.

http://www.plasticiq.com/blog/value-of-american-express-membership-rewards-express-points/

 

Here is the thing though. The additional packs you can purchase can really allow your points to add up fast.  If you ever upgrade the card to Green, or Gold, your points will convert to regular MR points. 

 

The value of the points really depend on how you plan to redeem them. But this of course holds true for most reward or points cards. I think the real value for any points program is the ability to transfer the points to frequent flyer programs or hotels. That is generally where you get value for points IMO. You cannot transfer Zync Express Points into these programs.  But if you don't have any intention of doing that, then it doesn't matter and Zync will suit your purpose. If that is an option you want at some point, then just rack up your points and don't use them until you upgrade to green or gold. Some people don't like to leave points sitting in their reward bank because in the event the account closes, you lose your points.  I don't concern myself with this. I would rather let them grow, and use them when I need to use them.

 

Redemption on Zync is probably best used for redemption with CERTAIN gift cards where the points are valued at $0.01 each (for example, 10,000 points for a $100 VS gift card). AMEX gift cards are a poor redemption because you need to use 10,000 points for a $50 gift card (half the value!!!). So you see, redemption for the store gift card is a better option.  But even with that said, redemption for Amex gift cards with regular MR points ALSO is a poor redemption value.

 

If you shop online, then you should always try to go through your cards reward shopping program. Both AMEX and Citi have this (as does Discover and Chase).

You will earn points much faster. I find most AMEX shopping gives you 3x points per dollar. I use that loosely because there are some shopping sites that have more points per dollar. Citi varies a little more in  this respect. If you go through Citi's portal, some shopping will redeem for 2x points per dollar, where others will redeem for 10x points per dollar. As far as ease of use, I do find the AMEX rewards easier to navigate. But I think once you get used to Citi, it will not be a problem. I am one of those people that find the ThankYou reward site to be a pain, but that is only because I happen to love Chase UR. 

 

I think that you will likely get more value from your Forward points in general. It is pretty hard to beat 5x points per dollar on entertainment, dining, books, movies, Amazon.com, etc. Thankyou points can also suffer devaluation as well. It depends on what you are going to use them for. They also expire (whereas AMEX points do not). If you are looking to go the gift card route, the best option is to wait and redeem 10,000 points with Citi. There are some cards that will give you a true $0.01 redemption (10,000 points will get you a $100 gift card). You can see how this option is great because if you do a lot of spending in the bonus catagories, you will redeem for a $100 gift card rather quickly. My daughter is a student, so this is a good option for her since she loves to shop. Now.....the only problem I see is that there may be limited availability for the $100 GC. They may not always be available for the store you want it for. A $50 gift card is generally a poor redemption because you usually need to spend MORE THAN 5000 points to obtain it (often it is 6000 points for a $50 GC, so if you got two $50 GC, it will cost you 12,000 points, whereas a $100 GC is 10,000 points).

 

Sorry for the long post. Honestly, I think you will find good value with both of your cards. Amex focuses more on service IMO. Aside from the Express reward structure, Amex is wonderful for all of its other many benefits (extended warranties, customer service, etc.). If it were me, I would probably use the Forward card for the catagories, and AMEX for everything else including any major purchases (electronics, computers, etc that would benefit from extended warranty protection.

 

Here is an excellent article regarding Citi Forward rewards.

http://www.plasticiq.com/blog/citi-forward-credit-card-review/

 

 

 

Message 5 of 7
Guava
Established Contributor

Re: Which rewards are better Amex Zync or Citi Forward

Citi Forward by far. The Forward is one of the best reward cards for entertainment & dining. Besides being a cool looking AMEX, Zync has next to nothing on the Forward.


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Message 6 of 7
Anonymous
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Re: Which rewards are better Amex Zync or Citi Forward

Its ok, your long post was very informative!! And to aclockworkgeorge, I don't really know my scores, however, I only have 7 months of credit history. I only have one CC (Cap one with $500 limit) that I would PIF and keep at 9% utl. Other than that I have no credit history. I applied for the Zync and was instantly approved. When I applied for the Forward, it asked me to call in. I waited a few minutes (like 4 or 5 minutes), and a chat window popped up, all I did was confirm my social & address (we also talked about the weather, I'm in Florida and she was in South Dakota lol). And they approved me for $1200, which is my highest limIt so far! The chat rep was really nice & I think I'm gonna love Citi for a longtime! Smiley Happy
Message 7 of 7
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