Citibank DC vs. Paypal MC?

[longtimelurker]

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@jimmy2000 wrote:

Synchrony's online system looks like 2004 called and it want's it web design back.

Just for that, I'd go with Citi DC. Mine is a World Elite mastercard which has all the perks I'll ever need.

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Which of the WEMC perks do you think the card has?

[longtimelurker]

While bashing the DC, I forgot the recent change that makes it very appealing to some (although maybe not the OP):  now DC points can be redeemed as Thank You points.   With the right card, such as the Premier, this can be more valuable than 2%

[Anonymous]

I have the DC card and would never trade it for a Synchrony card, for the reasons mentioned in the post replies. 1+1 doesn't bother me either as I get a redemption every month or two, and don't mind waiting 30 days for the other 1%.

The PayPal card requires redemptions to your PayPal account, which would be an annoying step.

[kdm31091]

There's been a lot of buzz about Citi nerfing benefits, but the problem is that the Paypal card doesn't have many of those benefits, either, and/or never did. So really, that doesn't factor into the comparison too much IMO.

The Paypal has the advantage of no redemption requirement, but the disadvantage of having to shuffle the rewards from your Paypal to your checking or wherever you want them. Redemption is somewhat clunky. Citi DC has a $25 threshold but you can cash out directly or transfer them to Thank You points. Paypal card pays out the 2% right away, whereas with Citi it's ultimately 2%, but the first 1% is paid upon purchase and the second 1% upon payment.

Either way, they're both essentially the same thing: 2% cards, just with different quirks.

[AverageJoesCredit]

I have both , went to pay my monthly health insurance and debated which one to use. Decided on my PPMC as i can just get my $6 as soon as it becomes availble whereas i need to rebuild my $25 redemption for Citi again. For what its worth , redeeming with Paypal is easy peasy. Send to PP account, accept , then send 1 business day to bank and voila. Nothing complicated

[mikesonthemend]

My PPMC had a $100 Sub. I am not thrilled with the website or lack of decent notifications. Using PayPal to get my 2% doesn't bother me. My biggest problem with the PPMC was the constant updating of my reports. That appears to have slowed down the longer I have had the card. Like exerything in life, there are trade offs. But losing half your cash back if you take a statement credit with Citi should make the need to use paypal to redeem a push.

[Anonymous]

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@mikesonthemend wrote:

My PPMC had a $100 Sub. I am not thrilled with the website or lack of decent notifications. Using PayPal to get my 2% doesn't bother me. My biggest problem with the PPMC was the constant updating of my reports. That appears to have slowed down the longer I have had the card. Like exerything in life, there are trade offs. But losing half your cash back if you take a statement credit with Citi should make the need to use paypal to redeem a push.

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You lose .01% if you take a statement credit. I redeem to my checking account and pay from the same account, so the net difference is the same. 

[Anonymous]

@Anonymous wrote:

Pay Pal and DC have never even been on my radar since I already have a CB card(s). But the targeted 4% CB offer from Pay Pal is tempting, unfortunately it resorts back to 2%. The plus side is that PP doesn't charge FTFs whereas Citi DC does.

Though I am in the market for another SYNCH card ever since tha Cap1 takeover. They just don't have very many cards that are appealing to me.

What card do you use when your purchase doesn't fit into a larger CB category? That's essentially what I'm going to use this card for.

Also, much thanks to everyone who has contributed thus far. I don't believe the TYP will be much of a factor. I am getting one (or something similar) of these cards along with a SavorOne to replace the Uber Visa (2% online purchases and 4% dining specifically). I don't have any other Citi cards nor do I plan to get one. 

Having to transfer to PayPal then to my bank account doesn't really bother me. It only takes a day once you transfer from PayPal. I do see the advantages of the Citi DC card in terms of having more modern features (activity alerts, freezing account etc). Tough decision!

[staticvoidmain]

A month ago, I will definitely say PayPal. I have been a firm recommender of this card. However, as some people mention, the biggest drawback of it is the bank behind it. As a person with strong technological inclination, Synchrony has started to annoy me — specifically their fraud department and how they switched into a backward approach of handling it.***

My recommendation, however, between the two cards, will still be PayPal. No FTF, No minimum redemption. If you are a person whose spend is unlikely to trigger an encounter with Synchrony's fraud department, you'll be fine. They are a pain to deal with. For me though, I am back to my Capital One 1.5%. As @Saeren implied, that extra 0.5% ain't worth it sometimes. 

***(This is specifically for my case because they use a legacy approach of verifying my identity: public record from mobile providers. I do not use the big 4 (I use VoIP and Google Fi) and they cannot find a record of me. This leaves them verifying me through other, less desirable means: 1) A SNAIL MAIL (yes, in 2019), or 2) an app that takes a photo of your driver's license and a current video of you. If THEY DO NOT MATCH PERFECTLY, say you lost weight or you had a mole removed, then you are left with the snail mail option. Now think for a moment, you are somewhere in the middle of Asia making a purchase and this happens.)

[Anonymous]

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@staticvoidmain wrote:

A month ago, I will definitely say PayPal. I have been a firm recommender of this card. However, as some people mention, the biggest drawback of it is the bank behind it. As a person with strong technological inclination, Synchrony has started to annoy me — specifically their fraud department and how they switched into a backward approach of handling it.***

My recommendation, however, between the two cards, will still be PayPal. No FTF, No minimum redemption. If you are a person whose spend is unlikely to trigger an encounter with Synchrony's fraud department, you'll be fine. They are a pain to deal with. For me though, I am back to my Capital One 1.5%. As @Saeren implied, that extra 0.5% ain't worth it sometimes. 

***(This is specifically for my case because they use a legacy approach of verifying my identity: public record from mobile providers. I do not use the big 4 (I use VoIP and Google Fi) and they cannot find a record of me. This leaves them verifying me through other, less desirable means: 1) A SNAIL MAIL (yes, in 2019), or 2) an app that takes a photo of your driver's license and a current video of you. If THEY DO NOT MATCH PERFECTLY, say you lost weight or you had a mole removed, then you are left with the snail mail option. Now think for a moment, you are somewhere in the middle of Asia making a purchase and this happens.)

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The lawyer in me appreciates the disclosures. 

I went Citi DC due to mainstream bank and the whole part where they used to love me and I want that back. The TYP addition is another great development that may get me to a Premier card someday soon. But otherwise, I wanted a solid bank with a MC mark that could cover the gap I have with some everyday recurring bills that it would be nice to get 2% over 1% (or 1MR) that I get now,.