Does that headline sound too good to be true? A full 10% in cash back on all gas purchases with the Citizens Bank CashBack Platinum MasterCard? No way!
Well, it is, sadly. Because there’s a huge caveat. That 10% cash back on gas is only good for the first $1,000 in gas purchases. And they must occur within 90 days from account opening.
Still, if you spend $1,000 at gas stations, you’ll get $100 in cash back if it takes place during those first three months.
That’s certainly not a bad deal, though you have to wonder who could possibly spend $1,000 on gas in that short a time period. Perhaps a trucker or a Hummer driver who has a very long commute.
But thinking outside the box a bit, perhaps certain purchases still code as “gas stations.” For example, many 7-11 stores seem to code as gas, even if you’re buying beer and Pringles.
After that first $1,000 is spent, you can earn 5% cash back on all additional gas purchases with no limit. However, it needs to take place within that 90-day period. Once those 90 days goes by, it drops to just 1% cash back on an unlimited basis.
In terms of redemption, every time you earn $50 in rewards Citizens Bank will send you a check in the mail for $50. Pretty simple.
[Check out all the best gas rewards credit cards.]
Also Earn 5% Cash Back on Groceries for 90 Days
But wait, there’s more! You can also earn 5% unlimited cash back on groceries and drug store purchases during those first 90 days.
That obviously provides a lot more options to earn a ton of cash back. It’s actually the same offer as the Old Blue Cash card from Amex, though Amex offers that 5% all year long.
The difference now is that Old Blue has a $50,000 purchase limit in those categories, whereas the Citizens Bank CashBack Platinum MasterCard is unlimited for 90 days.
I know there are nutty people out there who can really rack up a lot of spending in three months, so for them this card could be a veritable goldmine.
It actually reminds me of the new Discover it Miles card, which is offering double miles for purchases made during the first year.
There seems to be a trend now where credit card issuers are offering bonus points for ongoing spending as opposed to an opening bonus. Makes sense…card holders will have to spend more if they want to “make” more.
Citizens Bank CashBack Platinum MasterCard Offer a No Fee Balance Transfer
Last but not least, if you want a no fee balance transfer, you can finally get one via the Citizens Bank CashBack Platinum MasterCard.
However, it’s never good to commingle new purchases and existing balances, so I’d say use the card for one of these purposes, but not both.
For the record, the only other major card issuer offering a no fee balance transfer is Chase via the Slate card.
So this is a great deal for someone with existing debt. And your existing debt probably isn’t with Citizens Bank, meaning you’ll be able to transfer it without having to worry about the bank rejecting it.
In summary, there are some really good offers associated with this card if you know how to take advantage of them!
Check it out here.
Citizens Bank CashBack Platinum MasterCard Features
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- No annual fee
- No balance transfer fee and 0% APR for 15 months (transfers during first 60 days)
- 10% cash back on first $1,000 in gas purchases (during first 90 days)
- 5% unlimited cash back on gas (during first 90 days)
- 5% unlimited cash back on grocery and drug store purchases (during first 90 days)
- 1% unlimited cash back on all purchases thereafter
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