Citi Price Rewind
I recently applied, and was approved, for a Citi Prestige MasterCard. The card has some great perks including airport lounge access, Global Entry application fee credit, and reimbursement for airline tickets. One of the lesser known but powerful perks is the Citi Price Rewind benefit.
The Citi Price Rewind benefit is a purchase protection program that ensures you get the best price for your purchase. If within 60 days the price of an item lowers after you make the purchase, Citi (or their underwriter Triton Insurance Company) will refund you the difference.
So how does Citi Price Rewind work?
Step 1 – Save your receipt
The most important thing is to save the receipts of any large item purchased (which you should anyway). Obviously the Citi Price Rewind benefit doesn’t cover non-retail purchases (groceries, gas, restaurants, etc). And it probably won’t be worth your time to submit requests for small items that wouldn’t change price dramatically.
I would suggest that you immediately scan your receipt after making the purchase (or save a PDF of an online purchase) as you will need to upload them as proof of purchase.
Step 2 – Visit https://www.citipricerewind.com
You will need to log in to your Citi credit card account (same log in you would use to make a payment or review your statements.
Step 3 – Search for your product
For my first claim I wanted to check on my Bose noise canceling headphones. You can search by product name or UPC code. When you find the correct product, click “Track This Item”.
Step 4 – Enter your purchase info
You will need three pieces of info: Purchase price (minus taxes, shipping, etc), date of purchase, and store. Click “Start a Price Rewind”.
Step 5 – Check Price
You will be taken to a screen where you will be shown where your claim is in the process. It will show you the lowest price they have found and how much of a refund you will receive. In my case, I paid $299.99 for the headphones, and Citi has found it for $289.00. The Citi Price Rewind benefit will continue to search for a lower price until 60 days after purchase. If you find a better price somewhere, you can also submit what you have found (ex. a scan of a newspaper ad).
Step 6 – Upload Receipt
This is where you upload your scanned receipt. You can also see the historical price of your item.
Step 7 – Wait
Now that you have submitted your claim, you just wait for 60 days after your purchase.
Step 8 – Confirm Refund
Once the 60 days are up, sign back in and complete the refund. I was pleasantly surprised to found that Citi Price Rewind had found my Bose headphones for $135.49 on a website called 11 Main. If the refund is more than $25, you can chose to have a statement credit or check mailed to you. Typically getting a check would make more sense (that way it doesn’t take away from your minimum spend for credit card bonuses and you can score additional points), but it takes more time. I decided to just go with the statement credit as it is easier.
Especially good uses
niehaubs, over at FlyerTalk, suggested that using the Citi Price Rewind benefit around Black Friday can be a good way to avoid the insanity of retail shopping after Thanksgiving. If there is a product you want that is going on sale on Black Friday, purchase it ahead of time at regular price, scan the printed newspaper ad showing the low price, and submit it as a Price Rewind claim.
I also can imagine that this could be especially beneficial in the case where the item purchased has a mail in rebate. Many office supply stores run promotions where the cost at the register (and thus on the receipt) is the normal retail price but you get money back through points or a rebate check or gift card. This might be a way to double dip in to savings — pay the full price, get a mail in rebate and then use Price Rewind. There is nothing spelled out on the website about this. However, it might be frowned upon by Citi. Try it at your own risk.
You can get up to $300 refunded per item and up to $1200 a year. There are limitations for what is covered. However, if you are making a big ticket purchase (computer, appliance, TV) it might pay to use your Citi Prestige card (or another Citi card that has the Citi Price Rewind benefit).
I do not receive any affiliate compensation for any of my posts.
I was wondering how this benefit worked, thanks for the post!
I have to say I’m really liking the Citi Prestige card the more I use it. I may end up keeping the card in my wallet after the first year at this rate and cancel the Ritz card.
So far I love it… MINUS the stupid design of putting the nearly invisible magnetic stripe on the front. I’ve literally had one cashier get it right the first time. Everyone else has to ask or try it multiple times. I’ve started just telling them first to save the time.
Oh, yeah, I try to avoid using it when I have to hand it over for someone else to swipe just to avoid that situation.
On the flip side, the other day I found myself trying to swipe one of my other cards like I do the Citi card… the cashier looked at me funny.
I feel like it is some grand social experiment by Citi…
Do you know how this scenario would work:
I purchase a widget. The widget’s price is $10. I use a 25% off coupon code. So my total cost is $7.50. Would Citi use the $10 product price as the baseline for comparison or the effective price of $7.50 after the coupon code is factored in?
This is a great question and I am not 100% certain.
Ultimately YOU enter the price paid for it. If you enter the cost as $10 but on the receipt it shows the 25% off coupon, will Citi change it to $7.50? Quite possibly. I am guessing it may be a “YMMV” kind of deal depending on who it is that reviews your claim.
In all reality… you paid $7.50 so I am thinking that would be the honest and most correct answer. If you try it out, let me know what you find out!
k, thx for the info
I have done this. You enter the price you paid factoring in the coupon (retailers do this for you) and I still got over $100 back each on my washer and dryer.
Anyone have experience buying something that comes with a bonus gift card? Such as Target which gives out 100 gift cards often when buying a big ticket item. Does the original price count towards the Price rewind?
I have not, but I believe that it should work with the original price.
If you purchase the item for $500 and it comes with a $100 rebate card, my understanding is that the price is still $500.
Let us know if you find out otherwise!
It did apply to original price 🙂
Thanks for the follow up!
Does it apply to prices found on Costco or military stores (Nex, AAFES)?
I’m not sure, but I would guess it does.
Yes it does apply to military stores. I bought an ipad at the BX (no taxes right) and found the original price cheaper at a different store (it was really more expensive after taxes, but citi doesn’t include taxes in price), so they gave me a refund of the difference in price. I just had to submit the claim form through the mail and proof.
Thanks for the feedback! Good to know!
I have to submit proof of the lower price and the ad is online. How do I get a copy of an online price that includes that date so that I can submit it.
Alan was lucky! i went through all that and waiting for the refund check in the mail, and NEVER came then i called and nothing has happen..below are my stories with citi price rewind…
I have been loyalty with citi for 25 years. Just like other comments here, i find citi price rewind is a joke (don’t make promise if you can’t keep). I make long story short, i am also like to take advantage of citi price rewind promo. I registered my purchased, submitted my receipt, choose a correct model name and all, got notice after some 90 days of lowest price seek period, alert me to submit the claims, i login and submit the claim and waiting, waiting and keep waiting, but no refund check was sent to me. So i called and spoke to citi price rewind rep (most of them are not nice) and even to the supervisor said one of my item need prove that i purchased and installed so she recommended my to take a pic of the bar code tag inside of the unit. I took a pic then fax to the number she gave as “lead dept” but still nothing happen. Same as to my other items claimed. I think this is a scam from citi price rewind.
Oh, i received a email for online survey and i let my opinion out. I got the phone from citi sr. account manager named “Betty Herbert” and she was sound wonderful at first, but then she said she will help to straight thing out and want to do 3-way calling to citi price rewind and got transfer 3 times and each time i have to explain the same thing over and over.
1) my first item refund suppose 295.00
2) my second item suppose 95.00
3) my third item suppose 68.10
Anyway, during all these calls with citi price rewind put me on hold and all and the sr. acct mgr magically no longer on the line.
I even called her and left her the voice mail to call me back and that was on 2/29/2016 and today is 3/6/2016 i still get not call back from the sr. acct mgr.
People nowaday are too much in their job title and not really serve as the job title function.
It is a shame for me to continue to use citi and and starting use my other cards. Thank you citi for not follow up to your standard !!! dont promise if you can’t keep.
Don’t fall for the price rewind crap!! I bought a iPAD and registered the purchase immediately. They tracked the pricing and told me at the end that I was entitled to a $60 rebate. Do you think that I ever received it? I was told that all I had to do was upload my receipt. I did that and then I received a letter saying that since I didn’t respond to their request for additional information, that my request was closed. I called and was told all they needed was a “clearer” receipt. I emailed a very clear receipt (representative received it). Two weeks later another letter in the mail asking for another clear receipt. I called again was told to hold on and they disconnected me. I called two hours later and was told that someone would call me back. When they called back they told me that a “shipping receipt” is not acceptable. It’s the only receipt I received from Staples. She told that without another receipt, they would not pay the $60. Complete BS…..I doubt they ever intended to pay. I was jerked around for six full months and now I think I should have purchased the iPAD using my AMEX card.
Yikes, doesn’t sound like a good experience. I’ve always had my rebates paid in full with no fuss. Sorry you had the opposite experience.
I have some good and bad experiences as well. It seem like the “Triton insurance company” office based in Fortwort, Texas that citi using for our price rewind program is operate like they say they are. Like for example…I purchased 2 same brand mattresses (king and queen size) and only one get approved for the price rewind but rebate check that got approved said that I should receive in 5-7 days. But NEVER received. I called them and they gave me a run around answer.
Citi bank should look and investigate and protect you consumers.
Citi Price Rewind is a fraud. Look at other reviews and you’ll see they seldom if ever pay out. I wasted way too much time on the phone and submitting paperwork only to find out they will find every excuse possible to not pay valid claims. Shame on Citi !!!
Thanks for your data point. I haven’t had any problem with my claims but I have only submitted 3 of them so far.
How about a price rewind on hotel room bookings? Anybody tried that? Or is it in the exclusions somewhere?
Not sure. My gut is to say that wouldn’t work, but never tested it. Here is what the terms say:
What purchases are not eligible:
The following items are not eligible for Citi Price Rewind:
Boats, cars, aircraft, or any other motorized land, air or water vehicles and their original equipment. Tires are eligible.
Products that can spoil or be consumed, such as food, fuel, or medications.
Jewelry including loose gems, precious stones, metals and pearls. Watches are eligible.
Tickets of any kind (e.g., for airlines, sporting events, concerts or lottery).
Collectable items; including but not limited to, antiques, coins, art, sports memorabilia or stamps.
Items purchased for resale use.
Plants or animals, including stuffed or mounted animals or fish.
Advice or services for a purchased item, such as product installation, labor, maintenance or repair.
The following specific circumstances are not eligible for Citi Price Rewind:
The lower-priced item requires a service contract, such as cell phones with a service contract.
The lower-priced item is offered at no cost, or the lower price includes a bonus, free offer, special financing or a rebate.
The lower priced item is a going-out-of-business sale item or from an internet auction site.
The item is used, customized, altered, refurbished or secondhand.
You quote the amount that is on your citi credit card statement, which is in this case 7.50. If you bought a $75 item by using a $50 gift card, then your credit card only shows $25 so unless this price really goes down, all the way below $25 you are not going to get it. So plan your purchases wisely and decide when to use your gift cards, or submit claims.
I must say this is worth trying, i wouldn’t waste too much time on phone or even ask for a check by the mail. Just submit online, and ask for a credit to the statement directly. Like the author mentions, snap a picture immediately after purchase if it’s in-store. Most online retailers give a very good invoice so that will be hard for Citi to deny or ask for more evidence. I have been using a Citi Master card, plus a Citi Costco card for over two years now, and I feel bad not having done this even once. I will post my experience. Just submitted 3 rewind requests after getting to know about this very recently.