It's rewarding to be a smart shopper

We’ve always believed beyond the shadow of a doubt that good people will get their just rewards in heaven. But did you know that you can get more than your just rewards — make that three times more — right here on earth if you’re a smart shopper?

If you’re smart, you’ve probably registered with the Citi Smart Shopper promo. It’s a triple treat for all cardholders (principal and supplementary) of Citi Classic Visa/MasterCard, Citi Gold Visa/MasterCard, Citi Platinum Visa, and Citi PremierMiles Visa who will be awarded 3x rewards points for all qualified straight retail and PayLite purchases at the following participating stores: SM Department Store, Ace Hardware, Baby & Co., Our Home, and Toy Kingdom.

Especially with the opening of classes just around the corner, mommies who are saddled with school expenses get much-needed help from Citi’s Smart Shopper promo.

“They say that the Philippines is not as impacted by recession as other countries and we can be grateful for that,” says Aneth Lim, Citibank VP for PR and communications. “But it doesn’t hurt for you to hold on to your savings and make sure you get the most out of them.”

“We encourage people to register early,” Bea Tan, Citi Cards director, tells us.

“Because the earlier you register, the more points you acquire,” Aneth explains. “Before, it was only double the points, now we’re tripling it. You always have to do better the next time. Consumers win in the end.”

To qualify for the promo, cardholders must register via text or online. Send by text the following to 2600 for all networks: CITI<space>16-digit Citi card no. To register via Citibank online, log on to www.citibank.com.ph and submit the following: 16-digit Citi card number, 11-digit mobile phone number, and e-mail address.

Only single-receipt purchases up to a maximum of P100,000 are qualified to earn 3x rewards points. Purchases of P100,000.01 and up will earn the regular rewards points of one rewards point for every P30 transaction (for Citi PremierMiles, one PremierMile for every P45 transaction). The cardholder can only begin to earn 3x rewards points on the month the cardholder makes a valid or successful registration. 3x rewards points will be awarded for qualified transactions based on the following registration dates:

• Registration date — April 17 to April 30; qualified transaction period — April 17 to June 30.

• Registration date — May 1 to May 31; qualified transaction period — May 1 to June 30.

• Registration date — June 1 to June 30; qualified transaction period — June 1 to June 30.

Most rewarding of all, says Aneth, “our rewards points do not expire. You can use them anytime from then on.”

Just keep shopping at Citibank’s partner stores for this promo and keep reaping 3x rewards points. The promo aside, it can be pretty rewarding shopping, for instance at SM, which always goes on sale. Or at Ace, where shopping is an A-1 experience especially for do-it-yourselfers. “Here you can find every hook in every size, every plug in every size,” says smart mom Aneth. “This is where you can buy shelves if you want to build your own at home. It’s perfect!”

Our Home is where homemakers’ hearts are because here you’ll find both very affordable and high-end furniture. Baby & Co. has a baby registry for baptismals so if you get duplicate gifts, you can return them. Toy Kingdom is our local Toys R Us. “It’s got toys for every age, even for us,” Aneth gushes.

Mommies with a green thumb will surely give this promo their two thumbs up. “If you’ve been wanting to furnish your garden, now’s the best time because you can take advantage of the triple rewards,” Aneth notes.

Really busy mommy-friendly, Citibank recently launched a two-way SMS. Aneth elaborates, “So now, if you register with us, you can just send us a text anytime and you can find out when your due date is. That will help you track your account and stay on top of it.”

Aneth, the super mom who loves spending time with her family, adds, “Summer is the season for traveling so we also have travel offers. We make sure our customers get the best deals. And we like to surprise our cardholders so that when they present their card, somebody will tell them that they’re actually getting a discount.”

The two workaholic mommies share some savvy tips for these hard times that try men’s souls and resources. Bea’s top tip: “One of the things I learned from my husband when I do the groceries is to make a list and stick to that list. Women have the tendency to walk down each and every aisle of the supermarket. Now, I make my husband go to the supermarket.”

For her part, Aneth says, “I also make a list, but I still go through each aisle to enjoy my shopping. But one tip I want to share with the cardholder is this: Don’t consider your credit card as additional spending money because a credit card empowers you to spend.”

And with the Smart Shopper promo, it’s time to smarten up.

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