Do you not read these posts and try to correct the obvious problems??????????

Or am I just terribly naive???????????

If you’re looking for rewards for spending, get a different card. The Extra Cash system is for suckers.

1. YOU HAVE TO SPEND YOUR **OWN MONEY** TO BUY **ANY** ITEM, GIFT CARD, OR ‘SPECIAL OFFER.’ THIS AMOUNT **WILL BE CHARGED TO YOUR CREDIT CARD.**

Please re-read that statement and don’t make the same mistake poor Gayla did up above.

2. You do get a tiny discount on whatever you order with your citicash, as long as you order it thru the citicash website. But:

3. YOU ARE ONLY ALLOWED TO APPLY YOUR BUILT UP CITICASH TO APPROXIMATELY 10% OF THE ***TOTAL COST*** OF MOST ITEMS YOU PICK OUT, LEAVING YOU RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REMAINING 90% OF THE TAB. For example, if you’re buying an LL Bean duffle bag that RETAILS (full retail price here) for $175, most of the time using this program you will only be able to apply your citicash to $17.50. So your remaining cost for said duffle bag will be $175 – $17.50 = $157.50 – PLEASE NOTE – this amount WILL be charged to your credit card!

4. This usually makes no sense, because most of us who care about trying to save money rarely pay FULL retail price for anything. I reviewed every category and every item/offer. There are some where you get a discount of up to 50%, but again, it’s 50% off of full retail value. So for example, there is a Swarovski 2008 “CPI Holiday” (??) Ornament, which with your citicash, the full retail price will be knocked down by like 30%. You would probably be able to locate this same outdated item on ebay for the same amount, or less than you would pay thru the citicash site.

5. Yes, you can buy gift cards … But, the biggest discount on 99% of those was 10%. And you’d have to order weeks in advance, and possibly also have to pay shipping and handling fees to receive them. So like you can get a $50 gift card to Borders for $45. Keep in mind the “citicash” is already applied. You’re “applying” $5 of your citicash in order to reduce the $50 price to $45. The $45 will be charged on your credit card for you to pay with your own cash later.

6. In the terms and conditions of the program, the language is “fuzzy” about privacy. Basically, if interpreted to the letter of the law, you’re giving permission for the marketing company Cantera (?) and all of the companies you buy something from, to use, sell trade and barter your personal information and preferences for marketing purposes. No it does not explicably say that. But it can undoubtedly be inferred if you read all of the fine print.

This program is a complete joke, farce, scam. Discover’s program is nothing like it, and is a “real” program. This program is the worst I’ve ever seen. It’s in essence truly just a scam, that tricks the busy consumer into thinking they have all this free cash to apply to purchases, which really are just piled up onto their credit card. Your “extra citicash” merely provides a tiny DISCOUNT to the FULL RETAIL value of whatever you’re getting. So like let’s say for example you clipped coupons from the newspaper, and one gave you $5 off your dinner at Legal Seafood. You’re basically “clipping coupons” from the citicash website. Except it’s actually worse because your personal information is spread around, and then the “coupon/discount” amount is deducted from your citicash account. So it really is pretty stupid.

If you worked really hard at it, and had very obscure taste, you might – might – be able to save a small amount of money. But the way they make it sound like it’s “free cash” to use on anything, is downright scandalous. They determine how much citicash You’re Allowed to apply to each offer.