Is anyone else having trouble with the Shop Your Way Card not counting the categories correctly for the spending bonuses? For example, Aldi isn’t counted as grocery but as “Other”. Uber isn’t counted as Travel but as “Other”. Local restaurants are also not counted as restaurants but as “Other”. They are all correctly listed on the main Shop Your Way statement, but not on the points page. Almost everything gets counted as Other, making the spending bonuses nearly impossible (like spending $1,000 on restaurants and groceries to get a $150 statement credit or the 10% points on travel).
So you haven’t received the 3% points for your Aldi purchase? Are you sure you’re checking the right rewards transaction on the Shop Your Way app? It usually shows up a couple of days after the actual purchase.
Aldi is giving me the 3x points as expected and counts as Grocery. I just double-checked. The date doesn’t match; a transaction on the points site shows with a date 2 days after the transaction on the card site. I’ve never had issues with restaurants. I recommend calling support; they can help you resolve this.
Many banks register transactions differently based on the MCC (merchant category code). You can use a Google MCC lookup tool to see how different cards register certain transactions. Just keep in mind that they might not be 100% accurate and can vary by state, so you need to check yourself. Sometimes, there’s info in the terms and agreements that might explain how certain categories count, like traditional travel versus rideshares (Uber/Lyft), which might be classified as Other. Grocery stores can vary too; they may be classified as superstores, discount stores, etc. Restaurants can be categorized as dining, Other, or takeout, and how you order (in person or through an app) can also affect how they are coded.
@Baylen
According to the original poster:
They are all coded correctly on the main Shop Your Way statement but not on the points page.
This isn’t just an MCC issue. It seems like a bank issue. The codes come through from the merchants correctly, but they don’t count them right for points.
There might be something in the fine print the OP missed, but Aldi should count as grocery in my experience. Uber not counting is pretty common, though local restaurants can be unpredictable. I have one that codes as gas and another that codes as rent.
@Mason
Yes, you’re right. All the purchases that should fit in the category are coded correctly on the main statement page for the credit card but show as Other on the points site. For instance, hotels are clearly coded as HOTELS and Aldi as “GROCERY”. The restaurants show as “Restaurants” in the code.
@Baylen
Most people mistakenly believe the card or bank sets the category. That’s not the case at all.
What’s the “points page”? I find they give little info, and I have to track spending myself, but it seems to work most of the time.
Monty said:
What’s the “points page”? I find they give little info, and I have to track spending myself, but it seems to work most of the time.
It’s a completely different website you need to log into, shopyourway.com.
@Aris
Ah yes, that’s where you redeem the points. I think the card management site’s categories are correct.
Are you looking at transactions on the actual Citi retail services website? I’ve never had transactions show as Other, but I’ve seen them show as “N/A” for category.
Something seems off with your Shop Your Way setup. I shop at Aldi, and my SYW card counts Aldi as grocery. Looking at the points page on the SYW website, I do get the 3% points as expected for grocery transactions. These transactions are from September. I’m still waiting for the September GGR spending offer’s statement credit to show up, though, so hopefully that comes soon.