Citi ThankYou® Points: How to Earn, Redeem and Maximize Your Rewards
Citi points are typically worth anywhere from 0.5 to 1.8 cents each*, depending on how they’re redeemed. This guide will cover the 2025 value of Citi ThankYou Points, along with the ins and outs of earning and redeeming these valuable rewards. You’ll also learn how to transfer Citi ThankYou Points, plus strategies for maximizing the value of your rewards. Whether you already have a Citi card or you plan to apply for one, taking the time to learn about the ThankYou program can help you leverage everyday spending so you can travel for free and earn other valuable rewards.
Key takeaways
- Citi ThankYou Points are worth about 1 cent each when redeemed for cash back, travel or gift cards, but their value varies based on which card you own.
- Citi points can be worth up to 1.8 cents when transferred to a Citi travel partner, the best way to squeeze maximum value from your rewards.
- Citi has 20 airline and hotel transfer partners, including American Airlines, Air France/KLM, JetBlue, Singapore Airlines and Choice Hotels.
- Citi rewards points are remarkably flexible — you can redeem them for travel, cash, gift cards, statement credits, charitable donations, discounts at your favorite brick-and-mortar retailers or online shopping.
What are Citi ThankYou Rewards?
Citi ThankYou Rewards is a Citibank credit card loyalty program. You can earn Citi ThankYou Points by applying for a new Citi credit card, earning a welcome bonus and using your Citi card to rack up points on everyday spending. These flexible rewards can be redeemed for cash back, travel, gift cards and more.
How the Citi ThankYou Rewards program works
The flexibility and straightforwardness of Citi ThankYou Rewards make it one of the top credit card programs on the market. You can access the program through a variety of Citibank credit cards, including several no-annual-fee cards.
Don’t have one? Here’s how to get preapproved for a Citi card.
You can then earn Citi ThankYou Points through a welcome bonus, everyday spending and special promotions.
Once you’ve built up a stash of ThankYou Points, you can choose from a variety of redemption options, from cash back or statement credits to gift cards, charitable donations, travel bookings and transfer to airline and hotel partners. Some redemptions are worth more than others and Citi ThankYou Points transfer partners offer the greatest value.
Keep in mind that not all Citi credit cards earn ThankYou Points. For example, the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card doesn’t earn rewards. If the Citi ThankYou Rewards program interests you, start by choosing a Citi rewards card that earns ThankYou Points and is a good match for your spending habits and lifestyle.
How much are Citi ThankYou Points worth?
Citi ThankYou Points are typically worth about 1 cent each when redeemed for charitable donations, gift cards or flights through the Citi Travel℠ portal. You can get higher values (around 1.8 cents per point, by our estimates) by transferring Citi card reward points to a Citi travel partner, if you have a qualifying Citi card.
The value of Citi ThankYou Points varies based on the card and redemption. Depending on which Citibank card you have, points are worth half a cent to 1 cent each when redeemed for cash back. As one of the top cash back credit cards on the market, Citi Double Cash® Card points are worth 1 cent each when redeemed for cash back. However, if you redeem points earned on the Citi Strata Premier® Card for cash back, you’ll only get back three-quarters of a cent per point. If you redeem points earned on the Citi Strata℠ Card for cash back, you’ll only get half a cent per point.
In general, transferring Citi card reward points to one of Citi’s airline or hotel transfer partners gives you the potential for higher value.
Citi ThankYou Points value
| Redemption Type | Value Per Point | Example | 10,000 points is worth… |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash back | 0.5-1 cent (depends on card) | $100 cash back: 10,000 to 20,000 points | $50 to $100 |
| Gift cards | 1 cent | $25 Best Buy gift card: 2,500 points | $100 |
| Redeem for flights | 1 cent | $500 fare: 50,000 points | $100 |
| Charity donation | 1 cent | $50 donation: 5,000 points | $100 |
| Shopping | 0.8 cents | $20 off at Walmart: 2,500 points | $80 |
| Statement credit | 0.5-1 cent (depends on card) | $10 statement credit: 1,000 to 2,000 points | $50 to $100 |
| Amazon | 0.8 cents | $80 purchase: 10,000 points | $80 |
Once you’ve made the effort to earn a cache of Citibank rewards, it’s smart to get the most value from them by choosing the right redemptions. Citi ThankYou Points value ranges from 0.5 cents to 1.8 cents.
- Lower-value redemptions such as brick-and-mortar shopping discounts, Amazon purchases and some cash back and statement credit redemptions (depending on which Citi card you have) offer a poor value of less than 1 cent per point.
- Mid-range redemption options, such as cash back and statement credits (depending on which card you have), gift cards, charity donations and travel booked through the Citi Travel℠ portal offer solid value at about 1 cent per point.
- High-value redemptions typically involve transferring Citi card reward points to a Citi transfer partner, which can net a value of up to 1.8 cents per point. You’ll get the best value for bookings with a high cash price compared to the number of points required, usually premium cabins and international travel.
Citi cards eligible for points transfer to Citi ThankYou Points transfer partners include the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card, Citi Strata Premier® Card (which made our list of best restaurant credit cards), Citi Prestige® Credit Card, Citi ThankYou® Preferred Card, Citi Strata℠ Card, Citi Double Cash® Card, Citi Custom Cash® Card and the Citi AT&T cards.
How to earn Citi ThankYou Points
The main way to earn Citi ThankYou Points is by opening and using a Citi credit card that’s part of the ThankYou Rewards program. You can earn a pile of Citi card reward points off the bat when you open a card with a sign-up bonus and meet the spending requirements to earn it. You can build up more points by putting your everyday spending on the card, using bonus categories and promotional offers to boost your earnings.
Credit cards that earn Citi ThankYou Points
| Credit Cards | Our Ratings | Annual Fee | Rewards Rate | Welcome Offer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Citi Strata Elite℠ Card
|
$595 | 1.5X - 12X points
| 100,000 points
For a limited time, earn 100,000 bonus Points after spending $6,000 in the first 3 months of account opening.
| ||
Citi Strata Premier® Card
|
$95 | 1X - 10X points
| 60,000 points
Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com.
| ||
Citi Strata℠ Card
|
$0 | 1X - 5X points
| 30,000 points
For a limited time, earn 30,000 bonus Points after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months of account opening.
| ||
Citi Double Cash® Card
|
$0 | 2% - 5% cash back
| $200 cash back
Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
| ||
Citi Custom Cash® Card*
|
$0 | 1% - 5% cash back
| $200 cash back
Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
| ||
AT&T Points Plus® Card from Citi*
|
$0 | 1X - 3X points
| $200 statement credit
Earn a $200 Statement Credit after spending $1,000 in qualifying activities in the first 3 months of account opening.
|
→ Check out LendingTree’s picks for the best Citi credit cards.
Welcome bonuses and intro offers
Welcome bonuses offer a fast path to earning a large number of Citi ThankYou Points quickly. Many Citi cards come with these introductory offers, allowing you to earn anywhere from 30,000 to 100,000 ThankYou Points by meeting minimum spending requirements in the first three months after opening the card. Citi cards with annual fees tend to have higher welcome bonus offers than no-annual-fee cards. Before opening a card for a welcome bonus, it’s important to make sure you can meet the spending requirement with your regular spending or use a planned big purchase to help you make the bonus.
Everyday spending with Citi Rewards cards
Using your Citi rewards card for your everyday spending allows you to earn ThankYou Points on all your purchases, from a gallon of milk to a new shirt to a tank of gas. Some Citi cards have bonus categories that allow you to earn more rewards on certain purchases, such as gas, groceries, dining out or travel.
Special promotions and limited-time offers
Citi regularly has offers that let you build up extra ThankYou Points. These include:
- Citi Merchant Offers:
Citi cards offer retailer-specific deals you can add to your card online, giving you a points boost when you shop with that merchant. - Citi flexible categories:
The Citi Custom Cash® Card awards you a points boost in the eligible category where you spend the most each billing cycle. - Citi promotional offers:
Citi sometimes emails cardholders with special offers, such as increased points earning for certain types of shopping.
Make sure to pick a Citi card based on your spending habits, and watch for bonus offers and promotions that allow you to score more points. Also consider redemption, especially how much cash back redemptions are worth and whether the card allows you to transfer to partners to glean max value from points.
How to redeem Citi ThankYou Points
Wondering how to use Citi ThankYou Points? Citi offers many options for redeeming rewards, from cash back to travel. Citi ThankYou Points value varies widely, from 0.5 to 1.8 cents per point, depending on the redemption and the Citi card. Some redemptions, such as transfer to travel partners, are clearly better than others. The best way to use Citi ThankYou Points depends on your preferences and the value of each option.
Travel portal redemptions
The Citi Travel℠ portal offers a straightforward way to use your ThankYou Points to book flights, hotels, car rentals, experiences and other travel. On Citi Travel℠, you can get a fairly solid redemption value of about 1 cent per point without any complicated calculations required. It’s best for those who want a simple way to redeem points for a trip without having to jump through hoops required to choose a transfer partner and find the most valuable booking. On the portal you can pay with points, your Citi credit card or a combination of both.
Gift cards, shopping and statement credits
Not sure how to use Citi ThankYou Points? You can redeem Citi ThankYou Points for gift cards, shopping and statement credits for a value of 0.5 cents to 1 cent per point, depending on the redemption. Gift cards offer a value of 1 cent per point, or more if you choose a “sale” gift card. Statement credits vary by which Citi card you hold, netting you between 0.5 cents to 1 cent per point. And shopping offers a flat value of about 0.8 cents per point. It’s worth it to redeem this way when you can get a value of at least 1 cent per point.
Cash back
You can also cash in your Citi card reward points for cash back, with no minimum reward redemption amount. Need to know how to use Citi ThankYou Points for cash back? Just link a bank account to your Citi account and click the option for “direct deposit” to redeem your points as cash transferred to your bank account. The value of a cash-back redemption ranges from 0.5 cents to 1 cent per point, and it’s probably best to redeem for cash only if you can get the higher value. Cash is a good redemption option when you prefer the simplicity or flexibility over a transfer partner travel redemption that’s potentially worth more.
Best ways to use Citi ThankYou Points
The best way to use Citi ThankYou Points is transferring them to one of 20 airline or hotel transfer partners. This redemption allows you to maximize your value, getting as much as 1.8 cents of value per point, depending on the redemption you choose.
Citi transfer partners
Citi ThankYou Points transfer partners can offer the most lucrative way to redeem your points if you’re willing to do the legwork. Citi has 15 airline partners and 5 hotel partners, and you can transfer your Citi points to any partner with an eligible Citi card. Wondering how to transfer Citi ThankYou Points? You first need to sign up for a loyalty account with the partner, then log into your ThankYou account and select the transfer points option.
Most Citi airline transfer partners have a 1:1 transfer ratio for cardholders of certain Citi cards, meaning that 1,000 Citi points nets you 1,000 airline points, while hotel transfer ratios vary. (Scroll down to see the chart below.) Check for points transfer bonuses to boost your points value by as much as 50%.
Transferring to partners can be the best way to use Citi ThankYou Points when you have a specific booking in mind, and you’ve done the math to ensure it’s a good value. To do so, divide the cash price of the reward (including taxes and fees) by the number of points needed. You can often get the best value for premium and international fares, where the cash price is often higher compared with the cost in points.
Airline partners
| Airline Partner | Airline alliance | Transfer ratio |
|---|---|---|
| AeroMexico | SkyTeam | 1,000:1,000 or 1,000: 700 |
| AirFrance/KLM | SkyTeam | 1,000:1,000 or 1,000:700 |
| American Airlines Aadvantage® | Oneworld | 1,000:1,000 or 1,000:700 |
| Avianca | Star Alliance | 1,000:1,000 or 1,000:700 |
| Cathay Pacific | Oneworld | 1,000:1,000 or 1,000:700 |
| Emirates | – | 1,000:800 or 1,000:560 |
| Etihad | – | 1,000:1,000 or 1,000:700 |
| EVA Air | Star Alliance | 1,000:1,000 or 1,000:700 |
| JetBlue | – | 1,000:1,000 or 1,000:700 |
| Qantas | Oneworld | 1,000:1,000 or 1,000:700 |
| Qatar Airways | Oneworld | 1,000:1,000 or 1,000:700 |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | Star Alliance | 1,000:1,000 or 1,000:700 |
| Thai Royal Orchid Plus | Star Alliance | 1,000:1,000 or 1,000:700 |
| Turkish Airlines | Star Alliance | 1,000:1,000 or 1,000:700 |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and Virgin Red | SkyTeam | 1,000:1,000 or 1,000:700 |
Hotel partners
| Hotel partner | Transfer ratio |
|---|---|
| Wyndham Rewards® | 1,000:1,000 or 1,000:700 |
| Choice Privileges® | 1,000:2,000 or 1,000:1,400 |
| Accor Live Limitless | 1,000:500 or 1,000:350 |
| Leaders Club | 1,000:200 or 1,000:140 |
| Preferred Hotels & Resorts | 1,000:4,000 or 1,000:2,800 |
Best Citi transfer partners
With 20 transfer partner options, it can be a challenge to figure out which airline and hotel partners offer the best redemption value for your Citi ThankYou Points. Here are a few of the top redemption options:
| Home country | Major hubs | Airline alliance |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, and Washington, D.C. | oneworld |
The American Airlines® Aadvantage® program allows you to fly to over 900 destinations in 170 countries or territories through alliance partners. AA miles average 1.7 cents per mile, the highest mile value of the five major domestic airlines. You’ll get the best value for premium, international and peak season bookings. Partner airlines include British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Japan Airlines, and you can book domestic flights for as low as 7,500 miles. To learn more, check out our guides to the best American Airlines credit cards and the value of airline miles.
| Home country | Major hubs | Airline alliance |
|---|---|---|
| France and the Netherlands | Paris, Amsterdam | SkyTeam |
The Air France/KLM Flying Blue program offers some highly lucrative redemptions to Europe through its Promo Rewards, allowing you to maximize the value of your Citi points. And Citi sometimes offers transfer bonuses for Flying Blue, allowing you to stretch your points even further. Flying Blue also offers you the option to add a free stopover in Paris or Amsterdam, adding even more value to your redemption.
| Home country | Major hubs | Airline alliance |
|---|---|---|
| Singapore | Singapore | Star Alliance |
The Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer program offers great value for Citi points through a large network of partners (including United Airlines) and a variety of luxury redemption options, such as flying its Suites, one of the best first-class experiences in the world. If you’re looking for a deal, the monthly KrisFlyer Spontaneous Escapes program offers a good option, and KrisFlyer allows you to hold your award while you transfer your points for less stress.
The Choice Privileges hotel program offers a 1:2 (or 1:1.4 with some cards) transfer ratio, meaning 1 Citi point gets you up to 2 Choice Privileges points, increasing the value of the redemption you’re able to get with your points. Choice Privileges offers excellent value, with reward nights starting at just 6,000 points. The Choice “Stay Twice, Get a Free Night” offer lets you stretch the value of your rewards. If you’re a Choice Hotels loyalist, you might consider the Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard®, a Wells Fargo rewards card that made our list of best Wells Fargo credit cards and best hotel credit cards.
Pros and cons of Citi ThankYou Rewards
Like all rewards programs, the Citi ThankYou program has both strengths and weaknesses. Weighing the pros and cons will help you decide whether this is the right program for you.
Pros
- 20 Citi transfer partners
- All three airline alliances covered by travel partners
- Gift card redemptions are more valuable than some other rewards programs
- Several credit cards, including the Citi Strata Premier® Card and Citi Double Cash® Card, offer generous earning categories
Cons
- ThankYou Points transfer to travel partners at a lower ratio for non-premium cards
- None of its credit cards offer a bonus for redeeming through the Citi Travel℠ portal
- Only U.S. airline transfer partners are American Airlines and JetBlue
- You’ll generally need a good credit score to get a Citi ThankYou card
Is Citi ThankYou worth it?
The Citi ThankYou program is worth it for frequent international travelers who do a significant amount of everyday spending on a credit card, can take advantage of Citi bonus categories and those who prefer no or low-annual-fee cards that may have fewer perks than some premium cards. The program offers more transfer partners than some other programs and is particularly strong on international airline partners, which can help you reap excellent value for your ThankYou Points. It also stands out for its flexible rewards, offering solid value on redemptions such as cash back, statement credits and gift cards, depending on the card you hold.
Citi ThankYou Points vs other credit card rewards
| Citi | Chase | American Express | Capital One | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Point/mile value | 0.8-1.8 cents | 0.8-2 cents | 0.6-2 cents | 0.5-1.8 cents |
| Number of transfer partners | 21 | 14 | 20 | 21 |
| Top transfer partners (list 1-3 partners) | American Airlines AAdvantage, KLM/Air France Flying Blue, Choice Privileges | United MileagePlus, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, World of Hyatt | Air Canada Aeroplan, ANA Mileage Club, Emirates Skywards | Avianca LifeMiles, British Airways Executive Club, Virgin Red |
| Travel portal value | 1 cent per point | 1 to 2 cents per point, depending on the card and if you choose a Points Boost offer | 0.7 cents to 1 cent per point | 1 cent per mile |
Is a different rewards program better for me?
The Citibank rewards program might not be for you if you’re a beginner who won’t use transfer programs, if you’re a traveler who mostly flies domestically, if you’re a small business owner seeking a business rewards card or if you prefer a simple cash back program. The good news, if you fall into any of those categories, is there’s likely a rewards program out there that’s a perfect fit for you. For example, a frequent domestic traveler might gravitate to Amex Membership Rewards for its variety of U.S. airline partners. A small business owner might consider Chase Ultimate Rewards®, since Chase offers several business cards that are part of that program. And a credit card beginner might prefer Capital One Rewards for its simplicity.
Frequently asked questions
You can redeem your Citi ThankYou Points by logging into your Citi ThankYou account. From there, navigate to the redemption option of your choice to spend your points. You can also use the Shop With Points option to redeem points with participating merchants. Keep in mind that the best use of Citi ThankYou Points depends on your goals and the value of different redemption options.
Citi ThankYou Points can be used to book travel through the Citi Travel℠ portal, transferred to one of Citi’s airline or hotel partners or exchanged for gift cards, online shopping, charitable donations or cash back. The best way to use Citi ThankYou Points is typically transferring points to a transfer partner, followed by travel and gift card redemptions. If you’re not sure if a Citi rewards card is right for you, check out our guide to cash back vs. miles.
You can transfer or share your Citi ThankYou Points with another person as long as they’re also a member of the Citi ThankYou program. Using the Citi Points Sharing feature, you can share or receive up to 100,000 points in a year. However, shared points are only valid for 90 days after being transferred, so make sure the other person plans to use them soon.
The ThankYou Points you earn with your Citibank rewards card typically won’t expire as long as the account remains open and in good standing, but it depends on the card, and points earned in other ways also can expire. If you have unused credit card points, check the status in your account by going to the ThankYou Points Summary section.
Shared ThankYou Points expire 90 days from the date they’re received. In addition, points issued by ThankYou Rewards expire three years from the end of the year in which they’re awarded, unless otherwise stated in your online ThankYou Points Summary or your Citi account materials.
The number of Citi ThankYou Points you need for a free flight will depend on the dollar price of that flight, as your points are worth 1 cent each when redeemed for flights through the Citi Travel℠ portal. This means that you’d need 40,000 ThankYou Points to purchase a $400 flight through this portal. As an alternative, you can also transfer your ThankYou Points to one of Citi’s airline transfer partners. The number of Citi ThankYou Points you’ll need in that case will depend on how many miles you’d need with that partner to purchase the flight you want.
If you add your eligible Citi rewards card as a form of payment on your Amazon account and use it to make a purchase, you’ll automatically be enrolled in the Shop with Points program — this gives you the option to pay for Amazon purchases with your ThankYou Points upon checkout. To link your account without making a purchase, go to Amazon.com/citi and click the “link your rewards account” button. Keep in mind that at a value of just 0.8 cents per point, shopping on Amazon is likely not the best use of Citi ThankYou Points.
The information related to the Citi Prestige® Credit Card, Citi ThankYou® Preferred Card, Citi Custom Cash® Card, AT&T Points Plus® Card from Citi and Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard® has been independently collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication. Terms apply.
The content above is not provided by any issuer. Any opinions expressed are those of LendingTree alone and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any issuer. The offers and/or promotions mentioned above may have changed, expired, or are no longer available. Check the issuer's website for more details.
