Citi ThankYou is a credit card and banking rewards program from Citibank. You can earn Citi ThankYou points by spending on select Citi rewards credit cards, using Citi Corporate Travel & Entertainment Cards enrolled in the Citi corporate rewards program or completing qualifying activity on previously enrolled Citi checking accounts. You can redeem ThankYou points for travel rewards, while shopping and more.
The value of Citi ThankYou points varies based on the card and type of 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, as are points earned on the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card. However, Citi Rewards+® Card points are worth only half a cent each for cash back redemptions.
Transferring points to one of Citi’s airline or hotel transfer partners gives you the potential for higher value.
| Redemption Type | Example | Value Per Point |
|---|---|---|
| Cash back | $100 cash back: 10,000 to 20,000 points | 0.5-1 cent (depends on card) |
| Gift cards | $25 Best Buy gift card: 2,500 points | 1 cent |
| Redeem for flights | $500 fare: 50,000 points | 1 cent |
| Charity donation | $50 donation: 5,000 points | 1 cent |
| Shopping | $20 off at Walmart: 2,500 points | 0.8 cents |
| Statement credit | $10 statement credit: 1,000 to 2,000 points | 0.5-1 cent (depends on card) |
| Amazon | $80 purchase: 10,000 points | 0.8 cents |
| Value of 10,000 points | |
|---|---|
| Travel though Citi Travel℠ portal | $100 |
| Charitable contributions | $100 |
| Gift cards | $100 |
| Pay with points on Amazon | $80 |
| Cash back | $50 to $100 |
| Statement credit | $50 to $100 |
| Shopping | $80 |
Citi ThankYou is worth it if you’re seeking a flexible rewards program that provides a wide variety of redemption options at a solid value, or if you’re a frequent international traveler looking to maximize the value of your rewards by using transfer partners. The Citi rewards program includes some of the best credit cards on the market, and it stands out for its 14 airline partners, representing all three major airline alliances, and 5 hotel partners, with locations worldwide.
The Citi ThankYou program can hold its own next to other major flexible points programs, including Chase Ultimate Rewards®s, Amex Membership Rewards and Capital One miles. Still, the Citi rewards program does have a few downsides — including having only six rewards credit cards that earn ThankYou points, with only one currently available card eligible to transfer to all partners.
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.
You can earn Citi ThankYou points by applying and getting approved for a Citibank ThankYou credit card with a sign-up bonus, and then spending the required amount on that card. You can earn extra points for your everyday spending if your card offers bonus rewards earning categories. You also may be able to get extra points through special ThankYou promotions. Finally, you can get points by having a friend or family member transfer points to you through Citi’s Points Sharing feature (keep in mind that those points are only valid for 90 days after the transfer).
Here is an overview of the Citibank ThankYou rewards cards you may want to consider, including several of the best no-annual-fee credit cards on the market.
| Card | Sign-up Bonus | Earning Rate | Eligible for Points Transfer | Annual Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Citi Rewards+® Card | Earn 20,000 bonus points after you spend $1,500 in purchases with your card within 3 months of account opening; redeemable for $200 in gift cards at thankyou.com | Earn 2X ThankYou® Points at Supermarkets and Gas Stations for the first $6,000 per year and then 1X Points thereafter. Plus, earn 1X ThankYou® Points on All Other Purchases. Plus, as a special offer, earn a total of 5 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on CitiTravel.com through December 31, 2025. | Yes (limited) | $0 |
| Citi Strata Premier℠ Card | 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. | 10x on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked through CitiTravel.com. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Restaurants. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Supermarkets. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Gas and EV Charging Stations. Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on All Other Purchases $100 Annual Hotel Benefit: Once per calendar year, enjoy $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when booked through CitiTravel.com. Benefit applied instantly at time of booking. Travel insurance protection: Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption (Common Carrier), Trip Delay, Lost or Damaged Luggage, MasterRental Coverage (Car Rental). | Yes | $95 |
| Citi Custom Cash® Card | 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. | Earn 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent, 1% cash back thereafter. Also, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases. | No | $0 |
| Citi Double Cash® Card | 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. | Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time. Plus, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked with Citi Travel. | Yes (limited) | $0 |
| AT&T Points Plus® Card from Citi | Earn a $200 Statement Credit after spending $1,000 in qualifying activities in the first 3 months of account opening. | Earn 3 ThankYou® Points for every $1 spent at gas and EV charging stations. Earn 2 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent at Grocery Stores. Earn 1 ThankYou® Point per $1 spent on all other purchases. Earn up to an additional $240 back toward your qualifying AT&T Wireless bills every year after eligible spend | Yes (limited) | $0 |
The sign-up bonuses on these credit cards are one of the best ways to accumulate lots of Citi ThankYou points in a short period of time. For lasting value, though, you’ll want to pay attention to the earning rate and pick a card that offers bonus points on categories where you spend the most. You’ll also want to make sure that your rewards earnings and perks outweigh the annual fee, if your card has one.
Citi ThankYou points offer plenty of flexibility in how they can be used, but some redemption options offer more value than others. Here are the most lucrative ways to use your Citi ThankYou points.
You can redeem your ThankYou points through the Citi Travel℠ portal for flights, hotel stays, cruises and rental cars. The value you’ll get from these travel redemptions varies, although you’ll typically get 1 cent per point when you redeem for flights. However, you could get more value by transferring your ThankYou points to one of Citi’s transfer partners.
As long as you have the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card from Citibank (which makes our list of best travel credit cards), you can transfer your ThankYou points to more than a dozen airline loyalty programs at a 1:1 rate. However, you will have to transfer your points in 1,000-point increments. While it’s not technically an airline credit card, the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card is a great choice for frequent flyers.
And while most of Citibank’s transfer partners are airlines based outside of the U.S., many are part of an airline alliance, which means you get access to a large network of airlines when redeeming those miles. In fact, Citi’s slate of rewards transfer partners gives you access to all three of the major airline alliances. The miles needed for a free flight vary, but often these airline miles are worth well over 1 cent each, so points transfers tend to be the most lucrative redemption option.
| Airline Partner | Airline alliance | Transfer ratio |
|---|---|---|
| AeroMexico | SkyTeam | 1,000:1,000 |
| AirFrance/KLM | SkyTeam | 1,000:1,000 |
| Avianca | Star Alliance | 1,000:1,000 |
| Cathay Pacific | Oneworld | 1,000:1,000 |
| Emirates | – | 1,000:1,000 |
| Etihad | – | 1,000:1,000 |
| EVA Air | Star Alliance | 1,000:1,000 |
| JetBlue | – | 1,000:1,000 or 1,000:800 |
| Qantas | Oneworld | 1,000:1,000 |
| Qatar Airways | Oneworld | 1,000:1,000 |
| Singapore Airlines | Star | 1,000:1,000 |
| Thai Airways | Star | 1,000:1,000 |
| Turkish Airlines | Star | 1,000:1,000 |
| Virgin Atlantic | SkyTeam | 1,000:1,300 |
| Hotel partner | Transfer ratio |
|---|---|
| Wyndham Rewards | 1,000:1,000 or 1,000:960 |
| Choice Privileges | 1,000:2,000 or 1,000:1,500 |
| Accor Live Limitless | 1,000:500 |
| Leaders Club | 1,000:200 |
| Preferred Hotels & Resorts | 1,000:4,000 |
Savvy traveler tip: If you own the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card, you can transfer Citi rewards that you earn to any outside loyalty program that is a Citibank transfer partner. This means you can get an even better return than the card’s already solid rewards rate.
Cardholders who earn Citi ThankYou points but don’t have the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card can transfer points to JetBlue, Wyndham and Choice Hotels at a reduced rate.
You can also redeem your ThankYou points for gift cards from many major brands. These include chain restaurants (including Olive Garden and Starbucks), clothing and department stores (including Macy’s, Kohl’s and Saks Fifth Avenue) and entertainment and travel companies (including Carnival Cruise Lines and Apple). While this won’t yield as much value as transferring your points, you’ll get around 1 cent per point, a fairly strong redemption value.
Citibank offers a slew of other ways to redeem your Citi rewards points, including online shopping and discounts off your purchase at brick-and-mortar retailers. These redemption options might look tempting, but they tend to offer lower value. You’ll generally get about 0.8 cents per point when you redeem your ThankYou points with these methods, versus the 1-plus cent per point you can get by transferring points or redeeming them for gift cards or travel.
Here are a variety of redemption options to consider:
With 19 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong | Hong Kong, Taipei, Bangkok and others | oneworld alliance |
Cathay Pacific is one of the best airlines to transfer your Citi points to, thanks to its luxurious first-class and business-class offerings and a number of award redemption sweet spots.
When you transfer your Citi ThankYou points to Cathay Pacific, one of the best ways to redeem them is with ultra-long-haul flights in the carrier’s swanky business class for 110,000 miles — for example, a flight from Hong Kong to New York.
| Home country | Major hubs | Airline alliance |
|---|---|---|
| France (Air France) and the Netherlands (KLM) | Amsterdam-Schiphol, Paris-Charles de Gaulle and others | SkyTeam |
The Air France/KLM Flying Blue program is another excellent Citi transfer partner. You can find loads of redemption value if you watch for deals, especially if you can manage to snag a business-class saver seat between the U.S. and Europe. The Flying Blue program regularly offers specials such as 25% off economy tickets from major U.S. cities to Europe for 15,000 miles each way.
| Home country | Major hubs | Airline alliance |
|---|---|---|
| Singapore | Singapore | Star Alliance |
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer program is yet another top Citi airline partner. Singapore Airlines is known for its ultra-luxurious suite offering, one step above first class — even the airline’s economy class is known for its comfort.
Transferring your Citi rewards points to the KrisFlyer program opens up a world of possibility, with award flights starting as low as 15,000 miles. Plus, you can fly between the U.S. and Europe in economy for 40,000 miles each way.
Point transfers can’t be reversed or refunded, so before you transfer your Citi points, you should make sure that your target loyalty program has a flight or stay available at an amount you want to spend. It can take up to 14 days for your ThankYou Points to post to the loyalty program. However, many transfers post within 24 hours, while some are instant.
Here’s how to transfer your ThankYou Points to your preferred hotel or airline loyalty program:
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.
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, bill payments or cash back. Transferring your ThankYou points will often get you the best value, 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 Citi ThankYou points to 19 hotel and airline programs at a 1:1 rate. Transfers must be made in 1,000-point increments — once completed, they can’t be reversed. Make sure you have a trip in mind before transferring your ThankYou points to one of Citi’s transfer partners, and that your card can transfer to the partner you want to use.
You can transfer or share your Citi rewards 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 Citi rewards card won’t expire as long as the account remains open and in good standing, but points earned in other ways can. If you have unused credit card points, check their expiration 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 and per your Citi Account materials.
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.
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.
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