pointstopictures Citi ThankYou Rewards is a flexible program that lets you earn points on everyday spending. You can redeem points for travel, cash back, gift cards, and more. The value of your points depends on which Citi card you have. If you have multiple Citi cards, you can combine their benefits to get better redemptions.
Not Every Citi ThankYou Point Is Created Equal
The best ThankYou points come from the Citi Premier card or the discontinued Prestige card. These points can be transferred to airline and hotel partners at a 1:1 ratio. You can get more than 1 cent per point when booking flights and hotels.
Citi Double Cash and Citi Custom Cash points are worth 1 cent per point. This value applies when redeemed for statement credits or direct deposit. These cards are great for earning on everyday spending.
Citi Rewards+, ThankYou Preferred, and some older Citi cards have lower cash-out rates. They do not allow travel transfers unless you also have a Citi Premier card. Gift cards are usually the best redemption option for these points.
If you have multiple Citi cards, you get the best value. Use the Custom Cash to earn 5x in a top category. Use the Premier for travel spending. The Double Cash is ideal for everything else. The Rewards+ card rounds up small purchases, helping you earn extra points. Combining cards allows you to maximize both earning and redemption options.
Earning Citi ThankYou Points
You earn ThankYou points based on which Citi card you use:
- Citi Premier earns 3x on air travel, hotels, dining, supermarkets, and gas stations. It earns 1x on everything else.
- Citi Rewards+ earns 2x on supermarkets and gas stations (up to $6,000 per year, then 1x). It also rounds up every purchase to the nearest 10 points.
- Citi Custom Cash earns 5x on your top spending category each billing cycle (up to $500 per month, then 1x).
The best strategy is to combine these cards. Use Custom Cash for 5x bonus categories, Premier for travel spending, and Double Cash for everything else.
Redeeming Citi ThankYou Points
There are several ways to redeem ThankYou points, but some options give you far more value than others.
Travel (Best Use)
Travel redemptions provide the highest value. You can book flights, hotels, car rentals, and cruises through Citi Travel. Citi Premier lets you transfer points to airline and hotel partners. This unlocks redemptions worth more than 1 cent per point.
Airline Travel Partners
Below are the Airline Travel Partners.
| Airline Partner | Standard Transfer Ratio (per 1,000 points) | Promo (if any) | Notes and Sweet Spots |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avianca LifeMiles | 1,000 → 1,000 LifeMiles | 1,000 → 1,250 until 04/12/2025 | Instant transfer. Great for Star Alliance awards. Good for booking United, Lufthansa. |
| Aeromexico Rewards | 1,000 → 1,000 | None | Uses kilometers, not miles. Less competitive for redemptions. |
| Cathay Pacific Asia Miles | 1,000 → 1,000 | None | Good for multi-carrier oneworld awards. Complex chart. |
| Emirates Skywards | 1,000 → 1,000 | None | High surcharges. Best for JetBlue or short-haul flights. |
| Etihad Guest | 1,000 → 1,000 | None | Good for partner awards like Royal Air Maroc or American Airlines. |
| EVA Air | 1,000 → 1,000 | None | Unique to Citi. Good for long-haul Asia flights. Slow to transfer. |
| Flying Blue (Air France/KLM) | 1,000 → 1,000 | None | Dynamic pricing. Watch for promo awards. |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | 1,000 → 1,000 (Premier-level cards) | None | 1,000 → 800 with other cards. Fixed-value points. No blackout dates. |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | 1,000 → 1,000 | None | Best for intra-Australia travel. Often high taxes. |
| Qatar Privilege Club (Avios) | 1,000 → 1,000 | None | Can move Avios between Qatar, British Airways, and Iberia. Use for QSuites. |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | 1,000 → 1,000 | None | Star Alliance partner. Good for Singapore Suites or upgrades. |
| Thai Royal Orchid Plus | 1,000 → 1,000 | None | Very slow transfers. Limited value unless you fly Thai Airways. |
| Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles | 1,000 → 1,000 | None | Book United flights for 7.5k one-way. Chicago–Hawaii round-trip for 15k miles. |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 1,000 → 1,000 | None | Great for ANA first class, Delta One to Europe. Surcharges can be high. |
Hotel Partners
Here is a detailed table of Citi ThankYou hotel transfer partners.
| Hotel Partner | Transfer Ratio (per 1,000 points) | Notes and Sweet Spots |
|---|---|---|
| Choice Privileges | 1,000 → 2,000 (Premier, Prestige, Strata Premier, AT&T Access More) | Best value among hotel transfers. Great for Cambria and Ascend properties. You can get rooms that sell for $300–$400+ for under 30,000 Choice points. |
| 1,000 → 1,500 (other Citi cards) | Still decent value. Redemption value depends on location and season. | |
| Wyndham Rewards | 1,000 → 1,000 (Premier, Prestige, Strata Premier, AT&T Access More) | Works well for Vacasa vacation rentals (15k points per bedroom per night). Can pair with Wyndham credit cards and Caesars status match. |
| 1,000 → 800 (other Citi cards) | Lower transfer value. Not ideal unless you need to top up an account. | |
| ALL – Accor Live Limitless | 1,000 → 500 | Poor value. Rewards are cash-based (~€0.02 per point), so value is below 1 cpp. |
| Leaders Club | 1,000 → 200 | Very low transfer value. Best avoided unless targeting a specific luxury redemption. |
| Preferred Hotels & Resorts | 1,000 → 4,000 I Prefer Points | Limited hotel footprint. Decent point multipliers but limited award availability. |
If you’re looking for hotel value, Choice Privileges at the 1:2 transfer ratio is by far the best Citi hotel transfer option.
Best Travel Sweet Spots
Citi has several sweet spots that let you get high value from your points.
- Choice Hotels 1:2 Transfer Ratio
Citi is the only issuer that offers a 1:2 transfer to Choice Privileges. Amex and Capital One only have 1:1 transfers. This makes Citi points more valuable for Choice stays. Ascend and Cambria properties range from good to luxury depending on location. You can often book a Cambria hotel that costs over $400 per night for 30,000 points. That is $150 worth of Citi points. This is especially useful during peak season. - Turkish Airlines 1:1 Transfer
Citi and Capital One are the only issuers with Turkish Airlines as a transfer partner. Turkish offers cheap United Airlines flights. Domestic United flights cost only 7,500 miles each way. A round-trip from Chicago to Hawaii costs 15,000 miles in economy. That is much cheaper than booking with United miles. - EVA Air 1:1 Transfer
Citi is one of the few issuers that partners with EVA Air. This is a great option for travel to Asia. - Virgin Atlantic 1:1 Transfer
Virgin Atlantic has some of the best redemptions for Delta flights. You can book Delta One to Europe for 50,000 points instead of the high rates Delta usually charges. - Wyndham 1:1 Transfer for Vacasa Vacation Rentals
Citi’s Wyndham transfers are useful for booking Vacasa vacation rentals. You can book a rental for 15,000 points per bedroom per night. This works well if you also have Wyndham Earner+ or Earner Business cards. Those cards offer a Caesars status match, which is a great perk for Las Vegas.
Cash Back & Statement Credits (Good Use)
Citi Double Cash and Citi Custom Cash allow you to redeem points for 1 cent per point. You can redeem them as a statement credit or direct deposit. If you have Citi Rewards+ or another basic Citi card, the cash-out rate may be lower. If you do not use travel redemptions, this is a solid option.
Gift Cards (Decent Use)
Most gift cards redeem at 1 cent per point. Occasionally, Citi offers discounts on gift cards, which can provide extra value.
Shopping & Other Redemptions (Worst Use)
Amazon, Best Buy, and PayPal redemptions often give less than 1 cent per point. Avoid using points for direct purchases unless necessary.
How to Maximize Citi ThankYou Points
Avoid low-value redemptions. Skip Amazon, Best Buy, and PayPal redemptions. Gift cards are okay, but travel is usually better.
Have multiple Citi cards to combine benefits. Custom Cash earns 5x in a top category. Double Cash earns 2x on everything. Premier allows transfers to airlines and hotels. Rewards+ rounds up small purchases to the nearest 10 points. Combining these cards helps you earn and redeem more efficiently.
Use Citi’s unique sweet spots. Turkish Airlines lets you book cheap United flights. Choice Hotels transfers let you get luxury stays for fewer points. Wyndham transfers are useful for Vacasa vacation rentals.
Transfer points to airlines for maximum value. Instead of cashing out at 1 cent per point, you can get 1.5 to 2 cents per point in value.
Key Things to Know
- Your points do not expire as long as your account stays open.
- Not all cards allow travel transfers. You need Citi Premier for the best airline and hotel redemptions.
- Merging Citi cards gives you better rewards.
- Citi sometimes offers transfer bonuses. Always check before redeeming.
If you want the most from your Citi ThankYou points, use multiple Citi cards. You will earn more and unlock better travel options. Let me know if you need help choosing the best redemption.
Here’s a quick guide on how to manage and share Citi ThankYou points, based on current program rules:
Manage ThankYou Points
You can manage your points directly through your Citi online account or the ThankYou Rewards website. Here’s what you can do:
View and Track Points
- Log in to your account at thankyou.com or via the Citi app.
- See your total points balance, expiration dates (if applicable), and how many points are from each card.
- Points do not expire as long as your account remains open and in good standing.
Combine Points Across Cards
- If you have more than one eligible Citi card (like Premier, Double Cash, Custom Cash, Rewards+), you can combine points into a single account.
- This lets you use the best features of all your cards. For example, use Double Cash to earn points, and Premier to transfer to travel partners.
- You can combine points by calling Citi or via online chat—there is no fee.
Transfer to Travel Partners
- Eligible cards (like Citi Premier and Prestige) allow you to transfer points to airline and hotel partners.
- You must manually link your loyalty account to Citi before transferring.
- Some transfers are instant; others may take a few days.
Share ThankYou Points
Citi allows you to share points with another person, but there are rules and limits.
Key Rules for Sharing Points:
- You can share up to 100,000 points per calendar year with another ThankYou member.
- You can receive up to 100,000 points per calendar year from another member.
- Shared points expire 90 days after transfer, regardless of the original expiration date.
- Shared points cannot be transferred to travel partners, even if the recipient has a Premier card.
How to Share:
- Go to thankyou.com and sign in.
- Click “Points Sharing” under the More Ways to Redeem section.
- Enter the recipient’s full name and ThankYou account number.
- Choose the number of points to share and confirm the transfer.
Best Use Case for Sharing:
- Share points with a household member if they have a Citi Premier card and you don’t.
- Let them handle the transfer to travel partners for maximum value.
Summary
Citi ThankYou Points are a flexible rewards currency earned through various Citi credit cards. The value of these points depends on which cards you have and how you choose to redeem them. Cards like Citi Premier and the discontinued Prestige offer the most valuable points, as they allow 1:1 transfers to airline and hotel partners. This can yield more than 1 cent per point in value. Cash back cards like Citi Double Cash and Citi Custom Cash allow redemptions at 1 cent per point as a statement credit or deposit. Lower-tier cards like Citi Rewards+ and older Citi cards often offer reduced redemption rates and limited transfer options.
You can redeem ThankYou points for travel through Citi’s portal, cash back, gift cards, or purchases at merchants like Amazon and Best Buy. Travel and transfer redemptions generally offer the best value. Citi has several sweet spots, including a 1:2 transfer ratio to Choice Privileges for select cards, and unique airline partners like Turkish Airlines and EVA Air. Turkish allows high-value redemptions for United flights, while Choice Hotels redemptions can offer luxury stays at lower cost.
You can manage points online, combine them across multiple Citi cards, and transfer them to travel partners if eligible. Citi also allows you to share up to 100,000 points per year with another ThankYou member, though shared points expire in 90 days and cannot be transferred to partners. To get the most from ThankYou points, use multiple Citi cards, take advantage of partner transfers, and avoid low-value redemptions like shopping or partial cash back.
