The complete guide to Citi ThankYou Rewards: How to earn, redeem and transfer points
Editor's Note
While Citi offers many different rewards credit cards, only some Citi credit cards provide access to the company's valuable ThankYou Rewards program. You'll also need to hold a premium Citi ThankYou card in order to gain full access to Citi ThankYou Rewards transfer partners.
Whether you're applying for your first credit card or are a seasoned pro looking for a new travel rewards card, one or more cards in Citi's portfolio might be right for you.
In this guide, we'll examine the program in more detail, including some of the best cards offering Citi ThankYou points and how to redeem them.
Best Citi ThankYou Rewards cards
- Citi Prestige® Card: Best for restaurants, airlines and travel agencies
- Citi Strata Premier℠ Card: Best for earning full-fledged ThankYou points with a low annual fee (see rates and fees)
- Citi Rewards+® Card: Best for supermarkets, gas stations and small purchases (see rates and fees)
- Citi Double Cash® Card: Best for everyday spending (see rates and fees)
- Citi Custom Cash® Card: Best for bonus earnings in different categories each billing cycle (see rates and fees)
The information for the Citi Prestige has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
| Card | Sign-up bonus | Earning rates | Annual fee | Standout benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Citi Prestige Card | This card is not available to new applicants. |
| $495 |
|
| Citi Strata Premier Card | Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. |
| $95 (see rates and fees) |
|
| Citi Rewards+ Card | Earn 20,000 bonus points after spending $1,500 on purchases within three months of account opening. |
| $0 (see rates and fees) |
|
| *Citi Double Cash Card | Earn $200 in cash back after spending $1,500 on purchases in the first six months of account opening. Note that this bonus will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou points, which can then be redeemed for $200 cash back. |
| $0 (see rates and fees) |
|
| *Citi Custom Cash Card | Earn $200 in cash back after spending $1,500 on purchases in the first six months of account opening. Note that this bonus will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou points, which can then be redeemed for $200 cash back. |
| $0 (see rates and fees) |
*Note that Double Cash and Custom Cash cardholders will earn cash back in the form of ThankYou points.
How to earn Citi ThankYou points
As you can see, many Citi cards earn ThankYou points. But not all ThankYou points are created equal.
TPG's November 2024 valuations peg the value of Citi ThankYou Rewards points at 1.8 cents each, but we base our valuation on the potential value you can get by transferring your ThankYou points to one of the program's airline or hotel partners. However, to transfer points to most Citi ThankYou transfer partners, you must hold a premium Citi ThankYou Rewards card like the Citi Prestige Card (which is no longer accepting new applications) or the Citi Strata Premier Card.
If you only have the Citi Rewards+ Card, the Citi Double Cash Card or the Citi Custom Cash Card (or another nonpremium Citi ThankYou card), you'll earn what we'll call "basic" ThankYou points. They're worth 1 cent each when redeemed for cash back via a statement credit, direct deposit or check.
You can also transfer "basic" ThankYou points to three loyalty programs — Choice Privileges, JetBlue TrueBlue and Wyndham Rewards — if you have the Citi Rewards+ Card or the Citi Double Cash Card, but these transfers will occur at a lower rate than if you had a premium Citi ThankYou card.
However, suppose you also hold the Citi Prestige Card or the Citi Strata Premier Card. In that case, you can combine the "basic" ThankYou points into your Citi Prestige or Citi Strata Premier account and transfer your rewards to all the Citi ThankYou travel partners at the best transfer ratios.
The information for the Citi Prestige has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
If you want to add a new Citi ThankYou card to your wallet, read the fine print for the sign-up bonus and check our page on credit card application rules to ensure you're eligible for the bonus before clicking the "Apply" button.
Related: The best time to apply for these popular Citi credit cards, based on offer history
How to redeem Citi ThankYou points
All the Citi ThankYou Rewards cards let you redeem ThankYou points for statement credits, cash rewards, third-party gift cards and travel booked through the Citi travel portal at a flat rate of 1 cent per point. Sometimes, you'll even find gift cards on sale that could give you a slightly higher redemption rate.
Be careful, though, as some redemption options (such as Shop With Points) provide less than 1 cent per point. Ensure you are getting at least 1 cent per ThankYou point before you redeem.
Keep in mind that you may get significantly more value when you redeem your ThankYou points by transferring them to airline or hotel partners. Suppose you don't have a premium ThankYou Rewards card like the Citi Prestige Card or the Citi Strata Premier Card. In that case, you can only transfer to Choice Privileges, JetBlue TrueBlue and Wyndham Rewards if you have the Citi Rewards+ Card or the Citi Double Cash Card (and your transfer ratio won't be as lucrative).
Check out the following table for the transfer ratios.
| Program | Transfer ratio |
|---|---|
| Aeromexico Rewards | 1:1 |
| Accor Live Limitless | 2:1 |
| Air France-KLM Flying Blue | 1:1 |
| Avianca LifeMiles | 1:1 |
| Cathay Pacific Cathay | 1:1 |
| Choice Privileges | 1:2 (2:3 with non-premium cards) |
| Emirates Skywards | 1:1 |
| Etihad Guest | 1:1 |
| EVA Air Infinity MileageLands | 1:1 |
| I Prefer Hotel Rewards | 1:4 |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | 1:1 (5:4 with nonpremium cards) |
| Leaders Club (Leading Hotels of the World) | 5:1 |
| Miles&Smiles (Turkish Airlines) | 1:1 |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | 1:1 |
| Qatar Airways Privilege Club | 1:1 |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | 1:1 |
| Thai Royal Orchid Plus | 1:1 |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club/Virgin Red | 1:1 |
| Wyndham Rewards | 1:1 (5:4 for non-premium cards) |
With so many transfer partners, your options are plentiful when redeeming Citi ThankYou Rewards points. Here are some Citi ThankYou sweet spots you could use in some of the programs that tend to provide the most value:
- Transfer to Singapore KrisFlyer and snag a Spontaneous Escapes deal.
- Transfer to Choice Privileges and redeem between 8,000 and 50,000 Choice points per night in most destinations.
- Use Avianca LifeMiles to book one-way United Airlines-operated awards within the U.S. for as little as 6,500 LifeMiles and $5.60 in taxes and fees one-way in economy.
- Use Virgin Atlantic Flying Club to fly on Delta Air Lines-operated flights.
- Transfer to Wyndham Rewards and redeem as few as 7,500 Wyndham points per night (or even less if you have select Wyndham credit cards).
- Transfer to Air France-KLM Flying Blue to book a Flying Blue Promo Rewards flight.
Related: Redeem your points and miles: How to search flight award availability for the major airlines
Bottom line
Citi ThankYou Rewards points are perhaps the most underappreciated of the major points and miles currencies. Despite some negatives, Citi ThankYou points remain valuable, especially for those looking to book award flights on international carriers.
Having a premium Citi ThankYou card like the Citi Prestige Card or the Citi Strata Premier Card is important to maximize the Citi ThankYou Rewards program. These cards unlock transfers to all the Citi ThankYou partners at the best rate, which can provide many high-value award booking options.