The Top 23 FAQs About Citi ThankYou Points [2022]

Citi ThankYou Points are one of the 5 major transferable points currencies on the market (the others being American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy, and Capital One Miles) … and their value comes from their flexibility.

In this post, we’ll look at some of the top frequently asked questions about Citi ThankYou Points — the best ways to use them, where you can transfer them, how long points transfers take, and many more.

Let’s dive right in.

Table of contents

1. What Are Citi ThankYou Points?

Citi ThankYou Points is a reward program offered to eligible Citibank accounts and Citi credit card holders. The rewards are offered for various banking activities and purchases.

Participating cardholders can redeem the points for different options, such as hotels, flights, cruises, rental cars, and outdoor activities, just to name a few.

What’s most important to note is that the cards that allow you to earn ThankYou Points don’t offer the same value when redeeming your ThankYou Points. We’ll tell you more about this later.

Bottom Line: Citi ThankYou Points is the major points currency from Citibank. Think of these like the Membership Rewards from American Express or the Chase Ultimate Rewards from Chase.

2. How Can I Earn Citi ThankYou Points?

To earn Citi ThankYou Points, you need to be a holder of a Citi credit card that’s part of the ThankYou Rewards program. Here’s a list of Citi credit cards that are eligible for the Citi ThankYou Points Rewards program:

There are additional cards — the Citi Prestige® Card, Citi Rewards+℠ Student Card, Citi ThankYou® Preferred Card, AT&T Access Card From Citi, and Sears Mastercard® with ThankYou® Rewards — that are no longer available for new applicants.

The value of your ThankYou Points depends on the credit card in your possession. Certain cards unlock better capabilities for your points than other cards.

Having an eligible banking relationship with Citi can generate ThankYou Points, too. But as of July 2022, new Citibank checking accounts cannot be enrolled in the ThankYou Rewards program.

Hot Tip: No matter which card you have, you can redeem ThankYou Points for cruises, airfare, car rentals, and other travel-related things.

3. How Many ThankYou Points Can You Earn After the Minimum Spend?

Many Citi cards offer new cardholders a welcome for spending a certain amount within a specific period of time.

The following is a breakdown of the rewards cardholders earn after spending the minimum amount.

The total number of ThankYou Points earned for the cards above will depend on your purchase or spending activities.

4. What Are the Earnings Rates for Eligible ThankYou Points Credit Cards?

The Citi ThankYou Rewards program is a reliable way of getting rewards for your spending activities. Here are the earnings offered per currently-available card:

Card	Earning Rates
Citi Premier Card	3x at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, air travel, and hotel purchases 1x point per dollar on all other purchases
Double Cash Card	Uncapped 2% back on all purchases (1% cash-back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases, earned as ThankYou Points)
Citi Rewards+ Card	2x points at gas stations and supermarkets, on up to $6,000 (1x after) 1x points on all other purchases Round Up to the nearest 10 points on every purchase, with no cap
Citi Custom Cash Card	5% cash-back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent (1% cash-back thereafter) Unlimited 1% cash-back on all other purchases Cash-back is earned as ThankYou Points

5. Can I Buy Citi ThankYou Points?

Yes, you can purchase Citi ThankYou Points, but it’s rarely a good deal. Citi ThankYou Points cost 2.5 cents a piece, and are sold in 1,000-point increments … so you’re paying more than they’re worth.

That said, if you’re just shy of points for a particular redemption, purchasing points could make sense. So it’s nice to know you have the option to do so.

6. Can I Transfer My Citi ThankYou Points and How Long Does It Take for the Transfer?

Yes, you can transfer your points to any of the program’s participating travel partners.

If you’re a Citi Premier card or Citi Prestige card (no longer open to new applicants) holder you can redeem your ThankYou Points when booking a flight.

Here are the Citi ThankYou transfer partners, along with the transfer times from Citi to each partner:

Citi Transfer Partner	Min Transfer	Transfer Ratio	Transfer Time
Aeromexico Club Premier	1,000	1:1	Almost Instantly
Air France / KLM Flying Blue	1,000	1:1	Almost Instantly
Avianca Airlines Lifemiles	1,000	1:1	Almost Instantly
Cathay Pacific	1,000	1:1	Almost Instantly
Choice Privileges	1,000	1:2	Almost Instantly
Emirates Skywards	1,000	1:1	Almost Instantly
Etihad Airways	1,000	1:1	Almost Instantly
EVA Air	1,000	1:1	2 Days
JetBlue Airways	1,000	1:1	Almost Instantly
Qantas Airways	1,000	1:1	Almost Instantly
Qatar Airways	1,000	1:1	2 Days
Singapore Airlines	1,000	1:1	2 Days
Thai Airways	1,000	1:1	4 Days
Turkish Airlines	1,000	1:1	Almost Instantly
Virgin Atlantic	1,000	1:1	Almost Instantly
Wyndham Rewards	1,000	1:1	Within 24 Hours

Bottom Line: Our personal favorites for redemption include Flying Blue (KLM/Air France), Etihad Guest, Qantas, and Virgin Atlantic.

7. How Much Are Citi ThankYou Points Really Worth?

Smart travelers understand that Citi ThankYou Points are valuable and can be used in various ways for travel.

ThankYou Points are more valuable when you transfer them to airline partners, however, they can also provide good value when redeemed for travel via the Citi ThankYou portal.

Citi ThankYou cardholders can redeem points for flights through the Citi ThankYou travel portal for hotels, cruises, and airfare at a rate of 1 cent per point.

Bottom Line: Your best bet for value in your points (and the places you can use them) is with the Citi Premier card.

8. What Are the Options for Redeeming My Citi ThankYou Points and How Can I Redeem Them via the Travel Portal?

If you’re a cardholder of an eligible Citi ThankYou card, you’re eligible to redeem your points.

To redeem your ThankYou Points, do so via the Citi ThankYou travel portal. Travelers can redeem their points for hotels, rental cars, cruises, flights, and other activities.

With Citi ThankYou Points are redeemed towards travel costs, you don’t have to deal with award charts or search for available dates because you’re essentially purchasing a ticket at cash cost.

This makes it the perfect reward scheme for last-minute travel or booking travel during peak times when airline availability might be limited.

You can also redeem ThankYou Points by transferring them to a variety of airline and hotel partners which we’ll cover shortly.

Hot Tip: Keep in mind that transferring points to a specific airline doesn’t limit you to that particular airline. You can also fly on other airlines that are a part of the same alliance.

For example, you can transfer miles to Cathay Pacific and redeem them on American Airlines, or transfer to Thai Airways and redeem them on South African.

There’s at least 1 transfer partner in each of the major alliances, which essentially allows you to use any major airline worldwide as part of these transfer partners.

To purchase a revenue flight ticket or hotel stay, the Citi ThankYou travel portal functions pretty much like any other online travel agency web portal. You can book hotels, cruises, flights, and rental cars all in one place.

To redeem your Citi ThankYou Points, follow these steps:

Go to the Citi ThankYou travel portal
Log in to your account
Click on the Travel tab and select hotels, cars, cruises, or flights

Citi ThankYou.com Website — Image Credit: Citi

9. How Can I Book Flights via the Citi ThankYou Travel Portal?

Booking a flight through the Citi ThankYou travel portal is simple.

Just follow these steps:

Log in to the Citi ThankYou portal
Select the Travel tab
Click on Flights
You’ll then be redirected to the ThankYou portal flight booking system
Enter your destination, departure city, travel dates, and number of passengers (adults and children)
Click Search Flights

You’ll note that the results are listed from the least expensive to the most expensive. On the right side of the display screen, you can view the price of each flight and the Citi ThankYou Points needed to book it.

To book your flight, click Select. The platform will give you an option to use your Citi ThankYou Points to pay for your flight. You can also pay with a combination of cash and points.

To complete your purchase, click Add to Itinerary. Once you’ve typed in your personal details, your transaction will be complete.

10. How Can I Book Hotels via the Citi ThankYou Travel Portal?

Booking a hotel is easy. Simply follow these steps:

Click on the Travel tab
Select Hotels
Enter your booking dates and the number of guests (adults and children)
Click Search Hotels

The web platform has a filter function that allows you to filter the results by amenities, price, and rating. From the results, you can also view discounts and special offers.

Once you find the hotel you want, click Choose Room.

When it comes to payment, you can choose to pay for the room with ThankYou Points or a combination of points and cash.

After selecting a room, the platform will redirect you to a checkout screen. Here, add your personal details and complete checkout.

Hot Tip: It’s important to always check the cancellation policy before booking. If it’s a nonrefundable reservation, you won’t be able to get your points back.

11. How Can I Book Rental Cars via the Citi ThankYou Travel Portal?

Along with flights and hotel rooms, you can also book rental cars through the Citi ThankYou travel portal.

Here’s how:

Click on the Travel tab
Select Cars
Enter your information, including pick-up and drop-off locations, driver’s age, dates, and times
Click Search Cars

When the results are returned, they’ll be listed from the least expensive to the most expensive. The platform has a filter function that allows you to filter the results using the following options: car types, car options, and rental company.

Click Apply filters and a new set of results is displayed. To book a car, click Book this car, customize the payment options, add your personal details, and complete the checkout process by following the prompts.

12. Can I Book Cruises via the Citi ThankYou Travel Portal?

Unlike flights, rental cars, and hotels, the ThankYou travel portal doesn’t allow you to book cruises online. But, it does give you an opportunity to browse different cruise deals.

To get started, click Cruise from the travel tab and begin browsing available deals.

The screen will even display featured cruise offers at the bottom. To refine your search, you can specify a cruise line or a destination.

Click on View Cruise Details to learn more about the cruise. If you find an offer that’s a good fit, call Citi to book the cruise.

13. How Can I Book Outdoor Activities via the Citi ThankYou Travel Portal?

Not only can you book hotels, rental cars, and flights through the Citi ThankYou travel portal, but you can also book outdoor activities and local sightseeing.

To find an activity that fits your style and budget:

Click Activities
Enter your details such as destination, arrival date, and departure date
Click Search Activities

Your search results will list all of the available activities within your specified date range.

When you select an activity that interests you, you’ll be given the name of the activity, category, and price in cash or Citi ThankYou Points. Book the activity and if you have any questions about booking or travel, contact the support team at Citi.

14. How Can I Track How Many ThankYou Points I’ve Earned?

Citi ThankYou Points can be used to supplement for cash when booking flights, rental cars, hotels, cruises, and outdoor activities. As such, you need to understand how to track how many points you’ve earned. Citi has created an easy-to-use ThankYou Points platform where you can do just that.

To track your points, simply log in to your Citi account using your credentials. On the right side of the display screen, you should see a panel. The panel lists all your Citi cards plus points earned for each card. To get a summary of your points, click Points Summary.

15. When Will My Citi ThankYou Points Expire?

Your ThankYou Points are set to 3 years after the closing of your account (if you close it).

Keep in mind that any account activity maintains your points and account. As long as your card is open and active, your points won’t expire. If you transfer them to an airline, you’re then under the policies of that particular airline, however.

If you hold a Citi Premier card or Citi Prestige card, you can transfer the ThankYou Points you earned from your eligible banking activities to another individual. The Citi ThankYou Rewards program allows you to transfer up to 100,000 points every calendar year.

ThankYou Points transferred from another person are eligible for 90 days and will expire if not used within that period. If you plan to close your account, you must use your ThankYou Points within the coming 2 months. Failure to do so will forfeit your points.

Hot Tip: What you need to know is that ThankYou Points earned cannot expire as long as you have the card. To avoid paying an annual fee, downgrade your card instead of closing your account.

16. Should I Redeem My Citi ThankYou Points for Shopping?

Citi cardholders can use their ThankYou Points for shopping. The program partners with several retailers such as Amazon, Best Buy, and 1-800-Flowers, among others. Citi also has its own online shopping platform where you can redeem your ThankYou Points for goods.

While this opportunity is made available to customers, redeeming points for shopping lowers the value of your points.

Instead of the 1 cent per point that’s rewarded when booking flights, cruises, hotels, and rental cars, shopping rewards are much less than 1 cent per point.

If you don’t want to spend your points on travel, you still have a shopping option. Redeeming your points for gift cards can give you the same value as purchasing travel. Instead of purchasing goods from a retailer, simply buy a gift card and you’ll receive a 1 cent per point value.

Bottom Line: It’s NOT recommended to redeem points for shopping as this has a low redemption value for your points.

17. Can I Redeem My Citi ThankYou Points for Cash?

Yes, you can. Citi allows its cardholders under the ThankYou Points Rewards program to redeem their points in exchange for cash.

ThankYou Points are worth 1 cent each when you redeem them for a statement credit.

If you’re not interested in redeeming your Citi ThankYou Points through transfer partners, where you can often get higher value, then redeeming for cash-back can be a great option.

18. Is the Citi ThankYou Points Rewards Program Different From Other Reward Programs?

Yes, it is.

The ThankYou Rewards program has different transfer partners than the 4 other main transfer programs — American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy, and Capital One Miles.

Each of these programs is unique in its own right, though Citi ThankYou is certainly considered one of the major rewards programs.

19. Are There Fees Charged When Transferring Citi ThankYou Points?

No, there are no fees associated with the transfer of ThankYou Points to participating partner programs. With the Citi ThankYou Rewards program, you can transfer all your points even when you plan to shut down your account. Basically, the program offers value to all customers.

Bottom Line: There are no fees when you transfer Citi ThankYou Points to travel partners.

20. Is It Possible to Transfer My Citi ThankYou Points to Another Person’s Airline or Hotel Account Directly?

No, Citi does not allow ThankYou Points to be transferred directly to another airline loyalty account. To do this, share the points with that person and then they can transfer them from there to their airline loyalty program of choice.

For you to transfer your ThankYou Points to a loyalty program, the name on the accounts must match.

Qantas first class dining — You can’t transfer your Citi points directly into another person’s Qantas account, but you can share them and they can then make the transfer themselves. Image Credit: Qantas

21. Can I Combine 2 Citi ThankYou Points Accounts?

No, Citi does not allow ThankYou Points holders to combine 2 or more ThankYou Points accounts (such as with 2 friends). However, you can share the points using a points transfer.

If you hold multiple Citi cards, the points will be pooled into 1 account, so there really shouldn’t be too much of a reason for you to want to combine 2 Citi ThankYou accounts.

22. How Long Does It Take for ThankYou Points To Post in My Account?

It depends on the billing cycle. ThankYou Points earned from new purchases are reflected in your account on the next points summary. For your bonus points, this takes 1 to 2 billing cycles, which is approximately 30 to 60 days.

23. Can I Use My ThankYou Points at Amazon.com?

Yes, you can. If you have an eligible Citi credit card participating in the ThankYou Rewards program, you can use your ThankYou Points when shopping at Amazon.com.

As an eligible participant of Citi’s ThankYou Rewards program, you’re automatically enrolled in Shop with Points.

To get started, link your Citi credit card to your Amazon.com account. You can also register by linking your Amazon account and ThankYou Points account. Once you have linked the accounts, you can begin making purchases with points.

A word of caution: Redeeming your ThankYou Points for shopping is not a good idea. Why? Instead of redeeming 1.25 cents to 1.6 cents per point, you’ll redeem $0.005 per point.

For a better deal, redeem your ThankYou Points for gift cards at participating retailers, or, better yet, transfer them to airline partners.

Final Thoughts

Citi ThankYou Points are one of the more valuable transferable currencies in the credit card market, with many different transfer opportunities available.

If you’re looking for an all-around good points-earning option, a Citi ThankYou card is definitely worth a spot in your wallet for sure.

If you have any questions about your Citi ThankYou Points account or your credit card specifics, contact the ThankYou Service Center at 800-THANK-YOU (800-842-6596), and the representatives there would be glad to assist you.

The information regarding the Citi Prestige® Card, Citi Rewards+℠ Student Card, Citi ThankYou® Preferred Card, AT&T Access Card From Citi, and Sears Mastercard® with ThankYou® Rewards was independently collected by Upgraded Points and was not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

Featured Image Credit: Citi

Frequently asked questions

What cards earn Citi ThankYou Points?

Here’s a list of Citi credit cards that are eligible for the Citi ThankYou Points Rewards program: Citi Premier card, Double Cash card, Citi Rewards+ card, and Citi Custom Cash card.

The following cards are no longer open to new applications: Citi Prestige card, Citi Rewards+ Student card, Citi ThankYou Preferred card, Citi AT&T Access card, and Sears card with ThankYou Rewards.

Are Citi ThankYou Points worth it?

Yes, they can be a great addition to your miles & points strategy. According to our latest valuations, Citi ThankYou points are worth 1.6 cents a piece. Given their flexibility, having ThankYou Points in your arsenal can allow you to travel more, for less. Or, if cash-back is your thing, you can redeem your points for cash (though this won’t get you the maximum value).

Do Citi ThankYou Points expire?

Citi ThankYou Points will not expire as long as you have at least 1 of your ThankYou Points-earning cards open. If you cancel your card, you’ll have 60 days to use them before they expire. Shared points will expire 90 days from the date they are received.

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About James Larounis

Jamie first got hooked on miles and points during a high school choir trip to Europe, where he flew in Lufthansa first class (thanks to his dad’s then US Airways miles) because economy was sold out. Years later, he started The Forward Cabin blog to teach friends and family about miles and points and delve deep into the inner workings of airline and hotel programs. He’s helped organize Frequent Traveler University, where he’s spoken in depth about the loyalty programs of American AAdvantage, Amtrak Guest Rewards, Kimpton Inner Circle, Marriott Bonvoy, and World of Hyatt. In addition, he helps run the twice-a-year Loyalty Summit, a professional conference attended by heads of loyalty programs at major airlines, hotels, and credit card issuers.

Disclaimer: Any comments listed below are not from the bank advertiser, nor have they been reviewed or approved by them. No responsibility will be taken by the bank advertiser for these comments.

12 comments

Max December 10, 2019

You have a mathematical error, please correct:
the value of Citi points is either $0.0125, or 1.25 cents. You have it as “0.0125 cents”, which is $0.000125. If your math is correct, 10,000 Citi points would be equivalent to $1.25.
Same goes for all other numbers:
Citi ThankYou Premier – 0.0125 cents for hotels, cruises, airfare, and rental cars
Citi Prestige – 0.0125 cents for airfare and 0.01 cent for others
Citi AT&T Access More Card – 0.01 cent for all travel
Citi AT&T Access Card – 0.01 cent for all travel

Reply
- Jarrod West December 11, 2019
  
  Hi Max,
  
  I’ve updated the post to reflect the correct figures. Thank you for pointing that out!
  
  Reply
Xa June 27, 2021

As of 27 Jun 2021 – it seems like the Citi ThankYou reward points have already been changed

When I try to redeem for statement credits, it shows $50 for 22,000 ThankYou Points. Equivalent to $0.00227 per point

When I try it on hotel redemption, e.g. hotel worth $207 costs 49107 ThankYou Points, which is equivalent to $0.00421 per point

I do not see the value of this card anymore

Reply
CityPrestigeNYC September 27, 2022

I am a legacy Citi Prestige card holder and I can confirm that I have redeemed 1 cent per 1 point for statement credit, which is amazing. You should note that there is no option to do this via the Citi app. The pay with points devalues points. In order to get the full 1-to-1 redemption, one needs to do it through http://www.thankyou.com.

Reply
Scott Learmonth October 25, 2022

I have a Citi Premier and a Citi Double Cash Back card. I’m pretty sure my points are worth 1 cent per point cash back for statement credit, for example 10,000 points can be requested as a statement credit of $100. That is why the Citi Premier Card is attractive to me. If I can’t find a way to use the points, I can always get cash back at one cent per point. Where does the half cent valuation come from?

Reply
- Jarrod West October 25, 2022
  
  Hi Scott,
  
  Thank you for pointing out that error. The post has now been corrected.
  
  Reply
Mindy Scott March 19, 2023

I have a Citibank travel rewards card and have a lot of miles that I have been saving for a cruise that we are taking this July. I have been waiting to book our flight with Citi ThankYou rewards, but it would not let me book past June 30. Today they unveiled a new booking system for flights that is associated with Booking.com, and it will not let me book multi-city flights. Our start location is different from our end location for the cruise, so we cannot do a standard round trip flight. I called Citi, and they said that right now there is no way to book multicity except to book 2 different one way flights – which is twice as much money. I was looking to see if there is a way to transfer my points to somewhere else that would allow me to book the flights as a multicity booking. We would like to book through American, Delta, or United preferably. We do have a Citi Aadvantage card as well through American Airlines but do not have any miles accumulated on it. We have been saving our points for a year for this trip, and I feel like we just lost all our points. Any help would be greatly appreciated

Reply
- Chris Hassan March 20, 2023
  
  Hi Mindy,
  
  I can certainly understand your frustration, but there are some upsides to booking 2 1-way flights, most notably being flexibility. If you find partner award availability with Delta or United, transferring points to Virgin Atlantic or Turkish Airlines could represent great value!
  
  Chris
  
  Reply
  - Mindy Scott March 21, 2023
    
    So how would I do that? United has the flights we want to book. Do I transfer my miles to Virgin Atlantic or Turkish Airlines first? And then if I book through United, will United allow me to use my miles for the flight? If you don’t mind walking me through the process, it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for your response! Also, I looked on United’s website and I don’t see Virgin Atlantic listed.
    
    Reply
    - Chris Hassan March 21, 2023
      
      So this is where things can get confusing if you have never transferred points before. The quick answer is that you first need to confirm that Saver Award space is available, identified as (I) or (X) fare with United, those will appear on the United website on the flight you are looking at. Next, you would transfer your Citi ThankYou points to a partner like Turkish or Avianca Lifemiles and then book the United flight.
      
      Here is an overview of the Citi transfer partners: https://upgradedpoints.com/credit-cards/citi-thankyou-points-transfer-partners/
      
      And here is an Instagram Reel walking you through a similar booking: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CXPQeggK6Qm/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D
      
      The Virgin Atlantic suggestion was in response to your mention of a Delta flight, the 2 airlines are partners.
      
      Reply
Mindy Scott March 21, 2023

Sorry, one more follow up question. We have 3 of us traveling. Can I use the miles for all 3 of us? My husband and myself have the Citi account, but my daughter is not on the account.

Reply
- Chris Hassan March 21, 2023
  
  Yes, you can book a flight for anyone with your points. They do not need to have a Citi account.
  
  Reply