How Much Are Citi ThankYou Rewards Points Worth? [26 FAQs]

Updated: February 7, 2024, 2:39pm CST

Edited by:

How Much Are Citi ThankYou Rewards Points Worth? [26 FAQs]

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Citi is one of the most well-known banks in the U.S. Headquartered in New York, this “Big 4” bank is considered one of the most important in the entire financial services industry.

However, Citi has been somewhat muted with its participation in the rewards credit card game, especially considering that American Express, Chase, and Capital One all have been expanding their offerings every year.

Traditionally, Citi has focused on simple incentives like 0% APR or simple cash-back rewards; however, its ThankYou Rewards program is certainly one of the most established out there.

In this guide, we’ll answer all things about Citi ThankYou Rewards to show you whether or not earning and redeeming Citi ThankYou Points is a worthwhile use of your time (and dollars).

26 FAQs About Citi ThankYou Points

Citi’s proprietary rewards program is called ThankYou Rewards. Image Credit: Citi

1. What Are Citi ThankYou Points?

Citi ThankYou Points are the currency you earn and redeem when you participate in the Citi ThankYou Rewards program, which is one of the largest rewards programs in the world.

American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Capital One Miles, and Citi ThankYou Rewards collectively make up the “Big 4” credit card rewards programs.

Citi ThankYou Points are offered internationally as well as in the U.S. Currently, here are the credit cards that earn ThankYou Points:

AT&T Access Card From Citi
Citi Custom Cash^® Card
Citi Premier^® Card
Citi Prestige^® Card (no longer open to new applicants)
Citi Rewards+^® Card
Citi Rewards+℠ Student Card
Citi ThankYou^® Preferred Card (no longer open to new applicants)
CitiBusiness ThankYou^® Card
Citi Double Cash^® Card

Here are more details on some of our favorite cards:

Citi Premier^® Card

U.P. Rating

Frequent flyers will enjoy 3x ThankYou Points at restaurants, gas stations, supermarkets, air travel, and hotels.

Learn More(at our partner's secure site)

Citi Premier^® Card

Frequent flyers will enjoy 3x ThankYou Points at restaurants, gas stations, supermarkets, air travel, and hotels.

Welcome OfferEarn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. Plus, for a limited time, earn a total of 10 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through June 30, 2024.
60,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:
$960

Annual Fee

$95

APR

21.24% - 29.24% Variable

Credit Recommended

Good to Excellent (670-850)

The Citi Premier^® Card is an excellent option for anyone looking for an all-around travel rewards credit card. The card helps you earn points fast with great 3x bonus categories such as restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, airfare, and hotels. Plus, it offers access to airline and hotel transfer partners, doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees, and has a reasonable annual fee!

Pros

3x points at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, airfare, and hotel purchases
Access to Citi transfer partners
Annual hotel credit
No foreign transaction fees

Cons

$95 annual fee

Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou^® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. Plus, for a limited time, earn a total of 10 ThankYou^® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through June 30, 2024.
Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Other Hotels
Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets
Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases
Annual Hotel Savings Benefit
60,000 ThankYou^® Points are redeemable for $600 in gift cards redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com
No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card
No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases

Financial Snapshot

APR: 21.24% - 29.24% Variable
Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Card Categories

Rewards Center

Citi ThankYou Rewards

Citi Prestige^® Card

U.P. Rating

Complimentary lounge access, fourth-night free hotel stay, an annual travel credit, and strong point-earning make the Citi Prestige card a great option.

Citi Prestige^® Card

Complimentary lounge access, fourth-night free hotel stay, an annual travel credit, and strong point-earning make the Citi Prestige card a great option.

Annual Fee

$495

APR

17.99% - 25.99% Variable

Credit Recommended

Excellent (740-850)

The information for the Citi Prestige^® Card has been collected independently by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

The Citi Prestige^® Card is an excellent all-around premium travel rewards card. With 4 different bonus categories to help you earn points, a $250 travel credit each year, complimentary lounge access, and more, there is tons to love about the Citi Prestige card.

Update: At this time, the Citi Prestige card is no longer available for new applicants.

Pros

5x points per $1 on purchases at airlines and travel agencies
5x points per $1 on dining
3x points per $1 on purchases at hotels and cruise lines
1x point per $1 on all other purchases
$250 annual travel credit (can also be applied to supermarkets and dining purchases in 2022)
Complimentary Priority Pass lounge access
Annual fourth-night free hotel booking
Access to Citi transfer partners
Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit
Cell phone insurance

Cons

$495 annual fee
Doesn’t offer travel protections

$250 Air Travel Credit each year, and receive a statement credit, up to $100 every 5 years, as reimbursement for your application fee for Global Entry or TSA Pre √. Through December 2022, supermarket and restaurant purchases will also count towards the $250 Travel Credit.
Fourth-night hotel benefit for any hotel stay at hotels booked through the Citi Prestige Concierge; up to 2 times per calendar year
Transfer points to a variety of travel loyalty programs from airlines to hotels
Earn 5x points on air travel
Earn 5x points at restaurants
Earn 3x points on cruise lines and hotels
1 ThankYou Point per $1 spent on other purchases

Financial Snapshot

APR: 17.99% - 25.99% Variable
Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Card Categories

Rewards Center

Citi ThankYou Rewards

Citi Custom Cash^® Card

U.P. Rating

Earn big on purchases in your top eligible spend category, up to the first $500 each billing cycle, with no annual fee!

Learn More(at our partner's secure site)

Citi Custom Cash^® Card

Earn big on purchases in your top eligible spend category, up to the first $500 each billing cycle, with no annual fee!

Welcome OfferEarn $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.
$200

Annual Fee

APR

0% Intro APR on balance transfers and purchases for 15 months. After that, the variable APR will be 19.24% - 29.24%.

Credit Recommended

Fair to Excellent (580-850)

The Citi Custom Cash^® Card is inventive when it comes to cash-back credit cards. Instead of earning a set amount of cash-back on predetermined bonus categories, the Citi Custom Cash card earns 5% cash-back on your highest eligible spend category each billing cycle, without an annual fee.

Thanks to that unique perk, you’ll never need to worry about whether you’re using the right card for the right purchase, as your Citi Custom Cash card will always pay you 5% back on whichever category you end up spending the most on each month.

Pros

5% cash-back (on up to $500 each billing cycle) from your largest purchase category, including restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, select travel, select transit, select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs, and live entertainment
No annual fee
Multiple redemption options
No redemption minimums

Cons

Your 5% category is limited to $500 in spend ($25 in cash-back) each month
Not particularly rewarding for any purchases outside of your top 5% cash-back category

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.
0% Intro APR on balance transfers and purchases for 15 months. After that, the variable APR will be 19.24% – 29.24%, based on your creditworthiness.
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. Special Travel Offer: Earn an additional 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked via the Citi Travel℠ portal through 6/30/2025.
No rotating bonus categories to sign up for – as your spending changes each billing cycle, your earn adjusts automatically when you spend in any of the eligible categories.
No Annual Fee
Citi will only issue one Citi Custom Cash^® Card account per person.

Financial Snapshot

APR: 0% Intro APR on balance transfers and purchases for 15 months. After that, the variable APR will be 19.24% - 29.24%.
Foreign Transaction Fees: 3%

Card Categories

Citi Double Cash^® Card

U.P. Rating

Great card for the average spender with no specific focus category; worry-free cash-back earning on everything!

Learn More(at our partner's secure site)

Citi Double Cash^® Card

Great card for the average spender with no specific focus category; worry-free cash-back earning on everything!

Welcome OfferEarn $200 cash back after spending $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening.
$200 cash back

Annual Fee

APR

0% Intro APR for 18 months on balance transfers, then 19.24% - 29.24% Variable

Credit Recommended

Fair to Excellent (580-850)

The Citi Double Cash^® Card has long been one of the top cash-back credit cards on the market, and the card now has the ability to earn Citi ThankYou Points!

This means that cardholders of the Double Cash card will now earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. Cash back is earned in the form of ThankYou Points. This means each billing cycle, you will earn 1 ThankYou point per $1 spent on purchases and an additional ThankYou point for every $1 paid on your purchase balance as long as there is a corresponding balance in your Purchase Tracker.

Citi has turned the Double Cash card into a top choice for those who are looking for an everyday, no-fuss credit card.

Pros

Uncapped 2% for every $1 spent (1% when you buy and another 1% when you pay)
Flexible redemption options
No annual fee

Cons

No bonus categories
3% foreign transaction fees
Lack of premium travel benefits

Bonus Offer: Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This 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.
Balance Transfer Only Offer: 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months. After that, the variable APR will be 19.24% – 29.24%, based on your creditworthiness.
Balance Transfers do not earn cash back. Intro APR does not apply to purchases.
If you transfer a balance, interest will be charged on your purchases unless you pay your entire balance (including balance transfers) by the due date each month.
There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).
Citi Double Cash^® Card Travel Portal Limited Time Offer: Earn a total of 5 ThankYou Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rental, and attractions, excluding air travel, when booked through the Citi Travel^SM portal on ThankYou.com or by calling 1-800-Thankyou and saying “Travel.” Offer is valid through 11:59 PM Eastern Time (ET) 12/31/2024.

Financial Snapshot

APR: 0% Intro APR for 18 months on balance transfers, then 19.24% - 29.24% Variable
Foreign Transaction Fees: 3% of the U.S. dollar amount of each purchase

Card Categories

Rewards Center

Citi ThankYou Rewards

Citi Rewards+^® Card

U.P. Rating

This no annual fee card rewards cardholders for everyday purchases. Earn bonus points at supermarkets and gas stations, plus your points are rounded up on every purchase.

Learn More(at our partner's secure site)

Citi Rewards+^® Card

This no annual fee card rewards cardholders for everyday purchases. Earn bonus points at supermarkets and gas stations, plus your points are rounded up on every purchase.

Welcome OfferEarn 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.
20,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:
$320

Annual Fee

APR

0% intro APR on balance transfers and on purchases for 15 months. After that, the variable APR of 18.74% - 28.74%.

Credit Recommended

Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-840)

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
Plus, as a special offer, earn a total of 5 Thank You^® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on CitiTravel.com through December 31, 2025.*
0% Intro APR on balance transfers for 15 months from date of first transfer and on purchases from date of account opening. After that, the variable APR will be 18.74% – 28.74%, based on your creditworthiness. There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).
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.
The Citi Rewards+^® Card – the only credit card that automatically rounds up to the nearest 10 points on every purchase – with no cap.
No Annual Fee

Financial Snapshot

APR: 0% intro APR on balance transfers and on purchases for 15 months. After that, the variable APR of 18.74% - 28.74%.
Foreign Transaction Fees: 3% of each purchase transaction in US dollars

Card Categories

Citi ThankYou^® Preferred Card

U.P. Rating

Earn 2x points for dining out and entertainment, plus pay off balances with a intro APR. Use your points with Citi ThankYou transfer partners for travel rewards!

Citi ThankYou^® Preferred Card

Earn 2x points for dining out and entertainment, plus pay off balances with a intro APR. Use your points with Citi ThankYou transfer partners for travel rewards!

Annual Fee

APR

0% intro APR for first 12 months. After that, your APR will be 14.24% to 24.24%, based on your creditworthiness,

The information for the Citi ThankYou^® Preferred Card has been collected independently by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

You prefer dining out to eating at home, hands down. You thrive on entertainment, whether it’s sporting events, concerts, or the movies.

In fact, you’d much rather spend your money on a baseball game than your credit card’s annual fees.

Luckily, you have the Citi ThankYou^® Preferred Card in your wallet. Not only does it not have an annual fee, but it also comes with Citi Private Pass. That means special access to tickets for the best in live music, sports, and more!

Update: At this time, the Citi ThankYou^® Preferred Card is no longer available for new applicants.

There is a balance transfer fee of either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.*
2 ThankYou^® Points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants and entertainment
1 ThankYou^® Point on other purchases
Points earned with this card do not expire and there is no limit to the amount of points you can earn.
Redeem ThankYou Points for merchandise, travel rewards and gift cards.
No annual fee*

Financial Snapshot

APR: 0% intro APR for first 12 months. After that, your APR will be 14.24% to 24.24%, based on your creditworthiness,
Foreign Transaction Fees: 3%

Card Categories

Rewards Center

Citi ThankYou Rewards

Right now, you’ll need the Citi Premier card or the Citi Prestige card to be able to transfer your points to the full list of transfer partners.

Without at least 1 of these cards, you can only transfer to JetBlue TrueBlue, Choice Privileges, and Wyndham Rewards at reduced ratios.

Once you have either the Citi Premier card or Citi Prestige card, you can transfer your points to partners like Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, and Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles.

2. Are Citi ThankYou Points Worth It?

Citi ThankYou Points are worth it for most consumers. Although they’re not as popular as Amex, Chase, or Capital One, ThankYou Points are still one of the few transferable currencies, which makes ThankYou Rewards a useful program in which to participate.

Also, the ability to earn Citi ThankYou Points on groceries, supermarkets, airfare, hotels, rotating categories, and even on everyday purchases makes it easy to rack up points quickly. Then, you can use your points for some fantastic award travel!

3. How Do I Check My Citi ThankYou Points?

In general, there are 3 basic ways to check your Citi ThankYou Point balance. They are:

Log into your online account through Citi’s website
Access your Citi mobile app
Call the number on the back of your Citi credit card

To access your Citi ThankYou Points on the website, log in using your user ID and password. You’ll be taken to your account dashboard. On the top menu, hover over the button that says Rewards & Offers and then click ThankYou Rewards. After that, you’ll be taken to the ThankYou site, which is where you can check your Citi ThankYou Points, as well as redeem them.

If you want to check your Citi ThankYou Points through the Citi mobile app, simply log into your Citi mobile app using your user ID and password. Then, select your credit card account. Scroll down past the transactions and you’ll see a box that says ThankYou from Citi. You’ll see your balances and you can click View Details if you need more granular information.

To access your Citi ThankYou Points over the phone, call the number on the back of your card. Then, follow the prompts for ThankYou Points. You will hear your Citi ThankYou Points balance via the automated prompt; but if you need further assistance, you can follow the prompts to get connected to a live representative.

4. How Much Are Citi ThankYou Points Worth?

We value Citi ThankYou Points at approximately 1.6 cents apiece.

And although we did a ton of research into Citi’s transfer partners and optimal ways to redeem points, these valuations are inevitably going to be subjective.

Simply put, the value of your Citi ThankYou Points is completely predicated on how you use them. For example, if you use your Citi ThankYou Points for cash-back, there’s no way you’ll get the best value.

On the other hand, if you use your Citi ThankYou Points for luxury award travel, you could potentially get even better value than what we think each point is worth!

Getting 5 to 10 cents per point isn’t unheard of with Citi ThankYou Rewards, but we’ll assume that some of your redemptions will end up netting you lower redemption value, which is why we value Citi points at around 1.6 cents each.

5. How Much Are Citi Premier Points Worth?

The Citi Premier card earns Citi ThankYou Points, which are worth 1.6 cents each by our valuations.

However, the truth is that the Citi Premier card’s points can be worth anywhere from 0.5 cents per point to more than 10 cents per point.

If you redeem your Citi ThankYou Points for cash-back, you’ll get around 0.5 cents to 1.0 cents per point.

If you redeem your Citi ThankYou Points for Amazon.com purchases, you’ll get 0.8 cents per point of value.

If you redeem your Citi ThankYou Points for online shopping through Shop with Points, you’ll get around 0.83 cents per point.

If you’re using Citi ThankYou Points for gift cards, you’ll get around 1 cent per point of value, though it may vary depending on the merchant.

If you’re using Citi ThankYou Points for travel booked through the Citi Travel Center, you’ll get around 1 cent per point of value.

Finally, if you redeem your Citi ThankYou Points for award travel on transfer partners, you can get anywhere from 1 to 10 cents per point of value.

As you can tell, there’s a wide spectrum of potential value that you can get from your Citi ThankYou Points.

6. How Much Are 2,500 Citi Points Worth?

According to our valuations, 2,500 Citi ThankYou Points would be worth $40.

Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of ways to use a small balance like 2,500 Citi points.

For example, 2,500 points wouldn’t be enough for a business class flight, so you’d probably have to settle for $12.50 to $25 in cash-back, $20 on Amazon.com purchases, $21 in online merchandise, $25 in gift cards, or $25 in travel via the Citi Travel Center.

Hot Tip: If you have either the Double Cash card or Citi Custom Cash card, you can use your rewards for cash-back at a value of 1 cent per point. Unfortunately, the Citi Premier card doesn’t have access to this redemption value on cash-back.

7. How Much Are 10,000 Citi Points Worth?

United economy multimedia view — Fly economy on United to Hawaii for 10,000 ThankYou Points transferred to Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles. Image Credit: United

According to our valuations, 10,000 Citi ThankYou Points are worth $160.

You could purchase a one-way economy flight on United to Hawaii if you transferred 10,000 Citi ThankYou Points to Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles, which could retail for $250 to $300 in many cases.

More realistically, you’ll need to use your points for lower-value redemptions like $50 to $100 in cash-back, $80 in Amazon.com purchases, $83 through Shop with Points, $100 in gift cards, or $100 in travel booked through the Citi Travel Center.

8. How Much Are 15,000 Citi Points Worth?

We value 15,000 Citi ThankYou Points to be worth around $240.

With 15,000 Citi ThankYou Points, you could book a one-way first class flight to Hawaii on United through Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles. One-way first class flights usually sell for $1,000 or more, which is fantastic value.

You can also book certain economy flights on domestic routes with American Airlines, Delta, or United through partnerships with Etihad Guest, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, or Avianca LifeMiles, respectively.

Otherwise, you can use 15,000 Citi ThankYou Points to get $75 to $150 in cash-back, $120 in Amazon.com purchases, $125 in online merchandise through Shop with Points, $150 in gift cards, or $150 in travel booked via the Citi Travel Center.

9. How Much Are 20,000 Citi Points Worth?

According to our valuations, 20,000 Citi ThankYou Points are worth $320.

You can use 20,000 Citi ThankYou Points for a one-way transcontinental business class flight on United booked through Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles. These often retail for $1,500 or more.

You can also transfer 20,000 Citi ThankYou Points to Choice Privileges at a 1:2 ratio to book a stay at a Preferred Hotels property, which will usually cost around $400.

In other instances, you can spend 20,000 Citi ThankYou Points for $100 to $200 in cash-back, $160 in Amazon.com purchases, $167 for items through Shop with Points, $200 in gift cards, or $200 in travel booked through the Citi Travel Center.

10. How Much Are 30,000 Citi Points Worth?

According to our valuations, 30,000 Citi ThankYou Points are worth around $480.

In some cases, you can book a round-trip business class ticket (or 2 one-way business class tickets) on United between the U.S. and Hawaii or between the U.S. coasts for 30,000 points. That’s worth over $2,000 in some instances!

You can also transfer your Citi ThankYou Points to Choice Privileges to book a high-end stay with Preferred Hotels, which could be worth upwards of $1,000, depending on the property you book.

You can also use 30,000 Citi ThankYou Points for $150 to $300 in cash-back, $240 in Amazon.com purchases, $250 in online shopping through Shop with Points, $300 in gift cards, and $300 in Citi Travel Center bookings.

11. How Much Are 60,000 Citi Points Worth?

According to our valuations, 60,000 Citi ThankYou Points are worth $960.

Practically, you can get much better value by transferring to airline partners for international business or first class travel.

For example, if you transfer 60,000 points to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, you can get a one-way ANA first class flight to Japan, which retails for more than $10,000.

Alternatively, you can book a one-way business class flight to Europe, which routinely sells for $5,000 or more.

You can even book round-trip flights to Asia or Europe if you want to stretch your points further, which should get you a value of at least $1,000.

You could also transfer 60,000 Citi ThankYou Points to yield 120,000 Choice Privileges points, which is enough for more than 3 nights at a Preferred Hotels property — this could be $1,200 or more in value.

Just remember that if you didn’t use your 60,000 points for travel partners, you would get $300 to $600 in cash-back, $480 in Amazon.com purchases, $500 in Shop with Points transactions, $600 in gift cards, or $600 in bookings made via the Citi Travel Center.

12. How Much Are 80,000 Citi Points Worth?

According to our valuations, 80,000 Citi ThankYou Points are worth $1,280.

With 80,000 Citi ThankYou Points, you can get a one-way business class flight to the Middle East or Africa, or a one-way business class flight to Southeast Asia. These tickets regularly exceed $7,000 in price.

Alternatively, you could use 80,000 Citi ThankYou Points is nearly enough for 4 nights at the top-of-the-line properties that participate in Preferred Hotels — easily $2,000 in value.

Otherwise, those points would be worth $400 to $800 in cash-back, $640 in Amazon.com purchases, $666 in Shop with Points purchases, $800 in gift cards, or $800 in Citi Travel Center bookings.

13. How Many Citi Points Equal a Dollar?

Following our valuations, you’d need about 63 Citi ThankYou Points to get a dollar of value. However, the real answer varies based on what you plan to use your points for.

If you’re planning on using points for cash-back, you need 100 to 200 Citi ThankYou Points for a dollar.

If you’re redeeming for Amazon.com purchases, you’ll need 125 Citi ThankYou Points for a dollar.

If you’re redeeming Citi ThankYou Points for online shopping via Shop with Points, you’ll need 120 Citi ThankYou Points for a dollar.

If you’re redeeming Citi ThankYou Points for gift cards or Citi Travel Center bookings, you’ll need around 100 Citi ThankYou Points for a dollar.

Finally, when redeeming Citi ThankYou Points with travel partners for award travel, you may need anywhere from 10 to 50 points for a dollar.

14. What Can You Use Citi ThankYou Points For?

Turkish Airlines Business Class Seat 7A Boeing 787 9 — Transfer your Citi ThankYou Points to Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles to fly business class. Image Credit: Greg Stone

Right now, you can use Citi ThankYou Points for a variety of different purchases. With most methods, you’ll get a simple 1 cent per point in redemption value, but we’ve included all of the options along with their values, sorted from highest to lowest value:

Transferring to airline and hotel partners
Gift cards
Travel booked through the Citi Travel Center
Shop with Points for online merchandise
Amazon.com purchases
Cash-back

15. How Much Are Citi ThankYou Points Worth at Best Buy?

Citi ThankYou Points are worth around 0.83 cents per point at Best Buy. This is made possible through Best Buy’s partnership with Citi’s Shop with Points program.

So in essence, you’ll need to redeem around 120 Citi ThankYou Points for a dollar at Best Buy.

Having different credit cards does not change the value you’d get at Best Buy.

16. How Much Are Citi ThankYou Points Worth at Amazon?

Citi ThankYou Points are worth 0.8 cents per point at Amazon, regardless of which credit card you hold.

That means you’ll redeem 125 Citi ThankYou Points for a dollar at Amazon.

17. How Much Are Citi ThankYou Points Worth for Travel?

Citi ThankYou Points can be worth more than 10 cents per point for flights when using transfer partners to book business and first class award travel.

Additionally, Citi ThankYou Points can be worth more than 3 cents per point for hotels when using the Preferred Hotels partnership to book luxury properties.

But if you book hotels, flights, car rentals, or cruises through the Citi Travel Center, you’ll only get 1 cent per point of value.

18. How Much Are Citi ThankYou Points Worth on American Airlines?

Right now, Citi ThankYou Rewards doesn’t have a partnership with American Airlines AAdvantage.

But you can still transfer Citi ThankYou Points to other partners like Etihad Guest, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, or Qatar Airways Privilege Club to book flights on American Airlines.

For example, you can transfer 32,500 Citi ThankYou Points to book a transcontinental American Airlines Flagship First Class flight between New York (JFK) and Los Angeles (LAX) or San Francisco (SFO), which often retails for $2,000 one-way. That’s a value of 6 cents per point!

Alternatively, you can use Citi ThankYou Points for a fixed value of 1 cent per point on bookings made through the Citi Travel portal.

Therefore, you can expect to redeem anywhere from 15 to 100 Citi ThankYou Points to get a dollar on American Airlines.

19. How Much Are Citi ThankYou Points Worth in Cash?

Citi ThankYou Points are worth anywhere from 0.5 cents per point to 1 cent per point in cash-back.

If you have the Double Cash card or Citi Custom Cash card, you can redeem your ThankYou Points for a fixed 1 cent per point in cash-back.

Otherwise, you’ll need to redeem your points for 0.5 cents apiece in cash-back.

That means you’ll redeem 100 to 200 Citi ThankYou Points to get a dollar in cash-back.

20. How Many ThankYou Points for a Gift Card?

In general, you can redeem Citi ThankYou Points at 1 cent apiece for gift cards. The exact number may vary slightly depending on the merchant, but this is accurate for the most part.

Occasionally, there are redemption bonuses for gift cards that let you get slightly better value, but you should still expect to redeem around 100 Citi ThankYou Points to get a dollar in gift cards.

21. How Much Are Citi ThankYou Points Worth When You Transfer to Partners?

Citi ThankYou Points can be worth a fantastic amount of money when you transfer to travel partners. You can get up to 10 cents per point when you do so.

For example, if you transfer 70,000 Citi ThankYou Points to Qatar Airways Privilege Club to book a one-way, $8,000 Qatar Airways Qsuites flight, you’ll get a redemption value of 11 cents per point, which is phenomenal!

22. Do Citi ThankYou Points Expire?

In general, Citi ThankYou Points do not expire as long as your account is open, active, and in good standing.

If you choose to share points from 1 person to another or from 1 card to another, your points will expire after 90 days, so you should consider using those points as quickly as possible.

Additionally, if you close a Citi credit card, your points will expire in 60 days, so be sure to keep that in mind if you’re considering closing any Citi-issued cards.

23. What Is the Best Way To Use Citi ThankYou Points?

Without a doubt, the best way to use Citi ThankYou Points is to transfer them to airline and hotel travel partners.

Here are some fantastic uses of Citi ThankYou Points:

Transfer points to Choice Privileges at a 1:2 ratio for Preferred Hotels stays at properties like Belle Mont Farm, Marigot Bay Resort & Marina, Grand Fiesta Americana Los Cabos All Inclusive Golf & Spa, or Hawks Cay Resort
Transfer points to Air France-KLM Flying Blue for business class flights to Europe on Air France, KLM, or Virgin Atlantic
Transfer points to Emirates Skywards for business and first class flights to the Middle East and beyond on Emirates
Transfer points to Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles for United economy or business class flights within North America
Transfer points to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles for business class flights to Asia and South America on Oneworld alliance partners
Transfer points to Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer for business class and first class flights on Singapore Airlines wherever it flies

24. Are Citi Points or Chase Points Better?

In general, Chase points are better than Citi points. We value Chase points at 2.0 cents each, while we value Citi points at 1.6 cents each.

Although Citi has a neat 1:2 transfer partnership with Choice Privileges, Chase’s 1:1 partnership with World of Hyatt is the king of hotel partnerships, where it’s not unheard of to get 6 cents per point of value on hotel bookings.

That being said, Citi does have great airline transfer partnerships in Emirates, Flying Blue, Asia Miles, and Etihad Guest — but Chase’s transfer partnerships include more versatile partners like Air Canada Aeroplan and United MileagePlus.

For this reason, we value Chase points higher than Citi points.

25. Are Citi Points or Amex Points Better?

Amex points are worth significantly more than Citi points. For reference, we value Amex points at 2.2 cents apiece, whereas Citi points are worth 1.6 cents apiece.

Amex has enhanced airline transfer partnerships across the board, including Air Canada Aeroplan, ANA Mileage Club, British Airways Executive Club, and Delta SkyMiles.

On the hotel front, Hilton Honors is an Amex transfer partner at a 1:2 ratio, and a 1:1 transfer partnership with Marriott Bonvoy, which generally outperforms Citi’s 1:2 partnership with Choice Privileges and ALL Accor Live Limitless and 1:1 partnership with Wyndham Rewards.

The only (minor) advantage that Citi has over Amex is that it is a 1:1 partner with Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles.

In almost all other instances, Amex points are more valuable than Citi points.

26. Are Citi Points or Capital One Miles Better?

Although it’s a close contest, we still value Capital One miles (1.8 cents per mile) more than Citi ThankYou Points (1.6 cents per point).

Capital One has a fantastic transfer partnership with Air Canada Aeroplan, as well as British Airways Executive Club, which we find extremely valuable.

However, Citi does have a 1:2 transfer partnership with Choice Privileges, which reduces the gap a bit.

Still, we believe that Capital One miles are more valuable than Citi ThankYou Points.

Final Thoughts

Citi ThankYou Rewards is one of the “Big 4” flexible rewards programs, along with Amex Membership Rewards, Capital One Miles, and Chase Ultimate Rewards.

We love the fact that you can earn Citi ThankYou Points using different types of cards, which will allow you to earn rewards in as many bonus categories as possible.

We believe Citi ThankYou Points are worth 1.6 cents each, but you can redeem them for anywhere from 0.5 to more than 10 cents per point.

Just remember that all of the ways to use points for “simple rewards” like cash-back, gift cards, or Amazon.com will result in lower redemption value.

The best way to get the most out of your Citi ThankYou Points is to transfer them to airline and hotel partners to book award travel.

Citi ThankYou Points are generally less valuable than Capital One miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards points, and Amex Membership Rewards points, but they’re still probably worth accumulating.

The information regarding the AT&T Access Card From Citi and CitiBusiness ThankYou^® Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

The information for the Citi Prestige^® Card has been collected independently by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Citi Rewards+℠ Student Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information for the Citi ThankYou^® Preferred Card has been collected independently by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

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About Stephen Au

Stephen is an established voice in the credit card space, with over 70 to his name. His work has been in publications like The Washington Post, and his Au Points and Awards Consulting Services is used by hundreds of clients.

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