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Andrew’s a lifelong traveler who puts in over 100,000 miles a year, with over 25 countries, 10 business class products, and 2 airline statuses (United and Alaska) under his belt. Andrew’s worked at Th...
With years of experience in corporate marketing and as the Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Qatar, Keri is now Editor-in-Chief at UP, overseeing daily content operations and r...
Kellie’s professional experience has led her to a deep passion for compliance, data reporting, and process improvement. Kellie’s learned the ins and outs of the points and miles world and leads UP’s c...
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Citi ThankYou Rewards is one of the major transferable rewards programs, and it provides members a great way to accumulate lots of points that can be redeemed for luxury travel experiences in business and first class.
But before you can redeem Citi ThankYou Points, though, you need to earn them. In this guide, we’ll show you the best strategy for earning 100,000 ThankYou Points through credit cards and other methods in just 90 days.
Why Would You Want To Earn 100,000 Citi ThankYou Points?
You can redeem your Citi ThankYou Points for seats in ANA’s awesome first class cabin. Image Credit: All Nippon Airways
First thing’s first: you’ll need a Citi ThankYou Points-earning credit card before you can start earning (and redeeming!) Citi ThankYou Points. Each of these cards earns points on all purchases and usually offers a welcome bonus to new cardholders.
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industryexperts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as ratesand fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating.We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.
Frequent flyers will enjoy 3x ThankYou Points at restaurants, gas stations, supermarkets, air travel, and hotels.
Frequent flyers will enjoy 3x ThankYou Points at restaurants, gas stations, supermarkets, air travel, and hotels.
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.
60,000 points
$960
$95
21.24% - 29.24% Variable
Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.
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
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industryexperts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as ratesand fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating.We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.
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.
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.
Earn 20,000 bonus points after you spend $1,500 in purchases with your card within 3 months of account opening; redeemable for $250 in gift cards at thankyou.com.
20,000 points
$320
$0
0% Intro APR on balance transfers for 15 months and on purchases. After that, the variable APR of 18.74% - 28.74%.
Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.
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, for a limited time, earn 5 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel(SM) portal through June 30, 2024.
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 for 15 months and on purchases. After that, the variable APR of 18.74% - 28.74%.
Foreign Transaction Fees: 3% of each purchase transaction in US dollars
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industryexperts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as ratesand fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating.We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.
Great card for the average spender with no specific focus category; worry-free cash-back earning on everything!
Great card for the average spender with no specific focus category; worry-free cash-back earning on everything!
None
$0
19.24% - 29.24% Variable
Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.
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
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).
Financial Snapshot
APR: 19.24% - 29.24% Variable
Foreign Transaction Fees: 3% of the U.S. dollar amount of each purchase
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industryexperts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as ratesand fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating.We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.
Earn big on purchases in your top eligible spend category, up to the first $500 each billing cycle, with no annual fee!
Earn big on purchases in your top eligible spend category, up to the first $500 each billing cycle, with no annual fee!
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.
$200
$0
0% Intro APR on balance transfers and purchases for 15 months. After that, the variable APR will be 19.24% - 29.24%.
Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.
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.
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%.
The Citi Premier card is a mid-tier travel rewards card that earns 3x points per dollar spent at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, hotels, and air travel. This makes the card good for everyday spending — especially if you spend lots on eating out, groceries, or big-ticket travel purchases.
We’ve seen welcome bonuses for the Citi Premier card go as high as 100,000 points, but it usually sits around 50,000. The welcome bonus is awarded to new cardholders after meeting a spending threshold, usually somewhere between $3,000 and $5,000.
Keep in mind that you are not eligible for the sign-up bonus from a Citi ThankYou Points card if you have opened or closed any of these cards in the last 24 months. It can take up to 8 weeks for bonus points to be added to your balance once they’ve been earned, but you’ll usually get them when your statement closes.
Depending on the welcome bonus offered to you, you could get over halfway to your 100k bonus very quickly.
2. Leverage the Double Cash Card
Historically, the Double Cash card has been a cash-back product, though you could convert your cash-back earnings into ThankYou Points.
Now, however, the Double Cash card earns ThankYou Points directly. With the card, you’ll earn 1x points per dollar spent on all transactions, and then another 1x points when you pay the bill, effectively equal to 2x on all purchases. This makes the card perfect for purchases that don’t fit a bonus category covered by the Citi Premier card or the Citi Prestige® Card.
On its own, points from the Double Cash card can transfer to Choice Privileges, Wyndham Rewards, and JetBlue TrueBlue at reduced ratios. However, if you also have a premium Citi ThankYou card, it’s possible to transfer the points to Citi’s full suite transfer partners.
If you have both the Citi Premier card and the Double Cash card, you’ll set yourself up to always earn at least 2x ThankYou Points on all purchases, which is an amazing 3.2% return on spending.
3. Maximize Bonus Categories To Boost Your Earning
Enjoy eating at restaurants? The Citi Prestige card earns 5x points per dollar spent on dining! Image Credit: Priscilla Du Preez via Unsplash
You can earn points quickly when you use your Citi ThankYou credit cards to make everyday purchases.
This is especially true when you use the right ThankYou card to make purchases. Remember, each ThankYou card has its own set of bonus categories — get the card that best fits your spending patterns and use it to make purchases in the bonus categories.
Then, put all non-bonus spending on your Double Cash card if you have it. This ensures that you’re earning at least 2x points per dollar on all of your purchases.
Here’s a breakdown of the bonus categories for each card:
Category
Citi Prestige Card
(no longer open to new applicants)
Citi Premier Card
Double Cash Card
Citi Rewards+ Card
Citi Custom Cash Card
Airfare
5x
3x
2x
1x
5x* or 1x
Hotels
3x
3x
2x
1x
5x* or 1x
Dining
5x
3x
2x
1x
5x* or 1x
Supermarkets
1x
3x
2x
2x (first $6,000 in spending, then 1x)
5x* or 1x
Gas Stations
1x
3x
2x
2x (first $6,000 in spending, then 1x)
5x* or 1x
Cruises
3x
1x
2x
1x
5x* or 1x
Travel Agencies
5x
1x
2x
1x
5x* or 1x
All Other Purchases
1x
1x
2x
1x
1x
* Citi Custom Cash card earns 5x ThankYou Points on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent, then 1x ThankYou Point thereafter. All other purchases earn unlimited 1x ThankYou Points.
These bonus categories become even more useful if you frequently make reimbursable purchases for work. Think corporate dinners, flights to trade shows, and hotel rooms. Spending $1,000 on a plane ticket for work would give you 5,000 ThankYou Points with a Citi Prestige card.
All points earned from your purchases will post to your ThankYou account when your statement closes for the month.
Depending on your spending habits, allocating your spending to the right ThankYou cards could put you within range of your 100,000-point goal after just 1 month of making everyday purchases.
4. Citibank Banking Products and Services
If you have a Citibank consumer checking account, you can earn points for products and services you link to the account if you set up a minimum of 1 direct deposit and 1 bill pay per statement cycle.
Citi Private Bank, Citi Priority, and Citi Gold customers who don’t meet the requirement can still earn points by making a debit transaction during the month.
If you’re interested in earning ThankYou Points with your Citi bank accounts, make sure to check out this page on the Citi website for more info. There, you can learn about how to earn bonus ThankYou Points with your home equity line/loan; savings/money market, custom credit line, and other types of accounts. Currently, you can earn up to 1,600 bonus ThankYou Points per month!
With so many options available to you, you can earn a ton of bonus ThankYou Points by moving all of your financial needs to Citi. Just make sure interest rates, fees, and other account specifics make sense before moving your finances.
How To Use 100,000+ Citi ThankYou Points
You can use your newly minted ThankYou Points to fly around the world in first and business class. Image Credit: Oskar Kadaksoo via Unsplash
With the strategies outlined above, you’ll accumulate lots of Citi ThankYou Points in a short period of time. Once the points are in your account, make sure to put them to good use.
Fly to Europe: For 86,000 Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer miles, you can try one of the best first class products in the sky: Singapore Suites between New York (JFK) and Frankfurt (FRA). If you can’t find award space on the outbound flight, give it a shot on the return flight.
Visit Hawaii: Transfer just 25,000 ThankYou Points to Turkish Miles&Smiles and redeem for a round-trip economy ticket to Hawaii from the mainland U.S. on United Airlines. This includes nonstop services like Chicago (ORD) to Honolulu (HNL).
Book Cheap Domestic Tickets: Transfer ThankYou Points to Star Alliance partner Avianca LifeMiles and book cheap domestic tickets on United Airlines. Awards are priced by region, but domestic tickets start at just 7,500 points each way.
Head to the Caribbean: Dreaming of the Caribbean? Award tickets on Delta Air Lines start at just 15,000 each way when you transfer ThankYou Points to Air France/KLM Flying Blue. Just note that Flying Blue prices awards dynamically, so check the cost before you transfer your points.
Per our valuations, you should be able to get a minimum of 1.6 cents per point in value from your Citi ThankYou Points so long as you transfer them to airline partners.
You can also redeem ThankYou Points for flights booked through the Citi ThankYou Travel Portal, but be aware that this is not the best way to redeem those hard-earned points. Citi cardholders can redeem ThankYou Points at 1 cent per point for flights through the portal (depending on the card).
Bottom Line: Do you still have more questions? Check out this post containing FAQs about Citi ThankYou Points for everything you need to know!
Final Thoughts
As we’ve laid out in this guide, it’s not out of the question to earn at least 100,000 Citi ThankYou Points in 90 days or less.
The first step to getting you on your way is opening a credit card, using it for your everyday purchases, and meeting the minimum-spend requirement so you can earn the welcome bonus. That, combined with checking account bonuses, means you can meet or exceed the 100,000-point goal relatively quickly.
The information for the Citi Prestige® Card has been collected independently by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
Featured Image Credit: TungCheung via Shutterstock
Frequently Asked Questions
Citi ThankYou Points are the currency earned by a number of rewards credit cards issued by Citi. Once you have points in your account, you can transfer them to Citi’s various transfer partners or redeem them through the Citi ThankYou Travel Portal.
We value Citi ThankYou Points at 1.6 cents apiece.
Citi ThankYou Points do not expire as long as you have an open card that earns ThankYou Points. If your accounts are closed, you have 30 days to use your points before they expire.
Citi ThankYou Points post to your account at the end of each monthly billing cycle.
Yes, you may combine points earned with all your cards that earn ThankYou Points.
Andrew was born and raised in the Chicago suburbs and now splits his time between Chicago and New York City.
He’s a lifelong traveler and took his first solo trip to San Francisco at the age of 16. Fast forward a few years, and Andrew now travels just over 100,000 miles a year, with over 25 countries, 10 business class products, and 2 airline statuses (United and Alaska) under his belt. Andrew formerly worked for The Points Guy and is now Senior Money Editor at CNN Underscored.
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.
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This bonus value is an estimated valuation calculated by UP after analyzing redemption options, transfer partners, award availability and how much UP would pay to buy these points.
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