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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...
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Citi ThankYou Points often seem to fly under the radar compared to more well-known transferable currencies such as Chase Ultimate Rewards and American Express Membership Rewards.
But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t add a stash of ThankYou Points to your portfolio — in fact, they can be a powerful addition to your arsenal of points.
Citi’s ThankYou program has a slew of awesome transfer partners and its own booking portal, making these points extremely versatile.
New to ThankYou Points? Thankfully, you have plenty of earning options if you’re looking to get started. Here are all the best and easiest ways that you can earn Citi ThankYou Points quickly and sustainably so that you’ll always have a stock of ThankYou Points ready to redeem them for amazing experiences.
Using a ThankYou Points Credit Card To Earn Points
Let’s get this out of the way: you’ll need a Citi ThankYou Points-earning card to start accruing your stash of ThankYou Points.
Thankfully, there are multiple ThankYou Points-earning cards on the market — each with different features, category bonuses, welcome bonuses, and annual fees.
Here, we’ll show how to earn ThankYou Points with credit cards. We’ll start by looking at all of the different cards available, and then we’ll move on to ways you can earn points with your Citi ThankYou card.
1. Citi ThankYou Points Credit Card Welcome Bonuses
As discussed, there are a few Citi ThankYou Point-earning cards you can choose from. Here’s a quick list of the best Citi credit cards that will let you start earning ThankYou Points, along with a list of their special features and welcome bonuses.
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and 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.
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 industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and 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%.
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 industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and 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!
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 industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and 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%.
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%.
<ul><li><a class="post-item__link" href="/news/new-citi-custom-cash-card/" target="_self" rel="follow" data-wpel-link="internal">Citi Custom Cash Card Launches [Earn 5% Back on Your Top Purchases]</a></li><li><a class="post-item__link" href="/credit-cards/best-citi-credit-cards/" target="_self" rel="follow" data-wpel-link="internal">Best Citi Credit Cards</a></li></ul>
Keep in mind that Citi does not classify annual fees, balance transfers, cash advances, fees, interest, and items returned for credit as “eligible purchases” for earning bonus points.
Citi only allows you to earn 1 welcome bonus every 24 months per card family. The personal cards that earn ThankYou Points are part of a single card family, so decide which welcome bonus you want and apply for that card.
You can still get more of these cards, but you can only get 1 welcome bonus from this card family per 24-month period. The clock starts when you open or close 1 of these cards, so think twice about when you cancel a ThankYou Point-earning credit card — make sure you do this after you’ve already opened a new ThankYou card so you can get another welcome bonus.
2. Category Bonuses
Citi ThankYou Points are easy to earn, especially when you put together a simple spending strategy.
Here’s a look at Citi’s various category bonuses across its credit card lineup:
Category
Applicable Credit Cards
Bonus Points
Air Travel
Citi Prestige® Card (no longer open to new applicants)
5x
Citi Premier card
3x
Cruise Lines
Citi Prestige card
3x
Dining
Citi Prestige card
5x
Citi Premier card
3x
Gas Stations
Citi Premier card
3x
Citi Rewards+ card
2x (first $6,000 in spending, then 1x)
Hotels
Citi Premier card
Citi Prestige card
3x
Supermarkets
Citi Premier card
3x
Citi Rewards+ card
2x (first $6,000 in spending, then 1x)
Travel Agencies
Citi Prestige card
5x
Your Highest Spend Category (Eligible Categories)
Citi Custom Cash card
5x
All Other Purchases
Double Cash card
2x (1x when you buy; 1x when you pay)
Citi Custom Cash card
Citi Premier card
Citi Prestige card
1x
Citi Rewards+ card
1x (round up to the nearest 10 points on every purchase)
As you may know, some credit card companies place restrictions on what purchases qualify for extra points, but thankfully, Citi is pretty fair when defining the above categories. So no matter where you’re having a fun time, you’ll be earning extra points, too!
For example, dining includes any establishment preparing or distributing food, and this category even includes bars, cocktail lounges, nightclubs, taverns, and fast-food restaurants! This is far broader than the American Express® Gold Card, which places limits on this category.
Please remember, always check the specific terms and conditions associated with your card to be certain your purchases will qualify for bonus points.
Hot Tip: A huge draw to the Citi Premier card is the gas station category, which does not limit you to buying fuel to earn extra points. This means anything you buy at a gas station will be eligible to earn 3x bonus points.
Earning Points With Travel Purchases
Travel purchases are a favorite for many of our readers, and you can earn lots of bonus points for your travel purchases with credit cards that earn Citi ThankYou Points.
3. Airfare Purchases
You can earn up to 5 points per dollar spent on airfare with Citi ThankYou Points-earning credit cards. Image Credit: CapDfrawy via Unsplash
Citi offers 2 credit cards that earn extra points on airfare purchases:
Card Name
Bonus points
Citi Premier card
3x on airfare
Citi Prestige card
5x on airfare
The Citi Prestige card offers 5x points on airfare, which includes all tickets purchased from a merchant that provides air travel. This means you can purchase directly from an airline, through an online travel agency (e.g., Orbitz, Kayak, Expedia, etc.), or even the Citi ThankYou Rewards travel portal.
In addition to 5x points on airfare, this card provides a $250 credit toward air travel every calendar year. This credit will be automatically applied to your first $250 in airline purchases each calendar year — you don’t need to activate the benefit.
4. Other Travel Purchases
Earn bonus points when buying public transit tickets, rideshare rides, bus tickets, and more with your Citi Premier card. Image Credit: javiindy via Adobe Stock
There are 2 Citi ThankYou cards offering bonus points for other travel purchases:
Card Name
Bonus points
Citi Premier card
3x on hotels
Citi Prestige card
5x at travel agencies and 3x on hotel and cruise lines
These cards will also earn 3x points on some other travel purchases.
As for the Citi Prestige card, you’ll get 3x points on hotels (including motels and inns) and cruise lines.
What’s helpful here is that extra points on hotels are not limited to the room rate. You’ll also earn extra points for ancillary purchases that appear on your hotel bill upon checkout. This includes minibar purchases, in-room dining, and more.
Additionally, the travel agencies category for the Citi Prestige card comprises any merchant providing travel information and booking services, which includes travel aggregators and tour operators.
So go ahead and book that African safari tour — you’ll get extra points for using your Citi card!
Specialty Earning Opportunities
Outside of standard credit card purchases, Citi offers some special ways to earn more points.
5. Transfer Points to Another ThankYou Cardholder
Finally, you can transfer points to friends and family members with ThankYou Points-earning cards.
So if you have a friend that isn’t using their ThankYou Points — or maybe you want to give the gift of travel to a family member — you can arrange a transfer easily and without breaking any of the ThankYou program’s rules.
Just note that there are a few restrictions in place when transferring ThankYou Points to another member:
ThankYou Points shared between members expire 90 days after they are received — so make sure the person you’re sharing points with has an immediate use for the points you send them.
You can share up to 100,000 points and receive up to 100,000 points from another member per calendar year.
The Citi Rewards+ card is not eligible for the 10% points rebate back when you transfer points to someone else.
Here’s how to transfer ThankYou Points to another account with Points Sharing:
Step 1: Go to the ThankYou website and log into your account by clicking the Sign On button in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.
Click on the Points Sharing button to transfer points to another ThankYou member. Image Credit: Citi
Step 2: Look at the top of the screen and hover over the More Ways to Redeem option. Then, click Points Sharing from the drop-down menu.
You must verify your identity before you can transfer ThankYou Points to another person. Image Credit: Citi
Step 3: You’ll now be asked to verify your identity by text message or phone call — do this and you can continue the transfer process.
Step 4: Now, click the Begin Sharing button at the bottom of the page.
Now, select how many points you’d like to transfer and enter the recipient’s info. Image Credit: Citi
Step 5: You’ll now be prompted to enter information about the person to whom you’d like to transfer points. This includes their full name and a Citi account number. This account number can be either a credit card number or a Citi ThankYou account number that can be retrieved from the My Citi Accounts page on the ThankYou website.
Step 6: Follow the rest of the on-screen instructions and your transfer will process immediately.
6. Use the Citi Custom Cash Card for Changing Top Spend Categories
The Citi Custom Cash card is unique because it earns 5% cash-back, earned as ThankYou Points, on your highest eligible spend category every billing cycle, up to $500 per billing cycle.
Because these cash-back rewards are earned as ThankYou Rewards points, you can earn 5x points on up to $500 every billing cycle!
The eligible categories include:
Drugstores
Fitness clubs
Gas stations
Grocery stores
Home improvement stores
Live entertainment
Restaurants
Select streaming services
Select transit
Select travel
This is fantastic because you don’t need to worry about selecting any bonus categories or any rotating bonus categories — the rewards are all automatic!
Expect to earn 1% cash-back on everything else.
Bottom Line: The Citi Custom Cash card does not have access to any transfer partners, so you’ll need to pair it with a premium ThankYou card to access the full suite of Citi’s travel transfer partners.
Final Thoughts
There are only a few credit card options for earning Citi ThankYou Points, but there are plenty of great bonus categories to help you earn tons of points.
This is especially true if you combine ThankYou Points earned from the Citi Rewards+ card, Double Cash card, or Citi Custom Cash card with a premium Citi card like the Citi Prestige card or Citi Premier card. Doing this will ensure that you earn the most points possible on all purchases, regardless of the purchase category or merchant — and this applies to Citi’s personal and business cards.
Then, once you’ve earned a stash of ThankYou Points, you can redeem them for luxurious travel experiences around the world. Need some inspiration on how to redeem your points? Check out our list of the best ways to redeem Citi ThankYou Points.
Happy earning and safe travels!
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 for the Citi ThankYou® Preferred 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.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, click here.
Featured Image Credit: Upgraded Points
Frequently Asked Questions
Citi ThankYou Points are points that can be transferred to several airline partners or used to book travel via the Citi travel portal.
The value of Citi ThankYou Points depends on the redemption. A very poor redemption (such as for cash-back) will result in a value of about 0.5 cents per point.
Transferring ThankYou Points to airline partners is often the best way to get the most value out of them. We value Citi ThankYou Points at 1.6 cents per point when redeemed through travel partners.
People who have a Citi ThankYou credit card can use ThankYou Points for purchases on Amazon.
About 10,000 ThankYou Points are worth $80 on Amazon. In other words, you will get a value of roughly 0.8 cents per point by redeeming through Amazon. This is a very poor use of points — especially when compared to transferring to travel partners.
To transfer ThankYou Points to the full list of travel partners, you must have the Citi Prestige card or the Citi Premier card. Holders of the Double Cash card, Citi ThankYou® Preferred Card (no longer open to new applicants), Citi Rewards+ card, and Sears Mastercard® with ThankYou® Rewards can transfer ThankYou Points to Choice Privileges at a 1:1.5 ratio and Wyndham Rewards and JetBlue TrueBlue at a 1:0.8 ratio.
The transfer process is quite easy. On the ThankYou Points homepage, just navigate to the travel menu option and select transfer partners.
Once you select a partner and enter your loyalty program account number, you’ll be ready to transfer your points.
Points earned will appear in your ThankYou account at the end of each monthly billing cycle.
Citi ThankYou Points will never expire as long as you have a Citi Premier card, Citi Prestige card, Citi Rewards+ card, Citi Rewards+℠ Student Card, AT&T Access Card From Citi, Citi ThankYou Preferred card, CitiBusiness ThankYou® Card, Citi Custom Cash card, or Double Cash card.
You will have 30 days from account closing to use your Citi ThankYou Points if you choose to close all Citi ThankYou accounts.
There are several Citi ThankYou cards (some are no longer open for new applications), including the Citi Premier card, Citi Prestige card, Citi Rewards+ card, Citi Rewards+ Student card, Citi AT&T Access card, Citi ThankYou Preferred card, CitiBusiness ThankYou card, Citi Custom Cash card, or Double Cash card.
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.
6 comments
Eric Lipkind
November 12, 2020
Does a product change count as opening or closing a card for the 24 month clock?
Product changing your card should not reset the 24 month clock.
Sandy
December 04, 2020
Bonus ThankYou® Points are not available if you received a new cardmember bonus for Citi Rewards+SM, Citi ThankYou® Preferred, Citi ThankYou® Premier/Citi Premier® or Citi Prestige®, or if you have closed any of these accounts, in the past 24 months.
I have a question about 5. Earning Citi ThankYou Points Welcome Bonuses.
When does The 24-month clock start when you apply for one of these cards or when you receive a new bonus( within 3 months)?
The 24-month clock starts when you receive a new bonus.
Gina
July 22, 2021
I earned TYP from a banking relationship with Citi. I also have the Citi Premier card. Is it possible to transfer TYP earned from banking to airlines transfer partners? Thanks
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.
![6 Best Ways To Earn Lots of Citi ThankYou Points [2023]](https://upgradedpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Citi-Double-Cash-Upgraded-Points-LLC-2-Large.jpg?auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=1420&height=650&fit=crop)
6 comments
Eric Lipkind
November 12, 2020
Does a product change count as opening or closing a card for the 24 month clock?
Jarrod West
November 12, 2020
Hi Eric,
Product changing your card should not reset the 24 month clock.
Sandy
December 04, 2020
Bonus ThankYou® Points are not available if you received a new cardmember bonus for Citi Rewards+SM, Citi ThankYou® Preferred, Citi ThankYou® Premier/Citi Premier® or Citi Prestige®, or if you have closed any of these accounts, in the past 24 months.
I have a question about 5. Earning Citi ThankYou Points Welcome Bonuses.
When does The 24-month clock start when you apply for one of these cards or when you receive a new bonus( within 3 months)?
Stephen Au
December 07, 2020
Hi Sandy,
Thank you for reading.
The 24-month clock starts when you receive a new bonus.
Gina
July 22, 2021
I earned TYP from a banking relationship with Citi. I also have the Citi Premier card. Is it possible to transfer TYP earned from banking to airlines transfer partners? Thanks
Jarrod West
July 26, 2021
Hi Gina,
Since you have the Citi Premier card, yes, you should be able to transfer your bank earned TYP’s to airline transfer partners.
Any thoughts or questions? Comment below!
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