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Citi ThankYou® Preferred Card
U.P. Rating
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.
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$0
0% intro APR for first 12 months. After that, your APR will be 14.24% to 24.24%, based on your creditworthiness,
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!
U.P. Rating
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.
4
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.
Card Snapshot
Welcome Bonus & Info
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.
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Methodical “U.P. Rating
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The ratings for these cards have 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.
” System
1078+ Expert Credit Card Guides
Great Card If
You spend more time in restaurants than in your kitchen
Your budget includes plenty of money for entertainment spending
You have a large purchase to pay off
You want to earn points without having to pay an annual fee
Don’t Get If
You rarely eat out
You want a card that earns big points for everyday spending
You travel internationally
Welcome Bonus and Earning Categories
Unlike several other Citi credit cards, the Citi ThankYou Preferred card does not typically offer points as a welcome bonus. However, you do get an intro APR on purchases and balance transfers.
Using an intro APR is a great way to pay off a big purchase or a high-interest credit card without accumulating finance charges! After the initial period, the APR returns to normal rates (see the above card summary table).
With this card, you get 2x points on dining and entertainment and 1x points on other purchases. If you eat out a lot and enjoy going to movies, plays, sporting events, etc. then the points can really add up.
There is no limit to the number of points you can earn, and best of all they don’t expire.
Bottom Line: The Citi ThankYou Preferred Cardoffers an intro APR on purchases and balance transfers and earns 2x points for dining and entertainment and 1x everywhere else!
Other Citi ThankYou Preferred Card Benefits
One of the biggest benefits of the card is that it comes with no annual fee. In addition, you can add authorized users for free to rack up points for their purchases too.
The card also gives you some flexibility when it comes to paying your bill. You can choose to pay your bill on any available due date at the beginning, middle, or end of the month.
Traveling Internationally With the Card
If you want help making trip arrangements, purchasing tickets, and booking exclusive events, the Citi ThankYou Preferred card has your back. It comes with a 24/7 global concierge team to assist you.
An EMV chip is built into the card, which makes it easier to use (and more secure) overseas. Unfortunately, there is a 3% foreign transaction fee if you choose to so.
Tip #1: The top strategy for accumulating points with the Citi ThankYou Preferred card is simple to use it for all your dining and entertainment spending since it earns 2x points.
Using the card for all of your monthly expenses will help you bank points faster.
Tip #2: Remember, entertainment is a huge category. You get 2x points for using your card at movie theaters, sporting events, tourist attractions, theatrical productions, record stores, and video stores.
Tip #3: Get extra points by putting the entire restaurant bill on your card when dining with friends or colleagues. Then they can pay you back with cash later!
Tip #4: There’s no additional fee for adding authorized users, which not all cards offer. Add users to the card so you can earn their points too.
Tip #5: You are allowed to combine ThankYou Points from multiple Citi credit cards. If you have points on other cards, move them all to one account so you can redeem them for bigger awards.
Tip #6: If you have canceled the card and a sign-up bonus reappears, make a note that you can sign up for the card again to take advantage of the bonus. However, you must follow the “18 Months Rule” when doing so.
Under this rule, you can only receive the sign-up bonus points if you have not opened or closed an account for the same card within the last 18 months.
In other words, if you closed your card account on January 1, 2023, you cannot open it again until July 2, 2024.
Tip #1: Unlike the Citi Prestige® Card, you won’t get more value out of your points by booking flights through the ThankYou Travel Center. However, redeeming through the Travel Center allows you to combine cash and ThankYou Points to pay for your flight.
Plus, all flights paid for with ThankYou Points earn additional points based on the cost of the fare. So not only can you redeem points for a flight, but you also get more points!
Note that card members transfer points to JetBlue at a reduced rate from the Citi Prestige® Card and Citi ThankYou® Premier Card, which transfer at a 1:0.8 ratio.
Tip #3: Transfer ThankYou Points to the Hilton Honors loyalty program. You can earn free hotel stays in no time with the awards ratio: transfer 1,000 points and get 1,500 Hilton Honors Bonus Points.
Tip #4: Redeem ThankYou Points for merchandise and gift cards from top retailers. For example, pay for purchases at Amazon.com, Expedia.com, and Live Nation using your points.
You can even make purchases through the Best Buy app and Wonder app, and then receive statement credit to cover the cost within 24-48 hours.
Tip #5: With Citi ThankYou Online Billpay and a Citibank checking account, you can use your points to pay your monthly bills. If you don’t have enough points to cover the cost, you can combine points and cash instead.
Tip #6: Get credit for eligible purchases you already made using your card with Select and Credit. It includes categories like utilities, gas, groceries, clothing, dining, department stores, and more!
Tip #7: Donate money to worthy causes with PointWorthy. You can browse non-profits approved by the IRS before making a donation with your ThankYou Points. Even better, earn points for every dollar you donate using your card!
Alternatives to the Citi ThankYou Preferred Card
Other Citi cards have more spending categories to earn bonus points, but the Citi ThankYou Preferred card limits them to dining and entertainment.
Fortunately, dining and entertainment are broadly defined.
Dining includes fast-food and full-service restaurants, bars, and lounges. Entertainment covers live entertainment, amusement parks, zoos, and even streaming media like Spotify or Netflix.
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 card is great for those who want to earn cash-back with U.S. supermarkets, U.S. streaming subscriptions, transit, and U.S. gas stations.
This card is great for those who want to earn cash-back with U.S. supermarkets, U.S. streaming subscriptions, transit, and U.S. gas stations.
Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
$250
$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.
18.74%-29.74% Variable,0% on purchases for 12 months
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.
With bonus categories like U.S. supermarkets, select U.S. streaming services, U.S. gas stations, and transit purchases, this card rewards you for the items you spend the most on in a big way! For those looking to earn up to 6% cash-back on their purchases, this could be the card for you!
Pros
6% cash-back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year)
6% cash-back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions
3% cash-back on U.S. gas stations and transit (including rideshares, parking, etc.)
Cons
$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95 annual fee (rates and fees)
Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.
Buy Now, Pay Later: Enjoy $0 intro plan fees when you use Plan It® to split up large purchases into monthly installments. Pay $0 intro plan fees on plans created during the first 12 months from the date of account opening. Plans created after that will have a monthly plan fee up to 1.33% of each eligible purchase amount moved into a plan based on the plan duration, the APR that would otherwise apply to the purchase, and other factors.
Low Intro APR: 0% on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months from the date of account opening. After that, your APR will be a variable APR of 18.74% - 29.74%.
6% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%).
6% Cash Back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions.
3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations.
3% Cash Back on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more).
1% Cash Back on other purchases.
Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.
$84 Disney Bundle Credit: With your enrolled Blue Cash Preferred Card, spend $9.99 or more each month on an auto-renewing Disney Bundle subscription, to receive a monthly statement credit of $7. Valid only at Disney Plus.com, Hulu.com or Plus.espn.com in the U.S.
Terms Apply.
Financial Snapshot
APR: 18.74%-29.74% Variable,0% on purchases for 12 months
Foreign Transaction Fees: 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars.
Rewards Center
Redeem cash-back through your American Express account
It has a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95, but earns 6% cash-back at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000, then 1%), 3% cash-back at U.S. gas stations, and 1% everywhere else (rates & fees).
In addition, the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card typically has an intro APR offer as well as a cash-back welcome bonus.
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 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 Premier® Card has expired and the card is no longer open to applicants.
For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, click here.
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.