Citi Expands Transfer Partner Access to Most ThankYou Points-Earning Cards — Even No-Annual-Fee Ones

Updated: July 28, 2025, 12:27pm CDT

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No-Annual-Fee Cards Now Get Access to More Transfer Partners
Lower Transfer Ratios for No-Annual-Fee Citi Cards
Final Thoughts

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Citi has expanded the ability to transfer ThankYou Points to nearly all of its airline and hotel partners — even for no-annual-fee cards like the Citi Double Cash^® Card and Citi Strata℠ Card.

While American Airlines remains excluded for some cardholders, and transfer ratios are lower for non-premium cards, this update brings added flexibility and value to cards that previously had limited or no transfer access.

Keep reading to see which partners are now accessible, how transfer ratios differ by card, and what this means for your Citi ThankYou Points strategy.

No-Annual-Fee Cards Now Get Access to More Transfer Partners

Until now, only Choice Privileges, JetBlue TrueBlue, and Wyndham Rewards were available as transfer partner options for Citi’s no-annual-fee ThankYou Points cards, such as the Citi Double Cash card, Citi Strata card, and Citi ThankYou^® Preferred Card (closed to new applicants).

Citi Double Cash Upgraded Points LLC 1 Large — Cardholders of Citi’s no-annual-fee cards will now have more transfer partner redemption options. Image Credit: Upgraded Points

That has now changed.

Citi has unlocked nearly all of its airline and hotel transfer partners for these cards — except American Airlines AAdvantage, which remains exclusive to premium cardholders. Only those with the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card, Citi Prestige^® Card (not available to new applicants), or the new Citi Strata Elite℠ card can transfer ThankYou Points to American Airlines.

Lower Transfer Ratios for No-Annual-Fee Citi Cards

Still, there’s a catch: Citi has reduced the transfer ratios for no-annual-fee cards, making the value less appealing. While premium cardholders can typically transfer at a 1:1 ratio, most transfers to airlines from no-annual-fee cards now convert at a 1:0.7 ratio.

For instance, 1,000 ThankYou Points will yield only 700 points or miles with most airline partners — a significant downgrade for those accustomed to full-value transfers.

Citi TY Points Transfer Partners — If you have a Citi no-annual-fee card that earns ThankYou Points, you can transfer to more airlines — albeit at a reduced rate. Image Credit: Citi

It’s not just airline transfers that took a hit: Hotel transfer rates from no-annual-fee Citi cards are also reduced compared to premium ThankYou Points cards.

Here are the transfer rates from Citi’s no-annual-fee cards:

Leaders Club drops from 1:0.25 to 1:0.175
Accor Live Limitless drops from 1:0.50 to 1:0.35
Choice Privileges drops from 1:2 to 1:1.4
Preferred Hotels & Resorts drops from 1:4 to 1:2.8
Wyndham Rewards drops from 1:1 to 1:0.7

These weaker ratios mean no-annual-fee cardholders get noticeably less value when transferring to hotel programs. That’s another reason frequent travelers may want to consider a premium Citi card for better point conversion.

Hot Tip:

You can now transfer Citi ThankYou Points to American Airlines AAdvantage at a 1:1 ratio — but only if you hold a Citi Strata Elite card, Citi Strata Premier card, or the legacy Citi Prestige card.

Final Thoughts

Citi’s move to expand transfer partner access to no-annual-fee ThankYou Points cards adds more flexibility for cardholders. While adding nearly all transfer partners is a big win, the reduced transfer ratios mean premium Citi cards offer better overall value.

For no-annual-fee cardholders, this update unlocks more ways to use points. However, for those focused on maximizing every point, a higher-tier Citi card may still be the better play.