Citi Makes 5x Earnings in the Travel Portal a Permanent Feature on 2 Credit Cards

Updated: May 18, 2025, 9:53pm CDT

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Citi Makes 5x Earnings a Permanent Feature
How This Benefits Cardholders
Final Thoughts

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Citi has made a customer-friendly move, turning a limited-time offer into a permanent feature by providing 5x earnings on the Citi Double Cash^® Card and Citi Custom Cash^® Card when booking travel through the Citi Travel portal.

This elevated earning rate takes effect on May 18, 2025. Here’s what you should know.

Citi Makes 5x Earnings a Permanent Feature

When booking travel through Citi Travel with Booking.com, cardholders can earn 5% cash-back on hotels, rental cars, and attractions when paying with the Citi Custom Cash card and Citi Double Cash card. As of May 18, 2025, this is a permanent feature of these 2 cards, neither of which has an annual fee.

With the Citi Custom Cash card, you’ll earn an additional 4% back after this change, since it typically earns just 1% back in the travel portal, though it does award 5% back in your top eligible spending category each billing cycle — up to $500 of these purchases, then 1% back. Travel is an eligible category.

With the Citi Double Cash card, you’ll typically earn 2% cash-back on all purchases, earned as 1% when you purchase and another 1% when you pay your bill. Now, you’ll earn an additional 3% cash-back on hotels, rental cars, and attractions in Citi’s travel portal.

Citi Double Cash Upgraded Points LLC 4 Large — Image Credit: Upgraded Points

How This Benefits Cardholders

Earning 5% cash-back, instead of 1% or 2%, provides an additional 3% or 4% return on spending for eligible cardholders who book qualifying travel in Citi’s portal. That increase without any registration, spending limit, or increase in the cards’ annual fees is great news.

It gets even better if you hold a Citi credit card with access to the program’s transfer partners.

Based on our valuations, Citi ThankYou Points are worth 1.6 cents each. Earning 5x points on spending by combining rewards from these cards with the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card, for example, would provide an 8% return on eligible spending.

Hot Tip:

Now that you’ve earned them, it’s time to use your points. Check out our list of the best ways to redeem Citi ThankYou Points for top value.

Final Thoughts

As of May 18, Citi has boosted the earning rates to 5% cash-back (or 5x points) on the Citi Custom Cash card and Citi Double Cash card. This comes without any spending caps, earning limits, or the addition of an annual fee to either card. This is great news for cardholders.