Citi ThankYou Rewards: The ultimate guide
Editor's Note
Citi offers many different rewards credit cards. However, only some Citi credit cards provide access to the company's valuable ThankYou Rewards program, and you'll need to hold a premium Citi ThankYou card to gain full access to the Citi ThankYou transfer partners.
Whether you're applying for your first credit card or are a seasoned pro looking for a new travel rewards card, one or more cards in Citi's portfolio might be right for you.
Let's take a closer look at the program, including analyzing some of the cards offering ThankYou Rewards points and how you can redeem ThankYou Rewards points.
Best Citi ThankYou Rewards cards
- Citi Prestige? Card: Best for restaurants, airlines and travel agencies
- Citi Strata Premier? Card: Best for earning full-fledged ThankYou points with a low annual fee (see rates and fees)
- Citi Rewards+? Card: Best for supermarkets, gas stations and small purchases (see rates and fees)
- Citi Double Cash? Card: Best for everyday spending (see rates and fees)
- Citi Custom Cash? Card: Best for bonus earnings in different categories each billing cycle (see rates and fees)
The information for the Citi Prestige has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Comparing the best Citi ThankYou Rewards cards
| Card | Sign-up bonus | Earning rates | Annual fee | Standout benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Citi Prestige? Card | Not available to new applicants |
| $495 |
|
| Citi Strata Premier? Card | Earn 70,000 bonus ThankYou points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first three months of account opening. A higher offer may be available through?Citi.com. |
| $95 (see rates and fees) |
|
| Citi Rewards+? Card | 20,000 bonus points after you spend $1,500 in purchases with your card within three months of account opening |
| $0 (see rates and fees) |
|
| Citi Double Cash? Card | Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first six months of account opening. |
| $0 (see rates and fees) |
|
| Citi Custom Cash? Card | $200 cash back (provided as 20,000 bonus points) after spending $1,500 on purchases in the first six months of account opening |
| $0 (see rates and fees) |
|
Earning Citi ThankYou Rewards points
As you can see, many cards earn Citi ThankYou points. But not all ThankYou points are created equal.
TPG values Citi ThankYou Points at 1.8 cents each, but this is based on the potential value you can get by transferring your Citi ThankYou points to one of the program's airline or hotel partners. However, to transfer points to most Citi ThankYou transfer partners, you must hold a premium Citi ThankYou Rewards card like the Citi Prestige? Card (which is no longer accepting new applications) or the Citi Strata Premier? Card.
If you only have the Citi Rewards+? Card, Citi Double Cash? Card or Citi Custom Cash? Card (or another non-premium Citi ThankYou card), you'll earn what we'll call "basic" ThankYou points. They're worth a flat one cent each when redeemed toward gift cards and many other cash-like rewards available through Citi ThankYou.
You can also transfer "basic" ThankYou points to three loyalty programs — Choice Privileges, JetBlue TrueBlue and Wyndham Rewards — but these transfers will occur at a lower rate than if you had a premium Citi ThankYou card.
However, if you also hold the Citi Prestige or Citi Strata Premier, you can combine the "basic" ThankYou points into your Citi Prestige or Citi Strata Premier account and then transfer your rewards to any of the 18 Citi ThankYou travel partners at the best transfer ratios.
If you want to add a new Citi ThankYou card to your wallet, read the fine print for the sign-up bonus and check our page on credit card application rules to ensure you're eligible for the bonus before clicking the "Apply" button.
Related: The best time to apply for these popular Citi credit cards, based on offer history
Redeeming Citi ThankYou points
All of the Citi ThankYou Rewards cards let you redeem ThankYou points for statement credits, cash rewards, third-party gift cards, travel booked through the Citi travel portal (now powered by Rocket Travel) and more at a flat rate of one cent per point. Sometimes, you'll even find gift cards on sale that could give you a slightly higher redemption rate.
Be careful, though, as some redemption options (such as Shop With Points) provide less than 1 cent per point. Ensure you are getting at least 1 cent per ThankYou point before you redeem.
Related: You can redeem your Citi points at Walmart, but you probably shouldn't
However, you may get significantly more value when you redeem your ThankYou points by transferring them to airline or hotel partners. Check out the following table for the transfer ratios and how long transfers from Citi ThankYou usually take. If you don't have a premium ThankYou Rewards card like the Citi Prestige or Citi Strata Premier, you can only transfer to Choice Privileges, JetBlue TrueBlue and Wyndham Rewards (and your transfer ratio won't be as lucrative, as noted below).
| Program | Ratio | Transfer time |
|---|---|---|
| Aeromexico Club Premier | 1:1 | Instant |
| Accor Live Limitless (ALL) | 2:1 | Less than 24 hours |
| Air France-KLM Flying Blue | 1:1 | Instant |
| Avianca LifeMiles | 1:1 | Instant |
| Cathay Pacific Asia Miles | 1:1 | Instant |
| Choice Privileges | 1:2 (2:3 for non-premium cards) | Instant |
| Emirates Skywards | 1:1 | Instant |
| Etihad Guest | 1:1 | Instant |
| EVA Air Infinity MileageLands | 1:1 | 3 days |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | 1:1 (5:4 for non-premium cards) | Instant |
| Leading Hotels of the World Leaders Club | 5:1 | Unknown |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | 1:1 | Instant |
| Qatar Airways Privilege Club | 1:1 | 2 days |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | 1:1 | Less than 24 hours |
| Thai Royal Orchid Plus | 1:1 | 7 days |
| Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles | 1:1 | 1 day |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 1:1 | Instant |
| Wyndham Rewards | 1:1 (5:4 for non-premium cards) | Instant |
With so many transfer partners, your options are plentiful when redeeming Citi ThankYou points. Here are some Citi ThankYou sweet spots you could use in some of the programs that tend to provide the most value:
- Transfer to Singapore KrisFlyer and snag a Spontaneous Escapes deal
- Transfer to Choice Privileges and redeem between 6,000 and 35,000 Choice points per night in most destinations
- Use Avianca LifeMiles to book one-way United-operated awards within the U.S. for as little as 6,500 LifeMiles one-way in economy
- Use Virgin Atlantic Flying Club to fly nonstop on some Delta-operated flights
- Transfer to Wyndham Rewards and redeem as few as 7,500 Wyndham points per night (or even less if you have select Wyndham credit cards)
- Transfer to Air France-KLM to book a Flying Blue Promo Rewards flight
Related: Great ways to maximize Citi ThankYou points
Bottom line
Citi ThankYou Rewards points are perhaps the most underrated of the major points and miles currencies. Despite some negatives, Citi ThankYou points remain valuable, especially for those looking to book award flights on international carriers.
If you want to maximize the Citi ThankYou Rewards program, having a premium Citi ThankYou card like the Citi Prestige or Citi Strata Premier is important. These cards unlock transfers to all the Citi ThankYou partners at the best rate, which can provide many high-value award booking options.