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A Guide to Citi ThankYou® Rewards
Learn how to earn, redeem, and get the most value from Citi ThankYou® Rewards points
July 23, 2026
Learn how to earn, redeem, and get the most value from Citi ThankYou® Rewards points
July 23, 2026
The Citi ThankYou® Rewards is a high-value credit card rewards program available to eligible Citi credit cardholders. Through this program, you can earn Citi ThankYou® Points when you make purchases with a qualifying Citi credit card. There's a lot of versatility in how you can redeem your ThankYou® points, including cash back, gift cards, points transfer, and travel bookings.
If you're weighing your options, it helps to start by comparing your credit card options to see where a Citi ThankYou® card fits.
Citi offers their ThankYou® Rewards through many of their popular credit cards like the Citi Strata℠ Card and Citi Double Cash® Card.
You can redeem Citi ThankYou® Rewards points in multiple ways: flight bookings, car rentals, statement credits, points transfer, and more.
Offers a wide range of major merchants like Best Buy®, Macy's, Target, etc.
When you make purchases with an eligible Citi credit card, you'll earn Citi ThankYou® Points that can be redeemed for cash back, travel, gift cards, and more.
Some of the most popular Citi credit cards that earn ThankYou® Rewards points include the Citi Custom Cash® Card, Citi Double Cash® Card, Citi Strata Premier®, and the newer Citi Strata Elite℠ Card, a premium travel card Citi added to its ThankYou® lineup.
Here are some ways you can redeem Citi ThankYou® Points:
Gift cards: You can redeem your rewards for gift cards to top merchants like Lowe's, Panera Bread®, Gap, Nordstrom, and many more. Many gift card redemptions offer a value of $0.01 per point.
Cash back: You can redeem your points for cash back. Your options include direct deposit, check by mail, or as a statement credit to your credit card account. Most Citi cards provide a value of $0.01 per point with this redemption.
Shop with points: You can redeem your ThankYou® Points for purchases at participating online retailers, including Saks Fifth Avenue and Amazon.
CitiTravel bookings: Cardholders can redeem their ThankYou® Points for flights, hotels and car rentals made through the Citi Travel portal.
Points transfer: Those with eligible Citi cards can transfer their points to participating travel Citi ThankYou® Rewards transfer partners. You can redeem your rewards for flights and hotels. Valuations vary by partner and booking, but many Citi cardholders find that their Citi ThankYou® Points are worth much more than $0.01 with this redemption.
Most Citi ThankYou® Points are worth about 1 cent each — roughly $10 per 1,000 points — when you redeem for cash back or gift cards, while transfers to airline and hotel partners can be worth more, according to Citi's ThankYou® program details. In plain terms: the simplest redemptions give you a steady, predictable value, and the effort of transferring points is what unlocks the higher end.
Redemption Method | Approximate Value Per Point |
Cash back (statement credit, direct deposit, or check) | ~$0.01 |
Gift cards | ~$0.01 |
Citi Travel portal bookings | ~$0.01 |
Transfer to airline or hotel partners | Can exceed $0.01 |
Actual value depends on how — and where — you redeem, so it's worth comparing methods before you cash in your points.
Citi lets you transfer ThankYou® Points to more than 15 airline and hotel loyalty programs, including American Airlines AAdvantage, JetBlue, Virgin Atlantic and Choice Privileges, as listed on Citi's Strata Elite℠ Card page (see the full current list on Citi's ThankYou® partner list).
Partner | Type | Transfer Ratio |
American Airlines AAdvantage | Airline | 1:1 |
JetBlue TrueBlue | Airline | 1:1 |
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | Airline | 1:1 |
Cathay | Airline | 1:1 |
EVA Air Infinity MileageLands | Airline | 1:1 |
Emirates Skywards | Airline | 1:1 |
Avianca LifeMiles | Airline | 1:1 |
Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles | Airline | 1:1 |
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | Airline | 1:1 |
Air France-KLM Flying Blue | Airline | 1:1 |
Qatar Airways Privilege Club | Airline | 1:1 |
Choice Privileges | Hotel | 1:1.5 or 1:2 (varies by card) |
Wyndham Rewards | Hotel | Varies by card |
Accor Live Limitless (ALL) | Hotel | Varies by card |
Leading Hotels of the World Leaders Club | Hotel | Varies by card |
Preferred Hotels & Resorts I Prefer | Hotel | Varies by card |
Which partners you can access, and the exact transfer ratios, depend on your card. Most airline partners transfer at 1:1. Confirm the current list and ratios on Citi's ThankYou® partner page.
You can redeem your rewards for travel by transferring your points to participating Citi transfer partners. Here are a few notable Citi travel partners:
Choice Hotels® Choice Privileges®: You can transfer your Citi ThankYou® Points to the Choice Privileges program and use your rewards to book Choice Hotels properties. Points transfer at a 1:1.5 ratio or 1:2 ratio, depending on which credit card you have. Redemption rates vary, but Choice Privilege® rewards nights start at 6,000 points.
Singapore Airlines: Another popular transfer partner is Singapore Airlines where you can transfer your points to KrisFlyer miles. Points transfer at a 1:1 ratio. After transferring your points, you can book flights with Singapore Airlines and other world-class airlines. Many travelers maximize premium cabin bookings through the KrisFlyer program.
Air France Flying Blue Loyalty Program: You can transfer your Citi ThankYou® Points to Air France and KLM's Flying Blue Loyalty Program. Points transfer at a 1:1 ratio. In addition to booking Air France and KLM-operated flights, Flying Blue members can book flights operated by other SkyTeam partner airlines.
Expert Intel: Logan Allec, CPA and owner of Choice Tax Relief, on how he's benefited from Citi's travel transfer partners:
I was able to book a couple of the business flight legs from LAX to Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris for 50,000 Flying Blue miles. I transferred these points over from Citi and other travel partners at a 1:1 ratio, meaning that my 50,000 ThankYou Points were converted to 50,000 Flying Blue miles. The cost of one business class flight on Air France from Los Angeles to Paris was about $4,000. So redeeming 50,000 Flying Blue miles for a $4,000 flight yielded a value of approximately $0.08 per point —eight times the value one would get for redeeming for cash back.
Here are some tips to help you maximize your earnings through the Citi ThankYou® Rewards program:
The easiest way to earn rewards is by making most of your purchases with your Citi credit card. The following credit cards earn ThankYou® points:
Citi Strata Elite℠ Card (newer premium travel card)
For a no-annual-fee ThankYou® option, Citi also offers the Citi Strata℠ Card (see our Citi Strata℠ Card review).
Related: Compare top Citi reward-earning credit cards with other credit cards in the market.
Before making a purchase, consider which credit card will yield the most rewards. Some Citi cards have bonus rewards categories, allowing you to earn rewards at an elevated rate in select spending categories. However, purchases outside of those categories earn at a lower rate. Consider your typical spending habits when choosing which bonus rewards card is right for you.
Many people use a multi-card approach to earn more rewards. The Citi Double Cash® Card earns 2% back on every purchase. For example, pairing it with a bonus-category card — you can start by comparing Citi rewards-earning cards — is a good way to cover purchases outside the bonus rewards categories.
Expert Intel: Credit card and travel rewards expert Steven Cruse shared:
While a varied strategy is generally favored, going in hard on Citi ThankYou Points can give you a huge haul, and using multiple cards lets you cover more ground. Combining a specialized earning category card like the Citi Strata Premier with a flat-rate earner is a way to cover all your expenses and ensure you're never short-changing yourself.
The Citi Travel portal is where Citi cardholders can book hotel stays, flights, car rentals, tickets to attractions and experiences, all while utilizing their ThankYou® Points in different forms like cash back or points transfer to a merchant partner. Many Citi credit cards allow you to earn rewards at an elevated rate when using your card to pay for travel purchases booked through the Citi Travel portal.
An easy way to accumulate more Citi ThankYou® points is by earning a welcome bonus. If you plan to apply for a new Citi card, take advantage of a welcome bonus. You can earn bonus rewards if you meet the minimum spending requirements within the set timeframe.
Here are a few tips for redeeming your Citi ThankYou® Rewards points:
Before redeeming your Citi ThankYou® Points, explore all your options. Not all redemptions provide the same value. By being strategic with how you use your rewards, you may be able to maximize the value you receive.
Expert Intel: Sarah Cash, points advisor at point.me, explains why travelers can benefit from transferring their points to travel partners:
You can get outsized value from your points when you transfer them to partners, especially to airlines. When you redeem your points through a credit card portal, you might get one cent per point in value, but when you transfer your hard-earned points to airline partners, you might get two, three, or even 10 cents per point.
The majority of Citi cards don't provide access to Citi's entire travel transfer partner list. But if you have the Citi Strata Premier®, you can book with any Citi travel transfer partner, which gives you more flexibility when making travel plans. You can also get more value from your rewards when transferring them to partners. If you plan to use your points for travel, you may want to consider adding the Citi Strata Premier® credit card to your wallet.
If you're planning to transfer your points to Citi ThankYou® Rewards transfer partners, don't ignore transfer bonuses. Some travel partners promote transfer bonuses, which provide a points boost. If you transfer your points to a partner that's running a transfer bonus, you'll get bonus rewards.
For example, if an airline partner promotes a 30% transfer bonus, and you transfer 50,000 Citi ThankYou® points to its rewards program, you'll get an additional 15,000 points. You'll end up with 65,000 points after the transfer, even though you only transferred 50,000 points. Transfer bonuses can help you maximize the value of your rewards.
Related: Check out our comparison of the best travel rewards credit cards.
What this means depends on how you like to use rewards, so it helps to match your redemption style to your card.
If you're a casual earner, redeeming for cash back or gift cards at about 1¢ per point is simple and predictable — no transfer partners or award charts to learn. A flat-rate card like the Citi Double Cash® Card fits this approach well.
If you're a frequent traveler, transferring points to airline and hotel partners is where the outsized value tends to show up, especially for premium-cabin flights. A card with broad transfer access, such as the Citi Strata Premier®, gives you more room to maximize.
If you rarely travel, chasing transfer partners may not be worth the effort, and sticking with straightforward cash back is a perfectly reasonable choice. Even then, comparing rewards credit cards can help you find one that matches your everyday spending.
Your next step depends on your goal, and a few quick moves can help you get more from your points:
Check which Citi cards you already hold and confirm which earn ThankYou® Points.
Decide whether you value simple cash back or higher-value travel transfers, then pick your primary card accordingly.
If travel is your focus, look at cards with broad transfer access by comparing travel rewards cards.
If you want an everyday earner, start by comparing rewards credit cards side by side.
You can redeem your Citi ThankYou® Points in many ways. Some redemption options include cash back, gift cards, travel booking through the Citi Travel portal, or transferring your points to travel transfer partners. You can redeem your rewards by logging into your online account at ThankYou.com.
The value of Citi points vary depending on how you redeem them, but generally, you can expect a value of $0.01 per point. 1,000 Citi ThankYou® Points would be worth about $10. You may be able to get more value from your rewards depending on the redemption method you choose.
Your Citi ThankYou® Points won't expire as long as you have an active account that's in good standing. However, some older Citi credit cards have expiration policies. Check your cardholder agreement to verify whether expiration policies apply to your credit card.
Eligible Citi cards such as the Citi Custom Cash® Card, Citi Double Cash® Card, Citi Strata Premier®, Citi Strata Elite℠ Card and Citi Strata℠ Card earn ThankYou® Points.
Citi partners with more than 15 airline and hotel programs, including American Airlines AAdvantage, JetBlue, Virgin Atlantic, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, Air France-KLM Flying Blue and Choice Privileges. Which partners you can access depends on your card.
In many cases, yes — Citi generally lets eligible cardholders combine ThankYou® Points from their own Citi accounts. Because the ability to pool or share points can vary by card, check your account terms at ThankYou.com.
This guide was written by Natasha Etzel, a credit cards and rewards writer whose work has appeared at NerdWallet, The Motley Fool, and Fast Company, and reviewed by BestMoney's editorial team. Our editorial team evaluates rewards programs against the issuer's own published terms and card details, and we aim to help readers make informed decisions rather than present an objective ranking.
This article is based on secondary research from primary, first-party sources rather than proprietary BestMoney survey data. We drew card lineup, earning, and redemption details from Citi's official credit card pages, and transfer-partner, point-value, and expiration details from Citi's ThankYou® program, partner, and terms-and-conditions pages. Where we reference program mechanics like transfer ratios or point values, we relied on the issuer's own documentation, which can change without notice.
Disclosure: The information related to Citi ThankYou® rewards has been collected by Bestmoney.com and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer or provider of this product or service.
Editorial disclosure: The credit card offers and information presented on this page are current as of the published date. However, credit card terms, including APRs, fees, and promotional offers, are subject to change without notice. Some offers listed may no longer be available or may have expired. Please refer to the issuer's website for the most up-to-date terms and conditions.
Natasha is a financial writer specializing in credit cards and credit card rewards. Her work has appeared in numerous publications, including NerdWallet, The Motley Fool, and Fast Company.
