Citi ThankYou Rewards guide: How to earn and redeem points

While Citi offers many cards, only some provide access to its valuable ThankYou Rewards program. Moreover, only cardmembers with select cards can access all Citi ThankYou Rewards transfer partners and transfer to them at the best rates.

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.

Here’s how to earn and redeem Citi ThankYou Rewards points and which cards can help you maximize their value.

Best Citi ThankYou Rewards cards

• Citi Strata Elite℠ Card (see rates and fees): Best for premium travel benefits and statement credits
• Citi Strata Premier® Card (see rates and fees): Best for unlocking Citi’s strongest transfer ratios for a $95 annual fee
• Citi Strata℠ Card (see rates and fees): Best for no-annual-fee bonus categories
• Citi Double Cash® Card (see rates and fees): Best for nonbonus spending

How to earn Citi ThankYou Rewards points

The primary way to earn Citi ThankYou Rewards points is with an eligible Citi credit card, whether through a welcome offer or ongoing spending. However, customers who enrolled an eligible Citibank checking account in ThankYou Rewards before July 18, 2022, may also earn points through that relationship.

Here’s a look at how to earn points with some of the best Citi ThankYou Rewards cards:

*Double Cash cardholders earn cash back in the form of ThankYou Rewards points.

If you want to add one of the above Citi ThankYou Rewards cards to your wallet, read the fine print for the welcome offer and check our page on credit card application rules to ensure you’re eligible for the bonus before clicking the “Apply” button.

Citi also currently offers the AT&T Points Plus Card, which earns ThankYou points and may appeal to eligible AT&T customers. Existing cardholders may also earn ThankYou points with several cards that are no longer open to new applicants, including the Citi Prestige, AT&T Access More, Citi ThankYou Preferred, Citi Custom Cash, Citi ThankYou Mastercard, AT&T Universal Rewards World, AT&T Universal Savings and Rewards, AT&T Universal Rewards and AT&T Access.

The information for the Citi Prestige, AT&T Access More, Citi ThankYou Preferred, Citi Custom Cash, Citi ThankYou Mastercard, AT&T Universal Rewards World, AT&T Universal Savings and Rewards, AT&T Universal Rewards, AT&T Points Plus Card from Citi and AT&T Access has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

How to redeem Citi ThankYou Rewards points

TPG values Citi ThankYou Rewards points at 1.9 cents apiece as of October 2026, although the value you receive will depend on how you redeem them.

Most currently available Citi ThankYou cards let you redeem points through the Citi Travel portal and for many gift cards at 1 cent apiece. Redemption values for cash back, statement credits, Shop With Points and other options vary by card and redemption method, so check the displayed rate before redeeming.

You may get significantly more value from your ThankYou Rewards points by transferring them to airline or hotel partners. However, only travelers with select cards unlock higher transfer ratios. Here’s a look at Citi ThankYou Rewards travel partners and their standard transfer ratios by card type.

**The other select cards are the Citi ThankYou Preferred, Citi Custom Cash, Citi ThankYou Mastercard, AT&T Universal Rewards World, AT&T Universal Savings and Rewards, AT&T Universal Rewards, AT&T Points Plus and AT&T Access.
***Cardholders whose only eligible card is the Citi ThankYou Mastercard, AT&T Universal Savings and Rewards, AT&T Universal Rewards, AT&T Points Plus Card from Citi, AT&T Access More or AT&T Access cannot transfer to American AAdvantage.
****Cardholders whose only eligible card is the Citi ThankYou Mastercard cannot transfer to JetBlue TrueBlue.

Citi requires at least 1,000 points per transfer, and additional points must be transferred in increments of 1,000. Each transfer is capped at 500,000 points. Transfers are final, and the first and last names on your ThankYou Rewards account and airline or hotel loyalty account must match. Additionally, you can transfer points to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and Qantas Frequent Flyer only once every 24 hours.

If you have multiple ThankYou accounts, you can combine them online or by calling ThankYou Rewards. Combining eligible credit card points with a Citi Strata Elite, Citi Strata Premier or Citi Prestige account generally unlocks the strongest standard transfer ratios. However, checking-derived taxable points aren’t eligible for partner transfers.

With so many transfer partners, your options are plentiful when redeeming Citi ThankYou Rewards points. Here are some redemptions to consider:

• Transfer to Singapore KrisFlyer and snag a Spontaneous Escapes deal.
• Transfer to Choice Privileges and redeem as few as 6,000 Choice points per night for a hotel stay.
• Use Avianca Lifemiles to book United Airlines-operated awards.
• Use Virgin Atlantic Flying Club to fly on Delta Air Lines-operated flights.
• Transfer to Wyndham Rewards and redeem as few as 5,000 Wyndham points per night (or even less if you have select Wyndham credit cards).
• Transfer to Air France-KLM Flying Blue to book a Flying Blue Promo Rewards flight.
• Transfer to American Airlines AAdvantage to book any of the numerous AAdvantage sweet spots.

Bottom line

Having an eligible card, such as the Citi Strata Elite or Citi Strata Premier, is important if you want access to Citi’s full partner lineup at the strongest standard transfer ratios. The $95-a-year Citi Strata Premier is the lowest-cost currently available option for unlocking those rates, while the Citi Strata Elite may make sense for cardmembers who can maximize its premium benefits and statement credits.

However, you don’t need an annual-fee card to participate in the ThankYou Rewards program. No-annual-fee cards such as the Citi Strata and Citi Double Cash still offer useful earning categories and access to all of Citi’s current transfer partners, albeit generally at lower ratios.

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

Source: thepointsguy.com