Citi ThankYou Points: How to Earn and Use Them

The Citi ThankYou rewards program lets eligible credit card holders collect rewards, known as ThankYou points, on purchases made with a qualifying card.

ThankYou points can be valuable, especially for travelers, though the rewards program can be a bit of a challenge to navigate. That's because:

• Redemption options vary depending on what specific Citi card you have.

• Point values can also range widely, again depending on the Citi card and how you plan to redeem the points.

• While most Citi cards allow point transfers to multiple travel loyalty programs, the transfer ratios may differ ... wait for it ... depending on what Citi card you hold.

Still, ThankYou points are flexible and versatile, especially if you have specific redemptions in mind. Here’s how to make the most out of Citi ThankYou® points.

» MORE: NerdWallet's best Citi credit cards

In this article

• Citi ThankYou points: The basics

• Credit cards that earn ThankYou points

• How much are ThankYou points worth?

• The fine print

Citi ThankYou points: The basics

You can earn ThankYou points by paying for purchases with an eligible Citi credit card. (See some options below.) Rewards can be accessed by logging into your Citi account or by visiting the ThankYou website.

Generally, ThankYou points can be redeemed for:

• Travel.

• Gift cards.

• Cash back in various forms.

• Shopping at participating retailers.

• Charitable donations.

If you have an eligible Citi credit card, you can also transfer points to certain travel loyalty programs or share points with other ThankYou rewards members.

» MORE: Citi trifecta: Earn 2%-5% on every purchase

Credit cards that earn ThankYou points

Citi offers multiple products that earn the ThankYou rewards currency. Here are some of its most prominent:

Citi Custom Cash® Card

Annual fee: $0.

Rewards:

• 5% cash back (in the form of ThankYou points) on up to $500 spent in your highest spending category per billing cycle (from a list of eligible options).

• 1% cash back (as ThankYou points) on all other purchases.

» MORE: Full review of the Citi Custom Cash

Citi Prestige® Card

Annual fee: $495.

Rewards:

• 5 ThankYou points per dollar spent on dining out and air travel purchases.

• 3 ThankYou points per dollar spent on cruise lines and hotel purchases.

• 1 ThankYou point per dollar on all other purchases.

» MORE: Full review of the Citi Prestige

AT&T Points Plus Card

Annual fee: $0.

• 3 ThankYou points per dollar spent at gas stations and EV charging stations. 

• 2 ThankYou points per dollar spent at grocery stores (including grocery delivery services). 

• 1 ThankYou point for every dollar spent on all other purchases.

» READ: 5 things to know about the AT&T Points Plus Card

How much are ThankYou points worth?

The value of a Citi ThankYou point can vary greatly depending on the Citi card and how you redeem those points — for travel, cash back or something else.

For travel

There are two ways to use Citi ThankYou points for travel: redeeming points directly through Citi's travel portal, or transferring points to one of Citi's travel partners:

• Booking through Citi: When you book your travel through Citi and pay for your booking with points, ThankYou points are worth 1 cent apiece, regardless of which Citi card you have.

• Transferring points to Citi's partner airline and hotel programs: For this option, the exact value you get per point depends on several factors, including what Citi card you have, which program you're transferring points to, and what you do with those rewards after you transfer them. As a starting point, you can reference NerdWallet's valuations of points and miles for various programs, including many of Citi's partners. (See the full list below.)

With some of Citi's credit cards, the transfer ratio is frequently 1:1, meaning for every ThankYou point you transfer, you get 1 point or mile in the partner program. However, there are exceptions. With JetBlue, for instance, the transfer ratios can vary:

• If you have the Citi Strata Premier® Card, the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card or the legacy Citi Prestige® Card, then you can transfer points to JetBlue at a 1:1 ratio.

• For other less expensive Citi credit cards, the ratio is 1:0.7, meaning for each ThankYou point you transfer, you get only 0.7 TrueBlue points from JetBlue. So 1,000 points translates into 700 TrueBlue points.

For such less favorable ratios, we recommend only using ThankYou points to top off your account for a specific redemption.

For cash or cash-like redemptions

CASH BACK

You can redeem Citi ThankYou points for cash back, in the form of a statement credit, direct deposit into an eligible bank account, or even a check in the mail. But again, the value of your points will vary depending on what Citi card you have. For example:

• For the Citi Double Cash® Card and the Citi Custom Cash® Card, points are worth a full penny each — the industry standard — when redeemed for cash back.

• But for the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card, points are worth just 0.75 cent each when redeemed that way. And for the Citi Strata℠ Card, the redemption value for cash back is even worse, at 0.5 cent per point.

GIFT CARDS

Gift card redemptions typically start at 2,500 points, and you'll generally get a redemption value of 1 cent per point, absent any special deals or promotions. Citi's ThankYou website has several brands and categories to choose from, including restaurants, department stores, travel and electronics, among others.

CHARITY

You can donate points (starting at 1,000) to charities on Citi's ThankYou.com site.

For shopping

SHOP WITH POINTS PROGRAM

You can redeem ThankYou points at participating retailers, including Amazon, Walmart and Walgreens, to name a few. But it's generally a poor value, as points used with those retailers are worth only 0.8 cent each. Different minimum redemptions may also apply.

PAY WITH POINTS

After you've made an online or in-store out-of-pocket purchase, you're notified via the Citi mobile app whether that item is eligible to be covered by ThankYou points. If so, you can apply your ThankYou points to the purchase in exchange for a statement credit that arrives within two to three business days. Purchase categories that may be eligible include dining out, groceries, entertainment and department stores, among others. You'll have to set up alerts to stay on top of purchases that qualify. If you decide to Pay With Points, a redemption value of 0.8 cent per point will apply. Again, that's not ideal value and is lower than the industry standard of a penny per point.

» MORE: Using credit card points at checkout has become too easy

The fine print

With a Citi ThankYou credit card, you may earn ThankYou points as long as your account is open and current. Review your card's terms and conditions to know when ThankYou points may expire.

It also helps to understand your credit card’s terms and conditions so that you’re aware of nonqualifying purchases. For instance, some cards earn points in categories like restaurants, but your purchase may not qualify for the higher rewards rate if the restaurant is located inside a department store.