Citi ThankYou Rewards Guide

Earning credit card rewards can put a little money back in your pocket when you spend. Some cards offer miles or cashback; others allow you to earn points. Citi ThankYou is a rewards program that makes it easy to earn points on purchases with eligible Citi credit cards. Knowing how to earn Citi ThankYou Points and redeem them is key to making the most of this rewards program.

Understanding Citi ThankYou Rewards

Citi ThankYou Rewards is a rewards program for qualifying Citibank personal credit cards, as well as eligible bank accounts. Rewards are earned as points, which can then be redeemed in a variety of ways. The number of Citi ThankYou Points earned per dollar spent depends on the card that’s being used or the bank account that’s enrolled in the ThankYou program.

Citi Credit Cards That Earn Citi ThankYou Points

Citi ThankYou Points can be earned with an eligible Citi credit card. Those include:

In addition, Citi Double Cash cardholders can convert their cash back rewards into ThankYou Points when using them to shop with PayPal.

Each card has its own rewards structure that determines the number of ThankYou Points earned per dollar of spending and whether cardholders qualify for an introductory welcome bonus. The Citi Premier Credit Card, for example, offers 3 Citi ThankYou Points per dollar spent at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, hotels, and air travel. All other purchases earn 1 point per dollar.

Citi Bank Accounts That Earn Citi ThankYou Points

Citi ThankYou Rewards are also available for certain Citi bank accounts. Those accounts include:

• Citigold
• Citi Priority
• Citi Private Bank Account
• The Citibank Account

However, rather than earning ThankYou Points on purchases as you would with a Citi credit card, you can earn points for other types of transactions. For example, if you have a Citigold account, you could earn up to 1,600 points per month by doing things like setting up direct deposit, scheduling online bill payments, or enrolling in automatic deposits to a Citi savings account.

You’ll need to enroll in the Citi ThankYou Rewards program to start earning points with an eligible bank account.

How to Earn Citi ThankYou Points

Earning Citi ThankYou Points is as simple as making purchases with an eligible Citi credit card or enrolling an eligible Citi bank account in the program.

Here’s an example of how many points you might be able to earn with the Citi Rewards+ Credit Card. This card offers 2 points per dollar at supermarkets and gas stations on up to the first $6,000 in purchases per year, then 1 point per dollar thereafter. All other purchases earn an unlimited 1 point per dollar. This card also rounds up purchases to the nearest 10 points and offers 10% of your points back when you redeem.

So, assume that you max out the $6,000 cap for supermarkets and gas stations each year. You also spend another $2,000 in those categories and $6,000 in miscellaneous purchases. That would give you 20,000 points (12,000 points + 2,000 points + 6,000 points). Now, say you redeem 10,000 points during the year. You’d get 10% of them, or 1,000 points, back. So you’d technically earn 21,000 points for the year.

Earn More Citi ThankYou Points With Introductory Bonuses

In addition to earning rewards on purchases with a Citi ThankYou credit card, you can also earn points with welcome bonuses when you sign up for a card. Credit card introductory bonuses put a lump sum of points or rewards in the pot, on the condition that you meet a minimum spending requirement. The table below shows how the introductory welcome bonuses compare for eligible ThankYou Rewards credit cards.

As you can see, the Citi Premier Credit Card has the largest introductory welcome bonus. But you’ll also need to spend the most money to qualify for it. So it’s important to consider how your typical spending habits match up when determining whether it’s worth it to pursue a welcome bonus.

How to Redeem Citi ThankYou Points

Citi offers numerous ways to redeem ThankYou Points. Your options for redemption include:

• Gift cards
• Travel (book flights, hotels, rental cars, and more)
• Shop with points at eligible Citi partners, including retailers and gas stations
• Statement credit
• Direct deposit into a checking or savings account
• Check by mail
• Online bill pay
• Pay with points (for eligible purchases)
• Charitable contributions
• Mortgage payments
• Student loan payments

You can also share your ThankYou Points with another eligible Citi cardholder. Points are transferable to select Citi partners, as well.

What Are Citi ThankYou Points Worth?

Generally, Citi ThankYou Points are worth 1 cent each in redemption value. So, for example, 50,000 Citi ThankYou Points would be worth $500 when you’re ready to redeem. But the value you get per point can vary slightly based on what you redeem them for. By Investopedia’s calculations, if you redeem them for travel they will be worth between 1 and 1.21 cents each, on average, depending on your card.

Citi ThankYou Points Transfer Partners

Citi ThankYou Points can be transferred to the program’s travel and other partners. The list of transfer partners includes:

• American Airlines AAdvantage
• Aeromexico
• Asia Miles
• Avianca LifeMiles
• Choice Privileges
• Emirates Skywards
• Etihad Guest
• EVA Air
• Flying Blue
• InterMiles
• JetBlue TrueBlue
• Malaysia Airlines Enrich
• Qantas Frequent Flyer
• Qatar Privilege Club
• Shop Your Way
• Singapore Airlines
• Thai Royal Orchid Plus
• Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

For the most part, points transfer on a 1:1 basis. So 1,000 ThankYou Points would be worth 1,000 miles. But there are some exceptions. For example, 1 ThankYou Point is worth 10 Shop Your Way Points. And 1,000 ThankYou Points are worth 2,000 Choice Privileges points for Citi Prestige and Premier cardholders.

FAQs

The Bottom Line

The Citi ThankYou Rewards program is open to certain Citibank credit card cardholders and Citi customers with eligible bank accounts. Points can be redeemed in a variety of ways, including gift cards, statement credits, cash back, and shopping at Amazon.com. They can also be transferred to the program’s travel partners.