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Many rewards credit cards are only as valuable as the points they earn. Owning a credit card that earns Citi ThankYou Points can be intriguing since you can redeem them for travel, cash, gift cards, and shopping rewards. But how much is a Citi ThankYou point worth? That can depend on which Citi credit card you have.
Also, the Citi Premier currently comes with a great offer.
The information for the Citi Premier® Card has been collected independently by Johnny Jet. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
How Much Is A Citi ThankYou Point Worth? – Earning Points
When picking the best Citi credit card, you first need to find a card that earns bonus points on your largest or most common purchases. Each Citi credit card earns at least 1 Citi ThankYou point per dollar spent. You can earn up to 5 ThankYou points per $1 on certain purchases.
Earning bonus points means you have more points to redeem. And when you can redeem them for the highest redemption value, you can earn some of the most valuable credit card points.
Redeeming Citi ThankYou Points for Maximum Value
ThankYou points value depends on which redemption option you choose and which card you hold.
The industry standard redemption value for any credit card point is 1 cent per point. At this rate, 10,000 points are worth $100. But, your ThankYou points can be worth more or less than 1 cent each.
Transfer Points to Airlines
Transferring your points to a linked frequent flyer program is usually the most valuable option. This redemption option can also require the most effort. You must first transfer your ThankYou points to your airline loyalty account. Then, you redeem them for award flights directly through the airline.
Each airline values frequent flyer miles differently. The redemption value can depend on which route and cabin class you fly. Usually, first-class or business-class international flights have the highest value. Short domestic flights in economy class are usually the least valuable with a value closer to 1 cent each.
You can transfer your ThankYou points to these airlines at a 1:1 ratio:
- Aeromexico
- Asia Miles
- Avianca LifeMiles
- Etihad
- Emirates Skywards
- EVA Air
- Air France Flying Blue
- JetBlue
- Qantas
- Qatar Airways
- Singapore Airlines
- Thai Airways
- Turkish Airlines
- Virgin Atlantic
Except for JetBlue, you will need to book partner flights to fly a domestic airline. Thankfully, you have several ways to fly legacy carriers like American, Delta, or United using Citi ThankYou points.
One of the best transfer partners is Singapore Airlines. You can book award flights that Singapore Airlines operates. Their Singapore Suites class is one of the best first-class award flights. You can also book Star Alliance partner flights on airlines including United.
Another good option is Avianca LifeMiles for partner flights. Although award space is limited for some routes, Avianca doesn’t pass on the fuel surcharges. Booking the flight directly through an airline like Lufthansa or British Airways means paying a hefty fuel surcharge with cash.
Book Award Travel on ThankYou.com
You can also book award travel directly through your ThankYou account. Expect each point to be worth 1 cent each for flights, hotels, and rental cars.
Gift Cards
If you prefer cash or retail rewards, gift cards are consistently the most valuable non-travel reward. Each point is worth 1 cent each.
Most gift cards have a $25 starting balance. You will need 2,500 points to get a $25 gift card.
Citi may also let you redeem your points for merchandise credit with retailers that also offer gift cards. However, your points can be worth less than 1 cent each when redeeming directly through the merchant on a purchase. Redeeming points for gift cards is also more valuable than redeeming for cash rewards.
Cash Rewards
Redeeming your Citi ThankYou points for cash rewards are surprisingly one of the least valuable redemption options. Expect your points to only be worth 0.5 cents each for cash statement credits. At this rate, 10,000 points are only worth $50.
Avoid this redemption option unless you need to use your points before you close a credit card account.
Merchandise Credits
You can also redeem your ThankYou points on online purchases. Amazon can be your best option, though. Your points are only worth 0.8 cents each. For example, 10,000 points will be worth $80 when redeemed directly through Amazon for purchases.
Related article: Credit cards With the Best Rewards
Best Citi ThankYou Credit Cards
Here are some of the Citi ThankYou credit cards you should consider. The Citi ThankYou Point worth is an extra benefit to these cards.
Citi Premier Credit Card
The Citi Premier® Card is a mid-tier travel reward credit card. It’s possibly the best all-around ThankYou points credit card. You don’t get many fancy benefits like a travel statement credit, but you do get a $100 annual hotel benefit. Cardholders can enjoy $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more, excluding taxes and fees, through thankyou.com, once per calendar year.
- Earn 3x ThankYou points on air travel, hotels, supermarkets, restaurants, and gas stations
- Earn 1x points for everything else
- 1:1 airline point transfers
- No foreign transaction fee
New Citi Premier® Card cardmembers can earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. This bonus is redeemable for $600 in gift cards when redeemed at thankyou.com.
If this sounds like a good choice for you, check out the CardMatch™ tool, which is a free resource for finding personalized offers that best serve you. It can help you determine if the Citi Premier is a card you can get. Additionally, you may be offered a higher targeted signup bonus that isn’t available to the general public.
The annual fee is a reasonable $95.
Related: Citi Premier vs Capital One Venture Rewards
Citi Prestige Card
The information for the Citi Prestige® Card has been collected independently by Johnny Jet. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
This premium travel credit card is ideal for frequent flyers. You can also get the 4th hotel night free on a 4+ night stay two times per year. The best Citi Prestige Card benefits include:
- Earn 5x ThankYou points on air travel and dining
- Earn 3x points for hotels and cruise lines (1x points for everything else)
- $250 annual travel credit
- 4th hotel night free on 4+ night stays (up to two times per year)
- Priority Pass airport lounge access
- Cell phone protection up to $1,500 per year
- No foreign transaction fee
The annual fee is $495. While this may be steep, the benefits can save you thousands of dollars if you book luxury trips. Your points are only worth 1 cent each for all award travel redemption on ThankYou.com. Therefore, try to transfer your points to airlines to get the best value.
Related: Best Premium Travel Credit Cards
Citi Rewards+ Card
The information for the Citi Rewards+® Card has been collected independently by Johnny Jet. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
There is no annual fee with the Citi Rewards+® Card. This card also has a fun way to earn Citi ThankYou points:
- 2x points as supermarkets and gas stations (on the first $6,000 per year, then 1 point per $1)
- 1x points for all non-bonus purchases
- Round up your Citi ThankYou point earnings to the nearest 10
You don’t need to worry about having an odd ThankYou point balance. Citi rounds up your earnings to the nearest 10. For example, 22 points get deposited as 30 points. An 8-point purchase will increase to 10 points.
The best part is that Citi doesn’t round up your purchase amount to award more points. So, you get free points with each purchase.
Rewards+ cardholders can’t transfer their points to airlines. However, you get 10% of your points back up to the first 100,000 redeemed yearly. This can make each point worth 1.1 cents each.
Plus, for a limited time, earn 5 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals, and attractions booked on the Citi Travel Portal℠ through June 30, 2024.
New Citi Rewards+® Card cardholders can earn 20,000 bonus points after spending $1,500 in purchases with their card within 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $200 in gift cards at thankyou.com.
Summary of How Much Is a Citi ThankYou Point Worth
Each Citi ThankYou point is worth 1 cent each for travel and gift card redemptions on ThankYou.com. You can make them worth more by transferring them to an airline transfer partner. You don’t want to redeem them for cash rewards or merchandise credits as they will be worth between 0.5 and 0.8 cents each.
FAQs
How much is a Citi ThankYou point worth?
Citi ThankYou points can be worth as little as 0.5 cents or up to 6 cents each. The average value is 1 cent per point, similar to most credit card points.
Your points are most valuable when transferring to a 1:1 airline partner. Your points can be worth between 1 cent and 6 cents each in most cases. Focus on international first-class or business class award flights to get redemption value closer to 6 cents each. To get the highest redemption values, you will need to be flexible with your travel dates and which airline you fly.
ThankYou points are worth 1 cent each for award travel booked on ThankYou.com and for gift cards.
Your points are only worth between 0.5 and 0.8 cents each for cash rewards or shopping rewards. You should avoid these two redemption options as your points are worth less than the industry average.
Do Citi ThankYou points expire?
Your Citi ThankYou points don’t expire as long as your credit card account remains in good standing. Make sure you make the minimum monthly payment (ideally pay your balance in full each month). Making a periodic purchase is also a good way to keep your card account open.
Can you use Citi ThankYou points on Amazon?
Yes. It’s possible to use ThankYou points for Amazon purchases. However, each point is only worth 0.8 cents each. Each point is more valuable than redeeming for cash statement credits which are only 0.5 cents each. Instead, redeem your points for award travel or gift cards so your points can be worth 1 cent each.
At this time, you can’t redeem ThankYou points for Amazon gift cards.
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