How to earn Citi ThankYou points

Citi — a finder.com advertising partner — has a solid range of earning categories with many methods to earn points fast. And while the Citi ThankYou program lacks some earning options compared to competitors — such as earning ThankYou points through partnered retailers —Citi is one of the few credit card companies to allow you to purchase points. This gives you some flexibility if you only need a few more points to earn a reward.

Six ways to earn Citi ThankYou points

What you’ll find in this guide

• Earn points with signup bonuses
• Spend in eligible categories
• Book travel through Citi Travel Center

• Merge your Citibank accounts
• Share Citi points
• Purchase Citi points

Earn points with signup bonuses

Every Citi ThankYou card offers a signup bonus to help you quickly accumulate points. Each card provides a different welcome offer and qualification requirements, so choose a card with requirements you know you can complete.

Citi welcome offer limitation

Citi has a few restrictions included in their welcome offer policies. Specifically, you can only earn the welcome offer on a card if you haven’t opened or closed that exact card within the prior 24 months.

You also can’t earn a welcome offer on a card if you’ve opened a card account with the same card “type” within the prior 24 months. For example, you’ll be unable to earn the welcome offer on both the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard® and the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard® within that two-year span.

Compare cards for earning Citi ThankYou points

Spend in eligible categories

Depending on the credit card you choose, you’ll be able to earn ThankYou points on purchases made across a variety of categories. Here are a few examples of what each Citi ThankYou credit card can earn in a given category.

Credit card	Earning categories
Citi Rewards+℠ Card	2x points on supermarkets and gas stations on up to $6,000 (then 1x points) 1x points on all other purchases
Citi Premier℠ Card	3x points at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, flights and hotels 1x points on all other purchases
Citi Prestige® Credit Card	5x points on air travel 5x points on restaurants 3x points on hotels 3x points on cruise lines 1x points on all other purchases
Citi Rewards+℠ Student Card	2x points on supermarkets and gas stations on up to $6,000 (then 1x points) 1x points on all other purchases

The information about Citi Premier℠ Card, Citi Prestige® Credit Card and Citi Rewards+℠ Student Card have been collected independently by Finder and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer.

You can also earn ThankYou points with other Citi rewards cards, including certain Citi business cards. Compare Citi rewards cards to find the card that offers the best earning categories for you.

Book travel through Citi Travel Center

While you technically need to spend your Citi ThankYou points to book travel through Citi’s portal, you’ll still earn miles with the airline of your choice. Consider this a rebate on your points since you aren’t earning Citi ThankYou points directly.

Merge your Citibank accounts

If you have a Citibank Account Package or want to open one, you can earn bonus points to your ThankYou account for connecting your accounts and fulfilling certain requirements.
Data obtained at the time of writing. Values are subject to change and should be used only as a general guide.

If you have a Citigold Account, Citi Priority Account or Citi Private Bank Account Package, then you can earn even more points for meeting certain requirements.

Data obtained at the time of writing. Values are subject to change and should be used only as a general guide.

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Share Citi points

Unlike some credit card reward programs, Citi allows you to purchase points to your account through the ThankYou.com site. While points purchased this way are typically a poor value play, this can be helpful if you need a few more points for a redemption.

Purchase Citi points

Unlike some credit card reward programs, Citi allows you to purchase points to your account through the ThankYou.com site. While points purchased this way are typically a poor value play, this can be helpful if you need a few more points for a redemption.

Bottom line

While the Citi ThankYou program lacks some of the earning potential found in some of its competitors, you can still build more than enough points for some great redemption options.

If you’re looking for a credit card with more earning potential, compare reward cards to find one that fits your spending habits.

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Frequently asked questions

• How much are Citi ThankYou points worth?

  The value of Citi ThankYou points depends on what you’re redeeming them on. When redeemed for cashback statements, they’re worth 0.5 cents each according to the Citi ThankYou site at the time of writing.

• Do ThankYou points expire?

  Generally, your points won’t expire so long as you maintain an active account. You can do so making a qualifying purchase activity at least once every 18 months.

• Can I transfer points to another Citi card?

  Yes. You can transfer up to 100,000 Citi ThankYou points per calendar year from your account opening. You can receive the same number of points per calendar year. You must use points transferred within 90 days of the date of transfer.