Start here: Citi ThankYou Rewards — accounts, earning, redeeming and keeping points

Step 1: What ThankYou Rewards is and who it suits

You will learn: what the programme is, who the agreement is between, and which US card accounts fall inside its Card Account definition.

The Program is the Citi ThankYou Rewards loyalty program, and this Agreement is between You and Citibank [1]. You accept it when You earn or redeem Points, by continued use of the Card Account associated with your ThankYou Account, or when You successfully enrolled in the Program [1]. The Agreement replaces previous versions, and additional terms and conditions associated with the Program are considered part of it [1].

The Agreement does not apply to a rewards program offered with a credit card account issued outside the United States, even if that program offers rewards currency called ThankYou Points [1]. A Citi ThankYou Card Account that participates is governed by separate Citi ThankYou Rewards Terms and Conditions for Citi ThankYou Card Accounts [1]. A Card Account is a credit card account issued in the United States by Citibank that participates in the Program, except the Citibank Corporate Travel & Entertainment Card, Citi Custom Cash, Citi Double Cash and Citi ThankYou Card Account [1]. A reader with a participating US-issued Citibank credit card inside that definition is the cardholder this agreement describes [1].

Go deeper: Start here: cards and transfers, US transferable points systems compared, and credit card issuer.

Step 2: How you join: your ThankYou Account

You will learn: how a ThankYou Account is created, where the balance sits, and what to protect.

A ThankYou Account is a Program account set up for a Member to keep track of Point activity, including when and how Points are received and redeemed, and through which a Member may redeem Points [1]. A ThankYou Account is set up for each Card Account, and Points earned with a certain Card Account are credited to the corresponding ThankYou Account [1]. Multiple ThankYou Accounts can be combined into one at thankyou.com or by calling the ThankYou Service Center at 1-800-THANKYOU (1-800-842-6596) (TTY: 711 or other Relay Service) [1]. The balance is in the “My Points Summary” section of “My Account” at thankyou.com, or through the same service center [1]. If Points are received in error or earned Points have not been received, call the ThankYou Service Center [1].

Protect the online ThankYou Account username and password as you would other Citi Account information, because anyone who can access the online account can use the Points to redeem for Rewards and change personal information [1]. Customers cannot enroll a Citibank Checking Account in ThankYou Rewards after July 18, 2022 [1].

Go deeper: Citi Strata Premier, Citi Strata Elite, and Citi ThankYou Rewards pooling rules.

Step 3: How earning works

You will learn: which purchases earn, when Points post, and why card type and merchant coding matter.

Only purchases using the Card Account earn Points, minus returns and refunds [1]. The terms exclude checks that access the Card Account, balance transfers, cash advances, travelers checks, foreign currency purchases, money orders, wire transfers and similar cash-like transactions, lottery tickets, gaming chips and similar betting transactions, interest and account fees, unauthorized charges, and items returned for credit [1]. Points may be earned as long as the Card Account is open and current [1].

Points from a purchase appear at the end of the billing cycle in which the purchase was made; a purchase near the end of a cycle may take up to one additional billing cycle, and Bonus Points may take one to two additional billing cycles [1]. Subtracting Points, for example after returning items purchased with the Card Account, can create a negative Point balance, and later Points earned are used to bring the balance to zero [1]. Depending on the type of Card Account, a card may earn more than one Point for each $1 spent on certain categories, such as entertainment and dining out [1].

Merchants are assigned merchant category codes under Visa, Mastercard or American Express procedures based on what they primarily sell, and Citi does not control those codes [1]. Citi groups similar merchant codes into categories, and a purchase does not qualify for additional Points if the merchant's code is not grouped into that category as determined by Citi [1]. For example, a restaurant inside a retailer may not earn additional Points if it is assigned a retailer code instead of a restaurant code [1]. Citi reserves the exclusive right to determine which purchases qualify for additional Points, and purchases made through mobile or wireless technology may not earn additional Points depending on how the technology processes the purchase [1].

Go deeper: earning rate and Citi Strata Premier vs Chase Sapphire Preferred.

Step 4: How to use points

You will learn: who may redeem, what the main reward options are, and why a redemption is not confirmed until the points are taken.

Only You can redeem Points from your ThankYou Account unless Citi tells You otherwise [1]. Authorized users whose Card Account is linked to your ThankYou Account may use your Points on websites, mobile applications, or at the point of sale of participating Shop with Points merchants [1]. Once Points appear in the ThankYou Account, they are available for redemption, and what You can currently get with Points is shown by logging into the ThankYou Account at thankyou.com [1]. Unless otherwise noted at the time of redemption, a redemption is final, except that some physical gift card or gift certificate orders may be cancelled, as shown on the order history page, and a physical gift card or gift certificate may be returned due to a defect or damaged shipment by calling the ThankYou Service Center [1]. The value of a Point may vary depending on the Reward and on whether it was earned with a Citibank Checking Account or a particular Card Account; Citi has the right to change the Points-to-dollar conversion rate at any time, and two Rewards with the same dollar value may have a different cost in Points [1].

Points Transfer lets You redeem Points by transferring them to participating travel loyalty programs; eligibility depends on your Card Product, with details at thankyou.com/transfer [1]. Pay with Points lets You redeem Points for a statement credit covering all or part of recent purchases in certain categories, with eligibility depending on your Card Product [1]. Certain Rewards, such as Statement Credit, require a minimum number of Points, and availability of any Reward is not guaranteed [1].

Citi Travel provides travel-related Rewards powered by Rocket Travel by Agoda, a service partner for the Program, and Points can be redeemed through the Citi Travel center for airfare, hotels, car rentals, attractions and other travel if applicable [1]. The number of Points required varies with factors including itinerary, date and time of travel; Points and dollars can be combined; the total Points required includes taxes, fees and surcharges, which may change at any time without notice; and no Point amount, Travel Rewards availability or times of travel are confirmed until the required Points are deducted and the tickets or travel documents are issued [1]. The terms state that Rewards from Points earned on Card Account purchases are not taxable income, while Rewards from certain other Points, such as Citibank Checking Account Points, are [1].

Go deeper: how to redeem Citi ThankYou Rewards, issuer travel portals compared, transfer ratio, and minimum transfer.

Step 5: Keeping points: expiry, closing a card and changes

You will learn: how expiry works, what happens when an account closes or converts, and which changes require notice.

The terms describe no status tiers for ThankYou Rewards [1]. Points earned using a Citi Account generally will not expire, with possible exceptions depending on the type of Citi Account [1]. The chart in the terms gives examples: Citibank Checking Accounts expire three years from December 31 of the year the Points were earned, so Points earned on July 31, 2024 expire December 31, 2027 [1]. When Points expire, redemption deducts the Points with the earliest expiration date first, and Points expiring in the next 60 days appear under “My Points Summary” in “My Account” at thankyou.com [1]. From May 17, 2026, Point Sharing is no longer offered as a ThankYou Rewards redemption option, and shared Points expire 90 days after the date they were shared [1].

How a Citi Account was closed or converted determines how long You have to use Points associated with it [1]. If You voluntarily close the Citi Account or convert it to an account that does not participate, You must use the Points within 90 days after closing or converting, or if required by law from notification, or You lose the Points earned with that account [1]. If Citi closes the Card Account due to inactivity or converts it to a card that does not participate, the same 90-day period applies [1]. If Citi closes the Citi Account for any other reason, You lose the Points immediately unless prohibited by law [1]. With multiple Citi Accounts on one ThankYou Account, at the time one is closed or converted You lose only the Points earned with that closed or converted account unless prohibited by law [1]. The ThankYou Account may close when there are no open Citi Accounts associated with it, and if it closes for any reason with Points in it, those Points are lost immediately unless prohibited by law [1].

Citi may change the Program or the Agreement at any time, and will provide notice if required by law [1]. Citi will not notify You if it changes what Rewards are available or the number of Points required for a Reward, and an updated copy is posted on thankyou.com [1]. Citi gives 30 days' advance written notice for a change that negatively affects the number of Points You can earn, a change that negatively affects when Points expire or how or when You may lose them, a change in how You can exercise your rights, or cancellation of the Program [1].

Go deeper: transferable points when closing a card and points value calculator.

Step 6: Your first concrete action

You will learn: a short checklist that turns the rules into one concrete account check.

1. Confirm that the card is a Citibank credit card account issued in the United States that participates in the Program and is not the Citibank Corporate Travel & Entertainment Card, Citi Custom Cash, Citi Double Cash or a Citi ThankYou Card Account, and that it was not issued outside the United States [1].
2. Log in at thankyou.com and find the balance under “My Points Summary” in “My Account” [1]. If there are several Citi cards, multiple ThankYou Accounts can be combined at thankyou.com [1].
3. Check the terms for the earning rate that applies to the Card Account before relying on any category bonus [1].
4. Before transferring Points, check at thankyou.com/transfer whether the Card Product is eligible [1].
5. Before closing or converting a card, use or move the Points earned with it: after a voluntary closure or a closure for inactivity, the period is 90 days, while a Citi closure for another reason loses the Points immediately unless prohibited by law [1].

After that checklist, continue with the programme hub for every page about Citi ThankYou Rewards, grouped by task.

Next: the Citi ThankYou Rewards programme hub, the redemption guide, and the pooling rules.