Citi ThankYou Points: A Beginner's Guide to an Underrated Currency

Citi ThankYou Points are the quietest of the major transferable currencies — and one of the more underrated. Citi doesn’t market the program as aggressively as Chase or Amex, but it has a strong list of airline partners and one route that genuinely sets it apart. Here’s the beginner’s guide.

How you earn ThankYou Points

You earn through cards like the Citi Strata Premier, Double Cash, and Custom Cash. The Double Cash is a workhorse that effectively earns 2% on everything (and that cash can be converted to ThankYou Points with the right card combo); the Strata Premier earns elevated points across common spending categories like dining, groceries, gas, and travel — and it’s the card that unlocks transfers to airline and hotel partners. Points pool across your Citi cards.

The standout: a route into American AAdvantage

Here’s what makes Citi special. As we covered in our American Airlines guide, AAdvantage has no traditional transferable-points partners — you generally can’t move Amex or Chase points into American. But Citi ThankYou Points transfer to American AAdvantage, making Citi one of the only flexible currencies that can feed AA miles. If you want to book oneworld premium cabins through American, Citi is your friend.

Beyond that, Citi partners with a deep airline list including Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, Avianca LifeMiles, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, and more, plus hotel partners Accor, Choice, and Wyndham. Premium-card transfers are typically 1:1.

What the points are worth

Like the other transferable currencies, ThankYou Points are worth about 1 cent for basic redemptions but 2 cents or more when transferred to the right airline partner for a premium-cabin award. The Turkish Miles&Smiles and Singapore KrisFlyer partnerships in particular open up some excellent-value redemptions.

The smartest ways to use Citi points

• Use the AAdvantage transfer when you want American/oneworld awards — it’s a route few other programs offer.
• Look at Turkish and Singapore for high-value premium redemptions.
• Pair Double Cash or Custom Cash with the Strata Premier so your everyday earnings can be transferred to partners.
• Confirm award availability before transferring, as always.

Bottom Line

Citi ThankYou Points are underrated and worth knowing, especially because they’re one of the only transferable currencies that can feed American AAdvantage miles — plus strong partners like Turkish, Singapore, and Virgin Atlantic. Earn them with the Strata Premier (which unlocks transfers) alongside the Double Cash or Custom Cash, and you’ll have a flexible currency that punches well above its quiet reputation.

Part of our complete Points & Miles guide. Not sure what your points are worth? See the latest points valuations or run the numbers with our free calculators.