How to maximize Citi ThankYou Points with the Citi Double Cash
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Key takeaways
- The Citi® Double Cash Card earns rewards as Citi ThankYou Points, which can be redeemed for cash, gift cards, travel and more.
- Points earned through this annual fee-free card are “basic” ThankYou points, which limits their value for travel rewards.
- Pair the Citi Double Cash Card with a more premium Citi card that earns full-fledged ThankYou points, with which you can pool these points, for maximum value.
The Citi® Double Cash Card is one of the best cash back credit cards out there, mostly due to its exceptional flat rewards rate with no annual fee. However, cardholders can also use this card’s lucrative balance transfer offer, which makes it easy to pay down debt without interest for a limited time.
Cardholders earn their cash back as Citi ThankYou points.
If you’re considering the Citi Double Cash Card for earning rewards and wondering how you can make the most of them, the Citi ThankYou program could be your ticket. Read on to learn more about the Citi Double Cash Card, the rewards you can earn and how you can get the most bang for your buck.
Features of the Citi Double Cash Card
Consider the main details of the Citi Double Cash Card before you sign up, including the rewards rate, annual fee and APR.
- Earn 2 percent cash back for each dollar you spend—1 percent when a purchase is made and another 1 percent when you pay it off
- No annual fee
- 0 percent APR on balance transfers for 18 months (transfers must be made within first four months) followed by a variable APR of 19.24% to 29.24%
- Comes with Citi Entertainment benefits and Citi Flex Pay alternative installment payment plans for qualifying cardholders
How to convert Citi Double Cash rewards to ThankYou points
Rewards accumulate in the form of ThankYou points. You can redeem your earned ThankYou points for a check, statement credit or direct deposit. Alternatively, you can keep your rewards as Citi ThankYou points. If you’re eager to get started, you’ll start the process by logging into your Citi account.
How much are Citi Double Cash ThankYou points worth?
When you convert ThankYou points to cash, the value of your rewards works out to one cent per point. For example, 100 Citi Double Cash ThankYou points earned with the Citi® Double Cash Card translates to $1 in cash back.
You can also redeem Citi ThankYou points for purchases on Amazon.com, gift cards, charitable donations or travel.
One important caveat: ThankYou points earned with the Citi Double Cash Card are what our colleagues at The Points Guy call “basic” ThankYou points. That means you cannot transfer them directly to most travel partners. But you can still use basic points to book travel through Citi at 1.0 cents per point.
Is opting for ThankYou points over cash worth it?
Using Citi ThankYou points can definitely be worth it, but make sure you have a plan in mind first. Remember, cash is always more flexible than merchandise or gift cards. For example, you can redeem your ThankYou points for gift cards through Citi, but you could also redeem your cash back for statement credits after charging the same gift card to your card.
Of course, there are some conveniences that come with the Citi ThankYou program that you won’t get with cash back. For example, Citi lets you use your rewards in many ways, including travel through the Citi portal. If you want to cash in your points directly for flights, hotel stays and other travel, keeping them as Citi ThankYou points may be the simplest option.
There are also a few unique ways you can redeem your rewards that might be more convenient for you than a statement credit or check. For example, you could redeem rewards for a donation to a selection of charities, including No Kid Hungry, Smile Train and the American Red Cross, starting at 1,000 points.
Maximizing the Citi Double Cash Card
Using the card for your spending and regular bills at its excellent 2 percent cash back rate is the fastest way to rack up ThankYou points.
But you’ll likely get the best value from your Citi Double Cash rewards from other loyalty programs.
As explained, the Citi Double Cash Card earns basic ThankYou points, which have limitations. Other Citi cards with annual fees, such as the Citi Premier® Card or the Citi Prestige® Card (both of which are no longer available), earn “full-fledged” ThankYou points. You can transfer full-fledged points to Citi ThankYou travel partners for better redemption values. If you have both the Citi Double Cash card and a card that earns full-fledged ThankYou points, you can pool those points together in your Citi Premier Card or Citi Prestige Card account and transfer them to all 18 transfer partners.
If you do not have a card that earns full-fledged points, you may only transfer your basic points to three loyalty programs — and at a lower transfer ratio than full-fledged ThankYou points.
Citi transfer partners and transfer ratios for the Citi DoubleCash card depend on the partner you’re transferring to, with terms that apply.
| Transfer partner | Transfer ratio (ThankYou points to partner points or miles) |
|---|---|
| Choice Privileges | 2:3 |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | 5:4 |
| Wyndham Resorts | 5:4 |
If you also earn full-fledged points, your options after pooling your points vary by partner.
| Transfer partner | Transfer ratio (ThankYou points to partner points or miles) |
|---|---|
| Aeromexico Club Premier | 1:1 |
| Accor Live Limitless | 2:1 |
| Air France-KLM Flying Blue | 1:1 |
| Avianca LifeMiles | 1:1 |
| Cathay Pacific Asia Miles | 1:1 |
| Choice Privileges | 1:2 |
| Emirates Skywards | 1:1 |
| Etihad Guest | 1:1 |
| EVA Air Infinity MileageLands | 1:1 |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | 1:1 |
| Leading Hotels of the World Leaders Club | 5:1 |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | 1:1 |
| Qatar Airways Privilege Club | 1:1 |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | 1:1 |
| Thai Royal Orchid Plus | 1:1 |
| Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles | 1:1 |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 1:1 |
| Wyndham Resorts | 1:1 |
Additional benefits of the Citi Double Cash Card
The Citi Double Cash Card doesn’t come with a lot of perks, but you do get access to Citi Entertainment. This feature gives you access to exclusive events and presale tickets for certain concerts, sports games and more.
However, the biggest benefit of this card is its introductory balance transfer offer. New cardholders get 0 percent APR on balance transfers made in their first four months as cardholders for 18 months (followed by a variable APR of 19.24 percent to 29.24 percent). They’ll also get an intro balance transfer fee of 3 percent or $5 (whichever is greater) on transfer within the first four months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5 percent of each transfer, or $5, whichever is higher.
The bottom line
While the Citi Double Cash Card is well known as a cash back card, it can also be a valuable travel tool if you pair it with a premium Citi travel credit card. With a few different cards in your wallet, you could use each one within their respective bonus categories to rack up more points. For example, if you have the Citi Premier Card, you could use it for purchases within its 3X point categories (restaurants, gas stations, supermarkets, air travel and hotels) and then switch to your Citi Double Cash Card to earn 2X points on everything else.
Plus, since the Citi Double Cash Card doesn’t charge an annual fee, it’s a solid rewards credit card to keep for the long haul. Learn more about whether this card is worth it against your spending habits and financial goals.
