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15,000 points
$0
0% intro APR for first 12 months,After that, your APR will be 14.24% to 24.24%, based on your creditworthiness
Earn 2x points for dining out and entertainment, plus pay off balances with a intro APR. Use your points with Citi ThankYou transfer partners for travel rewards!
The information for the Citi ThankYou® Preferred Card has been collected independently by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
You prefer dining out to eating at home, hands down. You thrive on entertainment, whether it’s sporting events, concerts, or the movies.
In fact, you’d much rather spend your money on a baseball game than your credit card’s annual fees.
Luckily, you have the Citi ThankYou® Preferred Card in your wallet. Not only does it not have an annual fee, but it also comes with Citi Private Pass. That means special access to tickets for the best in live music, sports, and more!
Unlike several other Citi credit cards, the Citi ThankYou Preferred card does not typically offer points as a welcome bonus. However, you do get an intro APR on purchases and balance transfers.
Using an intro APR is a great way to pay off a big purchase or a high-interest credit card without accumulating finance charges! After the initial period, the APR returns to normal rates (see the above card summary table).
With this card, you get 2x points on dining and entertainment and 1x points on other purchases. If you eat out a lot and enjoy going to movies, plays, sporting events, etc. then the points can really add up.
There is no limit to the number of points you can earn, and best of all they don’t expire.
Bottom Line: The Citi ThankYou Preferred Card offers an intro APR on purchases and balance transfers and earns 2x points for dining and entertainment and 1x everywhere else!
One of the biggest benefits of the card is that it comes with no annual fee. In addition, you can add authorized users for free to rack up points for their purchases too.
The card also gives you some flexibility when it comes to paying your bill. You can choose to pay your bill on any available due date at the beginning, middle, or end of the month.
If you want help making trip arrangements, purchasing tickets, and booking exclusive events, the Citi ThankYou Preferred card has your back. It comes with a 24/7 global concierge team to assist you.
An EMV chip is built into the card, which makes it easier to use (and more secure) overseas. Unfortunately, there is a 3% foreign transaction fee if you choose to so.
Getting the most out of your card is important. If you want to earn the most Citi ThankYou Points, check out the following tips:
Tip #1: The top strategy for accumulating points with the Citi ThankYou Preferred card is simple to use it for all your dining and entertainment spending since it earns 2x points.
Using the card for all of your monthly expenses will help you bank points faster.
Tip #2: Remember, entertainment is a huge category. You get 2x points for using your card at movie theaters, sporting events, tourist attractions, theatrical productions, record stores, and video stores.
Tip #3: Get extra points by putting the entire restaurant bill on your card when dining with friends or colleagues. Then they can pay you back with cash later!
Tip #4: There’s no fee for adding authorized users, which not all cards offer. Add users to the card so you can earn their points too.
Tip #5: You are allowed to combine ThankYou Points from multiple Citi credit cards. If you have points on other cards, move them all to one account so you can redeem them for bigger awards.
Tip #6: If you have canceled the card and a sign-up bonus reappears, make a note that you can sign up for the card again to take advantage of the bonus. However, you must follow the “18 Months Rule” when doing so.
Under this rule, you can only receive the sign-up bonus points if you have not opened or closed an account for the same card within the last 18 months.
In other words, if you closed your card account on January 1, 2023, you cannot open it again until July 2, 2024.
The Citi ThankYou Preferred card provides several opportunities for redeeming your ThankYou Points.
Tip #1: Unlike the Citi Prestige® Card, you won’t get more value out of your points by booking flights through the ThankYou Travel Center. However, redeeming through the Travel Center allows you to combine cash and ThankYou Points to pay for your flight.
Plus, all flights paid for with ThankYou Points earn additional points based on the cost of the fare. So not only can you redeem points for a flight, but you also get more points!
Tip #2: Transfer ThankYou Points to an airline or hotel partner’s loyalty program to gain maximum value for your points.
Note that card members transfer points to JetBlue at a reduced rate from the Citi Prestige® Card and Citi ThankYou® Premier Card, which transfer at a 1:0.8 ratio.
Tip #3: Transfer ThankYou Points to the Hilton Honors loyalty program. You can earn free hotel stays in no time with the awards ratio: transfer 1,000 points and get 1,500 Hilton Honors Bonus Points.
Tip #4: Redeem ThankYou Points for merchandise and gift cards from top retailers. For example, pay for purchases at Amazon.com, Expedia.com, and Live Nation using your points.
You can even make purchases through the Best Buy app and Wonder app, and then receive statement credit to cover the cost within 24-48 hours.
Tip #5: With Citi ThankYou Online Billpay and a Citibank checking account, you can use your points to pay your monthly bills. If you don’t have enough points to cover the cost, you can combine points and cash instead.
Tip #6: Get credit for eligible purchases you already made using your card with Select and Credit. It includes categories like utilities, gas, groceries, clothing, dining, department stores, and more!
Tip #7: Donate money to worthy causes with PointWorthy. You can browse non-profits approved by the IRS before making a donation with your ThankYou Points. Even better, earn points for every dollar you donate using your card!
Other Citi cards have more spending categories to earn bonus points, but the Citi ThankYou Preferred card limits them to dining and entertainment.
Fortunately, dining and entertainment are broadly defined.
Dining includes fast-food and full-service restaurants, bars, and lounges. Entertainment covers live entertainment, amusement parks, zoos, and even streaming media like Spotify or Netflix.
However, if you want a card that earns mega-rewards for everyday spending, you may want to consider the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express.
It has a $95 annual fee (after an introductory year of $0; see rates and fees), but earns 6% cash-back at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000, then 1%), 3% cash-back at U.S. gas stations, and 1% everywhere else.
In addition, the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card typically has an intro APR offer as well as a cash-back welcome bonus.
Bottom Line: The Citi ThankYou Preferred card has no annual fee, but it doesn’t earn as high of rewards as the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express.
The information for the Citi ThankYou® Preferred Card has been collected independently by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information for the Citi Prestige® Card has been collected independently by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, click here.
Founder and CEO of Upgraded Points, Alex is a leader in the industry and has earned and redeemed millions of points and miles. He frequently discusses the award travel industry with CNBC, Fox Business, The New York Times, and more.
Disclaimer: Any comments listed below are not from the bank advertiser, nor have they been reviewed or approved by them. No responsibility will be taken by the bank advertiser for these comments.
4 comments
Rob
June 13, 2019
Thanks for the good review. I am considering this card to supplement the Prestige card for 2x entertainment points plus since it is no fee. Most Citi cards have a great benefit that is seldom mentioned – “Event Ticket Protection”, which is insurance to refund tickets if you cannot make the event for specific reasons. I am probably spending more on group concert and sports tickets these days than travel. I save a lot of money not buying online ticket insurance. Does this card have ‘Event Ticket Protection” benefit?
Thanks.
-Rob-
Jarrod West
June 22, 2019
Hi Rob,
The Citi ThankYou Preferred card has been discontinued and is no longer being offered to new customers. However, the Citi Premier card offers 2x on entertainment purchases, as well as Event Ticket Protection.
You can read more about the card details here: /credit-cards/reviews/citi-thankyou-premier-card/
Jack
February 04, 2023
If we already have the card, it will still keep giving these rewards, correct?
Jarrod West
February 09, 2023
Hi Jack,
Yes, if you already have the keep earning rewards.
Any thoughts or questions? Comment below!
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