If you’re planning to turn your everyday spending into travel rewards, we always recommend using credit cards that earn transferable points. These types of rewards give you more control over how you redeem because you can transfer points to different airline and hotel partners. That kind of flexibility can open up better travel deals and higher redemption value.
One of the top options right now is the Citi ThankYou program. It’s become much more attractive recently with the launch of new cards and the addition of American Airlines AAdvantage as a full 1-to-1 transfer partner. This update alone gives you more options when using your points for flights.
In this blog post, we’re going to show you the best cards for earning Citi ThankYou Points based on how well they help you collect rewards faster. Some of these cards work as core accounts that unlock high-value redemptions. Others are excellent backup cards that let you earn more points in everyday spending categories. Pairing the right cards together gives you a strong strategy to grow your points balance efficiently.
Our Top Two Citi ThankYou Core Cards for Full Transfer Access
Citi has a variety of credit cards that let you earn ThankYou points, but not all of them give you the ability to transfer those points to airline and hotel partners at the highest value. To unlock that feature, you need to have one of two main cards in your wallet. These cards act as the foundation of your strategy and give you full access to Citi’s list of travel transfer partners. While the older Citi Prestige Card used to serve this role, it’s no longer available to new applicants, so we won’t focus on that here.
Citi Strata Elite Card
Annual fee: $595
Bonus categories
12x points on hotels, rental cars, and experiences booked through Citi Travel
6x points on flights booked through Citi Travel
6x points on dining during Citi Nights (Fridays and Saturdays from 6 PM to 6 AM ET)
3x points on dining the rest of the week
1.5x points on all other purchases
The Citi Strata Elite Card is Citi’s new premium travel rewards card, and it comes with a high annual fee. But the benefits help make up for it. You can get up to $300 per year in hotel credits when you book through Citi Travel, plus up to $200 each in annual credits for American Airlines flights, Blacklane car service, and other select merchants through the Splurge program.
Right now, you can earn 80,000 ThankYou points as a welcome offer after spending $4,000 in the first three months. Some Citi branches may offer a higher in-person bonus, so that’s worth checking if you live near one. This card is especially useful if you often fly with American Airlines since you can now transfer ThankYou points directly to AAdvantage.
Citi Strata Premier Card
Annual fee: $95
Bonus categories
10x points on hotels, rental cars, and attractions through Citi Travel
3x points on dining
3x points at supermarkets
3x points at gas stations and EV charging locations
3x points on airfare and hotel stays booked outside the Citi portal
1x point on all other purchases
The Citi Strata Premier Card offers one of the best ways to earn Citi ThankYou points across a wide range of everyday categories. With no foreign transaction fees, a strong mix of bonus rates, and a $100 annual hotel savings benefit when you book through the ThankYou travel portal, this mid-tier card delivers excellent value.
You’ll also earn a sign-up bonus of 60,000 ThankYou points after you spend $4,000 in the first three months. If you’re looking for a solid, low-annual-fee card that gives you full access to Citi’s transfer partners, this is our go-to recommendation.
Three No Annual Fee Citi Cards That Boost Your ThankYou Points Strategy
If you’re already using a Citi Strata Elite or Citi Strata Premier card, there are three additional Citi cards that can take your points earning strategy even further. We consider these to be excellent “booster” cards. They pair well with your main ThankYou account and help you collect more points in specific spending categories. Best of all, none of these cards charge an annual fee, so you can keep them long term without paying extra out of pocket. That also benefits your credit score by lengthening your credit history.
These booster cards do allow limited point transfers on their own, but the redemption options are far more valuable when you also hold one of Citi’s full transfer cards. Combining points across Citi cards is simple to do through your online account. Just note that all three of these cards have a 3 percent foreign transaction fee, so we don’t recommend using them when traveling abroad or shopping in a foreign currency.
Citi Double Cash Card
Annual fee: $0
Bonus categories
2x points on all purchases
Earn 1x when you make a purchase and another 1x when you pay it off
The Citi Double Cash Card is one of our favorite no annual fee options for everyday spending that doesn’t fall into a bonus category. You’ll earn 1 ThankYou point when you make a purchase and another point when you pay for it, giving you a simple but powerful 2x rate on everything you buy.
These points can be pooled with your other ThankYou points for travel transfers if you also have a premium Citi card. Or, if you prefer, you can redeem them for cash back at one cent per point. The card also comes with a welcome offer of 20,000 ThankYou points after spending $1,500 in the first six months. If you want to earn consistent rewards without worrying about categories, this is one of the best cards for earning Citi ThankYou Points across the board.
Citi Strata Card
Annual fee: $0
Bonus categories
5x points on hotels, rental cars, and attractions booked through Citi Travel
3x points on supermarkets, gas stations, EV charging, and select transit
3x points on one self-selected category
2x points on restaurants
1x point on all other purchases
The Citi Strata Card is a newer addition to Citi’s lineup and offers a wide mix of bonus categories, especially impressive for a card with no annual fee. You can earn 5x points when booking eligible travel through Citi Travel, and strong 3x categories for everyday spending.
You can also choose one self-select bonus category from a rotating list, which includes options like streaming services, pet supply stores, hair salons, barbershops, cosmetic retailers, live entertainment, and fitness memberships. That flexibility gives you the power to target the category that fits your spending habits best.
The Citi Strata Card currently offers a sign-up bonus of 30,000 ThankYou points after spending $1,000 in the first three months. It’s a great addition if you want to earn bonus points in categories your main card may not cover.
Citi Custom Cash Card
Annual fee: $0
Bonus categories
5x points in your top eligible spending category each billing cycle, up to $500
1x point on all other purchases
The Citi Custom Cash Card works differently from most other rewards cards. Each billing cycle, it automatically gives you 5x points in the eligible category where you spend the most, up to $500 per month. After that cap, you’ll earn 1x points on the rest of your purchases.
Eligible 5x categories include things like restaurants, grocery stores, gas stations, drugstores, home improvement stores, select transit, select travel, fitness clubs, live entertainment, and select streaming services. Some of these aren’t common bonus categories on other cards, so this could be a smart fit if you spend a lot in one specific area like home projects or concerts.
Used with a Citi transfer-enabled card, the Citi Custom Cash becomes a powerful tool to earn more ThankYou points in your most-used category, without paying an annual fee.
How to Build the Best Strategy for Maximizing Citi ThankYou Points
If you want to earn the most rewards possible, combining multiple Citi credit cards is one of the smartest strategies available. Citi’s lineup makes it easy to create a setup that boosts your points across different categories, and in our view, their options are some of the most competitive among major credit card issuers.
A powerful combination is to pair either the Citi Strata Elite Card or the Citi Strata Premier Card with the Citi Double Cash Card. Here’s why that works so well. The Strata Elite and Premier cards unlock full access to Citi’s airline and hotel transfer partners, while the Double Cash Card earns 2x points on all purchases once you pay your balance. That gives you solid rewards for everyday spending that doesn’t fall into any bonus category.
With this setup, you can assign each purchase to the card that gives you the best return. Use your Strata card for categories like travel, dining, and groceries, then fall back on the Double Cash Card for all other transactions. That way, you’re always earning at least 2x points per dollar spent, and often more.
One thing to remember before applying is that Citi has specific rules around how often you can get approved for new cards. You can only be approved for one Citi card every eight days and no more than two Citi cards within a 65-day period. Keep this in mind when planning your applications so you can build your Citi ThankYou points strategy smoothly.
Final Thoughts on the Best Cards for Earning Citi ThankYou Points
Citi’s ThankYou program has come a long way, and it’s stronger than ever with the recent additions of the Citi Strata Elite Card and the Citi Strata Card. If you’re serious about earning transferable rewards and especially if you’re looking to collect American Airlines AAdvantage miles through point transfers, these cards are definitely worth considering.
The Citi Strata Elite Card, despite its $595 annual fee, delivers a large welcome bonus and comes packed with high-end travel perks including lounge access and hundreds of dollars in annual credits. On the other end, the Citi Strata Card is one of the best no annual fee credit cards available today thanks to its wide range of bonus categories.
We also think the Citi Double Cash Card stands out as a core part of your Citi setup. It gives you a reliable way to earn 2x ThankYou points on everything you buy, once you pay off your purchases. If you’re building a plan to earn the most points across everyday spending, these are some of the best cards for earning Citi ThankYou Points right now.
Get Insider Tools and Join the Right Community
If you’re serious about earning more Citi ThankYou points and want a smart way to build your card setup, this is the perfect time to connect with others who are doing the same.
When you join TheMilesAcademy free community, you’ll get firsthand access to exclusive strategies, updates, and step-by-step tips that help you earn and redeem points the right way. Our members are already using these insights to travel more, spend less, and avoid the common mistakes that cost people rewards every year.
As part of the community, you’ll also be able to use our brand new credit card finder tool, built specifically to help travelers like you. The tool is mobile-friendly, fast, and takes just a few minutes to complete. It’s completely free and private. You won’t need to worry about your credit score either, since it only runs a soft check. Just answer a few simple questions and it shows you which cards match your profile and goals.
If you’re ready to stop guessing and start earning more from your credit card strategy, join us at TheMilesAcademy and try the card finder tool today. This is the smarter way to plan your next move.
