How Long Do Citi ThankYou Points Take To Transfer to Partner Programs?
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Written by
Ben Luthi
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Edited by
Jasmin Baron, CCC™
Citi ThankYou® points can be transferred to more than a dozen airline frequent flyer programs and hotel loyalty programs. But since every transfer is irreversible, knowing how long they take matters. Transfer too late, and the award seat you had your eye on may be gone before your points or miles post.
If you have a ThankYou credit card or are considering one, here’s what Citi says about timing, and what actually happens in practice.
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Overview of Citi ThankYou Transfer Partners
Before diving into the full partner list, it helps to understand what you’re working with. Citi ThankYou Rewards is one of a handful of transferable credit card rewards programs. Other popular programs include Chase Ultimate Rewards®, American Express Membership Rewards®, and Capital One Rewards.
While many rewards credit cards only allow you to redeem your points or miles within the program, transferable rewards allow you to move your rewards to a range of travel loyalty programs.
Depending on how you use your rewards, you can potentially get far more than the standard 1 cent per point you’d get redeeming through the Citi Travel portal.
What Are Citi ThankYou Points?
Citi ThankYou points are the rewards currency earned through eligible Citi credit cards (an advertising partner). Cardholders can redeem points in a variety of ways, including cash back, travel bookings through the Citi Travel portal, gift cards, and shopping with points at participating retailers like Amazon.
But in many cases, the highest-value move is transferring points to one of Citi’s airline or hotel loyalty partners, where they can be worth significantly more.
Which Citi Cards Allow Point Transfers?
If your Citi credit card earns ThankYou points, you’ll likely be able to transfer them to the program’s travel partners, but not all cards provide access to every partner, and they don’t offer the same transfer ratios.
Here’s a look at which cards offer full access — meaning all partners at the full transfer ratios — and which ones offer reduced access, where the list of partners and transfer ratios can vary.
Full access:
- Citi Strata Elite℠ Card (an advertising partner)
- Citi Strata Premier® Card (an advertising partner)
- Citi Prestige® (no longer accepting applications)
Reduced access:
- Citi Strata℠ Card (an advertising partner)
- Citi Double Cash® Card (an advertising partner)
- Citi Custom Cash® Card
- Citi ThankYou® Preferred (no longer accepting applications)
- Citi ThankYou® Mastercard® (no longer accepting applications)
- AT&T Points PlusSM Card from Citi
- AT&T Access More (no longer accepting applications)
- AT&T Universal Rewards World (no longer accepting applications)
- AT&T Universal Savings and Rewards (no longer accepting applications)
- AT&T Universal Rewards (no longer accepting applications)
- AT&T Access (no longer accepting applications)
List of Citi Airline and Hotel Transfer Partners
As of March 2026, Citi has 14 airline partners and four hotel partners. Here’s a look at your options, including the ratio you can expect based on the type of card you have:
| Partner | Full Access Transfer Ratio | Reduced Access Transfer Ratio |
| American Airlines AAdvantage | 1:1 | 1:0.7 |
| Air France-KLM Flying Blue | 1:1 | 1:0.7 |
| Accor Live Limitless | 2:1 | 1:0.35 |
| Avianca LifeMiles | 1:1 | 1:0.7 |
| Cathay Pacific | 1:1 | 1:0.7 |
| Choice Privileges | 1:2 | 1:1.4 |
| Emirates Skywards | 1:0.8 | 1:0.56 |
| Etihad Guest | 1:1 | 1:0.7 |
| EVA Air Infinity MileageLands | 1:1 | 1:0.7 |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | 1:1 | 1:0.7 |
| Leading Hotels of the World Leaders Club | 5:1 | 1:0.14 |
| I Prefer Hotel Rewards | 1:4 | 1:2.8 |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | 1:1 | 1:0.7 |
| Qatar Airways Privilege Club | 1:1 | 1:0.7 |
| Singapore Airlines Krisflyer | 1:1 | 1:0.7 |
| Thai Royal Orchid Plus | 1:1 | 1:0.7 |
| Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles | 1:1 | 1:0.7 |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and Virgin Red | 1:1 | 1:0.7 |
How Long Do Citi ThankYou Points Take to Transfer? Average Transfer Times by Partner
Citi officially states that transfers can be completed in 24 hours to 14 days. That said, the actual timeline is much faster in most cases. Here’s what we’ve gleaned from points-and-miles experts and others with personal experience with the program.
Airline Transfer Times
- American Airlines AAdvantage: Instant
- Air France-KLM Flying Blue: Instant
- Avianca LifeMiles: Instant
- Cathay Pacific: Instant
- Emirates Skywards: Instant
- Etihad Guest: Instant to one hour
- EVA Air Infinity MileageLands: One to two business days
- JetBlue TrueBlue: Instant to within 24 hours
- Qantas Frequent Flyer: Instant to two days
- Qatar Airways Privilege Club: One to two days
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer: Up to two days
- Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus: Three to seven days
- Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles: Instant to one day
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club: Instant
Hotel Transfer Times
- Accor Live Limitless: Instant to 24 hours
- Choice Privileges: Instant
- Leading Hotels of the World Leaders Club: Instant to one business day
- Preferred Hotels & Resorts (I Prefer): Instant to one business day
Factors That Affect Citi ThankYou Transfer Times
Not every transfer moves at the same speed, and a few variables can determine whether your points land in minutes or days. Understanding what influences timing can help you plan transfers more strategically, especially when you’re trying to lock down a specific award.
- The partner program itself: Transfer speed varies significantly by program. Most partners post points within 24 hours, while others consistently take longer.
- Account name matching: Citi requires the name on your ThankYou account to exactly match the name on your loyalty account. A mismatch can cause a transfer to fail entirely, not just slow it down. Double-check both accounts before initiating any transfer.
- Weekends and holidays: If you’re transferring to a slower partner like Thai Airways, a transfer initiated late on a Friday may take longer to post.
- System delays. Occasional slowdowns can occur on either Citi’s side or the partner program’s side. These are rare, but worth keeping in mind if you’re timing a transfer closely around a specific booking.
Bottom Line
For the most part, Citi ThankYou transfers move quickly. The majority of partners post within 24 hours, and many do so instantly. Regardless of which partner you’re using, check the transfer time and confirm your award availability before transferring. Points can’t be reversed once sent, and award space can disappear while a transfer is in progress.
If you’re looking to diversify your rewards and expand your transfer options, consider pairing your Citi credit card with another top travel credit card.
The information related to the Citi Custom Cash® Card was collected by CardCritics™ and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this product/card. Product details may vary. Please see issuer website for current information. CardCritics™ does not receive a commission for this product.
Frequently Asked Questions About Citi Transfer Times
Can I cancel a Citi ThankYou transfer after submitting it?
No. Per Citi’s terms and conditions, the card issuer cannot cancel submitted transfer requests or return points to your ThankYou account. As a result, it’s crucial to always confirm award availability before you transfer.
Does it cost anything to transfer Citi ThankYou points?
No. Citi charges no fees to transfer ThankYou points to any airline or hotel partner. There is, however, a minimum transfer of 1,000 points and a maximum of 500,000 points per transaction. Points must also be transferred in increments of 1,000.
Which Citi ThankYou partner has the fastest transfer time?
Several partners transfer instantly, including American Airlines AAdvantage, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Avianca LifeMiles, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, Etihad Guest, Emirates Skywards, Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles and Qantas Frequent Flyer. If speed is your priority, any of these programs will get your miles posted without a wait.
Can I transfer Citi ThankYou points to someone else’s loyalty account?
No. The name on your ThankYou account must match the name on the loyalty account receiving the points. You can, however, share up to 100,000 points per calendar year with another ThankYou member, who can then transfer them to their own loyalty account.
