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For the second time since Accor became a Citi ThankYou® transfer partner in May 2023, you can transfer Citi points to Accor with a 50% transfer bonus. This promotion is valid until 11:59 p.m. UTC on May 11, 2024.
Accor is otherwise a 2:1 transfer partner with Citi ThankYou Points — meaning that 1,000 Citi ThankYou points typically nets you just 500 Accor Live Limitless points. But with this promotion, you can now turn 1,000 Citi ThankYou points into 750 Accor points.
At standard transfer rates, we would typically say that Accor isn't the best use of your Citi ThankYou points. But, with this 50% transfer bonus, transferring points between these new partners is much more reasonable. Let's check out some of the details of this promotion and how it will improve your ability to book hotels at a better rate.
Transfer Citi Points to Accor With a 50% Bonus
- This promotion is valid for points transfer until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on May 11, 2024.
- Promotional period allows members to transfer Citi ThankYou points to Accor Live Limitless with a 50% bonus.
- Cardholders must be previously registered as an Accor Live Limitless member to participate in this promotion.
- Transfers are not reversible once initiated.
- Cardholders can only transfer points to an Accor Live Limitless account held in their name.
- Single partner loyalty accounts cannot be linked to several Accor Live Limitless accounts.
- Members can't convert their Citi ThankYou points into Accor Live Limitless points on behalf of another member.
- Members will receive the bonus Accor Live Limitless points within 10 business days once the transaction is complete.
- Members will receive their points in two parts — one for regular earnings and a second with bonus points.
It's important to note that you'll need to have either a Citi Strata Premier℠ Card or Citi Prestige® Card (no longer available to new cardholders) to transfer Citi ThankYou Points to Accor Live Limitless.
Check out our step-by-step guide on how to transfer Citi points if you have any questions about the process.
- 3X points per $1 on airfare and hotels and at gas stations, restaurants, and supermarkets
- Annual Hotel Benefit: Save $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when you book through CitiTravel.com
- No foreign transaction fees
- $95 annual fee
- 10X points per $1 on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com
- 3X points per $1 spent on airfare, and other hotel purchases
- 3X points per $1 spent at gas and EV charging stations
- 3X points per $1 spent on dining at restaurants, including cafes, bars and lounges
- 3X points per $1 spent at supermarkets
- 1X points per $1 spent on all other purchases
Is It Worth Transferring Citi Points to Accor?
Accor Live Limitless is a bit different than most rewards programs. Unlike other rewards programs, you don't just redeem “X” amount of points for a stay at a hotel. Instead, 2,000 Accor points will always give you 40€ in value towards the cash rate for the hotel room you want.
At the normal 2:1 transfer ratio, 4,000 Citi ThankYou points would let you deduct 40€ off your stay. Depending on the exchange rate, this transfer only yields around 1.07 US cents per Citi point in value.
But if you transfer your Citi ThankYou points to Accor Live Limitless during this 50% transfer bonus promotion, you will decrease the number of points you need to transfer by 33%. Instead of needing to transfer 6,000 Citi ThankYou points to get 3,000 Accor Live Limitless points, you only need to transfer 4,000 Citi points. When calculating how many points to transfer, note that you must transfer points in increments of 1,000 ThankYou points.
Related: Best Ways To Use Citi ThankYou® Points That You Didn’t Know
Value of Citi ThankYou Points
AwardWallet booking data points show that AwardWallet users typically get 2.19¢ for each Citi ThankYou point. That means 6,000 Citi points are worth $122 on average vs. $64 if transferred to Accor at the 2:1 transfer ratio and the current exchange rate.
But when transferring during this promotion, the 4,000 Citi ThankYou points needed to get 3,000 Accor points would be valued at around $82 — closing the gap considerably. It still doesn't make Accor the most valuable Citi transfer partner. But if you're in a bind to save on an Accor stay, this promotion will make the prospect of doing so a bit better.
It's still unknown how long these transfers usually take, but the fact that Accor states it could take up to 10 business days to complete is concerning. So it's important (for now) that if you're planning a hotel stay using Accor, you plan well ahead if you want to utilize this 50% transfer bonus. If you want to know when your Accor points hit your account, consider setting up an AwardWallet Balance Watch.
Related: How Many Accor Points Can You Earn on Hotel Stays?
Redeeming Accor Points
Since Accor utilizes a revenue-based program, points have a fixed value in euros. You must redeem a minimum of 2,000 Accor points, which comes out to a 40€ discount on your stay — 2 euro cents per point. At the time of writing, that comes out to roughly 2.13¢.
When you book online, you'll apply your Accor points to the total cost of the stay and receive a 40€ discount for every 2,000 points you redeem upon completion of your payment. Let's take a look at a couple of examples where using your Accor points will help you receive a discount on your stay.
Total experience in Porto, Portugal
For one night on December 5, you can celebrate Mercure’s 50th anniversary with an exclusive Discover Local experience in Porto. You can experience the authentic flavors of Portugal and drinks like the local Port wine. A night stay at the beautiful Mercure Porto Centro Aliados includes breakfast the following morning. You will have access to an exclusive event at the Mercure Porto Centro Aliados, where you will enjoy locally inspired dishes and drinks from not just Portugal, but around the world as well.
The cost for this luxury one-night stay is 10,000 Accor Live Limitless points. At the usual 2:1 transfer ratio, this would require you to transfer 20,000 Citi ThankYou points in order to book.
But with the 50% transfer bonus promotion, you would only need to transfer 14,000 Citi ThankYou points. Because you are required to transfer over points in allotments of 1,000 Citi points, you'll be left with 500 Accor points.
Luxury stay in Hyde Park London
London is known for having a wide variety of choices when it comes to lodging — and a lot of it isn't cheap! That's when redeeming points can come in handy to allow you to afford a stay somewhere you normally wouldn't be able to afford.
Take the Mercure Hotel in the upscale neighborhood of Hyde Park in the heart of London. A stay at this luxury hotel can run you over 340€ a night! Not something a lot of us would be willing to pay the cash rate for.
But by using Accor Live Limitless points, this would come out to a little more than 17,000 points per night. Since Citi requires you to transfer points in amounts of 1,000, let's round up and say that we need 18,000 points for one night at this beautiful hotel.
At the usual 2:1 transfer ratio, you'd need to transfer 36,000 Citi ThankYou points. But if you transfer now with this 50% bonus, you only need to transfer 24,000 points — making the idea of booking this luxury hotel a lot more enticing.
Related: Do Accor Live Limitless (ALL) Points Expire?
Bottom Line
Transferring points at less than a 1:1 ratio is tough to swallow, but don't entirely write off transferring Citi points to Accor. While transferring Citi ThankYou points to Accor Live Limitless with this 50% bonus is still not going to provide equal value, it certainly helps cut into the difference.
But if your next destination lacks other hotel redemption options or you're dead set on a certain property, then you can rest assured knowing that if you have Citi ThankYou points, you'll be able to redeem them for your stay at a much better price.
Will you transfer Citi ThankYou points to Accor Live Limitless with this 50% transfer bonus?
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