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Citi ThankYou® Points generally don't expire while the associated card account remains open. However, some legacy-card points have fixed expiration dates, shared points expire after 90 days, and points associated with a closed or converted account may need to be used within 60 days.

Here's how Citi ThankYou point expiration works, which deadlines apply to different types of points, and how to avoid forfeiting your rewards.

Citi ThankYou Points Expiration Policy

Unlike some rewards programs with one universal expiration rule, Citi ThankYou Rewards has different policies depending on how you earned your points. Citi's ThankYou Rewards FAQ sums it up this way:

“ThankYou Points may expire depending on your Citi credit card, though shared points expire 90 days after receipt.”

For many current Citi cards, the points you earn do not expire while the associated card account remains open. However, some older Citi cards have fixed expiration schedules. Closing or converting an account can also trigger a deadline for using points associated with that card.

Track your points and miles expiration for 600+ loyalty programs and get email alerts before your miles expire by signing up for a free AwardWallet account.

Citi ThankYou Point Expiration by Card

Whether your ThankYou Points expire — and when — depends on the Citi card that originally earned them.

Citi cards with no expiration

Points earned through many Citi ThankYou Rewards cards do not expire while the associated account remains open. These include:

However, points you originally earned with a different Citi card may retain the expiration rules that applied when you earned them, even after a product change.

Related: How To Earn Citi ThankYou® Points

Citi cards with special expiration terms

Points earned on certain older Citi cards can retain their original expiration schedule after a product change. These include:

  • AT&T Universal Business Rewards Card
  • CitiBusiness Card with ThankYou Rewards
  • CitiBusiness World Card with ThankYou Rewards
  • PremierPass Card

Cards with a 5-year expiration policy

Points earned from the following cards expire at the end of the year after five full calendar years have passed since you earned them:

  • AT&T Universal Card
  • AT&T Universal Rewards Card
  • AT&T Universal Savings and Rewards Card
  • Citi Platinum with ThankYou Rewards Card

For example, points earned in June 2021 expire on December 31, 2026.

Points earned from the former Citi Forward® Card follow a slightly different rule: They expire five years from the end of the month in which they were earned. This applies to points earned through June 3, 2016.

Cards with a 3-year expiration policy

Points earned from the following cards expire at the end of the year after three full calendar years have passed:

  • AT&T Universal Business Rewards Card
  • Citi Business® Card with ThankYou® Rewards
  • Citi Business® World Card with ThankYou® Rewards
  • Citi Professional with ThankYou® Rewards

For example, points earned in June 2023 expire on December 31, 2026.

This three-year expiration rule also applies to eligible ThankYou Points previously earned through Citibank checking accounts. Citibank stopped awarding new ThankYou Points through these checking relationships in September 2023.

Citi sign on Citi Plaza building
Credit: Scott Webb/Unsplash

Other Ways Citi ThankYou Points Can Expire

Even if your Citi card normally earns points without a fixed expiration date, certain actions can start an expiration clock.

Closing or converting a Citi card

If you close a participating Citi card — or convert it to a card that does not participate in ThankYou Rewards — you generally have 60 days to redeem the points associated with that account.

This rule can also apply when Citi closes an account due to inactivity. If Citi closes your account for certain other reasons, including fraud, misuse, abuse, or suspicious activity, your points may be forfeited immediately.

If you have multiple Citi cards linked to the same ThankYou account, closing one card does not necessarily put every ThankYou Point at risk. The deadline applies to points associated with the closed or converted account.

Points received through sharing

Citi lets eligible members share ThankYou Points with another member. However, shared ThankYou Points expire 90 days after they are received.

That makes sharing most useful when the recipient has an immediate redemption in mind.

If Citi ends the ThankYou Rewards program

Citi's terms also address the unlikely possibility of the ThankYou Rewards program ending. If Citi terminates the program, members generally have 90 days to redeem their accumulated points before they are forfeited.

How to Use Citi ThankYou Points Before They Expire

If you have ThankYou Points approaching an expiration deadline, you have several ways to use them:

  • Transfer points to one of the Citi ThankYou transfer partners.
  • Book flights, hotels, car rentals, and other travel through the Citi Travel portal.
  • Redeem points for cash through an eligible direct deposit or check.
  • Redeem points for a statement credit.
  • Purchase gift cards.
  • Use points at participating Shop With Points merchants.
  • Donate points to participating charities.

Transferring ThankYou Points to airline or hotel partners can provide excellent value, particularly when you have a specific high-value redemption in mind. Here's our step-by-step guide to transferring Citi ThankYou Points.

You can check whether any of your points are scheduled to expire within the next 60 days by logging into ThankYou.com and viewing the “My Points Summary” section of your account.

Note: If you've closed your only Citi account participating in ThankYou Rewards, you may lose online access to your ThankYou account. Citi says you can still contact the ThankYou Service Center at 1-800-THANKYOU to redeem eligible points before the applicable deadline.

Use AwardWallet to Track Citi ThankYou Points Expiration

With multiple Citi expiration rules, it pays to monitor your ThankYou Points carefully — especially if you have points from a legacy card, a closed account, or another Citi member.

AwardWallet can track your Citi ThankYou balance and help alert you when points are approaching expiration. To get started, log into your AwardWallet account and link your Citi ThankYou account.

Related: How to Track Your Rewards Using AwardWallet

Don't have an AwardWallet account yet? Sign up for free and track unlimited rewards programs and travel plans.

Citi ThankYou Points Expiration FAQ

Do Citi ThankYou points expire?

Most Citi ThankYou Points earned through current participating credit cards do not expire while the associated card account remains open. However, some legacy cards have fixed expiration periods, shared points expire after 90 days, and closing or converting certain accounts can trigger an expiration deadline.

What happens to Citi ThankYou points when I close a card?

You generally have 60 days to use points associated with a Citi card you voluntarily close or convert to a card that does not participate in ThankYou Rewards. If you have other eligible Citi accounts linked to the same ThankYou account, points associated with those accounts can remain available.

How long until Citi ThankYou points expire?

There is no single Citi ThankYou Points expiration period. Depending on how you earned the points, they may have no fixed expiration date, expire 60 or 90 days after certain events, or follow a three- or five-year expiration schedule.

How do I keep my Citi ThankYou points from expiring?

Keep participating Citi accounts open when possible and pay close attention before closing or converting a card. If points already have an expiration date, redeem or transfer them before the deadline because generating new account activity generally does not reset Citi's fixed expiration periods.

What counts as account activity for Citi ThankYou Rewards?

Citi ThankYou Points generally do not use an inactivity-based expiration policy, so earning or redeeming points does not reset a universal expiration clock. Instead, expiration depends on the card or how the points were acquired.

Bottom Line

Citi ThankYou Rewards does not have one simple expiration policy. Most points earned through current participating Citi cards do not expire while the associated account remains open, but legacy-card points, shared points, and points tied to closed accounts can follow very different deadlines.

The key is knowing which bucket your points fall into. Check your ThankYou account before closing or converting a Citi card, use shared points promptly, and track expiration dates through AwardWallet so an obscure Citi rule doesn't cost you valuable rewards.

Tip of The Day
Did you know that AwardWallet provides an award booking service through its partners? If you'd like the team to help book an award ticket using your points and miles, just submit a booking request.
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