Citibank Points Alert: Transfer Your Points to Hotels Before April 19 to Avoid Devaluation

Optimal Time to Transfer Citibank Points

Citibank's ThankYou Rewards program is about to undergo a devaluation for two hotel partners starting April 19. If you plan to redeem your Citibank rewards points, act quickly to transfer them before their value decreases.

25% Devaluation on Choice Privileges Transfers

Currently, you can transfer ThankYou Rewards points to the Choice Privileges program at a rate of 1:2 (1,000 Citibank points = 2,000 Choice points). However, starting April 19, this rate will drop to 1,500 Choice points for every 1,000 ThankYou Rewards points, representing a 25% reduction. This means you will receive fewer points for your transfers.

Valuable Hotel Options

The Choice Privileges program does not have a fixed award chart. While the program no longer caps nights at 35,000 points, most stays still range from 8,000 to 35,000 points. With the new point conversion rate, you can still find good value for hotel bookings, especially in Japan, where you can secure a night in a central hotel for just 8,000 to 12,000 points.

What to Do Before the Devaluation?

If you find a hotel that fits your travel plans, be sure to check room availability and make your transfer now before the April 19 deadline. Transferring early allows you to take advantage of the current higher point values.

50% Devaluation on I Prefer Hotel Rewards Transfers

The current transfer rate of 1,000 ThankYou Rewards points to 4,000 I Prefer Hotel Rewards points will drop to 2,000 I Prefer points for every 1,000 ThankYou points. This is quite a shock for frequent users of this program.

Luxury Hotels with Reward Points

I Prefer Hotel Rewards is a lesser-known program that lets you book stays at luxurious boutique hotels using points. With the current rate, you can book a night for as little as 3,750 ThankYou Rewards points. However, with the upcoming devaluation, a night at a hotel that typically costs 100,000 points will increase to 50,000 Citibank points, up from 25,000. While this may seem high, if room rates exceed $1,000 per night, it still represents a valuable deal.

Conclusion

Devaluation is an unavoidable reality in earning and using reward points. Typically, airline and hotel programs will enhance their redemption rates, and here, the conversion rates from credit card programs to transfer partners are being impacted. Consider booking at Choice and Preferred hotels before April 19 to protect the value of your rewards points.