Maximize the Citi Trifecta: Earn and redeem Citi ThankYou Rewards points with 3 cards

Citi ThankYou Rewards is one of the most valuable rewards currencies on the market.

The Citi ThankYou Rewards program offers 22 transfer partners, including American Airlines AAdvantage, Singapore KrisFlyer and Wyndham Rewards. Citi ThankYou Rewards points are among the most valuable flexible currencies, with TPG's September 2025 valuations pegging them at 1.9 cents each — nearly on par with American Express Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards.

If you want to supercharge your points earning and maximize your redemptions with the Citi ThankYou Rewards program, you may want to pick up the Citi Trifecta. It refers to a three-card setup of Citi credit cards that opens up strong earning and redeeming potential.

You can use different combinations to build a Citi Trifecta, and your choice will depend on how you travel and redeem your points. Let's dive into the combinations and see which one would be best for your wallet.

What is the Citi Trifecta?

The Citi Trifecta is a card setup containing three cards that earn Citi ThankYou Rewards points.

In general, you'll want your Citi Trifecta to cover three types of spending:

• A card that maximizes everyday spending
• A card that earns in your top spending category
• A card that unlocks the best redemption value for your points

Why should you get the Citi Trifecta?

When you hold three cards to make a Citi Trifecta and spend intentionally with the card that earns the most in any specific category, you'll end up supercharging your Citi ThankYou Rewards points earning, which gets you to aspirational redemptions sooner.

Maximize points earning

When it comes to earning, you'll want to select Citi cards that earn bonus points on your common expenses.

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First, the Citi Double Cash® Card (see rates and fees) is the best choice for nonbonused spending, as it earns a fixed 2% cash back on everything (1% as you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay).

Next, the Citi Custom Cash® Card is a great choice for maximizing earnings in your top spending category. This is because it earns 5% back on the first $500 spent within your top eligible spending category.

The information for the Citi Custom Cash has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Finally, the Strata cards feature bonus categories to make the most of your frequent spending, which we'll get into later:

• Citi Strata℠ Card (see rates and fees)
• Citi Strata Elite℠ Card (see rates and fees)
• Citi Strata Premier® Card (see rates and fees)

Get the most out of your redemptions

With ThankYou Rewards points, you can redeem for statement credits, cash back or gift cards. However, the best way to get closest to TPG's 1.9 cents per point value (per TPG's September 2025 valuations) is to transfer your points to partners.

Citi's ecosystem includes many high-value partners, such as Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Choice Privileges and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.

When you transfer points to partners, you have to have a premium Citi ThankYou Rewards card to receive a full 1:1 transfer ratio.

If you hold the Citi Prestige® Card (no longer available to new applicants), the Strata Elite or the Strata Premier, you'll receive 1 point or mile in the program you're transferring to for every 1 ThankYou Rewards point (for most partners).

The information for the Citi Prestige has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

If you don't hold one of these cards, you'll receive only 0.7 points or miles for every 1 ThankYou Rewards point transferred (for most partners).

This is why we recommend adding the Strata Elite or the Strata Premier to a Citi Trifecta instead of the no-annual-fee Strata; the Strata won't unlock the full 1:1 transfer value.

Related: Best ways to redeem Citi ThankYou Rewards points

Which cards are in a Citi Trifecta?

Here is a breakdown of the cards you can select from to build a Citi Trifecta.

Citi Double Cash Card

Annual fee: $0.

Welcome offer: Earn $200 cash back after spending $1,500 on purchases in the first six months from account opening.

Key earning rates:

• 5% cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked with Citi Travel
• 2% cash back on every purchase (an unlimited 1% cash back as you buy, plus an additional 1% when you pay for those purchases)

The Double Cash is the card to get for everyday purchases. It ensures you'll always receive at least 2% back on all your spending.

To learn more, read our full review of the Double Cash.

Apply here: Citi Double Cash Card

Citi Custom Cash Card

Annual fee: $0.

Welcome offer: Earn $200 cash back after spending $1,500 on purchases in the first six months from account opening.

Key earning rates: 5% cash back on the first $500 of purchases in your top spending category for that billing cycle, including:

• Drugstores
• Fitness clubs
• Gas stations
• Grocery stores
• Home improvement stores
• Live entertainment
• Restaurants
• Select transit*
• Select travel**
• Select streaming services***

*Select transit is defined as car rentals, ferries, commuter railways, subways, taxis/limousines/car services, passenger railways, bridge and road tolls, parking lots/garages, bus lines, and motor home and recreational vehicle rentals. It also includes merchants that sell electricity for charging an electric vehicle. It excludes bike/scooter rentals, auto clubs and insurance companies.

**Select travel is defined as airlines, hotels, cruise lines and travel agencies.

***Select streaming services are defined as cable, satellite and streaming providers, such as Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Music, Apple Music, Disney+, DirecTV Stream, ESPN+, FuboTV, Max, NBA League Pass, Netflix, Pandora, Paramount+, Showtime, Sling TV, Spotify, Starz, SiriusXM, Vudu, YouTube Red, YouTube TV and Tidal.

Plus, you'll earn 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked with Citi Travel.

The Custom Cash is the card to get for the bonus category you most frequently spend on. You can max out a different category each billing cycle, which adds flexibility to your trifecta.

To learn more, read our full review of the Custom Cash.

Citi Strata Premier Card

Annual fee: $95.

Welcome offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

Key earning rates:

• 10 points per dollar spent on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked through Citi Travel
• 3 points per dollar spent on air travel and other hotel purchases and at restaurants, supermarkets, and gas and EV charging stations

The Strata Premier is the card for frequent travelers who can maximize its many bonus categories, such as gas and flights. It's also a great option to earn on dining and groceries.

To learn more, read our full review of the Strata Premier.

Apply here: Citi Strata Premier Card

Citi Strata Elite Card

Annual fee: $595.

Welcome offer: For a limited time, earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

Key earning rates:

• 12 points per dollar spent on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked through Citi Travel
• 6 points per dollar spent on air travel booked through Citi Travel
• 6 points per dollar spent at restaurants, including restaurant delivery services on CitiNights℠ purchases, every Friday and Saturday from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Eastern time (3 points per dollar spent on restaurant purchases outside of these days and hours)

The Strata Elite is the best option for someone who would use the card's premium perks. This is also the best option for those who want to book through the Citi Travel portal and maximize earning points when dining out on weekend evenings.

To learn more, read our full review of the Strata Elite.

Apply here: Citi Strata Elite Card

Citi Strata Card

Annual fee: $0.

Welcome offer: Earn 30,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

Earning rates:

• 5 points per dollar spent on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked through Citi Travel
• 3 points per dollar spent at supermarkets, on select transit purchases and at gas and EV charging stations
• 3 points per dollar spent in an eligible self-select quarterly category (which you can change each quarter), including barbershops, cosmetic stores and hair salons, fitness clubs, live entertainment, pet supply stores and select streaming services

The Strata is the card to choose if you'd maximize the card's bonus categories and pair it with a premium card to unlock the full 1:1 transfer value. But the other cards on this list cover most bonus categories.

To learn more, read our full review of the Strata.

Apply here: Citi Strata Card

Trifecta example

Let's say you choose to build a Trifecta with the Double Cash, the Custom Cash and the Strata Premier.

Here's an example of how you could maximize your monthly spending with these three cards:

You could hypothetically transfer those 7,500 points for a short U.S. domestic flight through AAdvantage. Or, you could save up across the year for a total of 90,000 points to then use for a premium hotel or flight redemption.

Related: I'm not sold on the Strata Elite — but the Strata Premier might become my new wallet staple

Bottom line

Citi ThankYou Rewards points are an exceptionally valuable currency, and constructing a Citi Trifecta is an excellent way to earn them at a lucrative rate and redeem them for luxurious redemptions.

Remember, to unlock full value from your transferable ThankYou Rewards points, you'll want to ensure your Citi Trifecta includes the Strata Elite, the Strata Premier or the Prestige. This will give you the best redemption value.

Apply here: Double Cash

Apply here: Strata Premier

Apply here: Strata Elite

Apply here: Strata