Win Up to 1 Million Citi ThankYou Points With This August Sweepstakes
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
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If you're looking to earn significant Citi ThankYou Rewards points, credit cards can be a big help. For instance, the 60,000-point offer currently available on the Citi Premier® Card can get you well on your way to some awesome premium-cabin flights.
But 1 million Citi points is a whole different ballgame. You could go for years putting all your spending — and your authorized users' spending — on ThankYou point-earning cards and not make a million points. But one lucky person is going to strike it rich through Citi's new "Feel Like a Million Points" sweepstakes, and several others are going to take home big chunks of ThankYou points as well.
Here are the details: Now through August 31, visit thankyou.com/sweepstakes to enter for your chance to win up to 1 million Citi points by simply logging in and filling out the entry form with your name and email address. To participate, you must be a Citi ThankYou Rewards member as of July 31, 2018. Only one person is getting a million points, but several others will win as well. These are the three tiers of prizes:
- Grand prize (1 winner): 1 million Citi ThankYou points
- Second prize (3 winners): 500,000 Citi points
- Third prize (10 winners): 100,000 Citi points
So in total, Citi's giving away 3,500,000 points. Based on my valuations, 1 million Citi points are worth a whopping $17,000, while 500,000 ThankYou points are worth $8,500 and even 100,000 ThankYou points are valued at $1,700. That's a ton of free flights and hotel stays.
Options for Redeeming 1 Million Citi Points
Since the points being given away via this sweepstakes are taxable, you won't be able to transfer them to Citi's 15 airline partners. Instead, you can use the points through the Citi ThankYou Travel Portal to book flights, hotels and more. If you have a premium Citi card such as the Citi Prestige or the Citi Premier, you'll get 1.25 cents per point in value when you redeem through the portal — with other cards you'll get 1 cent per point (that's also how much you'll get per point toward gift cards, no matter which Citi card you hold).
You're virtually unlimited when it comes to options for redeeming Citi points through the travel portal, since you have so many airline and hotel options (not to mention cars, cruises and activities), but here's an example that puts those 1 million points to use across three trips. This assumes you have the Citi Prestige, which gets the highest-possible redemption rate of 1.25 cents per point, plus includes the 4th Night Free benefit on hotel bookings.
Part 1: Kauai's North Shore With the Family
Flights
You could book round-trip economy flights on Alaska Airlines from the West Coast to Hawaii for a family of four for approximately 125,000 points (based on sample travel dates in early September).
Hotel
Book a stay at the St. Regis Princeville, a favorite among TPG staffers. Based on those same dates in September, a seven-night stay would set you back about 370,824 points — factoring in the free night available courtesy of the Citi Prestige's 4th Night Free benefit.
Total points used: 495,824
Part 2: Tokyo for Cherry Blossom Season
Flights
Let's say this is an adults-only trip, so we're looking at two round-trip tickets. You'd easily spend more than 500,000 Citi points on most carriers if you book premium-cabin seats during this high-demand travel period, but if you can stomach economy, it'll set you back a much more reasonable amount, such as 123,329 points for two round-trips on ANA between LAX and Narita. And if seeing the blossoms isn't a high priority, you'd likely be able to lock in cheaper premium-cabin redemptions on different dates.
Hotel
Accommodation options are already a bit limited for sakura season, but you could score seven nights at the Sheraton Grande Tokyo Bay Hotel for a total of 199,324 Citi points, factoring in the 4th Night Free perk.
Total points used: 322,653 points, for a running total of 818,477 points used for both trips
Part 3: NYC and the Hudson Valley
Flights
Two economy-class nonstops on American Airlines' LAX-JFK transcon route would set you back 53,184 points total.
Hotels
Spend three nights in the Big Apple (you wouldn't be able to use the 4th Night Free perk but hey, you're a points millionaire) at the James New York - Nomad for a total of 74,911 points. Then, head upstate to the Hudson Valley for two nights at The Croff House Bed & Breakfast for 54,762 points total.
Total points used: 182,857 points would cover this New York trip, and our running total is now at 1,001,334 — just a hair above the million-point mark. But since you need to be a Citi ThankYou member to be eligible for this sweepstakes, you'll probably have some points in your account beyond the 1-million lump sum. If you're working with more points, you could easily tack on a car rental from about 9,000 points per day.
Bottom Line
You have until August 31 to enter for your chance to win 1 million Citi ThankYou points by visiting thankyou.com/sweepstakes and completing the entry form. All you have to do to be eligible is have a Citi ThankYou Rewards account as of July 31. Good luck!
Top offers from our partners
How we chose these cards
TPG featured card
Rewards
4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S. |
4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X). |
3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com. |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
There's a lot to love about the Amex Gold card. It's been a fan favorite during the pandemic because of its fantastic rewards rate on restaurants (that includes takeout and delivery in the U.S.!) and U.S. supermarkets. If you're hitting the skies soon, you'll also earn bonus points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders) and up to $120 in annual dining statement credits at eligible partners, there's no reason that the foodie shouldn't add this card to their wallet. Enrollment required.Pros
- 4x on dining at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1x)
- 3x on flights booked directly with the airline or with Amex Travel
- Welcome bonus of 60,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first six months
Cons
- Weak on travel outside of flights and everyday spending bonus categories
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber/food credits
- Few travel perks and protections
- Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., and earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X).
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S., totaling up to $120 per year.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings and earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations. Enrollment required.
- Choose the color that suits your style. Gold or Rose Gold.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $250.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
Rewards Rate
4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S. |
4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X). |
3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com. |
Intro Offer
Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.60,000 bonus pointsAnnual Fee
$250Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO© Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.670-850Excellent/Good
Why We Chose It
There's a lot to love about the Amex Gold card. It's been a fan favorite during the pandemic because of its fantastic rewards rate on restaurants (that includes takeout and delivery in the U.S.!) and U.S. supermarkets. If you're hitting the skies soon, you'll also earn bonus points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders) and up to $120 in annual dining statement credits at eligible partners, there's no reason that the foodie shouldn't add this card to their wallet. Enrollment required.Pros
- 4x on dining at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1x)
- 3x on flights booked directly with the airline or with Amex Travel
- Welcome bonus of 60,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first six months
Cons
- Weak on travel outside of flights and everyday spending bonus categories
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber/food credits
- Few travel perks and protections
- Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., and earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X).
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S., totaling up to $120 per year.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings and earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations. Enrollment required.
- Choose the color that suits your style. Gold or Rose Gold.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $250.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees