Last updated on April 27th, 2022
Following in the footsteps of its contemporaries, Citi is the latest credit card issuer to introduce new rewards redemption options for charitable donations. Citi ThankYou cardholders can now use their rewards points for donations to four new charitable organizations:
- UNICEF USA
- UNICEF Kid Power
- No Kid Hungry
- World Central Kitchen
All ThankYou Rewards cardholders can now donate their points to these four organizations at an award rate of 1:100. This rate means that 2,500 ThankYou Points, for example, has a cash equivalent of $25. Donations are available at the $25, $50, and $100 levels – or 2,500, 5,000, or 10,000 ThankYou Points, respectively.
According to Citibank, more cardholders are showing an interest in charitable donation awards options than ever before. In an email to rewards members, the bank cited a 234% rise in customers choosing to donate points from 2019 to 2020.
Current Citi ThankYou Point Credit Cards
Not all Citibank credit cards earn Citi ThankYou Rewards, however. Currently, only five credit cards from Citi earn points in Citi ThankYou. Those cards are:
- Citi Rewards+® Card
- Citi Premier® Card
- Citi Prestige® Card
- Citi Rewards+℠ Student Card
- AT&T Access Card from Citi
The best value for Citi ThankYou Points is for travel, such as booking airfare through the ThankYou Rewards portal. Since travel is currently difficult because of COVID-19, the one-cent-per-point for charity is a great option. Plus, it never hurts to give in difficult times – and these are challenging times for millions of Americans.
Citi Echoing the Chase “Pay Yourself Back” Program
The news of Citi’s new charitable award options echoes a similar move by Chase. The New York City-based issuer recently introduced a new Ultimate Rewards redemption option for Sapphire Reserve and Sapphire Preferred cardholders. This new award option allows Sapphire customers to donate points at a rate of 1.5 cents per point to any of eleven charities.
The Chase Ultimate Rewards charity options include:
- American Red Cross
- Equal Justice Initiative
- Feeding America
- Habitat for Humanity
- International Medical Corps
- The Leadership Conference Education Fund
- NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund
- National Urban League
- Thurgood Marshall College Fund
- United Negro College Fund
- United Way
- World Central Kitchen
Related Article: Bank of America Introduces New Award Options for Travel Rewards Card
