Estate planning as a Citi ThankYou account holder
Citibank reviews transfer requests for points individually upon receipt of documentation
OverviewWhen someone dies
Citi ThankYou Service Center
Phone1-800-842-6596
WebsiteVisit website→
HoursMonday-Friday 8 AM-1 AM ET; Saturday-Sunday 9 AM-9 PM ET
Citi Estate Servicing Center
WebsiteSubmit claim online →
Verified May 2026
Citi ThankYou Points are earned on the Citi Strata Premier, Double Cash, Custom Cash, and other Citi cards. Points transfer to airline partners (including American Airlines AAdvantage, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, Emirates, and others) and hotel partners (Accor, Choice Privileges, Leading Hotels, Preferred Hotels, Wyndham). Points generally do not expire as long as an enrolled card is open. Citi has a unique estate provision: the Terms explicitly state points are forfeited at death, but provide a one-year window for the executor to request a cash-only redemption. IMPORTANT: Citi ended the person-to-person Points Sharing feature effective May 17, 2026; cardholders can still pool points across their own Citi accounts and transfer to airline/hotel partner loyalty programs in their own name.
Citibank reviews transfer requests for Citi ThankYou points on a case-by-case basis after the account holder's death. Approval is at the company's sole discretion, and documentation requirements must be met before any transfer is considered.
What happens at death
The Citi ThankYou Rewards Terms and Conditions state: "You will lose your Points upon your death, and your estate, successors and assigns have no property rights or other legal interests in such Points, except under this circumstance: If we receive a written request within one (1) year of your death from the executor or administrator of your estate, along with evidence satisfactory to us of your death and the identity and appointment of the executor or administrator, we can allow Points remaining in your ThankYou account to be redeemed for Cash Rewards." Key limitations: (1) the redemption is restricted to Cash Rewards only -- the executor cannot transfer points to airline/hotel partners or use other redemption methods; (2) the language says Citi "can allow" the redemption, not "will allow" -- this is discretionary; (3) there is a firm one-year deadline from the date of death; (4) only a lawfully designated executor or administrator may submit the request.
How to protect your Citi ThankYou points
Citibank does not guarantee transfer of points after death. Lifetime planning provides options for managing points and controlling who has access to them.
8 steps for managing your Citi ThankYou points during your lifetime:
1
Person-to-person Points Sharing is no longer available. As of May 17, 2026, you cannot send or receive ThankYou Points to or from another member's account. The only ways to move points out of your account during your lifetime are: (a) transferring to an airline or hotel partner loyalty program in your own name, or (b) redeeming for travel, gift cards, cash, or merchandise (https://www.thankyou.com/).
2
Transfer points to airline and hotel partner programs during your lifetime as the primary way to move value out of your ThankYou account. Once points are in a partner loyalty account, they follow that program's rules; some partner programs (e.g., Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Avianca Lifemiles) historically have had more flexible estate or transfer policies than ThankYou's cash-only executor option.
3
Keep your ThankYou Points balance low by regularly transferring to partner programs or redeeming for travel. The estate cash-only conversion (typically 1 cent per point) means higher-value redemption methods (transfers, travel bookings at premium valuations) are permanently unavailable after death.
4
Pool points from your own multiple Citi ThankYou-earning cards into a single ThankYou account. Combining points across your own accounts is unaffected by the May 2026 sharing change.
5
Inform your executor about the one-year deadline for requesting the cash redemption. The executor must proactively submit a written request with documentation within one year of death. Citi does not appear to proactively contact the estate about points (https://online.citi.com/US/ag/estate-servicing-center).
6
Document that the cash redemption is discretionary. The Terms say Citi "can allow" the redemption. While refusal appears unlikely, the executor should be aware this is not a guaranteed right.
7
Maintain at least one ThankYou-enrolled card in good standing. Points do not expire as long as an enrolled card is open. If Citi terminates the ThankYou Rewards program, cardholders typically receive a notice and a window to redeem all points.
8
Document your Citi ThankYou account login, the partner loyalty programs you have linked, and your card numbers in your estate planning records so your executor can act quickly.
Family sharing
Person-to-person Points Sharing ENDED on May 17, 2026. The official Citi notification read: "Update to ThankYou Rewards Point Sharing. Effective 5/17/2026, Point Sharing will no longer be offered as a ThankYou Rewards redemption option. Additionally, you will no longer be able to receive shared points. You can share and receive shared points until 5/16/2026. As a reminder, shared points expire 90 days after the date they were shared." The last day to send or receive shared points was May 16, 2026. After May 17, 2026, members can no longer transfer ThankYou Points to another person's account. What remains: (1) pooling points across the cardholder's OWN multiple Citi ThankYou-earning cards into a single ThankYou account is unchanged; (2) transferring points to airline and hotel partner loyalty programs is unchanged, but the partner loyalty account must be in the cardholder's own name. There is no longer any way to move ThankYou Points directly to a relative or friend's account.
When someone dies
Handling Citi ThankYou points after a death
Transfer is handled on a case-by-case basis, 7-step process, and 4 required documents.
View details →Citi ThankYou does not support beneficiary designations. Unlike bank accounts or investment accounts, there is no way to formally name a beneficiary on this type of account.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Citi notified cardholders that, "Effective 5/17/2026, Point Sharing will no longer be offered as a ThankYou Rewards redemption option. Additionally, you will no longer be able to receive shared points." The last day to share or receive points was May 16, 2026. As of May 17, 2026, the only lifetime transfer method remaining is transferring points to airline and hotel partner loyalty programs in the cardholder's own name. Pooling points across the cardholder's own multiple Citi cards is unaffected.
With person-to-person Points Sharing ended (effective May 17, 2026), the only options are: transfer points to airline and hotel partner loyalty programs during your lifetime, redeem for travel or statement credits, or pool points across your own multiple Citi ThankYou-earning cards. Keeping your balance low minimizes value at risk to the cash-only executor exception. The executor exception caps the recovery at the cash rate (typically 1 cent per point), so high-balance accounts should be drawn down strategically.
No, not directly between members. Person-to-person Points Sharing ended May 17, 2026. The only way to move points out of your account today is to redeem them or transfer them to a partner airline or hotel loyalty program; partner transfers must go to a loyalty account in the cardholder's own name, not a relative's.
Generally no, as long as you maintain an open, active ThankYou-enrolled card in good standing. Points earned on the Double Cash Card explicitly do not expire. A handful of older cards (Citi Professional, AT&T Universal) have historic 3-5 year expiration windows -- check your specific card terms. If Citi terminates the ThankYou Rewards program, cardholders are typically given notice and a window to redeem all points.
As of May 2026, Citi ThankYou points transfer to airline partners including American Airlines AAdvantage, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles, Emirates Skywards, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, JetBlue TrueBlue, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, Qatar Airways Privilege Club, Avianca Lifemiles, EVA Air, Etihad Guest, Aeromexico, Qantas, and Thai Airways. Hotel partners include Accor ALL, Choice Privileges, Leading Hotels of the World Leaders Club, Preferred Hotels & Resorts, and Wyndham Rewards. Most transfers are 1:1 from premium cards. Choice Privileges transfers at a 1:2 bonus ratio (1 ThankYou point = 2 Choice points). Confirm the current partner list at https://www.thankyou.com/ before transferring.
Sources
Data sourced from Citibank primary sources (8 pages reviewed). How we research.
Citi ThankYou Service Center
Phone1-800-842-6596
WebsiteVisit website→
HoursMonday-Friday 8 AM-1 AM ET; Saturday-Sunday 9 AM-9 PM ET
Citi Estate Servicing Center
WebsiteSubmit claim online →
Verified May 2026
