Citi is quietly making one of its lesser-known transfer partners a lot less useful.
If you’ve ever moved ThankYou points to hotel programs—or even just like having backup options for your points—this change is worth paying attention to.
I realized just how much when I looked at something I’ve been doing for years… and why it suddenly doesn’t make as much sense anymore.
What Citi Is Changing (And Why It’s A Devaluation)
Citi is reducing the transfer ratio from ThankYou Points to Choice Privileges from 1:2 to 1:1.5.
That means where 1,000 Citi points used to get you 2,000 Choice points, you’ll now only receive 1,500.
On paper, that’s just a tweak. In reality, it’s a 25% reduction in value overnight.
And while Choice isn’t the most glamorous transfer partner, this change still matters more than it might seem.
Why Does Anyone Care About Choice Points
Let’s be honest—most people aren’t going out of their way to earn Choice points.
This isn’t Hyatt. It’s not even Marriott. And for many travelers, the idea of transferring flexible points to stay at a Quality Inn isn’t exactly appealing.
But that’s not really why people keep Choice points around, either.
Choice has a stronger footprint in parts of Europe and Japan than many people realize, and there are still situations where award pricing can make sense when cash rates are high. More importantly, Choice points are easy to earn and easy to top off from multiple transferable currencies.
In other words, Choice points aren’t about aspiration—they’re about keeping your options open.
How To Get Choice Points From Transferable Programs
If you do want Choice points, there are several ways to get them:
- Citi ThankYou → 1:1.5 (previously 1:2)
- Wells Fargo Rewards → 1:2
- American Express Membership Rewards → 1:1
- Capital One Miles → 1:1
Citi used to be the clear winner here. Now, it’s just one of several options—and no longer the best one.
In fact, Wells Fargo is now the only major program still offering a 1:2 transfer ratio, making it the most valuable option for Choice transfers.
When (And Why) I’ve Actually Used Choice Points
I haven’t stayed at a Choice property since 2017. In fact, the points I still have today go all the way back to a stay we had in 2016.
Yes… This is the hotel.
No, I haven’t been secretly planning a return to that same Comfort Inn for the past ten years.
Since then, I’ve just been keeping that small balance alive with occasional activity—transfers, small partner earnings, whatever was easiest at the time. (There was even a break during the pandemic when expiration policies were paused.)
It wasn’t because I had a specific redemption in mind. It was more about keeping the option open, just in case.
More recently, the easiest way to do that was by transferring points from Citi ThankYou.
Every 17–18 months, I’d move over 1,000 Citi points—not for a redemption, but simply to reset the expiration clock. At the old 1:2 ratio, that meant picking up 2,000 Choice points in the process.
With the new ratio, that same transfer now yields only 1,500 points.
It still works—but it’s no longer the no-brainer it used to be.
Should You Care About This Change?
That depends on how you use your points.
If you’ve never transferred points to Choice—and don’t plan to—this won’t affect you at all.
But if you:
- Use Choice for international stays
- Like having backup options when other programs don’t work
- Or use small transfers to keep accounts active
Then this is one of those “small” changes that actually adds up.
Citi didn’t just reduce value—it removed one of the easiest ways to use ThankYou points for low-cost flexibility.
What I’m Going To Do Instead
For me, this is enough to change my approach.
I’ll likely stop using Citi points for these small maintenance transfers.
If I want to keep my Choice account active, I’ll use another program—like Wells Fargo, which still offers a better transfer ratio and allows transfers as small as 1 point.
It’s a minor adjustment, but it’s also a reminder that even small devaluations can change the math on things we’ve been doing for years.
Final Thought
This isn’t the kind of devaluation that makes headlines.
But it’s exactly the kind that slowly chips away at a program’s usefulness.
Choice points were never the star of the show—but they were easy to keep around, just in case.
Now, that “just in case” option comes with a slightly higher cost.
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