ThankYou Rewards Network Review

Joining the ThankYou Network is simple: you need an eligible Citibank credit/debit card or checking account and you can sign up directly at www.thankyou.com or www.Expedia.com.  Once you've joined the network, you earn points for every dollar spent on purchases with your bank card.  I have earned additional points by booking travel through Expedia.com even if I use another credit card to make my travel payments.

Most of my points are earned through the shopping links located throughout the website.  There are over 400 retail websites available to choose from and include major retailers like Target, Best Buy, and Overstock, and Old Navy.  I have earned an average of 4 points for every dollar spent; sometimes as many as 6 points.  The points add up quickly, particularly around the holidays and vacations.

The only downside to getting my ThankYou points is that I sometimes forget to sign in at the ThankYou website and click through to the retailer's site.  The site navigation is cumbersome; you have to do a lot of clicking to get to the page that lists the online retailers.  Even so, you have to go through the process.   If you just go to the retailer's site and make your purchase without the click-through, you don't get the bonus points you're otherwise entitled to.  I still get 1 point per dollar, but not the extra 4 or 5 points available by clicking through. 

Redeeming the points for goodies is the fun part, and it's easy.  Simply log into your account and browse through the categories that correspond to the number of points you have to spend.  I tend to select the $50 store gift cards, but there are other items (i.e., sports equipment, electronics, jewelry, rock-climbing lessons, etc.) if you have enough points saved up. 

Bottom line, if you're going to shop and use your Citibank card anyway, then signing up with the ThankYou Network Rewards Program is a smart move.