I recently transferred 50,000 Citi ThankYou points to iPrefer and got 200,000 iPrefer points. I used those to book four nights at The Thousand Kyoto, getting over 2 cents per ThankYou point, which is a solid redemption.
Starting April 19, that same transfer would only get me 100,000 iPrefer points. Not enough to make that booking happen. So if you've been thinking about transferring your ThankYou points to iPrefer or Choice Privileges, you need to act now.
What's Changing on April 19
Citi is slashing transfer ratios to two hotel partners, and the cuts are significant.
iPrefer Hotels & Resorts is taking the hardest hit. The current 1:4 transfer ratio is dropping to 1:2. That's a 50% cut. Right now, 1,000 ThankYou points get you 4,000 iPrefer points. After April 19, those same 1,000 points will only get you 2,000 iPrefer points.
Choice Privileges is taking a 25% cut. The transfer ratio is dropping from 1:2 to 1:1.5. So 1,000 ThankYou points will get you 1,500 Choice points instead of the current 2,000.
Here's how it breaks down:
Why the iPrefer Cut Hurts the Most
These aren't the most mainstream transfer partners. Most people probably haven't used them. But here's the thing: iPrefer was quietly becoming one of the best options for hotel redemptions, especially if you've been frustrated with the direction other hotel programs are going.
Hyatt recently announced their program changes and its mostly negative.
Finding a good redemption with Hilton, Marriott and IHG is getting harder and harder.
iPrefer, with its 1:4 transfer ratio from Citi, was a legitimate alternative. You could book safari lodges, boutique luxury hotels, and high-end properties for a fraction of what you'd pay in cash.
I did a couple of videos on this because the value was genuinely that good.
The Thousand Kyoto booking I mentioned, four nights for 200,000 iPrefer points transferred from just 50,000 ThankYou points, is the kind of redemption that made this program worth recommending.
At a 1:2 ratio? The math just doesn't work as well. You'd need 100,000 ThankYou points for that same booking. That's double the cost for the exact same hotel.
The transfer ratio is just like Capital One's transfer ratio to IPrefer, and at a 1:2 ratio, it's just not that exciting.
To be honest, I don't think it'll be worth it.
What You Should Do Before April 19
If you have Citi ThankYou points and you've been considering an iPrefer or Choice redemption, now is the time. Don't sit on this one.
For iPrefer specifically: Look at their portfolio of hotels and see if there's anything you want to book in the next 6-12 months. Properties like The Thousand Kyoto, various safari lodges, and other high-end boutique hotels are where iPrefer shines. Lock in the 1:4 ratio while you still can.
What This Means for Citi ThankYou Points Going Forward
This is the part that bums me out. iPrefer was one of the reasons I was excited about earning Citi ThankYou points. It was a niche partner, sure, but the value was real, and it filled a gap that the bigger hotel programs are leaving wide open as they move to dynamic pricing.
With iPrefer at 1:2, I don't have as much of an incentive to prioritize earning ThankYou points.
The program still has solid airline transfer partners, but on the hotel side, this takes away one of its best options.
I'm not going to recommend iPrefer as enthusiastically as I have been.
Before this change, it was the go-to recommendation for people looking for hotel value outside the big chains. Now it's just a pass.
Hat tip to Gary Leff