Anyone with a Citi rewards card, heads up: A valuable feature is about to disappear.

Citi has announced it will end the ability to share ThankYou Points with other members on May 17. Once that date arrives, cardholders will no longer be able to send or receive points between accounts.

That means your Citi rewards could soon be a good bit less flexible, especially if you frequently pool points with friends or family.

Here’s what this change means — and what you might want to do before the deadline arrives.

How Citi points sharing currently works

Right now, Citi cardholders who earn Citi ThankYou Rewards points can transfer those points to another member’s account.

The details are pretty straightforward:

  • Points can be shared instantly between all accounts
  • There’s no fee to send or receive points
  • Points can be shared with friends, family, and anyone else
  • Shared points expire within 90 days, although you can either use your rewards or just move them to a transfer partner to prevent this

That level of flexibility is (or was) uncommon among major issuers. Capital One and Wells Fargo both let you do it, but:

  • Chase Ultimate Rewards only allows point transfers with one other member, and they have to live at the same address.
  • American Express Membership Rewards doesn’t allow any direct transfers to another member’s account.

Citi’s system made it easy for friends or family to combine rewards for a single redemption — such as booking flights or hotel stays. In just a few weeks, though, that feature will be gone.

Want to check out an issuer that makes it easy to pool rewards? See our list of the best Capital One cards available today.

The key date to remember (and what to do before then)

Citi plans to end its point-sharing feature on May 17. Cardholders can continue sharing until May 16. Once the 17th hits, though, you won’t be able to send points to, or receive points from, another member.

For anyone who collects rewards with friends or family members, this change might hurt. Here’s what to do before then:

1. Pool points for upcoming trips

If you and someone else plan to book a trip later this year, make sure you share points now so they’re consolidated into a single account. That way, you can still transfer them together to airline or hotel partners if needed.

You might even want to become the “designated points holder” for your family or friend group, so you all have one giant pool of rewards to pull from.

2. “Top off” a friend or family member’s account

If someone you know is close to booking a trip, but doesn’t have enough rewards, it’s not unusual to send them a few points to get them over the top.

Make sure you do that before the deadline so everyone can get where they want to go.

3. Quickly use (or transfer) your shared points

Remember, Citi points received through points sharing expire after 90 days if they aren’t 1) used or 2) moved to a transfer partner. Don’t let transferred points sit idle in your account.

Are there still ways to pool points?

Even once Citi ends point sharing, some workarounds may exist.

For example, some airline loyalty programs allow points transfers between members. If both people transfer Citi points into the same airline program, they may still be able to combine rewards there, depending on that airline’s rules.

Every program is different, though — these transfers are not always free and may have limitations.

The bottom line: If you’ve got Citi points you want to share, make sure you do it quickly — and then use or transfer them quickly.

And if you want a card that makes it easier to earn and use rewards going forward, check out our list of the best travel cards available now.

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