Citi ThankYou Adds JAL: 30% to JAL and 25% to LifeMiles Through Oct 24
Japan Airlines Mileage Bank is being reported across travel-rewards coverage as a brand-new Citi ThankYou transfer partner, live since September 20, 2026 . It launched alongside two bonuses running at the same time: quoted Citi promo terms put the JAL bonus at 30% and a separate Avianca LifeMiles bonus at 25% , both for transfers completed from 12:01 a.m. ET September 20 through 11:59 p.m. ET October 24, 2026 .
The headline numbers don’t apply to every card. On the full-ratio cards named in those terms, 1,000 ThankYou points become 1,300 JAL miles or 1,250 LifeMiles. On the reduced-ratio cards, the same 1,000 points become 910 JAL miles or 875 LifeMiles. JAL is a oneworld airline and LifeMiles is a Star Alliance program, so the two bonuses don’t compete for the same seats. The real question is which program actually has the award you want.
You have three options: move points to JAL, move them to LifeMiles, or keep them. We haven’t found a public, login-free Citi page that confirms the JAL launch date or either bonus, so treat the rates, the card lists, and the end date as reported until your own ThankYou transfer screen shows them. Transfers can’t be undone. Find award space you can actually book first, then transfer.
Written by Joe · Miles & Points Expert | 240,000+ Points Redeemed in 2026 · Last updated: September 27, 2026. Issuer and airline pages come first. Citi’s public ThankYou FAQ covers the transfer minimums and maximums, and JAL’s own rules and award charts cover expiry, the new-member wait, and partner award prices. Citi’s transfer catalog and bonus tiles sit behind a login, so the bonus rates and card lists here come from quoted Citi promo terms. Valuations are credited to the one outlet that published them. Check your logged-in ThankYou transfer screen before you move a single point.
At a Glance: Citi’s JAL 30% and LifeMiles 25% Bonuses
- A new partner: multiple travel-rewards write-ups describe Japan Airlines Mileage Bank as a new Citi ThankYou transfer partner that went live on September 20, 2026. We didn’t find a public, login-free Citi press page confirming that date.
- JAL bonus (reported): quoted Citi promo terms give a 30% bonus on transfers completed from 12:01 a.m. ET September 20 through 11:59 p.m. ET October 24, 2026. On full-ratio cards, 1,000 ThankYou points become 1,300 JAL miles. On reduced-ratio cards, they become 910 JAL miles.
- LifeMiles bonus (reported): separate quoted Citi terms give a 25% bonus over the same span. On full-ratio cards, 1,000 ThankYou points become 1,250 LifeMiles. On reduced-ratio cards, they become 875 LifeMiles.
- Same dates, two offers: the two windows are quoted as the same calendar span, but in separate terms for each partner. Check each partner’s end time on its own on the logged-in ThankYou transfer screen.
- The rule: transfers are irreversible. Move ThankYou points only for an award you’ve already found and can hold. If neither a JAL award nor a LifeMiles award is bookable before the reported 11:59 p.m. ET October 24 cutoff, keep your points.
- Before you transfer: confirm the bonus, the ratio your card family shows, and the end date on Citi’s site (the logged-in ThankYou transfer screen).
Real-World Examples
Example 1: An 85,000-mile partner business award
JAL’s official partner and oneworld award charts price awards by total trip distance. A business-class award in the 8,001–10,000-mile total-trip band costs 85,000 miles . That’s a distance band, not a price for any particular pair of cities. During the 30% JAL bonus it takes about 66,000 ThankYou points on a full-ratio card (66,000 × 1.3 = 85,800 JAL miles) or about 94,000 on a reduced-ratio card (94,000 × 0.91 ≈ 85,540). Taxes, fuel surcharges, and carrier-imposed fees are extra and vary by airline.
Takeaway: 85,000 comes straight from JAL’s own charts. Your cash cost on top depends on the airline you fly.
Example 2: Seat first, then ratio, then transfer
These point totals are simple arithmetic on the quoted bonus ratios. They aren’t cash comparisons, and they don’t tell you a seat exists. The order matters: find an award you can hold on JAL or LifeMiles, check which ratio your card family shows (JAL 1,300 or 910 per 1,000 points; LifeMiles 1,250 or 875), work out how many ThankYou points the award needs, rounded up to the next 1,000, and transfer only if the seat and the math line up. That’s the same approach we laid out for the Amex-to-Avios 30% bonus , an offer that has since ended. A bonus only helps if the redemption on the other side is real.
Confirm the bonus, the ratio your card family shows, and the end date on Citi’s site (logged-in ThankYou transfer screen) before transferring.
TL;DR – Verdict
There are three moves: JAL at the quoted 30%, LifeMiles at the quoted 25%, or keep your ThankYou points. This post helps you pick one of them. It isn’t a guide to every Citi partner or a card comparison.
Treat these as two separate bonuses. JAL and LifeMiles have different rates and different payouts, and each has its own quoted terms. Check each partner’s rate, payout, and end date on its own on the logged-in transfer screen.
Your card decides your ratio. The quoted terms don’t give every ThankYou cardholder the full 1:1 base rate. Full-ratio cards are quoted at 1,000 → 1,300 JAL or 1,000 → 1,250 LifeMiles. Reduced-ratio cards are quoted at 1,000 → 910 JAL or 1,000 → 875 LifeMiles. Check the ratio your account shows before you transfer.
Follow the seat. If you’ve found bookable JAL space and hold a full-ratio card, the 30% JAL payout (1,000 → 1,300) is the richer of the two bonuses. If the only bookable space is on LifeMiles, the 25% LifeMiles payout (1,000 → 1,250 on a full-ratio card) is the one that matters. Don’t move points just to park them.
No seat, no transfer. If neither a bookable JAL award nor a bookable LifeMiles award turns up before the reported 11:59 p.m. ET October 24 cutoff, keep your ThankYou points.
Confirm the bonus, the ratio your card family shows, and the end date on Citi’s site (logged-in ThankYou transfer screen) before transferring.
Introduction: JAL at 30%, LifeMiles at 25%, or Keep Your ThankYou Points?
As of September 27, 2026, travel-rewards coverage describes Japan Airlines Mileage Bank as a new Citi ThankYou partner that went live on September 20, 2026. Its launch bonus overlaps a quoted 25% LifeMiles bonus, and both are reported to end at the same time: 11:59 p.m. ET on October 24, 2026. Citi hasn’t published a public, login-free page confirming the JAL launch date, so everything below is framed as reported until your account shows it.
This post is for you if you already hold ThankYou points and need to choose before the reported cutoff: JAL at 30%, LifeMiles at 25%, or keep the points. If you’re still building your wallet around transfers as a goal, especially if you also hold Capital One miles , our premium-card comparison covers that side of the decision.
One alliance note up front. JAL is a oneworld airline, and LifeMiles is a Star Alliance program. They sit in different alliance networks, so a JAL mile doesn’t book the same partner seats as a LifeMile.
A note on Capital One. Citi isn’t the only way into JAL. Capital One’s JAL transfer is described as 1,000 Capital One miles → 750 JAL miles at the base rate, and a separate 30% Capital One bonus was reported at 1,000 → 975, ending 11:59 p.m. ET on September 30, 2026. We haven’t confirmed that bonus is still live, so check Capital One’s own transfer page before counting on it. If Capital One is already part of your travel setup, Capital One’s lounge at DFW is another way that ecosystem pays off. The Citi-vs-Capital-One comparison for JAL is in the “JAL vs LifeMiles vs Keep” section below.
The mechanics are the same as always. Per Citi’s public ThankYou Points Transfer FAQ, transfers to travel loyalty programs start at 1,000 ThankYou points, go in 1,000-point increments, and max out at 500,000 ThankYou points per transfer. You still have to check which partners your account can use while signed in.
Don’t transfer on speculation. Find the award space first, then make the irreversible click. Confirm the bonus, the ratio your card family shows, and the end date on Citi’s site (logged-in ThankYou transfer screen) before transferring.
How the JAL 30% and LifeMiles 25% Bonuses Work
These are two separate promotions that happen to run over the same dates. Each has its own quoted Citi terms, its own bonus percentage, and its own payout for each card family. Citi’s transfer screens are login-gated, so the numbers below come from those quoted terms, not from a public Citi page.
JAL Mileage Bank: 30% launch bonus
Quoted Citi JAL promo terms give a 30% bonus on transfers completed from 12:01 a.m. ET September 20 through 11:59 p.m. ET October 24, 2026. The full-ratio example in those terms is 1,000 ThankYou points → 1,300 JAL miles (a 1.0 base plus a 0.3 bonus). The reduced-ratio example is 1,000 → 910 JAL miles (a 0.7 base plus a 0.21 bonus).
Avianca LifeMiles: 25% bonus
Quoted Citi LifeMiles promo terms give a 25% bonus on transfers completed from 12:01 a.m. ET September 20 through 11:59 p.m. ET October 24, 2026. The full-ratio example is 1,000 ThankYou points → 1,250 LifeMiles . The reduced-ratio example is 1,000 → 875 LifeMiles .
| Term (as quoted) | JAL Mileage Bank | Avianca LifeMiles |
|---|---|---|
| Bonus | 30% | 25% |
| Full-ratio cards: 1,000 TY → | 1,300 JAL miles | 1,250 LifeMiles |
| Reduced-ratio cards: 1,000 TY → | 910 JAL miles | 875 LifeMiles |
| Window (transfers completed) | 12:01 a.m. ET Sep 20 – 11:59 p.m. ET Oct 24, 2026 | 12:01 a.m. ET Sep 20 – 11:59 p.m. ET Oct 24, 2026 |
| Account requirement | Existing JAL Mileage Bank number registered in your ThankYou profile in advance | Existing LifeMiles number registered in your ThankYou profile in advance |
| Separate “register for this bonus” step | Not described in the quoted terms | Not described in the quoted terms |
Same dates, but check each one
The JAL and LifeMiles windows are quoted as the same calendar span, but in separate Citi terms for each partner. Don’t assume that if one is still live, the other is too. Check each partner’s end time on the logged-in ThankYou transfer screen before you rely on either date. On the West Coast, 11:59 p.m. ET is 8:59 p.m. PT, so don’t leave it for the last evening.
Link your loyalty number before the deadline
For both bonuses, the quoted terms require an existing JAL Mileage Bank or LifeMiles membership number, registered in your ThankYou profile in advance. The quoted terms don’t describe a separate step to register for the bonus itself. Linking the account is the step you can’t skip.
Citi’s standing transfer limits
Per Citi’s public ThankYou Points Transfer FAQ, transfers to travel loyalty programs have a 1,000-point minimum, must be made in 1,000-point increments, and max out at 500,000 ThankYou points per transfer.
Confirm the bonus, the ratio your card family shows, and the end date on Citi’s site (logged-in ThankYou transfer screen) before transferring.
Which ThankYou Cards Get the Full vs Reduced Ratio
This matters more than the bonus percentage. The quoted Citi terms for the JAL launch bonus list two card families with two different payouts. The quoted LifeMiles terms also give separate full-ratio and reduced-ratio payouts. The quoted terms don’t make every ThankYou cardholder eligible for the full 1:1 base rate or for the bonus.
| Card family (as named in the quoted JAL terms) | Cards | JAL with 30% | LifeMiles with 25% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full ratio | Citi Strata Elite, Citi Strata Premier, Citi Prestige, AT&T Access More | 1,000 → 1,300 | 1,000 → 1,250 |
| Reduced ratio | Citi ThankYou Preferred, Citi Strata, Citi Double Cash, Citi Custom Cash, Citi ThankYou Mastercard, plus the listed AT&T Universal / Points Plus / Access cards | 1,000 → 910 | 1,000 → 875 |
Go by the named list, not the annual fee
Use the card names in the quoted terms, not a rule of thumb. On the JAL side, the full-ratio payout is a 1.0 base plus a 0.3 bonus, and the reduced-ratio payout is a 0.7 base plus a 0.21 bonus. If you hold cards from both families, look at what your transfer screen shows. The ratio Citi displays for your account is the one that applies.
What that does to every example in this post
Every figure here comes in pairs. For JAL, it’s 1,000 → 1,300 on a full-ratio card versus 1,000 → 910 on a reduced-ratio card. For LifeMiles, it’s 1,000 → 1,250 versus 1,000 → 875. On the official 85,000-mile partner business band, that’s the difference between about 66,000 and about 94,000 ThankYou points.
Can your card transfer at all?
Citi’s public ThankYou Points Transfer FAQ lists which card products can use Points Transfer in the first place. Even if your card is on that list, check that JAL and LifeMiles show up while you’re signed in.
Check the ratio your account shows before you transfer. Confirm the bonus, the ratio your card family shows, and the end date on Citi’s site (logged-in ThankYou transfer screen) before transferring.
What JAL Mileage Bank Miles and LifeMiles Are Worth
If you want a cents-per-mile figure for JAL miles, there isn’t a good published one to give you yet, and we’re not going to make one up.
What the monthly valuations show
The Points Guy’s September 2026 monthly valuations (dated September 1, 2026) list LifeMiles at 1.55 cents per mile . That same September 2026 table doesn’t list JAL Mileage Bank . The 1.55-cent figure is TPG’s valuation for that month, not the value of a LifeMile, and there’s no matching TPG number for JAL to set beside it.
What JAL’s own charts show
With no JAL valuation to lean on, the most useful anchor is JAL’s own pricing. JAL Mileage Bank’s official partner and oneworld award charts price partner awards by total trip distance. On those charts, a business-class award in the 8,001–10,000-mile total-trip band costs 85,000 miles . Taxes, fuel surcharges, and carrier-imposed fees are extra and vary by airline, so the real cost of any award is miles plus that cash.
| Data point | Figure | How firm it is |
|---|---|---|
| LifeMiles valuation | 1.55¢ per mile | The Points Guy’s September 2026 monthly valuations only |
| JAL Mileage Bank valuation | None published | Not listed on that same September 2026 table |
| JAL partner / oneworld business, 8,001–10,000 total trip miles | 85,000 miles + taxes, fuel surcharges, carrier fees | Official JAL chart (a distance band, not a city-pair price) |
Different currencies, different seats
JAL miles and LifeMiles aren’t interchangeable. JAL is oneworld and LifeMiles is Star Alliance, so the value of either one depends entirely on whether it can book the specific seat you want.
JAL vs LifeMiles vs Keep
Start with the seat. Transfer only for a JAL award or a LifeMiles award you’ve already found and can hold. If you haven’t found one, keep your ThankYou points through the reported 11:59 p.m. ET October 24 cutoff. It’s the same transfer-now-vs-keep decision we walked through for Amex’s dated bonus window : the deadline is a reason to check for space, not a reason to move points.
JAL is oneworld and LifeMiles is Star Alliance, so a JAL mile doesn’t book the same partner seats as a LifeMile. Which program to pick comes down to where the seat is.
Search award space before you transfer
Check partner award availability first, then move points. Seats.aero shows open award seats across major programs.
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| What you found | Move | Quoted payout per 1,000 TY |
|---|---|---|
| A holdable JAL award | Transfer to JAL during the 30% window | 1,300 (full ratio) / 910 (reduced ratio) |
| A holdable LifeMiles award | Transfer to LifeMiles during the 25% window | 1,250 (full ratio) / 875 (reduced ratio) |
| Nothing bookable before Oct 24 | Keep your ThankYou points | No transfer |
If the seat is on JAL
Use the quoted JAL payout for your card family: 1,000 → 1,300 on a full-ratio card or 1,000 → 910 on a reduced-ratio card. For an award priced in the official 85,000-mile partner/oneworld business band, that’s about 66,000 or about 94,000 ThankYou points. Price your actual award on JAL’s site and use that number, not these.
If the seat is on LifeMiles
Use the quoted LifeMiles payout: 1,000 → 1,250 on a full-ratio card or 1,000 → 875 on a reduced-ratio card. Divide the award price LifeMiles shows you by your payout, round up to the next 1,000 ThankYou points, and move only that. The 25% bonus isn’t a reason to park LifeMiles for some future trip.
If you also hold Capital One miles
Capital One’s JAL transfer is described as 1,000 Capital One miles → 750 JAL miles at the base rate. A 30% Capital One bonus was reported to raise that to 1,000 → 975 through 11:59 p.m. ET September 30, 2026. We haven’t confirmed that bonus is still live, so check Capital One’s own transfer page before you count on it. Per 1,000 points, the quoted numbers line up like this: Citi full-ratio 1,300, Capital One with its reported bonus 975, Citi reduced-ratio 910, and Capital One base 750. Which one wins depends on the card you hold, not on the headline. If you’re weighing the two currencies for everyday spending, our Chase Freedom Unlimited vs Capital One Venture comparison covers how each one earns in the first place.
| Path into JAL Mileage Bank | Per 1,000 points | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Citi, full-ratio card, 30% bonus | 1,300 JAL miles | Quoted terms; reported through Oct 24, 11:59 p.m. ET |
| Citi, reduced-ratio card, 30% bonus | 910 JAL miles | Quoted terms; reported through Oct 24, 11:59 p.m. ET |
| Capital One, reported 30% bonus | 975 JAL miles | Reported end Sep 30, 11:59 p.m. ET; not confirmed live, so check Capital One |
| Capital One, base rate | 750 JAL miles | Described standard ratio |
Transfers are irreversible, so keeping your points is the default when neither program has bookable space before the reported cutoff. Confirm the bonus, the ratio your card family shows, and the end date on Citi’s site (logged-in ThankYou transfer screen) before transferring.
Timing and Risks: Posting, the 60-Day JAL Wait, Expiry, Irreversibility
Even when the seat and the math line up, timing can still cost you. Here’s what to plan for.
| Risk | What’s stated | How firm it is |
|---|---|---|
| Posting time | Typically within 24 hours; may take up to 5 business days | Quoted Citi partner blurbs; one test post was described as immediate |
| JAL new-member wait | No JMB award redemptions for up to 60 days after enrolling | Official JAL Mileage Bank rules; no Citi waiver confirmed |
| JAL expiry | Valid through the last day of the 36th month after the month earned | Official JAL Mileage Bank rules |
| LifeMiles expiry | After 12 months without qualifying earning activity; redeeming alone doesn’t reset it | Widely described; not confirmed on a public LifeMiles terms page |
| Finality | No way to move miles back to ThankYou | Treat every transfer as irreversible |
Posting: usually a day, sometimes a week
Quoted Citi partner blurbs say transfers to JAL Mileage Bank and to LifeMiles are typically completed within 24 hours and may take up to 5 business days. One independently described test moved 1,000 ThankYou points from a Citi Strata Elite account, and they were said to post as 1,300 JAL miles immediately on September 21, 2026. That’s one data point, not a promise. Posting speed varies, so leave room in case the seat you’re holding disappears while you wait.
The 60-day JAL wait for new members
Official JAL Mileage Bank rules say mileage can’t be redeemed for JMB awards for up to 60 days after you enroll in JMB. We haven’t found a Citi or JAL program page confirming a Citi-specific waiver of that wait, so don’t assume one exists. If you open a JAL account just for this bonus, you may not be able to book right away, even after the miles post. Seats that look available today may be gone by the time you can redeem.
Expiry on the other side
Per official JAL Mileage Bank rules, mileage is valid through the last day of the 36th month following the month of the transaction. LifeMiles are widely described as expiring after 12 months without qualifying earning activity, and redeeming miles alone doesn’t reset the clock. That LifeMiles rule isn’t confirmed on a public LifeMiles terms page as of September 27, 2026, so check your LifeMiles account before relying on it.
Link the account first, then transfer only once
The quoted terms require your JAL Mileage Bank or LifeMiles number to be registered in your ThankYou profile before you transfer. Do that first, and don’t leave it for the last evening of the window.
No undo button
Transfers are irreversible. Don’t transfer on speculation. If neither award is bookable before the reported 11:59 p.m. ET October 24 cutoff, keep your ThankYou points. They stay flexible, and a missed bonus costs you less than miles stranded in the wrong program. If you’d rather put that flexibility toward hotels, our guide to the best hotel credit cards for free nights and elite status shows how to earn hotel rewards without moving transferable points you can’t get back.
Confirm the bonus, the ratio your card family shows, and the end date on Citi’s site (logged-in ThankYou transfer screen) before transferring. Transfers can’t be reversed.
Conclusion / Final Thoughts
You have three moves and only three: JAL at the quoted 30% during the reported window, LifeMiles at the quoted 25% during the reported window, or keep your ThankYou points.
Check each partner separately. For JAL, it’s 1,000 → 1,300 on a full-ratio card or 1,000 → 910 on a reduced-ratio card. For LifeMiles, it’s 1,000 → 1,250 or 1,000 → 875. Both are reported to run from 12:01 a.m. ET September 20 through 11:59 p.m. ET October 24, 2026. The quoted terms name the full-ratio and reduced-ratio card families, but the ratio your account shows is the one that counts.
The official 85,000-mile JAL partner/oneworld business band is useful for planning, but it isn’t a reason to transfer before you’ve found a seat. Find award space you can hold, then transfer. If you can’t find any, keep the points.
If you’re weighing Capital One for JAL, its 30% bonus was only reported through 11:59 p.m. ET September 30, 2026. Don’t treat it as live unless Capital One’s own transfer page still shows it.
Confirm the bonus, the ratio your card family shows, and the end date on Citi’s site (logged-in ThankYou transfer screen) before transferring.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I transfer Citi ThankYou points to JAL or LifeMiles?
Transfer to JAL only if you’ve already found bookable JAL space (or a oneworld award bookable with JAL miles) that you can hold, and use the quoted 30% JAL payout for your card family. Transfer to LifeMiles only if you’ve already found bookable LifeMiles space that you can hold, and use the quoted 25% LifeMiles payout for your card family. If neither award is bookable before the reported 11:59 p.m. ET October 24 cutoff, keep your ThankYou points. Check each bonus, ratio, and end date separately on the logged-in ThankYou transfer screen.
What are JAL Mileage Bank miles worth?
There’s no good published figure yet. The Points Guy’s September 2026 monthly valuations list LifeMiles at 1.55 cents per mile but don’t list JAL Mileage Bank at all, and we’re not going to make up a JAL number. The firmest anchor is JAL’s own official partner/oneworld chart, which prices a business-class award in the 8,001–10,000-mile total-trip band at 85,000 miles. Taxes, fuel surcharges, and carrier-imposed fees are extra.
Do all Citi ThankYou cards get the 30% JAL bonus and the 25% LifeMiles bonus at the full ratio?
No. The quoted terms name full-ratio cards (Citi Strata Elite, Citi Strata Premier, Citi Prestige, AT&T Access More) and reduced-ratio cards (Citi ThankYou Preferred, Citi Strata, Citi Double Cash, Citi Custom Cash, Citi ThankYou Mastercard, plus the listed AT&T Universal / Points Plus / Access cards). Full-ratio cards are quoted at 1,000 → 1,300 JAL or 1,000 → 1,250 LifeMiles. Reduced-ratio cards are quoted at 1,000 → 910 JAL or 1,000 → 875 LifeMiles. Not every ThankYou cardholder gets the full 1:1 base rate or the bonus, so check the ratio your account shows.
When do the JAL 30% and LifeMiles 25% bonuses end, and do I need to register?
The quoted terms for each partner cover transfers completed from 12:01 a.m. ET September 20 through 11:59 p.m. ET October 24, 2026 (8:59 p.m. PT). Those terms are separate, so check each partner’s end time on its own. You need an existing JAL Mileage Bank or LifeMiles membership number registered in your ThankYou profile in advance. The quoted terms don’t describe a separate step to register for the promotion.
How fast do ThankYou transfers post to JAL or LifeMiles, and can a new JAL member redeem right away?
Quoted Citi partner blurbs say transfers typically post within 24 hours and may take up to 5 business days. In one described test, 1,000 ThankYou points from a Strata Elite account were said to post as 1,300 JAL miles immediately on September 21, 2026, but posting speed varies, so don’t count on instant. New JAL members may have to wait: official JAL Mileage Bank rules bar JMB award redemptions for up to 60 days after enrollment, and we haven’t found a Citi waiver of that wait.
What happens if I transfer and then can’t book?
The miles stay where you sent them. Transfers are irreversible. Per official JAL Mileage Bank rules, JAL miles are valid through the last day of the 36th month after the month of the transaction. LifeMiles are widely described as expiring after 12 months without qualifying earning activity, and redeeming alone doesn’t reset that clock, though that rule isn’t confirmed on a public LifeMiles terms page. That’s why the rule is to find the seat first and keep your ThankYou points if you can’t.
Written by Joe
Miles & Points Expert and Enthusiast | 240,000+ Points Redeemed in 2026
I personally test every credit card, redemption, and loyalty program strategy so you get honest, up-to-date 2026 advice and real results.
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