Citi Strata Premier℠ Card Review [2025]: Travel Rewards and Convenient Booking Options

Card basics

Who should get the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card?

I'd strongly recommend the Citi Strata Premier to you if:

• You travel frequently but want a card you can use almost every day, not just when booking flights and hotels.
• You like, or are very open to, the Citi Travel portal.
• You regularly book travel directly with hotels and airlines.
• Citi's transfer partners appeal to you.

The Citi Strata Premier Card is a great choice for people who frequently travel and spend money on dining and entertainment but don't mind booking through CitiTravel.com.

Its rewards rates set it apart from other mid-tier travel cards that offer lower rates when you're not booking through their portals, and its annual hotel benefit is impressive for this price range.

Who should choose a different card?

Don't overlook the fact that you only earn the maximum 10X points on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on CitiTravel.com, not on flights or travel booked elsewhere. If you're like me and like to look for the best deals, including on sites like Expedia, you may not maximize this card's benefits, although the same could also be said of similar cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.

If you don't travel frequently and don't spend enough in the card's other categories to offset the annual fee easily, I suggest looking for a cashback credit card without an annual fee. The Citi Double Cash^® Card is a good one to consider from this issuer.

Citi Strata Premier benefits and perks

• Generous welcome bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com. The bonus is worth $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at ThankYou.com.
• Excellent rewards on purchases: Earn 10X Points on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on CitiTravel.com; 3X Points on air travel and other hotel purchases, at restaurants, supermarkets, gas and EV charging stations; and 1X Points on all other purchases.
• Transfer points to airline loyalty programs: Transfer your points from your Citi Strata Premier℠ Card to participating airline and hotel loyalty programs, such as TrueBlue and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club for free. You only need a minimum of 1,000 points to request a transfer.
• Annual hotel savings: Receive $100 off a single hotel stay that's $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when you book through CitiTravel.com, once per year.
• No foreign transaction fees: Pay no foreign transaction fees no matter where you travel, so you don't stress about this additional cost while using your card abroad.
• Travel protections: Get trip cancellation/interruption insurance, lost or damaged baggage protection, trip delay reimbursement, and car rental coverage when you use your card to pay while traveling.
• Access to exclusive entertainment: Get access to exclusive tickets and events through Citi Entertainment®.

Earning & redeeming Citi ThankYou Points

Before choosing any reward credit card, whether travel or general rewards, I encourage you to determine how to maximize your earnings and compare your redemption options. It's easy to get caught up in the excitement of earning a free hotel stay, for example, but when determining its cash value, it can sometimes be disappointing.

Best ways to earn

The best way to earn points with the Citi Strata Premier Card is to use it for bonus category purchases. Since this card earns 10X Points on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on CitiTravel.com; 3X Points on air travel and other hotel purchases, at restaurants, supermarkets, gas and EV charging stations; and 1X Points on all other purchases, you would be better served using a cashback card with a higher reward rate for purchases outside of those bonus categories.

Here's an insider tip on how to truly maximize your earnings:

Use the Citi Double Cash^® Card to earn up to 2% cash back on any purchase that falls outside the Strata Premier card's reward categories. If you have both cards, you can transfer Double Cash points to your ThankYou account, and have more rewards.

Potential earnings in years one and two

Here's a look at how your points can add up with the Citi Strata Premier Card. To calculate these values, we used a point valuation of one cent.

Remember, this is an estimation. The actual value will be determined by how much you spend and in which categories you spend.

Year one earnings: $1,580

Year two earnings: $980

These values are based on the FinanceBuzz Credit Card Rewards Valuation Model, which takes a look at points earned via spending, the welcome offer, and the annual fee.

While the earnings you get from regular spending are already pretty generous, you'll get even more value from this card if you're able to take advantage of its annual $100 hotel savings benefit. Not bad for a card with a modest $95 annual fee.

Maximizing your redemptions

Fortunately, you have many options to redeem your ThankYou Points, including:

• Travel accommodations, such as airline tickets or hotel accommodations
• Gift cards to major retailers and brands
• Statement credit
• Cashback as a direct deposit
• Cashback as a check in the mail
• Shop with points with partner retailers
• Pay with points for certain purchases, as a statement credit
• Points sharing with other ThankYou® members
• Points transfer (more on this below)

I recommend using one cent per point as your threshold, as that's the average redemption value for ThankYou® Points. But like any point redemption, determine which reward provides the greatest value to make the most of your card.

Citi transfer partners

Like I said above, you have the option to transfer your points to an airline or hotel loyalty program. ThankYou Points from your Citi Strata Premier generally transfer to all of Citi's travel partners at a 1:1 ratio, but always watch for promotions when your points may have greater value.

Citi has many transfer partners. Here's a quick look at your options:

FAQs

Other cards we recommend instead of the Citi Strata Premier

While the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card is an excellent travel rewards credit card, I feel it's best for people who don't mind using the CitiTravel platform to book travel.

If that's not something you're comfortable with or you don't travel often, here are some other options:

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card has many similarities to the Citi Strata Premier Card. There's a welcome offer that helps you earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, a $95 annual fee, and its points are worth 25% more when redeemed for travel through the Chase Travel℠ portal. The main difference is that you only earn 2X points on other travel purchases with this card. However, you can transfer your points to Chase's travel partners.

Learn more: Citi Strata Premier℠ Card vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

American Express^® Gold Card

Another similarly rewarding option with different benefits is the American Express^® Gold Card. While it has a $325 annual fee, a good deal higher than the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card's annual fee, it has valuable perks, including a $120 dining credit toward certain restaurants and delivery apps, including Grubhub. (Enrollment required for select benefits.)

You'll also earn 4X Membership Rewards points at restaurants worldwide (up to $50,000 per year, after that 1X), 4X at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per year, after that 1X), 3X on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com, 2X on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com, and 1X on all other eligible purchases. So, despite the annual fee, this card might be a better choice for you if you tend to spend a lot at restaurants.

Bottom line

If you travel frequently and don't mind booking through CitiTravel, the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card is a no-brainer. Earning up to 10X points for every dollar spent on most travel expenses is quite the reward. However, if travel isn't your priority or you're a comparison shopper like me, there are other options to get rewarded for travel and your everyday purchases.

Earn Valuable Travel Points Even Faster

Citi Strata Premier℠ Card

4.9

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

Citi Strata Premier℠ Card

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Rates and fees

Current Offer

Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com.

Annual Fee

$95

Rewards Rate

10X Points on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on CitiTravel.com; 3X Points on air travel and other hotel purchases, at restaurants, supermarkets, gas and EV charging stations; and 1X Points on all other purchases

Benefits and Drawbacks

Benefits

• Exceptional rewards on travel booked through Citi Travel
• Offers opportunities to transfer points to travel partners at a 1:1 ratio
• Elevated rewards on everyday spending, like grocery shopping

Drawbacks

• Requires good-to-excellent credit to qualify
• You get the most rewards only by booking travel through Citi’s portal

Card Details

• Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com.
• Earn 10 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on CitiTravel.com.
• Earn 3 Points per $1 on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases, at Restaurants, Supermarkets, Gas and EV Charging Stations.
• Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
• $100 Annual Hotel Benefit: Once per calendar year, enjoy $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when booked through CitiTravel.com. Benefit applied instantly at time of booking.
• No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card
• No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases