Citi Strata Premier Card review 2024: Takes the Premier Card to the next level (2024)

The freshly debuted Citi Strata Premier℠Card*The information for the Citi Strata Premier℠Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer., which has replaced the now-defunct Citi Premier® Card*The information for the Citi Premier® Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer., maintains much of what made its predecessor great. Along with a low annual fee, the card rewards everyday spending such as supermarkets, dining and travel. It also offers strong travel insurance protections for those who are often on the road. Read our in-depth Citi Strata Premier Card review, including card highlights to help you decide if the card is a good option for you.

Citi Strata Premier Card basics

• Annual fee: $95.
• Welcome bonus: 75,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
• Rewards: 10 ThankYou® points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com, 3 points per $1 on air travel and other hotel purchases, at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations and EV charging stations and 1 point per $1 on other purchases.
• APR: 21.24% to 29.24% variable APR on purchases and balance transfers.
• Recommended credit score: Good to excellent.
• Does the card offer preapproval? No.
• Other benefits: Travel insurance, $100 annual hotel credit (conditions apply).

Citi Strata Premier Card review

The Citi Strata Premier Card won’t be for everyone, but it’ll fit the bill for most. With a sub-$100 annual fee, the Citi Strata Premier Card focuses heavily on becoming the default card in your wallet. Why? Because it’ll earn you strong rewards on spending you’re already doing, including restaurants, travel, supermarkets, EV charging stations and gas stations.

The Citi ThankYou® points that you’ll earn can then be transferred to any of Citi’s hotel, airline and shopping partners. This makes them easy to use and especially valuable when used for travel and places the Strata Premier firmly among the best Citi credit cards out there.

Speaking of travel, the Citi Strata Premier’s travel insurance benefits are some of the most comprehensive you’ll find on a card at this price point. While you won’t get reimbursem*nt for baggage delays — like you would with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card — Citi’s rental car insurance is primary outside your country of residence. It also provides coverage in commonly excluded countries, such as Ireland.

Beyond this, the Citi Strata Premier Card is the absolute best card for purchasing theme park tickets, especially ones that you’ll rarely find discounted. This is due to the card’s ability to earn an elevated rewards rate on attractions booked within the Citi travel portal. Pricing for these tickets isn’t hyper-inflated, either.

This means that when it comes to purchasing tickets to places such as Walt Disney World, you’ll be able to really maximize your points. For example, a three-day Park Hopper ticket to Walt Disney World that costs $560 on Citi’s travel portal will earn you 5,600 Citi points. With values as high as 1.8 cents per point when transferred to some of Citi’s travel partners, that’s about $100 in rewards — close to 20% — that you’ll get back. That’s not something you’ll find anywhere else.

Pros

• Elevated rewards on everyday spending: Bonus categories include the types of purchases most people make.
• No complicated credits: Unlike some cards, the Citi Strata Premier Card doesn’t offer credits on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis.
• Best credit card for attractions: Earns twice as many points as competitors on purchases such as theme park tickets.

Cons

• Limited statement credits: The only statement credit you’ll get requires a $500 minimum hotel stay purchase.
• No delayed luggage insurance: Loses out to competitors on luggage insurance, since it doesn’t provide for delayed luggage.
• No premium travel perks: Card doesn’t include perks such as lounge access or free checked luggage.

Citi Strata Premier Card rewards

The Citi Strata Premier Card earns elevated rewards on a number of categories:

• 10 ThankYou® points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com.
• 3 points per $1 on air travel and other hotel purchases, at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations and EV charging stations.
• 1 point per $1 on other purchases.

As the card is freshly debuted, it’s offering an elevated welcome offer:

• Earn 75,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.

This is in contrast to the welcome offer that the Citi Premier Card was offering, which included 60,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.

Using government data and other publicly available information, we estimate that a household in the U.S. that would be in the market for this card has around $25,087 in annual expenses that can be charged to a credit card. Here’s how our sample household’s rewards could break down:

In this example, the cardholder earns 47,645 rewards points. This can be worth $476 in value when redeemed via Citi’s travel portal, but that’s not a great option. This is because Citi’s hotel and airline partners can provide much greater value.

As an example, here’s the Hotel C Stockholm, Ascend Hotel Collection, where booking a deluxe room for four through Citi’s travel portal will run you about $298 USD per night.

Or, you can take advantage of Citi’s relationship with Choice hotels and transfer your Citi points over to Choice Privileges at a 1:2 value, meaning one Citi point becomes two Choice points.

This represents an especially good value because an award night for your stay will cost just 16,000 Choice points — or 8,000 Citi points.

In this example, you’re getting 3.7 cents in value per point, which is excellent.

Citi Strata Premier Card perks

Along with the ability to earn Citi points, the Citi Strata Premier Card has two major perks: A $100 hotel credit and travel insurance.

The $100 credit is valid once per year and provides you with $100 off a single hotel stay of at least $500 (excluding taxes and fees) when booked via the Citi travel portal.

The Citi Strata Premier Card’s travel insurance is also fairly robust:

• Trip delay insurance: Starts at six hours, reimburses a maximum of $500 per trip and two claims per 12-month period.
• Trip cancellation/interruption insurance: Up to a maximum of $5,000 per trip and $10,000 per 12-month period.
• Lost or damaged luggage: Pays back a maximum of $3,000 ($2,000 for New York) per trip and two claims per 12-month period.
• Rental car insurance: Coverage is secondary within your country of residence, primary when you’re traveling abroad.

How the Citi Strata Premier Card compares to other rewards cards

While the Citi Strata Premier Card doesn’t earn industry-leading rewards in every category, it provides a solid, all-in-one option that outdoes its competition.

Citi Strata Premier Card vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Like the Citi Strata Premier Card, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card charges a $95 annual fee and offers a hotel credit.

Unfortunately, the Chase Sapphire Preferred falls behind when it comes to earnings. You’ll get 5 points per $1 on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3 points per $1 on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs), 2 points per $1 on all other travel purchases and 1 point per $1 on all other purchases.

The elevated rewards rate includes air travel, which beats out the Citi Strata Premier Card. However, it’s half as much as you’ll get for hotels, rental cars and attractions.

The card’s other earnings are similarly lower, which means you’ll get better value for your annual fee by choosing the Citi Strata Premier. The only exception to this is those who stay frequently at Hyatt hotels, since Citi doesn’t offer World of Hyatt as a transfer partner.

Packed with perks: Here are 11 travel benefits on the Chase Sapphire Preferred card worth knowing about

See Also

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Citi Strata Premier Card vs. Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Visa® Card*The information for the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Visa® Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey is another $95-annual-fee travel card. With a superior annual statement credit of $50 on a $50 minimum airfare purchase, and elevated earnings, it beats out the Citi Strata Premier Card for both airfare and hotels. With this card you’ll earn 5 points per $1 on hotels, 4 points per $1 on airlines, 3 points per $1 on other travel and dining and 1 point per $1 on other purchases.

This makes the Autograph Journey a compelling option for those who spend a lot on travel each year. Its biggest downside is its limited transfer partners, with just a handful available compared to Citi’s offerings. The best one between the two will depend on which is more important to you: Higher earning rates or a longer list of transfer partners.

Citi Strata Premier Card vs. American Express® Green Card*The information for the American Express® Green Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

More expensive than the Citi Strata Premier Card at $150 per year (terms apply), the Amex Green Card offers better benefits for those looking for an elevated travel experience. This is due to its annual up to $100 LoungeBuddy statement credit, which can be redeemed for lounge access, and its annual up to $189 CLEAR® Plus statement credit, which can help skip past airport security lines. Both are available each calendar year.

However, the American Express® Green Card*The information for the American Express® Green Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. doesn’t offer elevated rewards on most everyday spending, instead focusing on travel, transit and dining at restaurants. Most people will find that it’s better to earn higher rewards overall, but bigger spenders can likely offset the out-of-pocket cost for the Amex Green’s perks.

All information about American Express® Green Card has been collected independently by Blueprint.

Is the Citi Strata Premier Card worth it?

The Citi Strata Premier Card can offer great rewards for most households, especially those with big budgets for supermarkets, gas or EV charging stations, travel and dining.

Citi Strata Premier Card is right for you if:

• You want to earn transferable Citi ThankYou points.
• You spend most of your budget on everyday expenses.
• You don’t want to spend more for travel perks like lounge access and elite status.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

^{*Blueprint uses credit ranges derived from FICO® Score 8, which is one of many different types of credit scores. If you apply for a credit card, the lender may use a different credit score when considering your application for credit.}