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Citi Strata Premier℠ Card Review: Fantastic Value for a Reasonable Annual Fee

Review Updated
Lyle Daly
Author: Lyle Daly
Lyle Daly
Lyle Daly
Writer

Lyle Daly is a personal finance writer who specializes in credit cards, travel rewards programs, and banking. His work with Motley Fool Money and The Motley Fool has appeared syndicated in USA Today and Yahoo! Finance. He was born in California but currently lives as a digital nomad with a home base in Colombia.

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Nathan Alderman
Fact Checked: Nathan Alderman
Nathan Alderman
Nathan Alderman
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Nathan Alderman has been a full-time Motley Fool employee since 2005, making errors his arch-enemies in a variety of roles including a six-year stint as the dedicated fact-checker for The Motley Fool's premium newsletter services. As Motley Fool Money's Compliance Lead, he makes sure that all the site's information is accurate and up to date, which ensures we always steer readers right and keeps various financial partners happy. A graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, Nathan spends his spare time volunteering for civic causes, writing and podcasting for fun, adoring his wife, and wrangling his two very large young children.

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The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card is good for earning bonus points on everyday expenses and travel. It has a mix of bonus categories that we rarely ever see together, including supermarkets, restaurants, and gas/EV charging. It also has some additional travel perks and a solid rewards program with plenty of airline partners.

Ratings Methodology

Citi Strata Premier℠ Card

Apply Now for Citi Strata Premier℠ Card

On Citi's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees External Link Icon

Citi Strata Premier℠ Card
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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= Excellent
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Credit Score: Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Apply Now for Citi Strata Premier℠ Card

On Citi's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees External Link Icon

Credit Score Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Good/Excellent (670-850)

Intro APR

Purchases: N/A

Balance Transfers: N/A

Regular APR

20.24% - 28.24% (Variable)

Rewards Circle with letter I in it. 10x on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked through CitiTravel.com. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Restaurants. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Supermarkets. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on 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. Travel insurance protection: Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption (Common Carrier), Trip Delay, Lost or Damaged Luggage, MasterRental Coverage (Car Rental).

1x - 10x points

Annual Fee Circle with letter I in it. N/A

$95

Welcome Offer Circle with letter I in it. For a limited time, earn 75,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $750 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com.

75,000 ThankYou® Points

  • Citi Strata Premier offers a unique combination of bonus categories we don't see on many travel cards. It earns 3X points on travel and everyday-type categories, including supermarkets and gas/EV charging. You can also earn a welcome bonus worth $750. That combination of rewards is an excellent value for a relatively low annual fee. Plus, if you run into any problems on a trip, its complimentary travel protections (including coverage for trip delays, trip cancellations and interruptions, and lost/damaged luggage) could save the day.

    • Big sign-up bonus
    • Annual hotel savings offer
    • Travel and dining rewards
    • Grocery and gas rewards
    • Flexible travel rewards points
    • Travel insurance protections
    • Annual fee
    • Redemption options
    • For a limited time, earn 75,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $750 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

Credit card comparison

We recommend comparing options to ensure the card you're selecting is the best fit for you. To make your search easier, here's a short list of standout credit cards.

Offer Our Rating Welcome Offer Rewards Program APR Learn More
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best for cash back on rotating categories 		Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year. 1% - 5% Cashback Circle with letter I in it. Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Intro:

Purchases: 0%, 15 months

Balance Transfers: 0%, 15 months

Regular: 18.49% - 27.49% Variable APR *Rates as of December 12, 2024.

Apply Now for Discover it® Cash Back

On Discover's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees External Link Icon

Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best for cash rewards on everyday spending 		$200 cash rewards Circle with letter I in it. Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months. 2% cash rewards Circle with letter I in it. Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.

Intro: Circle with letter I in it. 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers

Purchases: 0% intro APR, 12 months from account opening

Balance Transfers: 0% intro APR, 12 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers

Regular: 19.24%, 24.24%, or 29.24% Variable APR

Apply Now for Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

On Wells Fargo's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees External Link Icon

Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best for unlimited rewards on purchases 		25,000 points Circle with letter I in it. 25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases 1.5 points per dollar Circle with letter I in it. Earn unlimited 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees, and your points don't expire as long as your account remains open.

Intro: Circle with letter I in it. 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases. 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the intro APR offer ends, 18.49% - 28.49% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers will apply. A 3% fee for 60 days from account opening, then 4% fee applies to all balance transfers.

Purchases: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases

Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days

Regular: 18.49% - 28.49% (Variable)

Apply Now for Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

On Bank of America's Secure Website.

Citi Strata Premier review

Is the Citi Strata Premier worth it?

The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card delivers more than enough value to justify its $95 annual fee. The welcome offer and bonus categories are competitive with the very best travel rewards cards. If you're confident you'll be able to use your Citi points, you could save big on travel with this card.

Author's note
Image of reviewer

I used to have the previous version of this card, the Citi Premier Card, which had similar features. I loved the bonus categories, especially 3X points per $1 at supermarkets, which is a rare benefit for a travel card. The rewards rate and welcome offer are two of the most important perks for travel cards, and the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card does well at both. The most notable downside with Citi credit cards is that the rewards program isn't as good as what Chase and American Express offer. But you can still find high-value ways to redeem your points.

What everyone else is saying

If you'd like to know what others think of the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card, here's a summary of credit card reviews and opinions about it on social media.

What other review sites say

Average review site rating: 4.5 / 5.0 stars

We read reviews of this Citi card from five popular review sites. Everyone agrees that it's one of the best credit cards for earning rewards. It has a huge sign-up bonus and earns bonus points in several categories, including supermarkets, restaurants, and gas.

It falls a bit short of the competition for redeeming rewards. Citi ThankYou Points have a lot of redemption options, and they're transferable to 20 partners. But multiple reviews mentioned how Citi's transfer partners aren't as good as those of other rewards programs.

Reviewers also pointed out that the card's $100 annual hotel credit is a mixed bag. It can more than make up for the $95 annual fee, but it's not the most convenient credit to use. Still, this card got high marks overall for offering valuable perks at a reasonable cost.

Online consensus

There's quite a bit of debate about the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card on social media. Some consider it one of the top travel cards in its price range. Others think it isn't as good as the competition, in particular cards from Chase and American Express.

Critics generally point out the transfer partners and Citi's customer service, which doesn't have the best reputation online. To be fair, there are plenty of people who have had no issues with Citi and believe this poor reputation is overblown.

Most social media users agree that this card has an excellent rewards rate. The consensus is that if you're fine with the redemption options it offers for your points, this Citi card is worth getting.

Citi Strata Premier features and benefits

Bonus points on everyday purchases and travel spending

When it comes to earning points, the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card is about as good as it gets. It starts with a welcome offer of 75,000 ThankYou® Points for spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. That's redeemable for $750 in gift cards or travel rewards, or you can transfer points to Citi partners and potentially get even more value.

You'll also earn bonus points in lots of areas with this Citi card. It earns:

  • 10X points on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com
  • 3X points on restaurants, supermarkets, at gas stations, for air travel, and other hotel purchases
  • 1X points on other purchases

I've seen plenty of cards with a few of these bonus categories, but not one that has all of them. What makes this card special is that it earns bonus points in both travel categories and on more everyday purchases, such as groceries and gas.

An annual hotel benefit that could save you $100

The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card gets you $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more, excluding taxes and fees, that you book through CitiTravel.com. You can use this benefit once per calendar year.

The fact that you need to book through CitiTravel.com can be inconvenient. I prefer booking directly with hotels in case of any customer service issues, and room prices are sometimes higher when you book through travel portals. But that's not always the case, and if you can use this benefit, you're already ahead on the annual fee.

Multiple ways to redeem your Citi points

The Citi ThankYou® Rewards program includes several ways to use your points. Here are the best options from a value perspective:

  • Transfer points to a Citi travel partner
  • Redeem for CitiTravel.com bookings at a rate of $0.01 per point
  • Redeem for gift cards at a rate of $0.01 per point

Transferring points offers the most potential value, once you get the hang of how to use Citi ThankYou Points. Citi has quite a few travel partners, including 14 airlines and five hotels. If you can transfer your points to book business-class airfare, you could score an incredible deal -- I've gotten upward of $0.03 per point this way.

Built-in travel protections in case you need them

If you travel often enough, you're going to have your fair share of mishaps. Your luggage comes off the carousel looking battered -- or worse yet, it doesn't come off the carousel at all. Your rental car gets a dent in one of those tight parking spaces they have over in Europe.

The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card could come in handy in these situations. It has the following protections on eligible purchases:

  • Trip delay protection
  • Trip cancellation and interruption protection
  • Lost or damaged luggage protection
  • MasterRental® Coverage for car rentals

What could be improved

Redemption options aren't quite as good as the competition

With travel cards, it's not just about how many points you'll earn, but how you can use them. Although the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card isn't bad here, its redemption options aren't quite as strong as what Chase and American Express offer. They both arguably have a better list of travel partners, and Chase also offers more value ($0.0125 to $0.015 per point) on Chase Travel bookings.

Most of Citi's airline partners are international carriers. You can't transfer Citi points to any of the "Big Four" U.S. airlines, and its only domestic partner is JetBlue. You may want to find out more about Citi's transfer partners to figure out if this card is right for you.

Find the best credit card for your needs
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What to know before applying

Citi Strata Premier credit score

A FICO® Score of 670 or higher is recommended to apply for the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card. Citi is selective with the applicants it approves, and it usually takes good credit or excellent credit to qualify. A credit score of 700 or higher will make an approval even more likely.

Pre-approval process

A Citi card prequalification tool is available on the card issuer's website. Fill out the form with some basic personal information, and you'll instantly see if you're prequalified for any Citi cards with no impact to your credit score.

Regular APR

The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card has a 20.24% - 28.24% (Variable) APR. While that's normal for a travel card, it's still a high rate overall, so it's best to pay off your statement balance in full every month.

Fees

Here are the fees for the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card:

  • Annual fee: $95
  • Balance transfer fee: Balance transfer fee applies with this offer; 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum.
  • Cash advance fee: 5% ($10 min.)
  • Foreign transaction fee: 0%

Credit limit

The minimum credit limit for the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card is $2,000, according to the terms and conditions. On the high end, some cardholders report having limits of $25,000 or more.

Apply now for the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card

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Our credit card methodology

At Motley Fool Money, we rate credit cards on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). Our rating criteria includes rewards rates, welcome bonuses, fees, and perks like travel credits and 0% intro APR offers to evaluate our ratings.

We combine these factors with an evaluation of brand reputation and customer satisfaction to ensure you're getting the best card recommendations. Learn more about how Motley Fool Money rates credit cards.

FAQs

  • The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card has a minimum credit limit of $2,000. Citi based your credit limit on a number of factors, including your income and credit history. Credit limits of over $25,000 have been reported by some cardholders.

  • The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card is a Mastercard. Specifically, it is a World Elite Mastercard®, which is the top of the three Mastercard tiers (Standard, World Mastercard®, and World Elite Mastercard®).

  • The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card is relatively easy to get if you have good to excellent credit and can qualify for the minimum credit limit. Aim for a credit score above 670 before you apply.