Which Citi Strata Credit Card Is Right for You?

The three cards in Citi’s Strata family differ in rewards, benefits, travel perks and more. And as is the case with choosing any travel card, the best option for you will depend on things like how you spend, how frequently you travel and what you value in a travel card.

For instance, if your trips are only occasional, then the least-expensive Citi Strata℠ Card might be the best fit for you — light on frills, but still solidly rewarding for everyday spending, particularly for a $0-annual-fee card.

But if travel perks are a top priority for you, then shelling out a $595 annual fee for the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card might make sense, given its raft of lucrative and easy-to-use credits that can help offset that cost.

• 5 points per $1 on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked on cititravel.com.

• 3 points per $1 at supermarkets and gas/EV stations, and on select transit.

• 3 points per $1 on an eligible self-select category of your choice. Categories include fitness clubs, select streaming services, live entertainment, cosmetic stores/barber shops/hair salons and pet supply stores. 

• 2 points per $1 at restaurants.

• 1 point per $1 on all other purchases.

The Citi Strata℠ Card earns solid rewards across everyday spending categories at no yearly cost, making it ideal for those who want a travel card but don’t want to pay an annual fee. The card also allows for some customization with its self-select category, which you can choose once every quarter. In addition, you’ll be able to transfer your points to most of Citi’s travel partners, save for American Airlines. (See below for full list.) And it’s the only card of the bunch that comes with an introductory promotional period on balance transfers and purchases. You get a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, and then the ongoing APR of 19.24%-29.24% Variable APR.

If you dine out often, the Citi Strata℠ Card isn’t the best choice. It doesn’t earn as much in that category as its sibling cards, plus there are comparable $0 annual fee cards from other issuers that outearn it in that category as well. Notably, the Citi Strata℠ Card also doesn’t allow point transfer to perhaps Citi’s most popular partner, American Airlines. (Both of the more expensive Strata cards do.) And for the transfer partners it does feature — like JetBlue TrueBlue, Virgin Atlantic and Wyndham Rewards — you’ll get the least favorable redemption value of the three cards. It’s also light on the kind of side perks you’d get on cards that do charge annual fees. If you’re looking for things like travel credits and airport lounge access, look elsewhere.

• 10 points per $1 on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked through cititravel.com.

• 3 points per $1 on air travel and hotel purchases, restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations and EV charging.

• 1 point per $1 on all other purchases.

The Citi Strata Premier® Card is a good middle-of-the-road option thanks to its reasonable $95 annual fee and valuable rewards in everyday purchase categories. It earns triple points across “the big three” household categories of gas, groceries and dining, making it the most comprehensive everyday earner of the three Strata options. Plus, it offers access to all of Citi’s partners, including American Airlines, generally at a 1:1 ratio. The card also comes with a yearly hotel discount of $100 for a single hotel stay of at least $500 every calendar year, when you book through Citi.

The Citi Strata Premier® Card is lacking in travel perks that some similarly priced travel cards come with. And while it offers generous rewards in a lot of everyday categories, the card’s 3x rewards rate covers only certain kinds of travel spending: air travel and hotel purchases. Several competitors, on the other hand, tend to include a broader range of qualifying travel expenses: rideshares, cruises, etc. And while the $100 annual hotel savings benefit is a nice perk, you’ll need to meet a spending threshold and book through Citi to earn it.

• 12 points per $1 on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked on cititravel.com.

• 6 points per $1 on air travel booked on cititravel.com.

• 6 points per $1 at restaurants (including food delivery services) on “Citi Nights” on Fridays and Saturdays between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. Eastern Time. Outside of this timeframe, you’ll earn 3 points per $1.

• 1.5 points per $1 on all other purchases.

For frequent travelers, the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card — as its name suggests — is the top-tier option. It offers rich rewards for those committed to booking through Citi’s travel portal, and its rewards rate on dining is also great. The card features a list of travel credits that total around $1,500 in value, including a $300 annual hotel credit, reimbursement for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, and four passes per year to American Airlines Admirals Clubs. Those benefits can help defray the card’s three-digit annual fee, and unlike such perks on similarly priced premium cards, these statement credits are not doled out monthly — they’re given annually or semi-annually. You also get full access to Citi’s list of travel partners, generally at 1:1 transfer ratios.