Citi Strata Elite℠

Citi Strata Elite is built for travelers who can make real use of Citi's hotel and travel portal credits, and who want premium lounge access without giving up a solid everyday earning floor. It works best as a paid travel card with some daily spending appeal, not as a pure points maximizer for people who avoid portal bookings.

Welcome Offer

75,000 Points

Annual Fee

$595

Rec. Credit Score

Excellent

Good For

Portal-focused travelers

How to Apply Estimate your value

All information about Citi Strata Elite℠ has been collected independently by MaxRewards. Citi Strata Elite℠ is no longer available through MaxRewards.

Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are MaxRewards' alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.

Overview

Is the Citi Strata Elite℠ worth it?

This card is great for...

Hotel credit users

Airport lounge visits

Everyday non-bonus spending

This card is worth a look if you will actually use the $300 annual hotel benefit, value lounge access, and can naturally use some combination of the Splurge Credit and Blacklane credit. In that setup, the $595 annual fee can be offset pretty quickly, and the 1.5x base earning rate gives the card more day-to-day usefulness than many premium travel cards. The strongest rewards rates are tied to cititravel.com, so the card makes the most sense for someone already comfortable booking that way.

It is a weaker fit if you prefer booking flights and hotels directly, do not care much about lounges, or would have to force the statement credits. ThankYou points are also listed here at 1 cent each, which makes the rewards side more straightforward but less compelling on its own than some premium cards. For most people, this card needs the benefits package to carry the value proposition.

MaxRewards Verdict

Citi Strata Elite fits travelers who will use its hotel credit, lounge access, and portal-based rewards often enough to justify the fee. If you want a premium card mainly for flexible everyday value without relying on credits or Citi Travel bookings, this is probably not the right one.

Welcome Offer

75,000 Points

after you spend $6,000 on purchases on your new card in your first 3 months of card membership.

Est. Value

$750

Required Spend

$6,000

Time Frame

3 Months

Est. Value

$750

Required Spend

$6,000

Time Frame

3 Months

Earning

Rewards

ThankYou points here are fairly simple to think about: strong earnings on Citi Travel bookings, decent value on dining, and a better-than-usual 1.5x on everything else. The key question is how much of your travel you are willing to book through cititravel.com, because that is where the biggest returns live.

CategoryRate

Car Rental (cititravel.com)

12%

Entertainment (cititravel.com)

12%

Hotel (cititravel.com)

12%

Air Travel (cititravel.com)

Dining

Everywhere

1.5%

Rewards percent based on a valuation of 1¢ per ThankYou® point

Annual Credits & Perks

Benefits

The benefits are a major part of this card's story. A few recurring credits, airport lounge access, and solid travel protections can go a long way toward justifying the annual fee, but only if the credits match how you already travel and spend.

BenefitAnnual value

$300

$200

$145

$30

Enrollment is required for select benefits.

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$200 Annual Splurge Credit℠

Autotracked

of $200Every 12 months

Benefits

More Benefits

Priority Pass™ Select membership

Enjoy complimentary access to 1,500+ airport lounges worldwide. Annual membership fee valued at $469.

American Airlines Admirals Club® Lounge Access Passes

Every calendar year, receive 4 Admirals Club® Citi Strata Elite Passes for access to nearly 50 Admirals Club lounges (over $300 in value). Inside each of the nearly 50 lounges, you can enjoy a selection of snacks, complimentary cocktails, personal travel assistance and more.

Travel and Shopping Protection

Help stay protected with travel insurances, including Trip Delay Protection, Enhanced Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption Protection, Lost or Damaged Luggage, MasterRental Coverage (car rental insurance), and Extended Warranty and Purchase Assurance Plus.

Dining

Citi Strata Elite cardmembers have access to coveted dining experiences with The Supper Club with tickets available for purchase to events hosted in major U.S. cities. Enjoy bespoke content and tutorials from Death & Co with access to their online learning platform, Fashioned. Citi Strata Elite cardholders can learn everything about cocktails, from drink-making fundamentals to advanced techniques. Complimentary access is granted by enrolling with a Citi Strata Elite Card. For Adults 21+.

The Reserve by Citi Travel

A collection of participating hotels on cititravel.com offering on-property benefits including daily, complimentary breakfast for two, free Wi-Fi, a $100 experience credit (varies by property). Other benefits, subject to availability, include early check-in, late check-out and room upgrades. Select a Reserve Hotel rate at checkout to receive the benefits.

Eligibility

Recommended Minimum Credit

Min: Excellent

Poor

Fair

Good

Excellent

Excellent credit or higher is recommended for this card.

Credit approval is not guaranteed. Meeting the recommended credit range does not ensure approval, and applicants with lower scores may still be considered.

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