Citi Strata Elite®

Built for frequent spenders and loyal Citi customers, the Citi Strata Elite offers heavy portal rewards alongside a broad suite of travel credits. It is tailored for cardholders who want premium lounge access and maximum return on Citi Travel bookings.

Welcome Offer

75,000 Points

Annual Fee

$595

Rec. Credit Score

Excellent

Good For

Frequent Citi Travel Bookers

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...

Citi Travel portal bookings

American Airlines lounge passes

Customizable annual credits

The $595 annual fee is straightforward to offset for travelers who regularly use Citi's booking portal. Between the $300 hotel discount on multi-night stays, a $200 Splurge Credit across select partners like Best Buy or American Airlines, and $200 for Blacklane chauffeur rides, frequent spenders can easily capture enough value to cover the recurring cost. However, earning top rewards rates requires booking through Citi Travel rather than directly with airlines or hotels. If you prefer flexible direct bookings or rarely use airport lounges like Priority Pass or Admirals Club, the fee may be difficult to justify.

MaxRewards Verdict

The Citi Strata Elite is a strong premium choice for travelers who regularly book through Citi's portal, but it loses appeal if you prefer booking travel directly.

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

The card earns ThankYou points with elevated multiplier rates on travel booked through Citi, alongside solid baseline earnings on dining and everyday purchases.

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

A suite of annual statement credits, airport lounge access, and travel protections helps offset the premium annual fee.

BenefitAnnual value

$300

$200

$145

$30

Enrollment is required for select benefits.

Automatically track your credits with MaxRewards

Our app automatically tracks valuable credits so you don't miss any rewards.

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$200 Annual Blacklane® Credit

Autotracked

of $100Every 6 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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