The Citi Strata Elite℠ Card is the bank's newest addition to its Strata line of cards and its first premium card since the Citi Prestige® Card, which is no longer available to new applicants.
The card comes with nearly $1,500 in value each year through perks like the $200 annual Splurge credit and a complimentary Priority Pass Select membership. Citi is also furthering its partnership with American Airlines and offering some AA-specific perks that frequent flyers will appreciate.
CNBC Select dives into Citi's newest premium option to see how it stacks up against a very competitive travel credit card landscape.
The Citi Strata Elite℠ Card aims to brings premium restaurant rewards and travel benefits to users, including an annual hotel benefit of $300.
- High rewards rate on travel
- 6X on restaurants
- Can transfer points to American Airlines at a 1:1 rate
- Up to $200 annual splurge credit
- High annual fee
- Limited rewards categories
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 75,000 bonus Points after spending $6,000 in the first 3 months of account opening.
- Earn 12 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on cititravel.com and 6 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel booked on cititravel.com
- Earn 6 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants including Restaurant Delivery Services on CitiNights℠ purchases, every Friday and Saturday from 6 PM to 6 AM ET. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent any other time
- Earn 1.5 Points per $1 spent on All Other Purchases
- Up to $300 Annual Hotel Benefit: Each calendar year, enjoy up to $300 off a hotel stay of two nights or more when booked through cititravel.com.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
Balance transfer fee
Balance transfer fee applies with this offer 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum.
Welcome bonus
If you're approved for the Citi Strata Elite Card, you can earn 75,000 bonus Points after spending $6,000 in the first 3 months of account opening. With these points generally valued at around 1.75 cents per point by the industry, this welcome bonus is worth about $1,300, which is a great return.
This bonus is earned in the form of Citi ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed in a number of ways, from simple statement credits, to paying with points or transferring them to one of Citi's travel partners.
Benefits and perks
The Citi Strata Elite comes with several perks, with the bulk of its value in travel and lifestyle categories.
Statement credits
- $300 Annual Hotel Benefit: Enjoy up to $300 off a hotel stay of two nights or more booked through Citi Travel every calendar year.
- $200 annual Splurge credit: Every calendar year, earn up to $200 in statement credits from your choice of up to two of the following brands: 1stDibs, American Airlines, Best Buy, Future Personal Training and Live Nation, with the option to change your selection at any time.
- $200 annual Blacklane credit: Enjoy up to $200 in statement credits, every calendar year, when booking with Blacklane, up to $100 from January through June and up to $100 from July through December.
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® credit: Receive a statement credit of up to $120 every four years as reimbursement for either the Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee.
While you do have to book via Citi Travel, the $300 hotel credit isn't tied to any specific brand, meaning you'll have more options. The $200 splurge credit is another welcome addition that gives you more control over how you earn rewards, letting you choose and switch between several brands, ranging from tickets to technology.
One credit that isn't as common is the one for Blacklane, a global chauffeur service. While it might serve as a nice luxury option for special occasions, odds are that you'll have an easier time with a taxi or public transportation.
Additional offerings
In addition to straightforward statement credits, the Strata Elite also offers some extra benefits:
- American Airlines Admirals Club passes: Every calendar year, you'll receive four Admirals Club Citi Strata Elite passes, good for entry to 50+ Admirals Club lounges.
- Complimentary Priority Pass Select membership: Access to 1,500+ airport lounges worldwide for the primary cardholder and authorized users, plus up to two guests.
- Access to The Reserve by Citi Travel: A collection of 4.5- to 5-star hotels.
- Travel and shopping protections: Perks like trip delay protection, enhanced trip cancellation and trip interruption protection, plus lost or damaged luggage protection, MasterRental coverage, extended warranty and purchase assurance plus.
- Mastercard World Legend benefits: The newest premium tier to the Mastercard Collection, offering priority reservations at restaurants, including in Europe through Mastercard's partnership with TheFork, ticketing access and more.
If Citi happens to be a company you bank with, it's possible that you could be eligible for additional savings through an offer just for Citi customers:
- Citigold® Private Client Relationship Tier credit: Citigold Private Clients who qualify for the card will receive a first-year banking credit of $595, covering the card's annual fee. You'll then receive a $145 annual credit each following year, with an open and current Strata Elite card.
- Citigold® Relationship Tier credit: Citigold Clients who qualify for the card will receive a $145 banking credit with an open and current Strata Elite card.
How to earn and redeem Citi ThankYou® Points
Earning
The Citi Strata Elite has a high earnings rate when you book via the Citi Travel portal, and it offers elevated earnings rates during certain eligible times:
- Earn 12X points on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked on cititravel.com
- Earn 6X points on air travel booked on cititravel.com
- Earn 6X points at restaurants on Citi Nights℠ purchases, every Friday and Saturday, from 6 PM to 6 AM ET; earn 3X points any other time
- Earn 1.5X points on all other purchases
What jumps out first is the very high 12X on hotels and more, but it is tied to the issuer's travel portal, a common theme with premium travel cards. It's also the first time we've seen a card that has a timed window to earn elevated rewards. It earns a higher rate at restaurants on Friday and Saturday nights, which could make your weekend date nights a little more affordable.
Redeeming
When redeeming the Citi ThankYou® Points earned by your Strata Elite, you have several options to choose from, like:
- Travel
- Gifts cards
- Cash back
- Shopping via select retailers
- Charitable donations
While options like cash back and gift cards are usually the simplest, they often don't provide you with the best value; the highest value usually comes from taking advantage of the transfer partners offered through Citi:
- AAdvantage® Program (1:1 ratio for Citi Strata Elite, Citi Strata Premier and Citi Prestige cardmembers)
- ALL Accor Live Limitless (2:1 ratio)
- Aeromexico (1:1 ratio)
- Air France-KLM Flying Blue (1:1 ratio)
- Avianca LifeMiles (1:1 ratio)
- Cathay Pacific Asia Miles (1:1 ratio)
- Choice Privileges (1:2 ratio or 2:3 with select Citi cards)
- Emirate Skywards (1:1 ratio)
- Etihad Guest (1:1 ratio)
- EVA Air (1:1 ratio)
- JetBlue TrueBlue (1:1 ratio or 5:4 with select Citi cards)
- Leaders Club (5:1 ratio)
- Preferred Hotels & Resorts (1:4 ratio)
- Quantas Frequent Flyer (1:1 ratio)
- Qatar Airways Privilege Club (1:1 ratio)
- Shop Your Way (1:10 ratio)
- Singapore Airlines (1:1 ratio)
- Thai Royal Orchard Plus (1:1 ratio)
- Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles (1:1 ratio)
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club & Virgin Red (1:1 ratio)
- Wyndham Rewards (1:1 ratio or 5:4 with select Citi cards)
Rates and fees
The Citi Strata Elite was built to compete with some of the most popular travel credit cards, and its $595 annual fee represents that. The card has no foreign transaction fees and a late or returned payment fee of $41. The card's variable purchase APR ranges from 20.49% - 28.49%, depending on creditworthiness.
Card comparison
Citi Strata Elite Card vs. American Express Platinum Card®
The American Express Platinum Card® is a premium card loaded with annual statement credits, entertainment benefits, extensive airport lounge access, elite status perks and more. (Enrollment required for select benefits mentioned)
- Access to 1,550+ airport lounges, including Priority Pass™ Select lounges (enrollment required) and Amex Centurion lounges
- Statement credit offers worth up to twice what the annual fee costs
- Elite status perks for hotels and rental cars (Enrollment required for select benefits mentioned)
- High annual fee
- Many statement credit offers are complicated and are earned in increments or limited to specific purchases
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $12,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you're approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you're approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Get more for your travels with 5X Membership Rewards® points on all flights and prepaid hotel bookings through American Express Travel®, including Fine Hotels + Resorts® and The Hotel Collection bookings. You earn 5X points on flights purchased directly from airlines or through American Express Travel® on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year.
- With over 1,550 airport lounges - more than any other credit card company on the market* - enjoy the benefits of the Global Lounge Collection®, over $850 of annual value, with access to Centurion Lounges, 10 complimentary Delta Sky Club® visits when flying on an eligible Delta flight (subject to visit limitations), Priority Pass Select membership (enrollment required), and other select partner lounges.* As of 07/2025.
- $200 Uber Cash + $120 Uber One Credit: With the Platinum Card® you can receive $15 in Uber Cash each month plus a bonus $20 in December when you add your Platinum Card® to your Uber account to use on rides and orders in the U.S when you select an Amex Card for your transaction. Plus, when you use the Platinum Card® to pay for an auto-renewing Uber One membership, you can get up to $120 in statement credits each calendar year. Terms apply.
- $300 Digital Entertainment Credit: Experience the latest shows, news and recipes. Get up to $25 in statement credits each month when you use your Platinum Card® for eligible purchases on Disney+, a Disney+ bundle, ESPN streaming services, Hulu, The New York Times, Paramount+, Peacock, The Wall Street Journal, YouTube Premium, and YouTube TV when you purchase directly from one or more of the providers. Enrollment required.
- $600 Hotel Credit: Get up to $300 in statement credits semi-annually on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection* bookings through American Express Travel® using the Platinum Card®. *The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
- $400 Resy Credit + Platinum Nights by Resy: Get up to $100 in statement credits each quarter when you use the Platinum Card® to make eligible purchases with Resy, including dining purchases at U.S. Resy restaurants. Enrollment required. Plus, with Platinum Nights by Resy, you can get special access to reservations on select nights at participating in demand Resy restaurants with the Platinum Card®. Simply add your eligible Card to your Resy profile to book and discover Platinum Nights reservations near you.
- $209 CLEAR+ Credit: CLEAR+ helps get you to your gate faster by using your face to verify you are you at 55+ airports nationwide. You can cover the cost of a CLEAR+ Membership* with up to $209 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for CLEAR+ with your Platinum Card®. *Excluding any applicable taxes and fees. Subject to auto-renewal.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees, such as checked bags and in-flight refreshments, are charged by the airline to the Platinum Card® Account. American Express relies on airlines to submit the correct information on airline transactions to identify incidental fee purchases. If you do not see a credit for a qualifying incidental purchase on your eligible Card after 8 weeks, simply call the number on the back of your Card. Qualifying airlines are subject to change. See terms & conditions for more details.
- Start your vacation sooner, and keep it going longer. When you book Fine Hotels + Resorts® through American Express Travel®, enjoy noon check-in, when available, and guaranteed 4PM check-out.
- $300 lululemon Credit: Enjoy up to $75 in statement credits each quarter when you use the Platinum Card® for eligible purchases at U.S. lululemon retail stores (excluding outlets) and lululemon.com. That's up to $300 in statement credits each calendar year. Enrollment required.
- $155 Walmart+ Credit: Receive a statement credit* for one monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) after you pay for Walmart+ each month with the Platinum Card®.* Up to $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. Plus Ups not eligible.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- $895 annual fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
Balance transfer fee
N/A
Foreign transaction fee
None
The American Express Platinum Card® offers more value in the form of statement credits, making it a good option for those seeking direct value from the card. Amex's Platinum also comes with hotel status upgrades and permanent access to Amex's Global Lounge Collection, including its Centurion Lounges. While enrollment is not necessary for Centurion Lounge access, some other lounge programs within the American Express Global Lounge Collection, such as Priority Pass, do require enrollment. The Strata Elite offers a high rewards rate on restaurants and a flexible $200 Splurge credit. The ability to earn up to 12X on hotels and 6X on air travel booked through Citi Travel can help you rack up ThankYou® Points very quickly and help finance even more getaways.
Citi Strata Elite Card vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve®
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is a standout premium credit card with plenty of luxury perks and statement credits to justify its annual fee.
- Access over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide with a complimentary Priority PassTM Select membership, plus every Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club with two guests.
- Up to $300 in annual travel credit each account anniversary year
- You can transfer rewards to all of Chase's travel partners including World of Hyatt, Southwest Rapid Rewards and many more
- Top-tier travel and shopping protections
- High annual fee
- Requires a high credit score
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 150,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Get $3,000 in annual value with Sapphire Reserve.
- Earn 8x points on all purchases through Chase TravelSM, including The EditSM and 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct. Plus, earn 3x points on dining worldwide & 1x points on all other purchases
- $300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
- Access over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide with a complimentary Priority PassTM Select membership, plus every Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club with two guests. Plus, up to $120 towards Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck® every 4 years
- Get up to $150 in statement credits every six months for a maximum of $300 annually for dining at restaurants that are part of Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance, no foreign transaction fees, and more.
- Get complimentary Apple TV+, the exclusive streaming home of Apple Originals. Plus Apple Music — all the music you love, across all your devices. Subscriptions run through 6/22/27 — a value of $288 annually
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) provides over $3,000 in annual value, which is enough to cover its high $795 annual fee. The card offers a large number of statement credits, with Apple TV+ credits and a $300 annual dining credit. The card also comes with premium travel benefits, such as access to Chase Sapphire Lounges by The Club and a statement credit for Global Entry, TSA Precheck or Nexus every four years. The card's annual fee is quite steep, and if you're looking for points that transfer to American Airlines, Chase Ultimate Rewards® points don't offer that option.
Is the Citi Strata Elite Card right for you?
The Citi Strata Elite is a great fit for those who don't mind booking primarily through travel portals, and for American Airlines customers eager to have a card that earns rewards that can be transferred to the AAdvantage program. The card comes with up to $300 in annual hotel benefits and a flexible $200 Splurge credit, both fairly easy credits to redeem. If you're invested in the Citi ThankYou® Points system or looking for a card that earns rewards compatible with American Airlines, this card is the next perfect addition to your wallet.
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For rates and fees of the American Express Platinum Card®, click here.
