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The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives, helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. That's why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality.
Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
Reviews
Citi Strata Elite review: Unique statement credits and Admirals Club access
Credit card writer Danyal Ahmed is an avid traveler, averaging about 100,000 aeronautical miles per year. He regularly applies that knowledge and his expertise in credit cards to his role as a credit card writer at TPG.
October 9, 2025 • 14 min read
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don't cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
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Quick summary
A new premium travel card offers high earning rates at select travel and dining merchants, especially when booking through the issuer's travel portal.
The card provides a range of lifestyle and travel statement credits, including hotel, chauffeur, and select merchant credits, along with lounge access via partner programs.
Compared to other premium cards, its benefits and credits are more limited, with fewer travel protections and less flexible earning structures.
The card stands out for its transfer partnership with a major U.S. airline loyalty program, enabling unique redemption options.
What to consider
Statement credits are tied to specific merchants and booking channels, which may limit flexibility for some users.
Elevated earning rates are restricted to certain times or types of purchases, such as dining during specific hours or travel booked through the issuer's portal.
Points can be transferred to a broad selection of airline and hotel partners, including a major U.S. airline not available through other programs.
What you'll miss from the article
A detailed comparison of how this premium card's perks, credits, and earning structures stack up against leading competitors in the travel rewards space.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
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Citi Strata Elite℠ Card
TPG Editor's Rating3.5 / 5
at Citi's secure site. Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
Rewards rate
12X
Earn 12 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on cititravel.com.
6X
Earn 6 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel booked on cititravel.com.
6X
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.
1.5X
Earn 1.5 Points per $1 spent on All Other Purchases.
The (see rates and fees) packs high earning rates on select travel and dining—great if you book via Citi Travel and love eating out. The card's $595 annual fee is offset by several lifestyle and travel credits, in addition to Priority Pass and Admirals Club lounge access. For a premium travel card, the new Citi Strata Elite feels easy to manage with its simple-to-use benefits, but lacks access to issuer lounges and a wider range of travel perks.Card rating*: ⭐⭐⭐½
* Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG’s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
The is the long-awaited premium card that completes Citi's expansion of its Strata lineup. The last premium card Citi offered was the famed Citi Prestige® Card (no longer available); however, the new Strata Elite is quite different from it.
The information for the Citi Prestige Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
This new premium card comes with a hefty $595 annual fee, and just enough statement credits and perks to make up for the annual fee. It falls short in comparison to competitors such as the (see rates and fees) and , which offer more than double the value of benefits in relation to their annual fees.
You’ll earn the most on Citi Travel purchases and dining. This is in stark contrast to its competitors, which earn bonus points for booking travel directly with an airline or hotel. Prospective applicants with a credit score of 670 or higher will likely be approved.
Overall, the card may be a little niche for points and miles enthusiasts, but if you're considering applying, here's what you need to know.
Bonus points on purchases made through Citi Travel
High earning rate for restaurants during certain hours
Lifestyle statement credits
Priority Pass and Admirals Club lounge access
Elevated earning rates are overly specific
Competing cards offer better travel protections
High annual fee
Limited statement credits
Some transfer partners are not as useful
Citi Strata Elite welcome offer
New cardholders can earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
Based on TPG's October 2025 valuations, the welcome offer is worth $1,425.
The Citi Strata Elite and Citi Prestige are two different products, so current Citi Prestige cardholders won't be converted to this new card and instead can apply for the Strata Elite and earn the welcome offer.
THE POINTS GUY
Citi Strata Elite benefits
For a credit card charging a premium $595 annual fee, you'll get some decent perks and benefits, some of which are unique:
Citigold® Private Client Relationship Tier credit: Qualifying Citigold Private Clients receive a $595 first-year banking relationship credit and $145 credit each year thereafter if the primary cardmember has an open and current Strata Elite Card account.
Citigold® Relationship Tier credit: Qualifying Citigold clients receive a $145 Banking Relationship Annual Credit if the primary cardmember has an open and current Strata Elite Card.
BEATA ZAWRZELlNURPHOTO/GETTY IMAGES
As an eligible Citigold Private Client, you effectively get the Strata Elite's annual fee covered for the first year and a $145 discount off the card's annual fee each subsequent year.
As a qualifying Citigold account holder, you'll still receive an annual $145 credit, essentially bringing down the card's annual fee to $450.
Statement credits
The offers the following statement credits:
$300 annual hotel benefit: Each calendar year, cardholders receive up to $300 off a prepaid, minimum two-night hotel stay when booked through Citi Travel
$200 Blacklane credit: Receive a semi-annual statement credit of up to $100 for Blacklane chauffeur bookings
$200 Splurge credit: Each calendar year, cardholders receive up to $200 in statement credits on their choice of up to two brands: 1stDibs, American Airlines, Best Buy, Future Personal Training and Live Nation (exclusions apply)
$120 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit: Up to a $120 statement credit every four years toward Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
I expected to see an annual hotel credit to align with competitors. Unfortunately, it falls short in comparison to theup-to-$300 semiannual statement credit for Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection (minimum two-night stay for THC) propertieswith American Express Travel®.
The main perk of the Citi hotel credit is that it can be used toward any hotel, unlike the Chase and Amex credits, which are limited to a selection of curated properties. In addition, Citi Strata Elite cardholders have access to top-tier properties and perks similar to The Edit and Amex FHR through its new program, The Reserve.
San Domenico Palace, Taormina. PETER VITALE/FOUR SEASONS
The two statement credits that stand out to me are the lifestyle-focused Blacklane and Splurge credits. The list of eligible brands is interesting, ranging from fashion and fitness to travel and electronics.
Live Nation is a good choice as an eligible merchant for the Splurge credit (exclusions apply), but it falls short of the new statement credit of up to $300 for StubHub and Viagogo (through Dec. 31, 2027; one-time activation required).
The easiest way to redeem the Splurge credit is on American Airlines flight purchases, lounge access or paid seat selection. Otherwise, you can easily make purchases at Best Buy for items like sound-canceling headphones for your next flight or Apple AirTags to track your checked bags.
I was quite shocked to see the new Blacklane credit, as it's a lesser-known private chauffeur service that I've used a lot in the past. Blacklane chauffeur bookings are by no means cheap in most cities (compared to Uber or public transit), whether it's for airport pickups and drop-offs or trips from point A to point B.
KLAUS VEDFELT/GETTY IMAGES/UBER
For reference, I paid 566 euros ($663) to be driven in a Mercedes-Benz Vito van from Rosewood Schloss Fuschl to Munich Airport (MUC).
It's cheaper to use Blacklane services in Asia or the Middle East, such as in Istanbul, where it typically costs no more than $100 to get from the airport to the city center. Consider this credit more of a coupon for an expensive car transfer, as most bookings will cost more than the $100 credit you're given biannually.
Additional benefits
The offers a few more perks that enhance the card's premium nature.
Admirals Club access: Cardholders receive four Admirals Club Citi Strata Elite passes each calendar year
Complimentary Priority Pass Select membership: Complimentary access for primary cardmembers and authorized users, and up to two guests
Mastercard World Legend benefits: Premium benefits include priority reservations at high-demand restaurants abroad and tickets to music, theater and sporting events globally
The Reserve by Citi Travel access: Access a collection of participating hotels on Citi Travel with on-property benefits, including a $100 experience credit (varies by property), daily complimentary breakfast for two, early check-in, free Wi-Fi, late checkout and room upgrades (subject to availability)
Other premium cards offer access to Priority Pass lounges, but what stands out are the four annual passes to Admirals Club lounges. As Citi and American Airlines tighten their relationship, this perk makes the card a compelling choice for semifrequent AA flyers.
Unfortunately, the Citi Strata Elite still falls short because Citi lacks issuer-branded airport lounges, and the limited access to the Admirals Club doesn't compensate.
Overall, the card provides $820 in statement credits and an additional $316 of value from the Admirals Club passes. This falls quite short of both the and the , which offer more than double their annual fees in value.
I expect more benefits from such a premium card and, perhaps, more AA-related benefits and perks. In comparison to other premium cards, the benefits seem limited and not in line with the value proposition.
One of the more unusual aspects of the is its earning rates. They include:
12 points per dollar spent on attractions, car rentals and hotels booked through Citi Travel
6 points per dollar spent on airfare booked through Citi Travel
6 points per dollar spent at restaurants, including restaurant delivery services, on Citi Nights℠ purchases, every Friday and Saturday from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Eastern time (Earn 3 points per dollar spent on restaurant purchases outside of this window)
1.5 points per dollar spent on all other purchases
American Airlines jets at London's Heathrow Airport (LHR). SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY
It's common to see issuers offer bonus points for booking through their own travel portal, but this is the first time we've seen an issuer offer bonus points for restaurant spending and delivery for purchases every Friday and Saturday at specific times. The silver lining is that the limited window applies to restaurant purchases worldwide.
Although earning up to 6 points per dollar spent on restaurant purchases is not a bad earning rate, cardholders of a premium travel card may be better off earning bonus points on direct hotel bookings or other travel.
Earning bonus points for booking through a travel portal is fantastic, but there are several downsides when you're not booking directly with an airline or hotel. For this purpose, the is a better choice, thanks to its wide range of bonus categories and the ability to earn bonus points when booking travel directly.
The earns Citi ThankYou Rewards points that can be redeemed for cash back, gift cards or statement credits.
You can also redeem your ThankYou points for travel booked through Citi Travel, but that will only net you 1 cent per point, well below TPG's valuation.
XAVIER LORENZO/GETTY IMAGES
Points can also be transferred to any of Citi’s 22 travel partners, which is the best way to maximize them.
cardholders can transfer points to partners as part of the ThankYou Rewards program, which currently includes 16 airline transfer partners, five hotel partners, and one shopping partner. That's the most transfer partners of any major issuer.
The Strata Elite's points can be transferred to American Airlines AAdvantage at a 1:1 ratio. This is a great perk, as AAdvantage currently doesn't partner with any other credit card rewards program.
Citi ThankYou Rewards is unique in the sense that you'll notice several international frequent flyer programs that are more low-key, but you can still use them for high-value award tickets.
For example, by transferring 65,000 ThankYou points to Turkish Airlines' Miles&Smiles, you can fly one-way in business class from North America to Istanbul.
Another great redemption is to transfer your points to the Qatar Airways Privilege Club program to secure a one-way business-class flight in the famed Qsuite from the U.S. to Doha starting at 70,000 Avios.
ELLIE NAN STORCK/THE POINTS GUY
I recently transferred 25,000 ThankYou points to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles to fly in business class from Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) to Hong Kong International Airport (HKG), saving me nearly $1,000 on a route that's typically sold out.
An interesting thing to watch out for is whether the AAdvantage program will change or become devalued in any way, since becoming a transfer partner could result in a flood of points coming in.
If you want more travel and dining rewards: cardholders earn bonus points on travel booked through Chase Travel, flights and hotels booked directly and on dining purchases. This card also offers several travel and entertainment statement credits to offset its annual fee. To learn more, check out our full review of the Sapphire Reserve.
If you want a simple earning rate for all purchases: The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has a lower $395 annual fee. It earns up to 10 miles per dollar spent on select purchases through Capital One Travel and 2 miles per dollar spent on all other purchases. It also offers a $300 credit for Capital One's travel booking site each calendar year and access to Priority Pass and Capital One Lounges. To learn more, check out our full review of the Capital One X Venture Rewards.
I was quite excited about the announcement earlier this year and made some lofty and hopeful predictions. Unfortunately, the card falls a bit short of its competitors in terms of value from statement credits and perks.
That said, if you like to book travel through Citi Travel or can maximize the card's earning rates on restaurant purchases, you'll come out ahead with tons of points.
Remember that if you already hold the Citi Prestige, you'll be able to keep that card and apply for the Strata Elite.
For rates and fees of the Platinum Card, click here.
