Citi Strata Premier Card vs. Capital One Venture X Card [Detailed Comparison]

Key Takeaways

• The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card earns 3x points on travel, hotels, dining, groceries, EV charging, and gas and 1x points on other purchases.
• Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card earns 2x miles on all purchases, plus 10x on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
• The Capital One Venture X offers strong rewards and benefits, but comes with a notable annual fee. The Citi Strata Premier card will suit those who don’t need the travel benefits and want a smaller annual fee.

Even though Citi and Capital One are 2 of the largest financial institutions in the U.S., their rewards credit cards usually don’t get as much attention as those offered by Chase and American Express.

However, these issuers offer a number of rewards credit cards that have some great perks. If you’re considering getting a credit card from Citi or Capital One and want to earn lots of rewards, you’re probably deciding between the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card and the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card.

The Citi Strata Premier card earns bonus points on a wide variety of spending categories, while the Capital One Venture X card earns solid miles on all purchases. In this guide, we’ll give you the A to Z for both cards!

Overview

If you’re looking for a 30,000-foot view of each card, check out the table we’ve compiled below to help you compare the 2 cards:

As you can see, the Citi Strata Premier card offers fewer benefits but has a much lower annual fee than the Capital One Venture X card. However, the Citi Strata Premier card has some impressive bonus categories that can help you rack up points faster than the Capital One Venture X card in some cases.

The Citi Strata Premier card is also a midtier card, while the Capital One Venture X card is considered an ultra-premium card.

The differences don’t stop there — the Citi Strata Premier card earns ThankYou Points, while the Capital One Venture X card earns Capital One miles.

Both of these currencies share several transfer partners, including Avianca Lifemiles and Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles, though there are some unique transfer relationships like Citi’s 1:1 transfer partnership with American AAdvantage and Capital One’s 1:1 transfer ratio to Air Canada Aeroplan.

As a general rule of thumb, we believe Capital One miles are slightly more valuable than Citi ThankYou Points.

The Capital One Venture X card has a significantly higher annual fee, but greater benefits to compensate.

Welcome Offer Comparison

Most of the best rewards credit cards come with welcome offers that accelerate the number of points or miles earned within the first few months of card opening, as long as you meet some introductory spending requirements.

In this case, both the Citi Strata Premier card and Capital One Venture X card routinely offer valuable welcome bonuses:

Citi Strata Premier Card

Citi Strata Premier℠ Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

Citi Strata Premier℠ Card

Welcome Offer

Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com

60,000 points

UP's Offer Valuation*:

$960

Annual Fee

$95

APR

19.74% to 27.74% Variable APR

Why We Like This Card

The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card is a great all-around travel rewards card that allows you to earn big rewards on a variety of purchases like air travel, at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, and more, along with flexible redemption options, all for a modest annual fee.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 10x points on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com
• 3x points on air travel, other hotel purchases, restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, and EV charging stations
• $100 annual hotel benefit

Cons

• $95 annual fee

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com.
• Earn 10X points per $1 spent on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on CitiTravel.com.
• Earn 3X points per $1 on air travel and other hotel purchases, at restaurants, supermarkets, gas and EV charging stations.
• Earn 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
• $100 Annual Hotel Benefit: Once per calendar year, enjoy $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when booked through CitiTravel.com. Benefit applied instantly at time of booking.
• No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card.
• No foreign transaction fees on purchases.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.74% to 27.74% Variable APR
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Capital One Venture X Card

LIMITED-TIME OFFER

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

The Capital One Venture X card is an excellent option for travelers looking for an all-in-one premium credit card.

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One Venture X card is an excellent option for travelers looking for an all-in-one premium credit card.

Welcome Offer

Earn 100,000 bonus miles once you spend $10,000 on purchases in the first 6 months from account opening - equal to $1,000 in travel.

100,000 miles

UP's Offer Valuation*:

$1,800

Annual Fee

$395

APR

Purchases: 19.99% - 28.99% (Variable)

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.

Excellent (740-840)

Why We Like This Card

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is the premium Capital One travel rewards card on the block.

Points and miles fans will be surprised to see that the Capital One Venture X card packs quite the punch when it comes to bookings made through Capital One, all while offering the lowest annual fee among premium credit cards.

Depending on your travel goals and preferences, the Capital One Venture X card could very well end up being your go-to card in your wallet.

 

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 10x miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars purchased through Capital One Travel
• 5x miles per $1 on flights and vacation rentals purchased through Capital One Travel
• 2x miles per $1 on all other purchases

Cons

• $395 annual fee
• Does not offer bonus categories for flights or hotel purchases made directly with the airline or hotel group, the preferred booking method for those looking to earn elite status

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn 100,000 bonus miles once you spend $10,000 on purchases in the first 6 months from account opening - equal to $1,000 in travel
• Receive a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
• Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
• Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
• Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
• Enjoy access to 1,300+ lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
• Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
• Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
• Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck^®

Financial Snapshot

• APR: Purchases: 19.99% - 28.99% (Variable)
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Capital One Miles

 

Earning and Redeeming Points vs. Miles

Capital One miles and Citi ThankYou Points are both valuable and flexible rewards currencies. They can be transferred to airline and hotel loyalty programs, as well as be redeemed for cash-back, gift cards, and more.

We are of the opinion that Capital One miles are more valuable than Citi ThankYou Points, mostly because of its larger list of transfer partners. That said, Citi ThankYou Points are still very valuable and have their own unique advantages.

Earning Potential Comparison

Here’s a breakdown of the rewards-earning categories each card offers:

We value Capital One miles at around 1.8 cents each and Citi ThankYou Points at about 1.6 cents each.

By earning 3x Citi ThankYou Points, you’re getting a 4.8% return on your spending. By earning 10x Capital One miles through Capital One Travel, you’re getting an 18% return on spending, which is astonishing. Earning 5x Capital One miles translates to a 9% return on spending, and 2x Capital One miles equals a 3.6% return on spending.

The Citi Strata Premier card earns a superior amount of rewards on common spending categories including gas stations, restaurants, and supermarkets, while the Capital One Venture X card outperforms on Capital One Travel transactions, as well as miscellaneous purchases such as sporting goods, entertainment, online shopping, insurance premiums, health care, and more.

10,000-Mile Anniversary Bonus

The Capital One Venture X card also carries the extra benefit of an annual cardmember anniversary bonus of 10,000 Capital One miles (which we value at $180).

Redemption Options

In this section, we’ll walk you through some of the best redemption options with each card:

You can redeem Capital One miles and Citi ThankYou Points for a variety of rewards, but you’ll get the best value when transferring them to airline and hotel loyalty programs for award travel. In particular, redeeming for long-haul business and first class flights or luxury hotels will typically get you the best redemption value.

That being said, Capital One miles and Citi ThankYou Points both independently maintain their own transfer partners: view Capital One airline and hotel transfer partners and Citi transfer partners.

Luckily, with either currency, there are plenty of ways to use Citi ThankYou Points and Capital One miles. Not all partners are shared between programs — Capital One miles has a partnership with Wyndham Rewards that Citi does not. Similarly, Citi has a partnership with Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus that Capital One does not.

For example, you can transfer 70,000 Capital One miles to British Airways Avios to book a one-way Qatar Airways Qsuites flight from the U.S. to the Middle East, which easily sells for more than $5,000. You can also transfer 27,500 Citi ThankYou Points per night to Choice Privileges (at a 1:2 ratio) for a stay at Grand Fiesta Americana Los Cabos All Inclusive Golf & Spa, which routinely sells for more than $600 per night!

There are other ways to redeem Capital One miles and Citi ThankYou Points, like gift cards and online shopping, but these methods will yield a variable, and lower, redemption value. As an example, you can use Capital One miles for a statement credit to cover recent travel purchases at a flat redemption value of 1 cent per mile. You can also redeem Capital One miles and Citi ThankYou Points at a flat value of 1 cent per point for travel bookings made through each card’s travel portal. The Citi Strata Premier card allows you to redeem points for cash-back at a rate of 0.75 cents per point, while you’ll only get 0.5 cents per point for cash-back with Capital One miles.

Statement Credits Comparison

The major statement credit benefit offered by the Citi Strata Premier card is the annual hotel savings benefit, which gets you $100 back on a single hotel stay of $500 or more, excluding taxes and fees booked through thankyou.com.

In comparison, the Capital One Venture X card has 2 types of credits:

• $300 Capital One Travel credit for bookings made through the Capital One Travel portal every cardmember year. You can book all sorts of travel through the Capital One Travel portal, including flights, hotels, car rentals, and more.
• Up to $120 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit up to every 4 years

Travel Protection and Benefits Comparison

Typically, the most obvious area where an ultra-premium card like the Capital One Venture X card sets itself apart from a midtier premium card like the Citi Strata Premier card is through travel benefits and protections.

We’ll walk you through the specifics in this next section.

Airport Lounge Benefits

The Capital One Venture X card offers multiple airport lounge benefits.

This includes unlimited access to Capital One Lounges for the primary cardholder. Additionally, the Capital One Venture X card includes a complimentary Priority Pass Select airport lounge membership (with enrollment).

These benefits mean you can access 1,300+ lounges globally just from your Capital One Venture X card.

The Citi Strata Premier card does not provide any airport lounge benefits.

Hotel Benefits

The Capital One Venture X card also offers benefits at hotels and with rental car agencies. To start off, if you hold the Capital One Venture X card, you’ll get access to the Premier Collection, a handpicked portfolio of hotels and resorts where you can enjoy:

• Complimentary breakfast for 2
• $100 experience credit (varies by hotel)
• Room upgrade when available
• Early check-in and late checkout when available

Remember, all hotel stays booked through Capital One Travel with the Capital One Venture X card earn 10x miles!

The Citi Strata Premier card doesn’t offer any hotel benefits besides some cookie-cutter World Elite Mastercard inclusions, such as access to the Mastercard luxury hotel and resorts portfolio.

Ride-Share Benefits

With the Citi Strata Premier card, you’ll get a $5 credit once per month after you take 3 rides with Lyft in a month.

There are no ride-share benefits on the Capital One Venture X card.

Rental Car Benefits

The Citi Strata Premier card doesn’t offer any rental car program benefits.

Rental Car Partners (Capital One Venture X card only)

You will get complimentary Hertz President’s Circle status, which is Hertz’s top-tier elite status. This gets you guaranteed upgrades, the widest selection of cars through Ultimate Choice, and a 50% bonus on earning points.

Rental Car Insurance (Capital One Venture X card only)

The Capital One Venture X card offers an excellent auto rental collision damage waiver. Just decline the rental car company’s loss damage waiver or collision damage waiver (LDW or CDW) and use your card to pay for the car rental. After that, you’ll get coverage for theft or damage to the rental car (excluding liability).

The Citi Strata Premier card offers MasterRental coverage (secondary car rental insurance).

Trip Interruption and Cancellation Insurance

For the Capital One Venture X, add peace of mind to your itinerary when you use your Venture X card to book your travel.

The Citi Strata Premier card offers up to $5,000 reimbursement per covered nonrefundable trip, up to $10,000 per account every 12 months.

Trip Delay Reimbursement

For the Capital One Venture X card, anticipate delays when you purchase air travel with your covered Visa Infinite card, with Trip Delay coverage of up to $500 when you’re stuck for more than six hours or require an overnight stay.

The Citi Strata Premier card has up to $500 reimbursement for covered trip delays of 6 hours or more, up to twice per 12 months.

Lost Luggage Reimbursement

While you’re traveling, if the common carrier loses your luggage, you can use the Capital One Venture X card to file for reimbursement for your lost luggage.

The Citi Strata Premier card offers up to $3,000 reimbursement for lost or damaged checked or carry-on luggage per covered trip (or up to $2,000 per bag per covered trip for New York residents), up to 2 claims every 12 months.

Hot Tip: Learn more about coverages in our full list of travel insurance benefits for the Capital One Venture X card.

Shopping Protection and Benefits Comparison

Cell Phone Protection

The Capital One Venture X card offers Cell Phone Protection: Protect your cell phone every time you pay your bill. When you pay your monthly wireless bill with your covered Capital One card, your cell phone is protected for the next calendar month. So, you can get reimbursed if your cell phone is stolen or damaged ($50 deductible).

The Citi Strata Premier card doesn’t have cell phone insurance.

Return Protection

Keep your options open with 90 days of Return Protection, here to help when you make a qualifying purchase with your card.

The Citi Strata Premier card doesn’t have return protection.

Purchase Protection

The Citi Strata Premier card, by virtue of its World Elite Mastercard status, gets you purchase protection of up to $10,000 per item and a maximum of $50,000 per calendar year on eligible incidents that occur within 90 days of the original purchase.

Capital One calls their version of this “purchase security,” but it’s essentially the same thing. In the case of the Capital One Venture X card, as long as the incident occurs within 90 days after the purchase date.

Extended Warranty

The Citi Strata Premier card has an awesome extended warranty policy through World Elite Mastercard that gets you up to 24 additional months of warranty coverage for a maximum of 7 total years after the purchase date. There’s a coverage cap of $10,000 per item.

For the Capital One Venture X card, extend your qualifying product warranties automatically when you purchase using your card.

Virtual Card Numbers

When you use the Citi Strata Premier card, there’s an awesome benefit whereby you can create Virtual Account Numbers, which is super useful when shopping online so that your actual credit card number is hidden.

Fees and Adding Additional Users

Annual Fees

There’s a $395 annual fee on the Capital One Venture X card and a $95 annual fee on the Citi Strata Premier card.

No Foreign Transaction Fees

Both the Citi Strata Premier card and Capital One Venture X card have no foreign transaction fees.

Authorized Users

The Citi Strata Premier card has no additional annual fees for authorized users at all.

Authorized users on the Citi Strata Premier card enjoy almost all of same benefits as the primary cardholder, save for the $100 annual hotel savings benefit and any welcome bonuses.

Final Thoughts

The Capital One Venture X card is an absolute heavy-hitter when it comes to benefits and rewards. That being said, it does have a significant annual fee that can’t be ignored.

The Citi Strata Premier card, on the other hand, has a much milder annual fee and some truly impressive rewards categories, including supermarkets, gas stations, EV charging stations, and restaurants. However, this card is really light on the travel benefits.

Nevertheless, either of these cards could fit into the right person’s wallet.

If you think you can use the premium benefits of the Capital One Venture X card often enough to justify the annual fee, then it could be a solid pick. But if you don’t need extensive travel benefits and want a card with a reasonable annual fee and great points-earning capabilities, then the Citi Strata Premier card may be best for you.

For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa^® or Mastercard^® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.

Upon enrollment, accessible through the Capital One website or mobile app, eligible cardholders will remain at that status level through the duration of the offer. Please note, enrolling through the normal Hertz Gold Plus Rewards enrollment process (e.g. at Hertz.com) will not automatically detect a cardholder as being eligible for the program and cardholders will not be automatically upgraded to the applicable status tier. Additional terms apply.