Citi Strata Card vs. Citi Strata Premier Card [Detailed Comparison]

Key Takeaways

• The Citi Strata℠ Card and Citi Strata Premier℠ Card have robust earning structures for everyday and travel purchases through the Citi Travel portal. The Citi Strata Premier card also earns well on flights and hotels purchased directly.
• Both cards earn flexible rewards that are transferable to airline and hotel partners. However, the Citi Strata card transfers at a less favorable ratio.
• The Citi Strata card has a $0 annual fee, while the Citi Strata Premier card has a $95 annual fee.

As Citi refreshes its card lineup, there’s no better time to compare and select the right card for you. Citi is known for its cards catering to various lifestyles, from everyday spending to premium travel rewards cards.

Today, we’re comparing the Citi Strata card and the Citi Strata Premier card. We appreciate that the cards strike a balance between functioning as everyday spending cards plus offering travel redemption options and benefits for frequent travelers.

The Citi Strata card and the Citi Strata Premier card may win you over with their earning potential and flexible redemption options. However, 1 of the 2 cards will surely fit your lifestyle better.

Read on as we take a closer look at our featured cards.

Overview

We’ll cover all the card details next, but first, an overall side-by-side comparison can give you an idea of the cards’ features and benefits.

Here’s a quick overview of how the cards compare:

Comparing Welcome Offers

Immediately after card approval for either the Citi Strata card or the Citi Strata Premier card, you’ll have the opportunity to earn a welcome bonus offer.

The bonus is earned by meeting minimum spending requirements within the specified period and can be an excellent way to jumpstart your earnings.

These snapshots will share the most recent offers and additional information on our featured cards:

Citi Strata℠ 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℠ Card

Welcome Offer

Earn 30,000 points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.

30,000 points

UP's Offer Valuation*:

$480

Annual Fee

$0

APR

0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, and then a variable APR 19.24%-29.24%.

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 cardapplication.

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

The Citi Strata card offers a fresh way to earn Citi ThankYou Points with a $0 annual fee, allowing you to maximize your spend at gas stations, supermarkets, and more.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 5x points on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on CitiTravel.com
• 3x points at supermarkets, select transit, gas and EV charging stations, and an eligible self-select category of your choice (fitness clubs, select streaming services, live entertainment, cosmetic stores/barber shops/hair salon or pet supply stores)
• 2x points at restaurants

Cons

• Doesn’t offer the best transfer ratio to Citi’s airline and hotel partners
• Charges foreign transaction fees

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn 30,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months of account opening.
• Earn 5x points per $1 spent on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on CitiTravel.com.
• Earn 3x points per $1 on supermarkets, select transit, gas, and EV charging stations, and an eligible self-select category of your choice every quarter (fitness clubs, select streaming services, live entertainment, cosmetic stores/barber shops/hair salons, or pet supply stores).
• Earn 2x points per $1 at restaurants.
• Earn 1x point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
• No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, and then a variable APR 19.24%-29.24%.
• Foreign Transaction Fees: 3% of the U.S. dollar amount of each purchase

Rewards Center

Citi ThankYou Rewards

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

20.24% - 28.24% 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: 20.24% - 28.24% Variable APR
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Earning Potential

Selecting the right card that matches your spending mix is an important step. Fortunately, the Citi Strata card and Citi Strata Premier card have robust earning structures for travel and everyday purchases.

Both cards earn Citi ThankYou Points, a valuable and flexible rewards currency that can be redeemed in several ways.

We’ll discuss redemption options next, but first, here’s how you can earn rewards on our featured cards:

While the bonus-earning categories on the 2 cards are very similar, the earning rates differ. One way to determine which card may be a better fit for you in the earning category is to look at annual fees. The Citi Strata card has a $0, while the Citi Strata Premier card has an annual fee of $95.

We value Citi ThankYou Points at approximately 1.6 cents each. This value means you must spend roughly $2,000 in 3x bonus categories on the Citi Strata Premier card to offset the annual fee ($2,000 x 3x points = 6,000 points x 1.6 cents each = $96). If you would spend more than that in bonus categories, the Citi Strata Premier card may be a better earning card for your situation.

The Citi Strata card features a unique self-select quarterly bonus category, allowing you to earn 3x points on a category of your choice. These categories include fitness clubs, select streaming services, live entertainment, cosmetic stores (including barbershops and hair salons), and pet supply stores. You’ll earn well on the card if you spend heavily in any of those categories.

Redemption Options

Earning potential is a key factor to consider when selecting a rewards-earning card. However, the value of your rewards at redemption time can be even more critical.

Fortunately, the Citi Strata card and Citi Strata Premier card offer several good redemption options:

First, you can redeem points earned on either card for travel for 1 cent each through the Citi Travel portal. However, the better option, resulting in greater potential value, may be to transfer points to airline or hotel partners.

The Citi Strata Premier card and Citi Strata card offer access to Citi’s comprehensive list of transfer partners, which includes 15 airlines and 4 hotel partners.

Additionally, transfer ratios are higher with the Citi Strata Premier card. For example, the ratio for transferring Citi Strata card ThankYou Points to Choice Privileges is 1:1.5. The Citi Strata Premier card qualifies for premium redemption rates of 1:2.

Although the Citi Strata Premier card has an annual fee, it is a far better option for maximizing the value of your ThankYou Points at redemption time.

Both cards offer the option to redeem points for a statement credit, shop online at participating retailers, and purchase gift cards.

Bottom Line:

The Citi Strata Premier card offers a higher earning potential on travel purchases made through Citi Travel and airfare and hotel purchases made directly with the airline or hotel. The card also provides better redemption options than the Citi Strata card. The Citi Strata Premier card has an annual fee. Still, higher bonus earning rates and the added ability to transfer at a more favorable ratio to airline and hotel partners could also deliver far better value.

Travel Protections and Benefits

Travel protections can provide reimbursement should you experience a covered loss during a trip paid for with your card. Travel benefits can offer perks and help you save money.

Here are the travel protections and benefits found on the Citi Strata Premier card and Citi Strata card:

Citi Strata Premier Card

• MasterRental car rental insurance: Use your card to reserve and pay for your rental car, decline the rental agency’s CDW/LDW coverage, and receive secondary car rental insurance within your country of residence. Coverage outside your country of residence is primary, so you’re not required to file a claim with any other insurance before card coverage applies.
• Trip cancellation, trip interruption, and trip delay coverage are protections included with the card.
• Lost or damaged luggage insurance comes with the card.
• $100 hotel stay credit: The Citi Strata Premier card offers a $100 hotel stay credit off a $500 hotel stay when booking through Citi Travel.
• Mastercard Luxury Hotels and Resorts: Benefits include upgraded rooms when available, complimentary daily breakfast for 2, a $100 on-site amenity, and more.
• No foreign transaction fees.

Citi Strata Card

The Citi Strata card is a basic consumer card with access to select World Elite Mastercard benefits. You can access coverage descriptions and details in the guide to the protection benefits included with the card. Additionally, the card charges a 3% foreign transaction fee, making it unsuitable for international travel.

Shopping Protections and Benefits

Shopping protections can apply to eligible items purchased with your card and provide reimbursement in the event of a covered loss. Shopping benefits can typically save you money.

• Extended warranty coverage: Eligible items, purchased with the Citi Strata card or Citi Strata Premier card, can be covered for an additional 24 months, up to a maximum of 7 years, in conjunction with the manufacturer’s warranty.
• Citi Merchant Offers can help you save money. You can find the offers online by logging in to your Citi card account. Select the offers you like, make the required purchase, and earn a statement credit.

Citi Strata Card

• Introductory 0% APR period on purchases: Cardholders with large purchases may save money on interest rates with the 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, and then a variable APR 19.24%-29.24%.

Citi Strata Premier Card

• Damage and theft purchase protection: This protection provides coverage for eligible items up to 90 days from the date of purchase. You could receive up to $10,000 per incident, up to $50,000 per calendar year, per account.

Hot Tip:

The Citi Strata card and Citi Strata Premier card are World Elite Mastercards that qualify for associated lifestyle benefits, including car rental perks and discounts, Lyft credits, ID theft protection, shopping perks, and more.

Additional Benefits

Citi Strata Card

Consumers with high credit card balances may be able to save money on interest rates with the Citi Strata card. The card comes with an introductory 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 15 months, and then a variable APR 19.24%-29.24%. There is a fee associated with a balance transfer.

Annual Fees and Authorized Users

It’s essential to understand any associated fees you’ll pay for holding either the Citi Strata card or the Citi Strata Premier card.

The annual fee on the Citi Strata card is $0, while the annual fee on the Citi Strata Premier card is $95.

There is no additional fee for adding authorized users to either card.

Final Thoughts

The Citi Strata Premier card offers plenty of value for its modest annual fee. With elevated travel earnings, broader redemption options, and travel and shopping benefits, the card provides a more comprehensive package for those seeking everyday earnings and good value at redemption time.

However, if you prefer earning well on everyday purchases with a no-annual-fee card, the Citi Strata card is a clear choice. Additionally, you’ll still have access to good redemption options for booking award flights and free hotel nights.

You won’t go wrong with either card, as both can be keepers for the long run.