1 Year Later: 6 Reasons Why I Still Love My Citi Strata Elite Card

When the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card launched exactly a year ago on July 27, 2025, I immediately applied for it. I was excited to get Priority Pass lounge access with generous guest policies and what I deem easy-to-use statement credits, all for a relatively midrange annual fee, especially compared to some of its more premium competitors.

A year later, I’m still thrilled with my card and use it regularly. Here’s why I love my Citi Strata Elite card and why it won’t be leaving my wallet anytime soon.

Citi Strata Elite Card Overview

Before I explain why I’m still happy with my Citi Strata Elite card a year after its inception, here’s a quick overview of the card’s highlights:

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Citi Strata Elite℠ Card

U.P. Rating 

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The Citi Strata Elite card is Citi's most premium card built for frequent travelers and foodies.

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Citi Strata Elite℠ Card

The Citi Strata Elite card is Citi's most premium card built for frequent travelers and foodies.

Welcome Offer

Earn 75,000 bonus Points after spending $6,000 in the first 3 months of account opening.

75,000 Points

UP's Offer Valuation*:

Up to $1,200

Annual Fee

$595

APR

20.49% to 28.49% Variable

Why We Like This Card

The Citi Strata Elite card is a great option for frequent travelers, foodies, and those who are fans of the Citi ThankYou Rewards ecosystem thanks to its combination of bonus categories, perks, and annual credits.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 12x points on hotels, rental cars, and attractions booked through Citi Travel
• 6x points on airfare through Citi Travel
• 6x points on dining on Citi Nights (Friday and Saturday nights from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.) and 3x points on dining at all other times

Cons

• $595 annual fee
• Boosted dining rewards are limited to 2 nights per week

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Card Highlights

• 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

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 20.49% to 28.49% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

The card comes with a $595 annual fee and a generous welcome offer:

Earn 75,000 bonus Points after spending $6,000 in the first 3 months of account opening.

Plus, the card offers $700 or more in annual value and comes with numerous benefits that I’ll discuss below.

1. Bonus Earning Categories

The Citi Strata Elite card offers the following bonus categories from which you can earn additional Citi ThankYou Points:

• 12x points on hotels, rental cars, and attractions booked through Citi Travel
• 6x points on airfare through Citi Travel
• 6x points on dining on Citi Nights (Friday and Saturday nights from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Eastern)
• 3x points on dining at all other times

Although I do have to remember to pay with this card at restaurants on weekends, I find the 6x points on dining on Citi Nights an easy way to quickly earn Citi ThankYou Points. Plus, 3x points on dining at other times is in line with most cards and still helps me earn points fast.

2. Everyday Earnings

I always wish premium credit cards would offer more than 1 point per $1 spent on everyday purchases outside bonus categories, and the Citi Strata Elite card does just that. The card earns 1.5x on all other eligible purchases, so I can earn extra points on things that don’t fall into the usual bonus categories.

I tend to put department store, Amazon, and big-box store purchases on this card so I can earn more than just a point per $1.

3. Useful, Easy-To-Use Statement Credits

The Citi Strata Elite card comes with the following statement credits:

• Up to $300 annual hotel credit
• Up to $200 annual Splurge Credit
• Up to $200 annual Blacklane credit
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit

Below, I’ll explain more about each credit, why I find it valuable, and how I use it.

Hotel Credit

I’ll start with the $300 hotel credit, valid for a 2-night or longer stay booked on Citi Travel. I usually use the credit for hotels that aren’t part of a traditional loyalty program. However, I recently used the credit for a couple of nights at the Holiday Inn Bophut Beach in Thailand.

Rates on IHG.com were over $400, but rates on Citi Travel were only $250 per night. Yes, I could have talked to IHG about their best price guarantee, but I wanted to use my $300 credit, so it was an excellent way to get a more affordable rate and get $300 back.

Splurge Credit

The $200 annual Splurge Credit is another credit I actually wish other cards would copy. It’s a flexible credit that you can use on brands to get up to $200 back. It’s currently valid for purchases at American Airlines, Best Buy, 1st Dibs, Future Personal Training, or Live Nation.

You have to select 2 merchants in your Citi online card profile, and then you have the whole year to make your purchases. Just make sure to select your brands by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on the day you make a purchase.

My 2 selections are American Airlines (I’m a Oneworld flyer, so this is extra convenient) and Best Buy.

Blacklane Credit

Every calendar year, you can get up to $200 in statement credits when you book a trip with Blacklane. The credit is split into 2 parts: Earn $100 in statement credits on Blacklane purchases in the first half of the calendar year (from January through June) and up to $100 in statement credits on Blacklane purchases in the second half of the calendar year (from July through December).

Note that while Blacklane usually puts a brief hold on your card when you book your transfer, you won’t be charged (and therefore credited) until after you actually take the ride. Although Blacklane’s transfers aren’t cheap, I’ve had great experiences using the global chauffeur service, with its clean, luxury cars and friendly drivers who show up on time.

It’s also easy to book and change your ride and accompanying information on the Blacklane website or app.

Double the Credits in Your First Year of Card Membership

The best part about the 3 aforementioned credits is that, unlike your card’s annual fee, which renews a year after you apply, the benefits renew each calendar year. As we head toward the end of the year, this is a strategy worth paying close attention to.

I got approved for the card in early August 2025 and was able to use my Splurge Credit on American Airlines flights, my hotel credit for a stay in Mexico, and the Blacklane credit, which I put toward some airport transfers by the end of 2025.

Then I was able to use these 3 benefits again starting on January 1, 2026, even though my annual fee won’t hit until the middle of the year. I used my Blacklane and hotel credits for a trip I’m taking to Singapore this August, and my Splurge Credit for new iPhone accessories at Best Buy.

Essentially, during my first year of card membership, I got double the perks but paid only a single annual fee. Of course, this only rings true in your first year of card membership, but it makes this card an exceptionally good value the first year, especially when you also consider the welcome offer.

Finally, these reasons these credits are so valuable to me are not only because they ensure I outweigh my annual fee ($200 + $200 + $300 = $700, which is $105 dollars over the $595 annual fee — and I got double that value in my first year) but because they’re easy to use. I’m already booking hotels, airport transfers, and American Airlines flights in my daily life, and these credits don’t require a trip to lululemon or a gym membership I’ll never use to offset my fee.

Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Credit

I get a statement credit of up to $120 every 4 years if I pay the application fee for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck with my Citi Strata Elite card.

I already have Global Entry, but this is a credit I plan to give a friend or family member this year around the holidays.

Hot Tip:

Global Entry is definitely worth getting in 2026 for fast and hassle-free reentry into the U.S., especially if you use the Global Entry app. Get the service for no extra cost with the Citi Strata Elite card or a number of other credit cards.

4. Top Transfer Partners

Citi ThankYou Rewards is the only flexible rewards program that transfers points to American Airlines AAdvantage miles.

As a Oneworld loyalist, I find immense value in the 1:1 transfer ratio the card gives me from Citi ThankYou Points to AA miles. The welcome offer alone got me round-trip flights between Spain and Arizona, and frequent transfers to top off my AA miles have helped me reach enough to buy additional award tickets when I’ve needed them.

Below is the full list of Citi’s transfer partners:

I’ve also found immense value in my first year of card membership in transferring Citi ThankYou Points at a 1:1 ratio to Flying Blue to top off an existing balance and score an award flight from Paris (CDG) to Cancun (CUN).

I transferred Citi ThankYou Points to IPrefer and got a great award deal on a stay in Bangkok, since points are worth double (Citi ThankYou Points transfer at a 1:2 ratio to the hotel program).

Hot Tip:

The Citi Strata Premier^® Card is an alternative that comes with a low $95 annual fee. However, if you have a low credit score or don’t want to pay an annual fee, you could consider the Citi Strata℠ Card, though the transfer ratios to partners aren’t as favorable.

5. Lounge Access

After I found out my Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card was restricting guest lounge access, I panicked a little.

Then the Citi Strata Elite card launched, and I breathed a sigh of relief. The card offers Priority Pass lounge access for 2 guests, so I’d be able to get my family into the lounge with me. I also appreciate the 4 Admirals Club passes that come with the card annually.

I frequently fly in and out of Chicago O’Hare (ORD), and the airport doesn’t have a Priority Pass lounge in Terminal 3, but there are a few Admirals Clubs. Although day pass users are the first to lose access when the lounges are full (and I have experienced this once at Dallas Fort Worth Airport (DFW)), I still really appreciate this perk.

This card’s competitors that offer Priority Pass lounge membership with guest access also come with much higher annual fees, such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve^® ($795 annual fee) and the Platinum Card^® from American Express ( $895 annual fee (rates & fees)), so I appreciate that lounge benefits come on a card with a reasonable annual fee for a premium card.

My next question is: When will Citi follow the other issuers and open its own lounges? I’ll just be waiting.

6. Reasonable Annual Fee for a Premium Card

As I mentioned briefly above, the Citi Strata Elite card’s $595 annual fee is a hundred or more dollars lower than its competitors, and I appreciate its straightforward perks and credits, which feel more usable, rather than a coupon book of statement credits at retailers I’m not as likely to use.

Final Thoughts

A year later, the Citi Strata Elite card remains a top card in my wallet. Even though I’m not earning double the perks after the first year, I’m easily able to use the card’s statement credits, which outweigh the annual fee.

I love that the card earns more points on everyday purchases outside of the major bonus categories, the lounge access and passes, and I appreciate the ease with which I can move Citi ThankYou Points to numerous transfer partners — especially to the AAdvantage program.