Citi
Citi Strata Elite® Card
Key Features
| Annual Fee | $595.00 |
| Sign-up Bonus | 75,000 bonus points |
| Rewards Rate | 1.5x-12x Points |
| Regular APR | The variable APR for purchases, and balance transfers is 20.74% - 28.74%, based on your creditworthiness. For Citi Flex Plans subject to an APR, the variable APR is 20.74% - 28.74%, based on creditworthiness. The variable APR for cash advances is 29.99%. The variable penalty APR is up to 29.99% and may be applied if you make a late payment or make a payment that is returned. |
| Other Fees | Balance transfer fee — either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater. Cash advance fee - either $10 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater. Minimum interest charge – $0.50. Annual fee for Authorized Users - $75. Fee for foreign purchases - None. |
| Network | Mastercard |
About this card
The Citi Strata Elite® Card earns an 'Excellent' overall rating of 4.5/5.0, positioning it as a top-tier option for its intended audience of premium travelers and diners. The card excels tremendously in its rewards program (rated 4.8/5.0) and offers an exceptionally strong value proposition through its extensive benefits that effectively offset its high annual fee (rated 4.3/5.0). Its primary drawback is the very high APR (rated 2.5/5.0) for purchases, balance transfers, and cash advances, and the lack of an introductory APR period. However, for a premium travel card, the APR is typically less critical as the target demographic is expected to pay their balances in full. The card's strengths are its standout features: a generous sign-up bonus, extremely competitive earning rates (up to 12 points per dollar on travel portal bookings, 1.5x on all other purchases), and crucially, flexible point redemption with valuable transfer partners, notably American Airlines. The $595 annual fee, while substantial, is overwhelmingly counterbalanced by a suite of high-value annual credits totaling up to $700 (hotel, Splurge, Blacklane), along with Priority Pass™ Select membership, American Airlines Admirals Club® passes, and Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credits. For those who maximize these benefits, the net annual cost can be minimal or even negative. The absence of foreign transaction fees is also a significant plus for international travelers. While the card requires booking through the Citi Travel portal for its highest earning rates and has high APRs that make carrying a balance prohibitive, these limitations are minor for cardholders focused on maximizing travel rewards and benefits. The card's reputation, though still solidifying as a new product, is backed by Citi's strong brand and has received positive early assessments from financial publications. Overall, the Citi Strata Elite® Card delivers exceptional value and a robust suite of premium perks for the savvy cardmember who prioritizes travel and dining rewards and can fully utilize its extensive benefits.
Pros & Cons
What's great
- Generous sign-up bonus
- High rewards rate
- No foreign transaction fees
- Lounge membership
- Luxury perks
- Transfer partners
Things to consider
- High annual fee
- High regular APR
- No intro APR period
- High balance transfer fee
- High cash advance fee
What this card offers
Sign-up bonuses
- Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 in the first 3 months
Rewards
- 12 points per dollar spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on cititravel.com
- 6 points per dollar spent on Air Travel booked on cititravel.com
- 6 points per dollar spent at Restaurants on Citi Nights® purchases, Friday and Saturday from 6 PM - 6 AM ET
- 3 points per dollar spent at Restaurants any other time
- 1.5 points per dollar spent on All Other Purchases
Other features
- Up to $300 Annual Hotel Benefit Each calendar year, enjoy up to $300 off a hotel stay of 2 nights or more when booked through cititravel.com.
- Up to $200 Splurge Credit® Every calendar year, earn up to $200 in statement credits on your choice of up to 2 of the following brands: 1stDibs, American Airlines (exclusions apply), Best Buy®, Future Personal Training, and Live Nation (exclusions apply).
- Up to $200 Annual Blacklane® Credit Every calendar year, earn up to $200 in statement credits when you book with Blacklane, a premium global chauffeur service. Earn up to $100 on Blacklane purchases January through June and up to $100 July through December.
- Priority Pass™ Select membership Enjoy complimentary access to 1,500+ airport lounges worldwide. Annual membership fee valued at $469.
- American Airlines Admirals Club® Lounge Accesses Every calendar year, receive 4 Admirals Club® Citi Strata Elite® Passes for access to nearly 50 Admirals Club® lounges (over $300 in value). Inside each of the nearly 50 lounges, you can enjoy a selection of snacks, complimentary cocktails, personal travel assistance and more.
- Additionally, Up to $120 Global Entry® or TSA PreCheck® Application Fee Credit Receive a statement credit, up to $120 every four years, as reimbursement for your application fee for Global Entry® or TSA PreCheck®.
- Use points to book flights, hotels, car rentals and attractions.
- Points transfer to American Airlines, JetBlue, Virgin Atlantic, Cathay, Eva Air, Choice Hotels, The Leading Hotels of the World® and others. The minimum transfer is only 1,000 points.
- Redeem your ThankYou® Points for gift cards to your favorite retailers and more at thankyou.com.
- Use points at participating merchants like Amazon, PayPal, CVS and others.
- Citigold® Relationship Credit Qualifying Citigold clients receive a $145 Banking Relationship Annual Credit if the primary cardmember has an open and current Strata Elite® Card account with an assessed Annual Membership Fee of $595.
- Citigold® Private Client Relationship Credit Qualifying Citigold Private Clients receive a $595 first year banking relationship credit and a $145 credit each year thereafter if the primary cardmember has an open and current Strata Elite® Card account with an assessed Annual Membership Fee of $595.
- Travel and Shopping Protection Help stay protected with travel insurances, including Trip Delay Protection, Enhanced Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption Protection, Lost or Damaged Luggage, MasterRental Coverage (car rental insurance), and Extended Warranty and Purchase Assurance Plus.
- No foreign transaction fees
- Citi® Quick Lock Misplaced your card? Use Citi® Quick Lock in the Citi Mobile® App or at citi.com to instantly block new charges while allowing recurring transactions to continue without disruption.
- 24-hour fraud protection Citi will alert you if we see unusual activity on your account.
- Mastercard® ID Theft Protection The ID Theft Protection program offered by Mastercard® helps eliminate the worry of identity theft by monitoring the information you choose to protect and alerting you if suspicious activity is found. It takes just a few minutes to enroll for free, and as soon as you do, your monitoring begins. Visit mastercardidps.idprotectiononline.com to learn more.
- Contactless pay Shop safely with a contactless chip-enabled card. Just tap your card on the payment reader and go in seconds.
- Automatic account alerts Stay updated on balance, payments and credit limits via email or text.
- Choose your payment due date Choose to pay your bill on any available due date in the beginning, middle or end of the month. Enjoy the flexibility of paying your full balance or just the minimum payment due each month.
- Paperless statements and e-communications Reduce clutter and get your statements and most legal notices online instead of in the mail.
- 24/7 Customer Service To save time and manage your account from anywhere, download the Citi Mobile® App. You can handle most of your banking needs right from your phone, 24/7.
- Citi Mobile® App Manage your account when you want, where you want and the way you want. It's how Citi digital services help you get the most out of your time.
- Digital wallets Digital wallets let you shop with confidence in millions of places online, within apps and in stores. With digital wallets you can speed through checkout and continue to enjoy all the great benefits that come with your card. Learn how to get started and how digital wallets can help protect your card information at citi.com/digitalservices.
- Access FICO® Score Get free access to your FICO® Score online to review your credit history.
- Citi Entertainment® Citi cardmembers get special access to purchase tickets to thousands of events, including presale tickets and exclusive experiences to the year's most anticipated concerts, sporting events, arts and culture experiences.
- Citi Travel® With Citi Travel®, you can book flights, hotels, car rentals and attractions using your eligible Citi card, points or a combination of both. Citi Travel offers access to over 1.4 million hotels and resorts available worldwide.
- Citi® Flex Pay Buy now, pay later with Citi® Flex Pay. Pay over time in fixed monthly payments and continue to earn points on purchases. Available on eligible purchases of $75 or more.
Additional Notes
This offer may not be available if you leave this page. Offers may vary and this offer may not be available in other places where the card is offered. New account bonus offer is not available if you currently have or previously had a Citi Strata Elite® account. You also may not be eligible for the new account bonus offer based on a number of factors, such as your history of opening, closing and using credit cards. New cardmembers only. Subject to credit approval. Additional limitations, terms and conditions apply. You will be given further information when you apply.