Citi Strata Elite℠ Card Complete Guide

In your first year, the Citi Strata Elite can easily deliver $500–$700 in calendar-based credits—many of which can be used twice if you time things right. Combined with its strong welcome offer, this card can make its first year surprisingly valuable for cardholders who pay their balances in full.

With the addition of American AAdvantage as a transfer partner, ThankYou Points now rivals both American Express Membership Rewards® and Chase Ultimate Rewards in terms of its transfer partner portfolio. The Citi Strata Elite Card ($595 annual fee) comes with two valuable credits that can help offset the cost: a $300 annual hotel credit and a $200 “Splurge” credit you can use with select merchants such as Best Buy, Live Nation, or American Airlines. You’ll also get airport lounge access through Priority Pass™, a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® application credit, and 1.5x points on every purchase—with no foreign transaction fees. That last part stands out, since very few major issuers like Chase or Amex offer a flat 1.5x rate on all non-category purchases.

That said, the Citi Strata Elite’s bonus categories are fairly limited. It’s marketed as a “travel card,” but unless you book directly through Citi’s portal, you’ll earn a flat 1.5x on most purchases—and its travel protections aren’t quite on par with some other premium cards. The 6x dining bonus sounds exciting at first, but there’s a catch: it only applies on Friday and Saturday nights between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. Eastern Time.

If you combine this card with the Citi Strata℠ Card, Citi Double Cash® Card, and Citi Custom Cash® Card, you’ll have a great combination of bonus categories and everywhere rewards, even when outside the US. But, for most travelers, it’s tough to justify making this the main card in your Citi lineup when the Citi Strata Premier® Card—at just $95 a year—covers many of the same bases for a much lower cost.  ®

• Annual Fee: $595 (Authorized User Annual Fee: $75)
• Foreign Transaction Fee: None
• What points are worth: The Citi Strata Elite card earns Citi ThankYou Points
• Best Use for Points: ThankYou Points (TYP) can be transferred to most travel partners at a 1:1 ratio, and this will usually yield the most value. TYP has one of the better mixes of hotel partners of any of the major transferable currencies: Accor, Wyndham, Leading Hotels of the World, Preferred Hotels, and Choice Privileges. Airline partners also offer excellent options, including American Airlines, Avianca LifeMiles, Air France/KLM Flying Blue, British Airways Avios, and Eva Air. Citi is the only program that transfers 1-to-1 to Eva Air, and it can be a great choice between the US and Asia. Cardholders can also use points for statement credit at a rate of 1 cent per point.

Earning Categories:

• 12x at hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through Citi Travel℠
• 6x on air travel booked through Citi Travel℠
• 6x at restaurants between 6 pm and 6 am EST Friday and Saturday nights
• 3x at restaurants all other times
• 1.5x everywhere else

Travel Perks:

• Priority Pass Select membership with two free guests (no restaurants)
• 4 American Airlines Admirals Club passes per calendar year (each one good for one adult and up to three children)

Credits:

• Up to $300 Hotel Credit (one per calendar year): Only valid on hotel stays of two nights or more. Must book through Citi Travel℠.
• Up to $200 Splurge Credit (one per calendar year): Up to $200 in statement credits on your choice of up to 2 of: 1stDibs, American Airlines, Best Buy®, Future Personal Training, or Live Nation.
• Up to $200 ($100 Jan-June and $100 July-Dec) in private chauffeur credit with Blacklane.
• Up $120 Global Entry® or TSA PreCheck® application fee credit (once per four years).

Travel Protections:

• Trip Delay Protection: Round-trip travel only, must pay full cost of transportation with card, $500 max/trip, 2 claims per account per 12 consecutive months.
• Trip Cancellation and Interruption Protection: Round-trip travel only, must pay full cost of transportation with card, $5K max/trip and $10K/account per 12 consecutive months
• Lost or Damaged Luggage Protection: Must pay in full with card and/or with points associated with card, $5K max/trip ($2K for New York residents)
• Car Rental Insurance: Coverage is secondary within the country of residence and primary outside of that country. Covers rental car only.

Purchase Protections:

• Damage and Theft Protection: 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim/$50,000 per calendar year.
• Extended Warranty: Citi extends coverage by 24 months on items with a manufacturer’s warranty of 24 months or less; up to $10,000/item. This is the best extended warranty coverage of any issuer.

Who’s this card for? Anyone for the first year, where it’s possible to double-dip the credits. After that, folks who can utilize the excellent rates for booking travel through Citi’s portal and who eat out A LOT on weekend nights.

Is the Citi Strata Elite a keeper? If you book a lot of travel through online travel agencies like Expedia or Booking.com, the Strata Elite will give you much better earnings. Outside of that, it’s tough to see who this card is a fit for long-term.

Citi Strata Elite Pros and Cons

Pros

• Excellent earnings through Citi’s travel portal
• Credits are relatively easy to take advantage of
• Very good extended purchase protection
• Impressive variety of airline and hotel transfer partners
• Transfers to Choice Privileges at double the rate of Amex or Capital One
• Miles can be shared across cards and cardholders
• Forms a good quartet with the Citi Double Cash, Strata, and Custom Cash
• American AAdvantage is arguably the best domestic airline partner of all of the major transferable currencies

Cons

• Although the card now offers travel protections, they are more restricted than those offered by other banks
• Considering its price point, the card’s bonus categories don’t add as much everyday value as you might expect
• Only earns 1.5x on travel if you don’t book through Citi’s portal
• 6x dining is nice if you can make it work

Citi Transfer Partners