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The newly rebranded Citi Strata Premier℠ Card (formerly known as the Citi Premier® Card) is an excellent mid-tier travel credit card.
While it’s not as well-known as a travel credit card as some of its competitors (like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card*), you can earn top rewards on airline travel and hotel purchases, as well as the other biggest spending categories most people care about: groceries, restaurants, gas stations and electric vehicle charging stations. So it’s a great card for everyday use, not just when you’re planning a trip.
You’ll earn 10x points on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com, a rate that’s usually exclusive to premium travel credit cards, so this could be a very worthwhile option — once you consider that some aspects of your trip can be booked through Citi’s portal. There are no foreign transaction fees, so you can use this card abroad without any hassles, and the welcome bonus is more than enough to compensate you for the $95 annual fee over a few years. However, there are a few ways you can get more value out of this card than other cards, so keep reading to learn about the rewards program and other benefits.
Rewards and Welcome Bonuses
The shopping rewards rates are pretty comprehensive. Citibank offers 3x points on four major categories: restaurants, gas stations and electric car charging stations, supermarkets, and global travel (air travel and hotels). But you can also earn an impressive 10x points on booking hotels, rental cars, and attractions on CitiTravel.com. All other purchases earn 1x points.
Each point is worth 0.01 cents when redeemed for a statement credit, which means you get 3% back at gas stations and electric vehicle charging stations, restaurants, supermarkets, and travel (air travel and hotels), and 1% back on other purchases. (Be sure to read the redemption options below to avoid being scammed into a lower redemption rate like I initially was.)
These rates make the 3x points categories competitive, especially since you don’t often find these categories bundled together and valued equally.
Meanwhile, fixed rates for other purchases are at a lower level, as many credit cards offer fixed rates of 1.5% or even 2%. So if your purchases don’t typically fall into those four categories, a cash back card with a higher fixed rate might make more sense.
The welcome bonus is comparable to or even better than other products on the market. After you spend $4,000 on purchases using your card within the first three months of account opening, you’ll earn 70,000 bonus points. That’s the equivalent of a $700 gift card at Thankyou.com or other redemption options like travel rewards.
Traveling with the Citi Strata Premier Card
With the Annual Hotel Deal, you can save $100 on one hotel reservation per year on CitiTravel.com that costs $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees).
With no foreign exchange transaction fees, shopping abroad is simple and transparent. Foreign exchange transaction fees typically range from 1% to 3% of the total transaction cost, so using the Citi Strata Premier card can quickly save you money when you’re abroad.
One thing to keep in mind when traveling with any credit card: Always remember to notify your credit card issuer before traveling, lest your account be frozen due to suspected theft. I forgot to do this and ended up in hot water. While you can call Citibank to resolve the issue, this can be more challenging if you don’t have international cell service and are relying solely on Wi-Fi, especially since you have to call from a cell phone number registered to your Citibank account for security reasons.
Redemption Options
You can use Citi ThankYou® points in a variety of ways: government points, purchases at retailers like Amazon, redemption for gift cards or travel purchases through CitiTravel.com.
CitiTravel.com’s travel services include search capabilities for flights, hotels, cars, activities, cruises and deals, with a wide range of options within the portal. You can earn 1 cent per point when booking travel through CitiTravel.com.
Cash back with this card can be a little tricky. It wasn’t until recently that I noticed there was a right way and a wrong way to use points for cash back or statement credits with this card. Unfortunately, as a cardholder, I redeemed points the wrong way most of the time: I used the “Pay with Points” feature advertised on the account homepage, which charged 0.8 cents per point. I later discovered that if you redeem statement credits through Thankyou.com, you actually get 1 cent per point in value—and you don’t have to worry about matching the point amount to the purchase amount you redeemed. You can only receive cash back in the form of statement credits, direct deposits, or checks in the mail.
Additionally, you can redeem your points for branded gift cards or use them to shop at participating retailers like Amazon, Best Buy and PayPal. When you use your points to shop, your Citi Strata Premier card will be deposited into an account with a Thank You Points partner, and you can use your points as currency to pay for part or all of your purchase. There aren’t many benefits to using these options other than convenience, as they often have lower exchange rates than other redemption methods.
Other Benefits
Citibank offers virtual credit cards, or virtual account numbers, directly through your online account. Virtual account numbers are randomly generated, one-time credit card details that hide your real details when you make online purchases, helping to prevent credit card fraud and identity theft.
Other banks require you to download additional apps and browser extensions to generate a virtual credit card, which isn’t easy to do when you’re traveling and relying on Wi-Fi or a shared computer (in my experience).
Depending on your account history and status, Citibank may offer you a Flex Loan through your account – a loan from your line of credit at a low APR, which will typically increase your line of credit if you accept the loan and qualify. It’s important to note that the terms, conditions, and qualifications for this offer may vary. This is often cheaper than applying for a cash advance, which often comes with an upfront fee and a high APR.
The Strata map update also adds some travel protections to the map:
- Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption (Common Carriers)
- Travel delays
- Lost or damaged luggage
- MasterRental Insurance (Car Rental)
Comparable Cards
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is the equivalent of the Citi Strata Premier. This is another mid-tier travel card with a $95 annual fee and a similar rewards package.
Earn 5X points on travel booked through Chase Travel℠, 2X points on other travel purchases, 3X points on dining, 3X points on groceries purchased online (excluding Target, Walmart and Wholesale Clubs), 3X points on select streaming services, and 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases. While these options aren’t as good as Citi Strata Premier due to limited travel and grocery rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards points can be redeemed for a higher value when booking travel. Like ThankYou points, Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth 1 cent each. If redeemed through Chase Travel, they are worth 1.25 cents.
If you book travel with points and are willing to book through the Chase Travel portal, you can get a welcome bonus of 75,000 points (after spending $4,000 in the first three months), which can be redeemed for more than $900. In addition, you can make 1-to-1 point transfers with airline partners and pay no foreign transaction fees.
American Express Blue Cash Preferred® Card
While the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express isn’t a travel card like the others, its rewards value is most similar to the Citi Strata Premier package.
Unlike the Citi Strata Premier, which earns you points, the Blue Cash Preferred is a cash back card: You get 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 in annual purchases, 1% thereafter), 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, 3% cash back on transportation, 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations, and 1% cash back on other purchases. Cash back is received in the form of Rewards Dollars, which can be redeemed for statement credits. Depending on your typical spending habits, the Citi Strata Premier or the American Express Blue Cash Preferred may better optimize your rewards value.
The annual fee is $0 for the first year and $95 after that. However, there aren’t many travel-specific benefits. With a welcome offer, you can get a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases within the first six months of account opening. This makes the spending threshold easier to reach, but the welcome offer is lower than that of the Citi Strata Premier. Meanwhile, the Blue Cash Preferred offers a 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months from the date of account opening (variable APR of 19.24% to 29.99% thereafter), which gives it an edge over the Citi Strata Premier.
How the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card compares to other cards
CNET’s Choice
Citi Strata Premier℠ Card
7.2/10 CNET Rating CNET rates credit cards by comparing them to similar competitor offers. Each card is individually evaluated using a formula that reflects contemporary market standards and expectations. Credit card issuers have no say or influence in our ratings. How we rate credit cards
Introductory Offer70,000 Bonus Points Earn 70,000 bonus ThankYou® points redeemable for $700 in gift cards or travel rewards at Thankyou.com after you spend $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Annual fee $95
Annual interest rate 21.24% – 29.24% (variable)
Introduction to Purchase APRN/A
Recommended Credit Credit score is used to indicate an applicant’s creditworthiness and can provide guidance regarding account eligibility. It does not necessarily guarantee approval for any financial product. Good – Excellent
Rewards Rate1x – 10x Earn 10 points per $1 spent on hotel, car rental and attractions bookings on CitiTravel.com; 3 points per $1 spent on air travel and other hotel purchases, restaurants, groceries, gas stations and electric vehicle charging stations; 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
9/10 CNET Rating CNET rates credit cards by comparing them to similar competitor offers. Each card is individually evaluated using a formula that reflects contemporary market standards and expectations. Credit card issuers have no say or influence in our ratings. How we rate credit cards
Introductory Offer75,000 Bonus Points Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. Earn over $900 in bonus points when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
Annual fee $95
Annual interest rate 21.49% – 28.49% Variable
Introduction to Purchase APRN/A
Recommended Credit Credit score is used to indicate an applicant’s creditworthiness and can provide guidance regarding account eligibility. It does not necessarily guarantee approval for any financial product. Good – Excellent
Rewards RateEarn 1x – 5x on travel purchases through Chase Travel℠ 5x; 3x on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery stores; 2x on all other travel purchases; 1x on all other purchases.
American Express® Gold Card
7.5/10 CNET Rating CNET rates credit cards by comparing them to similar competitor offers. Each card is individually evaluated using a formula that reflects contemporary market standards and expectations. Credit card issuers have no say or influence in our ratings. How we rate credit cards
Introductory Offer60,000 Membership Rewards Points Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership.
Annual fee: $250
APR See Installment APR
Introduction to Purchase APRN/A
Recommended Credit Credit score is used to indicate an applicant’s creditworthiness and can provide guidance regarding account eligibility. It does not necessarily guarantee approval for any financial product. Good – Excellent
Rewards Rate3x – 4x Earn 4x Membership Rewards points at U.S. restaurants, takeout and delivery; 4x Membership Rewards points at U.S. groceries (up to $25,000 per year, then 1x). ; Earn 3x Membership Rewards points when you book flights directly with the airline or on amextravel.com.
* Eligibility and benefit levels vary by card. Terms, conditions and restrictions apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Certain American Express benefits and offers may require registration. Visit americanexpress.com for more information.
Frequently Asked Questions
Travel credit cards convert purchases into points or miles that can be used to purchase travel items, such as flights and hotel stays. Sometimes you can redeem these points for cash or gift cards, but you’ll usually get the best deals by using them to book your travel. Top travel agencies all have their own travel booking portals through which you can find flights, hotels, and rental cars. Sometimes it’s more valuable to use your points on the credit card company portal.
Airline credit cards and hotel credit cards work similarly to loyalty programs in that you’ll be in a closed-loop rewards system. You’ll earn rewards when you buy flights or book hotels through your chosen company, and you can use those points for additional benefits or future reservations through the same airline or hotel group.
The points and travel benefits you earn through travel rewards programs are usually redeemable through the credit card issuer’s website (or app) or appear as a statement credit to compensate for purchases you previously made with your credit card. Points or miles can also be transferred to travel partners (mostly hotels and airlines) at varying redemption rates, which can then be used to book flights or hotel rooms.
Here are a few key factors to consider when choosing the best travel credit card:
- Annual Fee : Most travel rewards programs have an annual fee, some as high as $695, but these fees can usually be mitigated by earning points monthly or annually.
- Exclusive Benefits : Some travel rewards card options also give you access to exclusive travel benefits, such as airline lounge access, priority boarding, or hotel VIP benefits. The value of these benefits is subjective and you must evaluate them based on your needs and desires.
- Foreign exchange transaction fees : The best travel cards don’t allow users to pay foreign exchange transaction fees, so you don’t have to worry about this issue.
Most travel credit cards (some of which charge high annual fees) include benefits that increase the value of these cards, such as travel accident insurance, trip cancellation insurance, trip delay compensation or protection, lost baggage reimbursement, and rental car collision insurance.
Our Credit Card Evaluation Methodology
We review the most in-demand credit cards with the best deals. We look through the fine print so you don’t get any surprises when you open an account. We identify the key factors that make a credit card stand out and compare it to other top credit cards. That way, if our picks aren’t a good fit for a reader, they can choose another card with similar features. We review and update our reviews regularly to include new recommendations and reflect changes in products and the market.
* All information about the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card was collected independently by CNET and has not been verified by the issuer.
The editorial content of this page is based solely on the objective, independent assessment of our authors and is not influenced by advertising or partnerships. It is not provided or commissioned by any third party. However, we may receive compensation when you click on links to products or services provided by our partners.
