Citi Strata Premier Credit Card Review
Key Takeaways
This is the most valuable card Citi offers for earning and redeeming ThankYou points. The 60,000-point sign-up bonus — earned after $4,000 in spending within 3 months — is significantly higher than what you’ll find on Citi’s no-fee cards. With a $95 annual fee that can be offset by a $100 hotel credit through the Citi Travel portal, the value is clear. If you’re looking to access Citi’s airline and hotel transfer partners, this is the card that unlocks that functionality.
Why This Card Could Be Right For You
The Citi Strata Premier gives you meaningful earning opportunities and full access to Citi’s ThankYou transfer partners — all for a relatively low annual fee.
- Earn 60,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months
- 3x points on everyday categories like restaurants, groceries, gas stations, EV charging, air travel, and hotels (outside the Citi portal)
- 10x points on hotels and car rentals booked through Citi Travel
- $100 annual hotel credit on a single stay of $500+ when booked through Citi Travel
- Full access to Citi’s airline and hotel transfer partners (including all three major airline alliances)
If you’re redeeming ThankYou points for travel, especially through transfer partners, this is the card you want in your wallet.
When The Usual Advice Doesn't Apply
This card may not be the right fit if:
- You don’t book travel through portals, making the $100 hotel credit less useful
- You prefer simple cashback or statement credit over managing transfer partners
- You already have travel cards in other ecosystems (like Chase or Amex) and don’t want to juggle another set of points

What to Know About Citi ThankYou Points
Citi points have limited utility; we don’t generally collect them without a clear use in mind
- Choice Hotels and niche airline partners are the best transfer values.
- If you need to take a break from Chase, already have the top Cap One cards, and Amex isn’t offering elevated SUBs, only then should you consider a Citi card.
- Only the Strata Premier card is worth the trouble as it’s the only Citi card with transferable miles and a 60-80k point SUB
- Points are flexible with a breadth of airline partners, some exclusive to Citi (like Avianca, Cathay Pacific, Turkish, and Singapore, amongst others)
How The Citi Strata Premier Credit Card Fits In The Citi ThankYou Points Ecosystem
Citi offers two lower-tier cards without annual fees. Both feature much smaller sign-up bonuses — $200 cash back for both the Citi Double Cash and Citi Custom Cash cards. Each card has its own spending multipliers: 2x points on all purchases with no limits for the Double Cash, and 5x points on your top eligible spending category each billing cycle for the Custom Cash.
Despite these lower-tier cards' welcome offers, the primary advantage of choosing the Strata Premier is the ability to transfer your Citi ThankYou points to any of their hotel and airline partners. For those familiar with the points and miles hobby, this capability is crucial for unlocking the most valuable rewards and redemptions.
Card Information
Bonus Points | Minimum Spend | Point Value | Annual Value | Annual Fee |
1st Year Value
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|
60,000 | $4,000 | 1.4 ¢ | $22 | $95 |
$823
|
Most Recent Special Offer
$4,000 spend ended Jun 2024
Spend Categories
3X points
4.2¢ Per Dollar Spent
1X points
1.4¢ Per Dollar Spent
3X points
4.2¢ Per Dollar Spent
3X points
4.2¢ Per Dollar Spent
3X points
4.2¢ Per Dollar Spent
3X points
4.2¢ Per Dollar Spent
Card Benefits
Receive $100 in hotel credit off a single stay of $500 or more annually on booking made through thankyou.com.
Citi Strata Premier Application Rules
You'll be declined if you've OPENED or CLOSED any Citi Card in the ThankYou "family" in past 24 months
Card approval not subject to 5-personal-cards-in-24-months rule
You'll be declined if you apply for a third Citi card within 65 days
You'll be declined if you apply for a second Citi card (business and/or personal) within 8 days
You'll be declined if there are 6 or more hard inquiries on your credit report the past 6 months
Ranking of Cards Offering Citi ThankYou Points
Best for Series
Below is a snapshot of where this card performs best compared to the other cards in our database: