The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card is a well-rounded mid-tier travel card that combines substantial rewards on both travel and everyday categories with a manageable annual fee. Designed for cardholders who want to maximize transferable ThankYou points across groceries, gas, dining, and travel, it also offers boosted earnings when booking through Citi Travel. The result is a card that works hard for daily purchases while unlocking serious value when you redeem for premium flights through Citi’s airline and hotel transfer partners.
With American Airlines AAdvantage now a transfer partner, the Citi Strata Premier has become even more attractive for travelers seeking outsized value.
The Strata Premier earns generous rates across travel and everyday categories:
Those category weights (notably the 3x mix for groceries/gas/dining mix plus 10x through Citi Travel) allow you to quickly build a flexible stash of ThankYou points without carrying a heavy annual fee.
Though not a premium lounge card, the Strata Premier includes a number of useful protections and everyday perks that add tangible value.
The Strata Premier earns Citi ThankYou points. What makes ThankYou points compelling is their versatility: you can redeem for simple travel bookings or unlock premium international flights at a fraction of their cash price by transferring to airline partners.
The best value usually comes from moving points to Citi’s network of airline and hotel partners. Partners include:
Most transfers are at a 1:1 ratio and process quickly.
Citi’s transfer partners unlock several standout sweet spots, including:
If you prefer straightforward redemptions, you can also use ThankYou points for:
While these are convenient, the biggest upside comes from leveraging transfer partners for flights or hotels.
If you’re weighing alternatives, consider:
Similar $95 annual fee and a strong transferable-points ecosystem (Chase Ultimate Rewards).
Simple 2x flat earning and a comparable fee; best for users who prefer simplicity rather than category stacking and transfer planning. Capital One’s transfer roster is competitive but different from Citi’s.
If you’ll use the card’s 3x categories (groceries, gas, dining) and take advantage of the Citi Travel portal or transfer partners, the card is probably worth it. The $100 annual hotel savings benefit effectively neutralizes the $95 annual fee when used once per year, and the broad 3x categories make this a practical everyday travel-plus grocery/gas card for many people. The welcome bonus (which has fluctuated between ~60k–75k historically) is another meaningful boost to value when you meet the spend.
If you prefer a simpler flat-rate card or are primarily chasing lounge access and ultra-premium benefits, a different card (e.g., Sapphire Reserve, Amex Platinum) might be a better fit.
The Citi Strata Premier Card is a rare mid-tier travel card that rewards both everyday life (groceries, gas, dining) and travel bookings through Citi. For a modest $95 annual fee, you get wide 3x categories, a lucrative portal bonus (10x on Citi Travel hotel/car/attraction bookings), solid travel protections, and flexible ThankYou® Points that transfer to many airline and hotel partners. If you’ll use the categories and the annual $100 hotel benefit, this card can deliver strong real-world value and is well worth a spot in a travel-oriented wallet.
You can change your preferences or opt out at any time by clicking on one of the hyperlinks available at the bottom of each newsletter.
If you are already a subscriber and would like to unsubscribe, you can click on the link at the bottom of any of our e-mails.
