Is the Citi Strata Premier definitely worth the annual charge?

Metro Loud
8 Min Read


The Citi Strata Premier® Card (see charges and costs) is Citi’s mid-tier journey card. The Strata Premier earns bonus factors on on a regular basis spending classes and unlocks full-value entry to switch companions.

However with so many different good choices, is the Strata Premier definitely worth the $95 annual charge? Beneath, we break down the vital facets of the cardboard so you possibly can resolve whether it is for you.

Welcome provide

The Strata Premier is at the moment providing 60,000 bonus factors after spending $4,000 throughout the first three months from account opening.

Citi ThankYou factors are value 1.9 cents every in response to TPG’s September 2025 valuations, making this bonus value $1,140.

AIR FRANCE

We suggest making use of for the cardboard when the next welcome provide of no less than 70,000 factors is out there to maximise your preliminary funding in opening the cardboard and paying the annual charge.

Earlier than making use of, think about your eligibility as nicely. In line with Citi:

Bonus ThankYou® Factors will not be out there for those who obtained a brand new account bonus for a Citi Premier® or Citi Strata Premier® account previously 48 months or for those who transformed one other Citi bank card account on which you earned a brand new account bonus within the final 48 months right into a Citi Premier® or Citi Strata Premier® account.

Associated: Finest methods to redeem Citi ThankYou Rewards factors

Strong factors incomes

If you happen to ask folks what they like in regards to the Strata Premier, the commonest reply is probably going that it earns factors in in style spending classes.

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The cardboard earns 10 factors per greenback spent on sights, automobile leases and lodges booked via the Citi Journey portal.

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As well as, the Strata Premier earns 3 factors per greenback spent within the following classes (no caps or annual limits):

  • Air journey
  • Electrical car charging stations
  • Gasoline stations
  • Motels (non-Citi Journey purchases)
  • Eating places (together with takeout)
  • Supermarkets

All different purchases earn 1 level per greenback spent.

TPG bank cards author Danyal Ahmed frequently makes use of his Strata Premier card to pay for gasoline and groceries, which helps him accumulate ThankYou factors shortly. Incomes bonus factors on on a regular basis spending and Strata Premier’s spectacular switch companions motivated him to use for the cardboard.

Plus, the Strata Premier’s bonus classes apply worldwide, in contrast to some playing cards that solely provide bonus factors on purchases throughout the U.S.

Associated: Do you have to ebook lodges via Citi Journey?

Switch companions

When figuring out if the Strata Premier’s $95 annual charge is value it, think about which airline frequent flyer packages you possibly can entry. Citi has some nice switch companions like Qatar Airways Privilege Membership, Air France-KLM Flying Blue and Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership, however probably the most notable is the recently-added American Airways AAdvantage.

American Airlines Flagship Business class
ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY

Though no-annual-fee Citi playing cards additionally switch to AAdvantage, the ratio is unfavorable at 1:0.7. The Strata Premier is probably the most reasonably priced annual charge card to switch factors at a 1:1 ratio, making it a worthwhile funding.

Danyal is a large fan of the AAdvantage program, and the flexibility to switch ThankYou factors to this system is sufficient cause for him to maintain paying the annual charge yr after yr.

Lodge credit score

As a cardholder, you will get an annual good thing about $100 off a single lodge keep of $500 or extra (excluding taxes and costs) if you ebook via Citi Journey.

Nevertheless, whereas this profit sounds promising and could be nice when staying at boutique, unbiased properties, it might not yield the $100 in financial savings you count on.

Citi Travel home page
CITI TRAVEL

Earlier than making a lodge reservation on Citi Journey, verify the value of the lodge when reserving straight to match whether or not you are getting the perfect fee. Citi Journey does not all the time have the bottom fee, so your $100 low cost might not truly be a strong deal.

Bookings via journey portals like Citi Journey usually do not earn lodge factors or honor elite advantages, so issue that into the $100 low cost.

Associated: What it’s worthwhile to learn about direct versus third-party journey bookings

Journey and buy protections

The Strata Premier gives the next journey protections:

Extra details about coverage limits and exclusions will be discovered right here.

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Buying protections embrace:

World Elite Mastercard advantages

As a World Elite Mastercard cardholder, you possibly can get pleasure from additional perks like World Emergency Providers, a $5 Lyft credit score if you take no less than three rides in a month (provide ends Jan. 31, 2026) and $10 off your second Instacart order every month, together with three months of complimentary Instacart+ (provide ends Jan. 31, 2027).

Leisure perks

Anybody with a Citi bank card, together with the Strata Premier, can entry Citi Leisure.

A baseball field and stadium full of fans
JANE TYSKA/MEDIANEWS GROUP/THE MERCURY NEWS/GETTY IMAGES

This gives entry to unique occasions and precedence entry for advance ticket gross sales to live shows, movie festivals, performances and reveals.

Backside line

Because the lodge profit might not present the complete $100 worth, whether or not the Strata Premier is value its $95 annual charge will rely on the factors you earn and the way you worth them.

If you happen to can maximize the bonus classes and get good worth from Citi’s switch companions, you could discover that to be a priceless return nicely past the annual charge. Nevertheless, in order for you extra tangible worth from assertion credit and different perks, you will probably need to go along with a completely different bank card, just like the extra premium Citi Strata Elite℠ Card (see charges and costs).

To be taught extra, learn our full evaluation of the Strata Premier.


Apply right here: Strata Premier


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