The Citi Strata Elite℠ Card (see charges and costs) is Citi’s latest premium journey rewards card.
Launched in late July, it comes with a $595 annual price, which places it in the course of its premium card opponents.
With a robust welcome bonus, priceless incomes potential and a set of assertion credit and lounge perks, the cardboard can ship stable worth. However after the primary yr of getting it, you will must run the numbers to resolve if it deserves a long-term spot in your pockets.
So, let’s do the mathematics to work out whether or not it’s best to apply for (and preserve) the Citi Strata Elite.
Welcome supply
Each new cardholder can get constructive worth out of the Strata Elite if they’re authorised and meet the minimal spending requirement.
New candidates can earn 80,000 bonus factors after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. (You might be able to earn a better welcome supply of 100,000 bonus factors with the identical spending necessities in the event you apply at a Citi department in individual.)
These 80,000 factors are price $1,520 per TPG’s August 2025 valuations‚ greater than double the $595 annual price.
Associated: Are you eligible for the Citi Strata Elite’s 80,000-point welcome bonus?
Nevertheless, if you wish to earn Citi ThankYou Rewards factors at a decrease value, the Citi Strata Premier® Card (see charges and costs) is a better option. For a $95 annual price, it gives 60,000 bonus factors after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening — 75% of the Strata Elite’s bonus for a fraction of the value.
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Associated: The most effective bank card welcome bonuses this month
Incomes charges
The Strata Elite is finest suited to those that are blissful to e-book journey by way of a portal and dine out on weekend evenings.
You will earn 12 factors per greenback spent on motels, automotive leases and points of interest booked by way of cititravel.com (a 22.8% return per TPG’s August 2025 valuations); flights earn 6 factors per greenback by way of cititravel.com (11.4%).
Nevertheless, reserving by way of a portal has its downsides, together with:
This card has a singular eating bonus class.
On Friday and Saturday evenings (between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. Japanese time), you will earn 6 factors per greenback spent at eating places, together with on supply. Outdoors of these instances, you will earn half the speed (3 factors per greenback). That represents an 11.4% and 5.7% return on these purchases, respectively.
This bonus class is finest for individuals who exit (or order in) for dinner on weekend evenings. Nevertheless, the fastened Japanese time window might be awkward when touring internationally, particularly in Asia and Europe.
In contrast, the Strata Premier gives a less complicated construction, incomes 3 factors per greenback spent on:
- Electrical car charging and gasoline station purchases
- Flights
- Lodge stays
- Restaurant purchases
- Grocery store purchases
Assertion credit
Having stated that, this card has a decrease annual price than the 2 different issuers’ premium playing cards and a shorter record of credit. Plus, the credit are divided up into annual or biannual increments, reasonably than month-to-month, making them simpler to maintain observe of.
The Strata Elite’s $595 annual price might be lowered considerably in the event you maximize its assertion credit:
Maxing out the Strata Elite’s $300 lodge credit score instantly drops your efficient price to $295. Add half the worth of the $200 Splurge credit score, one $100 Blacklane credit score and the $30 annualized World Entry credit score, and your efficient price falls to simply $65.
Whereas not everybody will extract this full worth, even partial credit score utilization can convey the cardboard’s actual value effectively beneath its $595 sticker worth.
Lounge entry
The Strata Elite features a complimentary Precedence Move Choose membership, granting you and two company entry to greater than 1,700 lounges worldwide. It additionally gives 4 American Airways Admirals Membership passes per yr, every legitimate for twenty-four hours, that means one move can cowl a number of lounge visits on a single itinerary.
Whereas Admirals Membership day passes usually value $79 every, I would personally worth them nearer to $35 per go to. For those who take two home journeys and one worldwide journey every year, you possibly can simply get round $140 in worth from these advantages alone.
For frequent American Airways flyers who need limitless Admirals Membership entry, the Citi® / AAdvantage® Government World Elite Mastercard® (see charges and costs) is the higher choice. However for infrequent vacationers, these included passes add significant worth to the Strata Elite’s annual price.
Associated: 3 the reason why that is one of the best card for Admirals Membership lounge entry
Redemption choices
That is an space the place the Strata Elite shines.
It’s considered one of solely three Citi playing cards — the others being the Strata Premier and the Citi Status® Card — that provides entry to all of Citi’s 5 lodge and 15 airline switch companions (together with American Airways AAdvantage) on the most favorable switch charges. Different Citi playing cards don’t supply transfers to AAdvantage, and the switch charges for many different companions are decrease.
The knowledge for the Citi Status has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or supplied by the cardboard issuer. This card is just not out there to new candidates.
Put $1,000 a month in nonbonused spending on the Strata Elite and you may earn 18,000 factors yearly. They’re price roughly $342 when transferred to companions or $180 when redeemed by way of Citi Journey. That is sufficient for a one-way economy-class flight to Europe when transferring to Air France-KLM Flying Blue or Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership (plus taxes and costs). And you should utilize even fewer factors when benefiting from a switch bonus.
If you’d like entry to the complete suite of switch companions at one of the best charges — however wish to pay a decrease annual price — then the Strata Premier is, once more, my suggestion.
Purchasing and journey protections
As the primary Mastercard World Legend card, the Strata Elite contains stable procuring and journey protections, akin to prolonged guarantee, buy safety and journey delay reimbursement. These advantages add peace of thoughts, however they don’t seem to be industry-leading.
If complete protections are a precedence, competing premium playing cards from Amex and Chase supply broader protection and better reimbursement limits. Nonetheless, the Strata Elite’s protections are a helpful security internet that helps justify the cardboard’s premium positioning.
Backside line
Because of its welcome bonus and assertion credit, the Strata Elite delivers glorious first-year worth. Nevertheless, its long-term enchantment is determined by how effectively its perks match your spending and journey habits.
For those who commonly e-book flights and motels by way of Citi Journey, dine out (or in) on weekend evenings and may absolutely leverage the lodge credit score and at the very least among the Blacklane and Splurge credit, this card might be price preserving past the primary yr.
In any other case, the Citi Strata Premier gives a decrease $95 annual price, a robust incomes construction and entry to the identical priceless switch companions, making it the extra sensible long-term selection for a lot of.
Finally, the Strata Elite is just not a “set-it-and-forget it” card. Run the numbers, think about your individual journey patterns and be sure to’re comfy with the $595 price ticket earlier than making use of.
To study extra, learn our full evaluate of the Citi Strata Elite.
Apply right here: Citi Strata Elite Card
