The Citi Strata Elite℠ Card (see charges and charges) is Citi’s latest premium journey rewards card.
Launched in late July, it comes with a $595 annual charge, which places it in the midst of its premium card rivals.
With a powerful welcome bonus, helpful incomes potential and a set of assertion credit and lounge perks, the cardboard can ship stable worth. However after the primary 12 months of getting it, you may have to 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 is best to apply for (and hold) the Citi Strata Elite.
Welcome supply
New cardholders can get optimistic worth out of the Strata Elite if they’re accredited and meet the minimal spending requirement.
For a restricted time, new candidates can earn 100,000 bonus factors after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
These 100,000 factors are price $1,900 per TPG’s October 2025 valuations‚ greater than thrice the $595 annual charge.
Associated: Are you eligible for the Citi Strata Elite’s 100,000-point welcome bonus?
Nonetheless, if you wish to earn Citi ThankYou Rewards factors at a decrease price, the Citi Strata Premier® Card (see charges and charges) is a more sensible choice. For a $95 annual charge, it presents 60,000 bonus factors after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening — 60% 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 greatest suited to those that are comfortable to e-book journey by way of a portal and dine out on weekend evenings.
You may earn 12 factors per greenback spent on inns, automobile leases and sights booked by way of cititravel.com (a 22.8% return per TPG’s October 2025 valuations); flights earn 6 factors per greenback by way of cititravel.com (11.4%).
Nonetheless, reserving by way of a portal has its downsides, together with:
This card has a novel eating bonus class.
On Friday and Saturday evenings (between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. Jap time), you may earn 6 factors per greenback spent at eating places, together with on supply. Outdoors of these occasions, you may 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 greatest for many who exit (or order in) for dinner on weekend evenings. Nonetheless, the fastened Jap time window could be awkward when touring internationally, particularly in Asia and Europe.
In contrast, the Strata Premier presents an easier construction, incomes 3 factors per greenback spent on:
- Electrical car charging and gasoline station purchases
- Flights
- Resort stays
- Restaurant purchases
- Grocery store purchases
Associated: Citi Strata Premier vs. Strata Elite: Is the additional $500 annual charge price it?
Assertion credit
Having mentioned that, this card has a decrease annual charge 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, fairly than month-to-month, making them simpler to maintain observe of.
The Strata Elite’s $595 annual charge could be decreased considerably if you happen to maximize its assertion credit:
Maxing out the Strata Elite’s $300 resort credit score instantly drops your efficient charge to $295. Add half the worth of the $200 Splurge credit score, one $100 Blacklane credit score and the $30 annualized International Entry credit score, and your efficient charge falls to only $65.
Whereas not everybody will extract this full worth, even partial credit score utilization can carry the cardboard’s actual price nicely beneath its $595 sticker value.
Lounge entry
The Strata Elite features a complimentary Precedence Go Choose membership, granting you and two visitors entry to greater than 1,700 lounges worldwide. It additionally presents 4 American Airways Admirals Membership passes per 12 months, every legitimate for twenty-four hours, which means one go can cowl a number of lounge visits on a single itinerary.
Whereas Admirals Membership day passes usually price $79 every, I might personally worth them nearer to $35 per go to. In the event you take two home journeys and one worldwide journey annually, you would simply get round $140 in worth from these advantages alone.
You can too get 4 Admirals Membership day passes with the brand new Citi® / AAdvantage® Globe™ Mastercard® (see charges and charges) for a decrease $350 annual charge.
For frequent American Airways flyers who need limitless Admirals Membership entry, the Citi® / AAdvantage® Govt World Elite Mastercard® (see charges and charges) is the higher choice. However for infrequent vacationers, these included passes add significant worth to the Strata Elite’s annual charge.
Associated: 3 explanation 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 one among solely three Citi playing cards — the others being the Strata Premier and the Citi Status® Card — that provides entry to Citi’s 5 resort and 15 airline switch companions (together with American Airways AAdvantage) on the most favorable switch charges.
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 offered by the cardboard issuer. This card is just not accessible 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 charges). And you should utilize even fewer factors when profiting from a switch bonus.
If you would like entry to the total suite of switch companions at one of the best charges — however wish to pay a decrease annual charge — then the Strata Premier is, once more, my advice.
Associated: 10 of one of the best methods to redeem 100,000 Citi ThankYou Rewards factors
Buying and journey protections
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 web that helps justify the cardboard’s premium positioning.
Backside line
Due to its welcome bonus and assertion credit, the Strata Elite delivers wonderful first-year worth. Nonetheless, its long-term enchantment relies on how nicely its perks match your spending and journey habits.
In the event you commonly e-book flights and inns by way of Citi Journey, dine out (or in) on weekend evenings and may absolutely leverage the resort credit score and at the very least a few of the Blacklane and Splurge credit, this card could be price holding past the primary 12 months.
In any other case, the Strata Premier presents a decrease $95 annual charge, a powerful incomes construction and entry to the identical helpful switch companions, making it the extra sensible long-term alternative for a lot of.
Finally, the Strata Elite is just not a “set-it-and-forget it” card. Run the numbers, think about your personal journey patterns and be sure to’re snug with the $595 price ticket earlier than making use of.
To study extra, learn our full assessment of the Citi Strata Elite.
Apply right here: Citi Strata Elite Card
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