Citi Strata Elite℠ Card: Welcome Bonus, Annual Fee, Lounge Access & More
The Citi Strata Elite℠ Card is a premium travel rewards card with a $595 annual fee, a 75,000-point welcome bonus, elevated rewards on Citi Travel® purchases, CitiNights℠ restaurant rewards, and Priority Pass™ Select lounge access. The card also has no foreign transaction fees and offers benefits such as up to a $300 annual hotel benefit when eligible stays are booked through cititravel.com.
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Citi Strata Elite℠ Card at a Glance
- Annual Fee: $595
- Credit Recommended: Excellent
- Welcome Bonus: Earn 75,000 bonus Points after spending $6,000 in the first 3 months of account opening
- Hotels, Car Rentals & Attractions: Earn 12 Points per $1 when booked through cititravel.com
- Air Travel: Earn 6 Points per $1 when booked through cititravel.com
- CitiNights℠ Restaurant Rewards: Earn 6 Points per $1 at restaurants, including restaurant delivery services, on eligible CitiNights℠ purchases every Friday and Saturday from 6 PM to 6 AM ET
- Other Restaurant Purchases: Earn 3 Points per $1 at other times
- All Other Purchases: Earn 1.5 Points per $1
- Annual Hotel Benefit: Up to $300 off a hotel stay of two nights or more when booked through cititravel.com each calendar year
- Foreign Transaction Fees: None
- Regular APR: 20.74% - 28.74% (Variable)
Citi Strata Elite℠ Card Welcome Bonus
The Citi Strata Elite℠ Card offers 75,000 bonus Points after spending $6,000 in the first 3 months of account opening. This is one of the card's major introductory benefits, although you should consider whether you can comfortably meet the spending requirement before applying.
For a closer look at the current offer and its spending requirement, see our guide to the Citi Strata Elite℠ welcome bonus.
How Much Is the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card Annual Fee?
The Citi Strata Elite℠ Card has a $595 annual fee. Because this is a premium travel rewards card, the value of the benefits is an important consideration when deciding whether the annual fee makes sense for you.
We take a closer look at the cost of the card and whether the benefits can justify it in our guide to the Citi Strata Elite℠ annual fee.
Can the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card Annual Fee Be Waived?
The Citi Strata Elite℠ Card has a $595 annual fee, and whether an annual fee can be waived is a separate question from whether the card's benefits make the fee worthwhile. If you are considering the card but are concerned about paying the annual fee, see our dedicated guide explaining whether Citi may waive the fee.
Read Does Citi Strata Elite℠ Waive the Annual Fee? for more information.
Citi Strata Elite℠ Card Priority Pass and Lounge Access
The Citi Strata Elite℠ Card includes Priority Pass™ Select membership, making airport lounge access one of its major travel benefits. The card also provides four Admirals Club® passes per calendar year, giving cardmembers another way to access airport lounges when eligible.
For a detailed explanation of the benefit and how the lounge access works, see our guide to Citi Strata Elite℠ Priority Pass™ lounge access.
Citi Strata Elite℠ Card Rewards and Travel Benefits
The Citi Strata Elite℠ Card is designed primarily around travel and rewards. Cardmembers can earn 12 Points per $1 on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through cititravel.com and 6 Points per $1 on air travel booked through the same service.
The card also offers elevated restaurant rewards through CitiNights℠. Eligible CitiNights℠ purchases at restaurants, including restaurant delivery services, earn 6 Points per $1 every Friday and Saturday from 6 PM to 6 AM ET, while restaurant purchases at other times earn 3 Points per $1.
All other purchases earn 1.5 Points per $1, providing a higher base earning rate than a standard 1-point-per-dollar rewards structure.
Want to estimate how many points you could earn based on your own spending? Use our Citi Strata Elite Card Rewards Calculator to estimate your potential rewards.
What Is the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card Hotel Benefit?
The Citi Strata Elite℠ Card provides up to $300 off a hotel stay of two nights or more each calendar year when the stay is booked through cititravel.com. This annual hotel benefit is one of the features to consider when determining how much value you may receive from the card.
Combined with the card's travel rewards, lounge access, and lack of foreign transaction fees, the hotel benefit is particularly relevant for cardmembers who expect to use the card for travel.
Is the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card Right for You?
The Citi Strata Elite℠ Card is most likely to make sense for someone who can use its premium travel benefits enough to justify the $595 annual fee. The card combines a 75,000-point welcome bonus, elevated Citi Travel® rewards, CitiNights℠ restaurant rewards, a $300 annual hotel benefit, Priority Pass™ Select membership, Admirals Club® passes, and no foreign transaction fees.
However, the $595 annual fee means the card is not simply a no-cost way to earn rewards. Before applying, consider how frequently you travel and whether you are likely to use the benefits that come with the card.
➤ Click Here to Prequalify for the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card
If you want to understand how Citi's current soft-pull process works before submitting a formal application, see our guide to Citi Strata Elite℠ Card pre-approval and prequalification.
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