Citi recently launched the Strata Premier, a travel rewards card that lets you earn up to 10X points on travel purchases. 

This card has a $95 annual fee and replaces the legacy Citi Premier card. While most of the Strata card’s features are identical to those of the legacy card, there are a few new benefits, like travel insurance. 

So, is this new Citi card worth adding to your wallet? Let’s review the card’s features and perks to see how it stands up to the competition. 

Who Should Get the Citi Strata Premier Card? 

If you are a frequent traveler looking for a great sign-up bonus, the Strata Premier might be just the ticket. This card has solid point-earning potential, with a huge 10X rate on all travel purchases made through CitiTravel.com. Plus, you earn 3X points on all other travel purchases and a wide range of non-travel purchases like groceries, gas, and dining out. 

The points you earn with the Strata Premier card can be redeemed for travel, statement credit, or transfer to one of 18 airline and hotel loyalty programs. The card also comes with a travel protection program that includes car rental insurance and a lost luggage policy. 

What are the Benefits of the Strata Premier Card?

The Citi Strata Premier card was designed to be traveler-friendly. Most of the card’s features are geared toward travelers, but there is a wide range of additional perks, like free credit scores, a pay-as-you-go program, and more. Here is a complete list of the benefits offered to Strata Premier cardholders. 

• 75,000 point welcome bonus
• Up to 10X point-earning rate
• $100 Annual hotel credit (on purchase of $500 or more)
• No foreign transaction fees
• Travel protection program covering trip delay, trip cancellation, lost/damaged luggage, and rental cars
• No-fee point transfer to airline and hotel loyalty programs 
• Points never expire
• Share up to 100,000 points a year
• Shop with points – spend points directly with major retailers like PayPal, Amazon, CVS, etc.
• Free authorized user
• Exclusive offers through Citi Entertainment
• Free FICO credit score
• Access to Citi Flex Pay program – pay purchases off over time
• World Elite Mastercard benefits

Now, let’s take a more detailed look at some of the unique features of the Strata Premier card.

Sign-Up Bonus

Currently, Citi is offering new cardholders a 75,000-point bonus when they spend $4,000 within the first three months. This bonus is worth at least $750, possibly more, when transferring points to an airline or hotel partner.

This welcome offer is only available to new applicants. Previous Citi Premier card holders who were converted to Strata Premier are not eligible, and neither are those who previously received a Premier or Strata Premier bonus within the last 48 months. 

Travel Insurance & Protection

One of the most disappointing changes Citi made to the old Premier card was removing the travel insurance. But with the launch of the Strata Premier, these benefits are back. The new travel protection program includes

• Trip cancellation/interruption insurance—up to $5,000 per trip, with a maximum payout of $10,000/year.
• Trip delay insurance—up to $500 for each trip. Requires a 6+ hour delay, and claims are limited to 2/year.
• Lost/damaged luggage insurance—up to $3,000 per trip. Limited to 2 claims a year.
• Car rental insurance is a secondary insurance policy reimburses you for your deductible and related expenses.

Anniversary Bonus – $100 Hotel Credit

Citi awards Strata Premier cardholders a $100 hotel credit each year as a special anniversary gift. When booking a hotel stay, this credit can be redeemed instantly on the CitiTravel.com website.

The one significant downside to this gift is that it only applies to hotel bookings of $500 or more before taxes/fees are added. 

New Point Earning Categories

With the switch from Premier to Strata Premier, there were two critical changes to point-earning categories. The first was the permanent addition of 10X points earned on purchases through CitiTravel.com. 

It’s worth noting that the 10X rate only applies to hotels, car rentals, and attractions. Package deals, flights, and cruises do not qualify. 

In addition to the permanent addition of the 10X rate, a new category was added to the 3X rate: EV charging. You can now earn 3X points at EV charging stations, so long as they are classified appropriately (gas or EV charging stations).

Earning Points with the Strata Premier Card

When using the Strata Premier card, you earn rewards in the form of Citi ThankYou points. The earnings rates are as follows.

• 10X points on travel booked through CitiTravel.com (hotel, car rental, and attractions)
• 3X points on/at
  • Air travel
  • Hotel purchases
  • Travel agencies
  • Restaurants (including cafes & fast food)
  • Grocery stores
  • Gas stations
  • EV charging
  • Bars
  • Lounges
• 1X points on all other purchases

There are no limitations on the number of points you can earn, and your ThankYou points never expire.

Redeeming Points Earned With Strata Premier

You can redeem your Citi ThankYou points directly by booking travel through CitiTravel.com if you don’t have enough points to book your trip, no worries. You can split your purchase between points and cash. 

You can also transfer your points to one of 18 different airline and hotel loyalty programs. And the best part is the majority of the redemption rates are 1:1. Depending on the partner you transfer to, this could give you a much higher value for your points. Below are the redemption rates for each partner.

Loyalty Program	Redemption Rate
AeroMexico Rewards	1:1
Avianca LifeMiles	1:1
Cathay Specific	1:1
Emirates Skywards	1:1
Etihad Guest	1:1
Eva Air	1:1
Flying Blue	1:1
JetBlue TrueBlue	1:1
Qantas Frequent Flyer	1:1
Qatar Privilege Club	1:1
Singapore Airlines	1:1
Thai Royal Orchid Plus	1:1
Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles	1:1
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club	1:1
All – Alcor Live Limitless	2:1
Choice Privileges	1:2
Leaders Club	5:1
Wyndham Rewards	1:1

Citi offers a variety of other options for putting your points to use. Shop with your points or redeem them to cover purchases you’ve already made. You can also redeem your points for gift cards, statement credit, or cashback. Want to pay it forward? You can gift your points to friends, family members, or charitable organizations.

Pairings/Alternatives to the Citi Strata Premier 

While the Citi Stata Premier card is a great standalone travel rewards card, there may be better options that fit your unique spending habits. Let’s take a look at some alternative ideas. 

Pair Strata Premier With Other Citi Cards

Does a lot of your spending fall under Strata’s 1X other purchases category? If so, you might consider pairing the card with the Citi Custom Cash, which gives you 5X points in your highest spend category, or the Double Cash, which provides you with 2X points on all purchases. 

This pairing lets you continue to earn high rates on your travel purchases and get better rewards for your “other purchases” spending. Just be aware that ThankYou points earned through Custom Cash and Double Cash might be worth less than points earned through Strata Premier. 

Other Travel Rewards Credit Cards

Are you looking for premium travel rewards or want different travel card features? Here’s a quick look at how the Citi Strata Premier Card stacks up to other popular travel credit cards. 

	Citi Strata Premier	Capital One Venture X	Chase Sapphire Preferred	Discover IT Miles
Annual fee	$95	$395	$95	$0
APR	21.24% – 29.24%	19.99% – 29.99%	21.49% – 28.49%	17.24% – 28.24%
Point earning	1X – 10X	2X – 10X	1X – 5X	1.5X
Sign-up bonus	75,000 points	75,000 miles	75,000 points	0% APR for 15 months
Anniversary Reward	$100 hotel credit	10,000 miles and $300 travel credit	10% of points spent, up to $50 statement credit	N/A
Other benefits		$100 TSA precheck credit, airport lounge access, and priority pass membership	Extra rewards for using Lyft, DoorDash, Instacart, etc.	2X miles first year
Learn more		Read our review	Read our review

Another option to consider is a co-branded credit card. If you frequently travel a specific airline or limit hotel stays to one chain, applying for that brand/program’s credit card may be the best fit.

Final Thoughts

Citi's new Strata Premier card is a solid travel rewards card. It offers high reward rates on travel spending and works well with various hotel and airline rewards programs. 

This card is undoubtedly better than the legacy Premier card, mostly thanks to the new travel protection program, which seems to come standard with most other travel cards on the market. Citi made a smart move when they added this and other features/upgrades to the new Strata Premier card. 

Still not sure if the Strata Premier card is the right choice for you? Check out our article about the 12 Best Travel Cards to explore other great options.