Citi Strata Elite
75,000 points welcome · 12x on hotels & car rentals (via portal) · $595/yr
The Citi Strata Elite earns at an unusually high clip on travel booked through Citi Travel: 12x on hotels, car rentals, and attractions and 6x on flights, plus 3x on dining (6x during Citi Nights, Friday and Saturday 6PM to 6AM ET) and a solid 1.5x on everything else. The 75,000-point bonus after $6,000 in spend over 3 months and unlimited Priority Pass access add to the appeal, and it ranks #4 on our list of the best travel cards. The real catch is the $595 annual fee, which you only offset by actually using the credits: up to $300 on a single 2+ night hotel stay through cititravel.com, $200 at your choice of up to two brands such as American Airlines or Best Buy, and $200 in Blacklane chauffeur rides split into two $100 halves. Four Admirals Club passes a year and a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit round out the package. If you would not naturally book through Citi's portal or use those specific credits, the math gets hard to justify, so be honest about your habits before applying.
Earn rates & credits
| Category | Rate |
|---|---|
Hotels & Car Rentals (via Portal) On hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through Citi Travel | 12x |
Flights (via Portal) On air travel booked through Citi Travel | 6x |
Dining 6x on Citi Nights (Fri-Sat 6PM-6AM ET) | 3x |
Everything Else | 1.5x |
| Benefit | Value |
|---|---|
Annual Hotel Credit Up to $300 off a single hotel stay of 2 or more nights booked through cititravel.com, once per calendar year | $300 /yr |
Global Entry / TSA PreCheck Credit Up to $120 statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee | $120 every 4 yr |
Annual Splurge Credit Up to $200 annual statement credit on your choice of up to 2 of these 5 brands: 1stDibs, American Airlines, Best Buy, Future Personal Training, and Live Nation. | $200 /yr |
Annual Blacklane Credit Up to $200 annual statement credit when booking with Blacklane premium chauffeur service ($100 Jan-Jun, $100 Jul-Dec). | $200 /yr |
| Total annual credits | $730 |
Card details
Regular APR | 20.49%–28.49% variable |
Foreign transaction fee | None |
Approval odds
Product changes
Where cardholders came from before landing on this card, and what they moved it to afterwards. Thicker flows carry a larger share of the changes in that direction.
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Citi Strata EliteCiti Strata EliteBased on 3 reported product changes. Percentages are shares of each direction, not of all cardholders, and a small sample can swing a long way.