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When comparing top travel rewards cards, the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card and Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card score close to the top of the list for many points and miles fans.
Both cards currently feature great signup bonuses, earn a ton of rewards, charge affordable annual fees under $100, and provide cardholders with high-value options to redeem rewards for travel.
These cards tick a lot of boxes, but which one offers more value to cardholders? Let's dig into the details and determine which card fits your wallet best.
Page Contents
- Citi Strata Premier vs. Capital One Venture at a Glance
- 60,000 Citi ThankYou® Points vs. 75,000 Capital One Miles
- Citi Strata Premier vs. Capital One Venture Bonus Categories and Earning Potential
- Citi Strata Premier vs. Capital One Venture Key Benefits and Highlights
- Who Is Eligible for the Welcome Bonus on the Citi Strata Premier and Capital One Venture?
- Final Thoughts
Citi Strata Premier vs. Capital One Venture at a Glance
| Card Details | Citi Strata Premier℠ Card | Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome Bonus | Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening | 75,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening. |
| Bonus Categories | • 10X points on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com • 3X points on air travel, other hotels, and at gas and EV charging stations • 3X points on dining at restaurants, including cafes, bars, and lounges • 3X at supermarkets • 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases | • 2X Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day • 5X Miles on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
| Value of Points | • 1¢ per point for airfare through Citi Travel • Transfer points to 21 airline and hotel partners | • 1¢ per point for almost any travel purchase redeemed as a statement credit • Transfer points to 19 airline and hotel partners |
| Key Benefits | • Hotel credit : $100 annual credit eligible on hotel reservations of $500 or more made through ThankYou.com. • World Elite Mastercard benefits • Free FICO score access | • Up to $120 TSA PreCheck and Global Entry credit every 4 years • Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver (secondary for rentals in the U.S., primary coverage for rentals outside the U.S.) • Two complimentary visits to Capital One Lounges or Plaza Premium Lounges each year (ending in 2025) |
| Eligibility | Won't be approved if you: • Have opened or closed a Citi Strata Premier℠ Card in the previous 48 months | Won't be approved if you: • Currently hold 2 Capital One branded personal cards • Have been approved for a Capital One credit card in the previous 6 months |
| Annual Fee | $95 | $95 |
60,000 Citi ThankYou® Points vs. 75,000 Capital One Miles
The Citi Strata Premier is offering 60,000 points for new account holders after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.
- 3X points per $1 on airfare and hotels and at gas stations, restaurants, and supermarkets
- Annual Hotel Benefit: Save $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when you book through CitiTravel.com
- No foreign transaction fees
- $95 annual fee
- 10X points per $1 on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com
- 3X points per $1 spent on airfare, and other hotel purchases
- 3X points per $1 spent at gas and EV charging stations
- 3X points per $1 spent on dining at restaurants, including cafes, bars and lounges
- 3X points per $1 spent at supermarkets
- 1X points per $1 spent on all other purchases
The Capital One Venture is providing an excellent offer of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. You can get at least $750 value from those Venture miles when redeeming at a fixed value for travel purchases — or potentially much more if you transfer miles to Capital One transfer partners.
- Earn 75,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
- 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 2X miles on all other purchase
- Fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✔® (up to $120)
- No foreign transaction fees
- $95 annual fee
- 5X miles per dollar on purchases through Capital One Entertainment (through 12/31/2025)
- 5X miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 2X miles per dollar on all other purchases
While the numbers may look the same in these welcome bonuses, the difference lies beneath the surface. Consider that AwardWallet users typically redeem Capital One miles at 2.01¢ apiece but redeem Citi points at 2.19¢ each. That makes the Capital One welcome bonus more valuable.
Citi Strata Premier vs. Capital One Venture Bonus Categories and Earning Potential
One area where these cards are miles apart is how you earn rewards. The Citi Strata Premier is an excellent option if you are willing to build a multi-card portfolio to maximize your returns. As a standalone card, you earn 10X points per $1 on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com; 3X points per $1 spent on airfare and other hotels; and 3X points at gas stations, EV charging stations, restaurants, and supermarkets. When combined with the Citi Double Cash® Card — and potentially a Citi Custom Cash® Card or Citi Rewards+® Card — these cards form one of the most formidable rewards-earning combos available right now.
However, if you prefer simplicity, the Capital One Venture is the ultimate set-and-forget rewards card. Earning a flat 2X miles on nearly all purchases (or 5X on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel), you can swipe the Capital One Venture without needing to plan which card you pull out at each store you visit. Plus, miles are easy to redeem at a fixed value for almost any travel purchase.
Related: Why You Should Never Redeem Capital One Miles Through Capital One Travel
Citi Strata Premier vs. Capital One Venture Key Benefits and Highlights
Given that these cards are both mid-tier rewards cards with sub-$100 annual fees, neither card features the big-ticket perks and benefits we see on ultra-premium travel cards. However, there are a couple of perks worth noting for both cards.
The Capital One Venture receives two complimentary visits to Capital One Lounges or Plaza Premium Lounges each year, a TSA PreCheck or Global Entry statement credit of up to $120 available every four years, and auto rental insurance (secondary coverage for rentals in the U.S. and primary coverage for rentals outside the U.S.). However, note that lounge access passes will go away in 2025.
Citi Strata Premier cardholders get a $100 annual hotel credit (valid on hotel reservations of $500 or more made through ThankYou.com), plus some nice perks like free access to your FICO® score and a stack of valuable World Elite Mastercard benefits. Also, the Citi Strata Premier now offers travel protections, including:
- Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
- Trip delay protection
- Lost or damaged luggage protection
- Rental car protection
Who Is Eligible for the Welcome Bonus on the Citi Strata Premier and Capital One Venture?
To qualify for the Citi Strata Premier 60,000-point bonus, you can't have earned a new account bonus on this card the previous 48 months:
“Bonus ThankYou® Points are not available if you have received a new account bonus for a Citi Premier® account in the past 48 months.”
Capital One only allows you to hold two personal Capital One credit cards at a time, plus you can only open one Capital One card every six months. Additionally, you cannot hold more than five Capital One cards total (including business and personal). Provided you meet those conditions, you should be eligible to apply for the Capital One Venture bonus if you have not received one in the last 48 months.
“Existing or previous cardmembers are not eligible for this product if they have received a new cardmember bonus for this product in the past 48 months.”
Related: Understanding Rewards Credit Card Application Rules and Restrictions
Final Thoughts
When you factor in the 60,000-point welcome bonus, we think the Citi Strata Premier should be on the radar of anyone who qualifies for the bonus. The card is a staple for ThankYou Rewards fans and one of the best rewards card packages available today, thanks to quality 3X earning categories.
If you are chasing the most straightforward rewards strategy, from both an earning and redeeming perspective, it's hard to look past the Capital One Venture. You still have the option of transferring to high-value transfer partners, but the ability to redeem miles at a fixed value on almost any travel purchase makes this card a solid option for anyone chasing a simplified rewards strategy.
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