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When comparing mid-tier travel rewards cards, the Citi Strata Premier® Card (Rates & Fees) 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.
- 10X on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked through CitiTravel.com
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Restaurants
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Supermarkets
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Gas and EV Charging Stations
- 1X – Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on All Other Purchases
- 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
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 (Rates & Fees) | 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 (redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com) | 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, hotels, cars, or attractions 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 22 airline and hotel partners |
| Key Benefits | • Hotel credit : $100 annual credit on eligible hotel reservations of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) made through CitiTravel.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 (or previous versions of the card) in the past 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 Capital One Venture currently offers a bonus 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 Capital One miles when redeeming at a fixed value for travel purchases — or potentially much more if you transfer them to Capital One's transfer partners. In fact, AwardWallet users typically redeem Capital One miles at 2.04¢ apiece that way.
- 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
The Citi Strata Premier is offering 60,000 points for new applicants after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening (redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com). Consider that AwardWallet users typically redeem Citi points at 1.59¢ each.
- Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com.
- Earn 10 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on CitiTravel.com.
- Earn 3 Points per $1 on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases, at Restaurants, Supermarkets, Gas and EV Charging Stations.
- Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
- $100 Annual Hotel Benefit: Once per calendar year, enjoy $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when booked through CitiTravel.com. Benefit applied instantly at time of booking.
- No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases.
- 10X on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked through CitiTravel.com
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Restaurants
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Supermarkets
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Gas and EV Charging Stations
- 1X – Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on All Other Purchases
So while the Capital One Venture offers a larger points bonus, the overall value depends on how you redeem your points. If you're someone who values hard-to-earn American Airlines miles, the Citi Strata Premier‘s is going to be much more useful. If you prefer the simplicity of a bigger bonus and flexible redemptions without overthinking it, the Capital One Venture may be a better fit.
Citi Strata Premier vs. Capital One Venture Bonus Categories and Earning Potential
One area where these cards differ dramatically is how you earn rewards.
The Citi Strata Premier offers higher earning rates, but only in select categories. Cardholders earn 10X points per $1 on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com; 3X points per $1 spent on air travel and other hotel purchases; and 3X points at gas stations, EV charging stations, restaurants, and supermarkets. This makes the card an excellent option to pair with other Citi cards as part of a multi-card portfolio to maximize your earnings.
However, if you prefer simplicity, the Capital One Venture is the ultimate rewards card. Earn a flat 2X miles on nearly all purchases (or 5X on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel). That means 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.
Citi Strata Premier vs. Capital One Venture Key Benefits and Highlights
Both cards are mid-tier rewards cards with modest annual fees, so 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.
Capital One Venture cardholders receive a TSA PreCheck or Global Entry statement credit of up to $120 available every four years, Hertz Five Star status, and auto rental insurance (secondary coverage for rentals in the U.S. and primary coverage for rentals outside the U.S.).
Citi Strata Premier cardholders get a $100 annual hotel savings benefit (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 also 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 be eligible for the Citi Strata Premier‘s welcome bonus, you'll need to pay close attention to the terms on the application page:
“Bonus ThankYou® Points are not available if you received a new account bonus for a Citi Premier℠ Card or Citi Strata Premier® Card account in the past 48 months or if you converted another Citi credit card account on which you earned a new account bonus in the last 48 months into a Citi Premier or Citi Strata Premier account.”
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, and the ability to transfer to American Airlines, 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.
- 10X on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked through CitiTravel.com
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Restaurants
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Supermarkets
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Gas and EV Charging Stations
- 1X – Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on All Other Purchases
- 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
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Citi Strata Premier® Card (Rates & Fees)
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