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The Citi Strata℠ Card (Rates & Fees) (previously known as the Citi Rewards+® Card) offers popular spending categories that help consumers earn more Citi ThankYou® Points for their travels.
Because it doesn't offer travel insurance benefits and it charges a 3% foreign transaction fee, it's not the ideal card for international trips. However, you might find its benefits still make it a good fit for your wallet for spending within the U.S. — especially when paired with other Citi cards.
Here's everything you need to know about the Citi Strata Card.
- For a limited time, earn 30,000 bonus Points after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months of account opening.
- 0% Intro APR on balance transfers and purchases for 15 months; after that, the variable APR will be 18.99% - 28.99%, based on your creditworthiness. There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).
- Earn 3 ThankYou® Points for each $1 spent in an eligible Self-Select Category of your choice (Fitness Clubs, Select Streaming Services, Live Entertainment, Cosmetic Stores/Barber Shops/Hair Salons, or Pet Supply Stores). Choose your eligible Self-Select Category on Citi Online or by calling customer service. The default Self-Select Category is Select Streaming Services.
- Earn 5 ThankYou® Points for each $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals and Attractions booked on Citi Travel® via cititravel.com; earn 3 ThankYou Points for each $1 spent at Supermarkets, on Select Transit purchases, and at Gas & EV Charging Stations.
- Earn 2 ThankYou® Points for each $1 spent at Restaurants; earn 1 ThankYou® Point for each $1 spent on All Other Purchases.
- No Annual Fee
- 5X – Earn 5 ThankYou® Points for each $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals and Attractions booked on Citi Travel℠ via cititravel.com
- 3X – Earn 3 ThankYou® Points for each $1 spent in an eligible Self-Select Category of your choice (Fitness Clubs, Select Streaming Services, Live Entertainment, Cosmetic Stores/Barber Shops/Hair Salons, or Pet Supply Stores). Choose your eligible Self-Select Category on Citi Online or by calling customer service. The default Self-Select Category is Select Streaming Services.
- 3X – Earn 3 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent at Supermarkets
- 3X – Earn 3 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on Select Transit purchases
- 3X – Earn 3 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent at Gas and EV Charging Stations
- 2X – Earn 2 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent at Restaurants
- 1X – Earn 1 ThankYou® Point per $1 spent on All Other Purchases
Page Contents
Citi Strata Card Pros
- Offers a solid welcome bonus for a no-annual-fee card.
- $0 annual fee.
- Earns 3x ThankYou Points per dollar on multiple categories, including one eligible category of your choice.
Citi Strata Card Cons
- No insurance protections.
- Lower transfer partner rates unless you hold another Citi ThankYou Point-earning credit card with an annual fee.
- 3% foreign transaction fee.
Citi Strata Card Welcome Offer
If you apply for the Citi Strata Card, you can earn 30,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months of account opening.
It's worth mentioning that AwardWallet users get an average of 2.2¢ per point when redeeming Citi points, meaning you'll receive a great return on the minimum spending required to earn the welcome bonus.
Related: How Does a Credit Card Sign-Up Bonus Work?
Citi Strata Card Earning Rates
The Citi Strata Card has a wide variety of earning categories that cover many everyday expenses. As you spend on the card, you will earn:
- 5X – Earn 5 ThankYou® Points for each $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals and Attractions booked on Citi Travel℠ via cititravel.com
- 3X – Earn 3 ThankYou® Points for each $1 spent in an eligible Self-Select Category of your choice (Fitness Clubs, Select Streaming Services, Live Entertainment, Cosmetic Stores/Barber Shops/Hair Salons, or Pet Supply Stores). Choose your eligible Self-Select Category on Citi Online or by calling customer service. The default Self-Select Category is Select Streaming Services.
- 3X – Earn 3 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent at Supermarkets
- 3X – Earn 3 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on Select Transit purchases
- 3X – Earn 3 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent at Gas and EV Charging Stations
- 2X – Earn 2 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent at Restaurants
- 1X – Earn 1 ThankYou® Point per $1 spent on All Other Purchases
Related: How to Earn Citi ThankYou® Points
Changing your Self-Select category
This card features a unique Self-Select category option, allowing you to earn 3X points back at an eligible category of your choice from a solid list of options. However, you can easily change your category by logging on to your Citi account and navigating to your “Card Benefits” section.
Do Citi ThankYou Points expire?
Points earned on newer Citi Cards generally don't expire, but pay attention to the ways you could lose your points. If you close your Citi card, you have 60 days to redeem your points. Additionally, you have 90 days to use points transferred to you from someone else. And, of course, if Citi has to close your account due to fraud, misuse, or abuse, you'll lose your points.
Citi Strata Card Benefits
The Citi Strata Card has a few valuable benefits to keep in mind when considering this card as part of your points-earning strategy. While the perks don't include trip cancellation insurance or rental car insurance (as Citi removed these benefits in 2019), they do include ways to help you earn more points and save money.
Introductory APR
When you're approved for the Citi Strata Card, you can take advantage of a 0% introductory APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers. After the introductory period, the Variable APR for unpaid promotional balances, new purchases, and new balance transfers is 18.99% - 28.99%, based on your creditworthiness.
There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening; after a 5% fee ($5 minimum) applies.
Related: Best $0 Annual Fee Credit Cards with 0% Introductory APR
No annual fee
Luckily, this card doesn't charge an annual fee, which makes it an excellent choice for budget-conscious people.
Redeeming Points With the Citi Strata Card
The Citi Strata Card earns Citi ThankYou Points, which can be redeemed in various ways, making them highly valuable.
Transfer partners
Although it may require a bit more work compared to other redemption options, transferring your ThankYou points to Citi's transfer partners provides the most value. Transferring points means sending your points to the loyalty program of your choice and redeeming them for flights or hotel stays. Citi has 21 total transfer partners, including five hotel partners and 15 airline programs.
Notable partners include American Airlines, Choice Privileges, Wyndham Rewards, JetBlue TrueBlue, and Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles. Transferring to travel partners remains one of the best ways to use Citi ThankYou points.
Related: Citi ThankYou Point North America Sweet Spots
One caveat to remember is that points transfer at a lower rate unless you also hold one of Citi's premium credit cards: the Citi Strata Premier® Card (Rates & Fees), the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card (Rates & Fees), or Citi Prestige® Card (no longer open to new applicants).
If you only have the Citi Strata Card, most points transfer at a 10:7 rate, with a few exceptions. This is lower than the standard 1:1 rate typically offered with most transfers from one of the premium cards listed above.
Related: 5X on Top Category, 3X on Travel and Food, 2X on Everything Else: The Citi ThankYou Rewards Trifecta
Gift cards
Citi offers a wide range of retailers where you can redeem points for gift cards — and sometimes for a discount. Choose from retailers like Sephora, Starbucks, IKEA, Nike, and dozens of other options. Keep your eye out for sales where the site offers gift cards for discounted points. Gift cards are not the worst redemption, either: Your points can be worth as much as 1.1¢ each here.
Booking travel through Citi TravelSM
If you don't want to fuss with transferring your rewards, you can quickly book travel within Citi's travel portal. Not only can you book flights, but you can also book hotels, bed and breakfasts, hostels, apartments, and activities.
Keep in mind that the redemption value may not be as high, as points are worth a flat 1¢ apiece in the portal. But you can use the portal for unique redemptions like theme park tickets, boutique hotels, rental cars, and more.
Make sure to compare prices to booking outside the portal if you're concerned with getting the best deal available.
Redeem for cash
You have several options for redeeming ThankYou Points for cash — a statement credit, direct deposit, or a check in the mail. All three options are redeemed at a 1¢ per point value, meaning every 10,000 points is worth $100.
Shop with points
You likely shop online with large retailers like Amazon or Best Buy. When you shop with select retailers, you can use your ThankYou Points towards your purchases to knock down the cost. While it's convenient, it tends to provide poor value — as low as 0.5¢ per point. But as a last resort for random Citi points you have lying around, this might be your best bet.
Application Restrictions and Strategy
You'll see the following notice on the Citi Strata Card card's application page:
“Bonus ThankYou® Points are not available if you received a new account bonus for Citi Strata℠, Citi Strata Student, Citi Rewards+® or Citi Rewards+ Student 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 Strata℠, Citi Strata Student, Citi Rewards+® or Citi Rewards+ Student account.”
That means if you earned a welcome bonus on the Citi Strata Card (or any other version of the card) in the past 48 months, you aren't eligible for this bonus. In addition, Citi has an 8/65 rule that applicants must abide by to be approved. It means:
- You won't be approved for more than one Citi card in an eight-day period.
- You won't be approved for more than two Citi cards in a 65-day period.
These rules are worth noting, as Citi offers multiple rewards credit cards worth considering.
Related: Understanding Rewards Credit Card Application Rules and Restrictions
Cards That Compete With the Citi Strata Card
The Citi Strata Card is a solid choice for consumers who want to earn valuable points without paying an annual fee. However, there are many others to choose from that also deliver great value to cardholders. Here's how the Citi Strata Card stacks up.
- If you're eligible for a Chase card, consider the Chase Freedom Unlimited® (Rates & Fees). You'll earn 1.5% on all other purchases on everyday spending and can pair your earnings with other Chase cards to access Chase's transfer partners. This card also earns 5% back through Chase Travel and has no annual fee. Learn more in our Chase Freedom Unlimited review.
- If you want to earn Capital One miles instead, look into the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card. This card charges no annual fee while earning 1.25X miles per dollar on every purchase, plus 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. It also has a 0% intro APR on purchases for 15 months and a 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 15 months (Balance transfer fee applies), then a Variable rate of 19.24% - 29.24%. Check out our review of the Capital One VentureOne to find out more.
- If you want a Citi card with a bigger bonus, the Citi Strata Premier® Card offers 60,000 Bonus 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). It's not annual-fee-free like the Citi Strata Card; however, the nominal $95 fee isn't bad. Additionally, the card offers the best rates when transferring your ThankYou Points to Citi's transfer partners. Our review of the Citi Strata Premier can tell you more.
- Earn 5% on purchases through Chase Travel℠
- Earn 3% on dining at restaurants
- Earn 3% on drugstore purchases
- Earn 1.5% on all purchases
- 5 Miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 5 Miles per dollar on purchases through Capital One Entertainment (through 12/31/2025)
- 1.25 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day.
- 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
Related: Citi's No Annual Fee Cards and the Strategy Behind How To Get Them
Final Thoughts
The Citi Strata Card is a solid pick for anyone looking for a rewards credit card without an annual fee or complicated benefits to track. Instead, it offers great bonus categories and multiplies your points-earning and redeeming capabilities when paired with other Citi credit cards. And while you shouldn't use it outside the U.S. — because of its foreign transaction fees — it's an excellent card to use any time you're making small, everyday purchases.
- For a limited time, earn 30,000 bonus Points after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months of account opening.
- 0% Intro APR on balance transfers and purchases for 15 months; after that, the variable APR will be 18.99% - 28.99%, based on your creditworthiness. There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).
- Earn 3 ThankYou® Points for each $1 spent in an eligible Self-Select Category of your choice (Fitness Clubs, Select Streaming Services, Live Entertainment, Cosmetic Stores/Barber Shops/Hair Salons, or Pet Supply Stores). Choose your eligible Self-Select Category on Citi Online or by calling customer service. The default Self-Select Category is Select Streaming Services.
- Earn 5 ThankYou® Points for each $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals and Attractions booked on Citi Travel® via cititravel.com; earn 3 ThankYou Points for each $1 spent at Supermarkets, on Select Transit purchases, and at Gas & EV Charging Stations.
- Earn 2 ThankYou® Points for each $1 spent at Restaurants; earn 1 ThankYou® Point for each $1 spent on All Other Purchases.
- No Annual Fee
- 5X – Earn 5 ThankYou® Points for each $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals and Attractions booked on Citi Travel℠ via cititravel.com
- 3X – Earn 3 ThankYou® Points for each $1 spent in an eligible Self-Select Category of your choice (Fitness Clubs, Select Streaming Services, Live Entertainment, Cosmetic Stores/Barber Shops/Hair Salons, or Pet Supply Stores). Choose your eligible Self-Select Category on Citi Online or by calling customer service. The default Self-Select Category is Select Streaming Services.
- 3X – Earn 3 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent at Supermarkets
- 3X – Earn 3 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on Select Transit purchases
- 3X – Earn 3 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent at Gas and EV Charging Stations
- 2X – Earn 2 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent at Restaurants
- 1X – Earn 1 ThankYou® Point per $1 spent on All Other Purchases
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Citi Strata℠ Card (Rates & Fees), Citi Strata Premier® Card (Rates & Fees), Citi Strata Elite℠ Card (Rates & Fees), and Chase Freedom Unlimited® (Rates & Fees)
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