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Don’t call it a comeback, but Citi has officially returned to the premium travel rewards card market. On July 27, 2025, it launched the brand-new Citi Strata Elite℠ Card (Rates & Fees).
For a $595 annual fee, you’ll get access to a useful collection of benefits, valuable statement credit (that don't require monthly purchases), and earn 80,000 valuable, transferable ThankYou® Points after meeting the minimum spending requirement. These are all big wins in our book.
Here’s what you need to know about the Citi Strata Elite and whether it deserves a spot in your wallet.
- Earn 80,000 bonus Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening.
- Earn 12 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on cititravel.com and 6 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel booked on cititravel.com.
- Earn 6 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants including Restaurant Delivery Services on CitiNights℠ purchases, every Friday and Saturday from 6 PM to 6 AM ET. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent any other time.
- Earn 1.5 Points per $1 spent on All Other Purchases.
- Up to $300 Annual Hotel Benefit: Each calendar year, enjoy up to $300 off a hotel stay of two nights or more when booked through cititravel.com.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- 12X – Earn 12 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on cititravel.com.
- 6X – Earn 6 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel booked on cititravel.com.
- 6X – Earn 6 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants including Restaurant Delivery Services on CitiNights℠ purchases, every Friday and Saturday from 6 PM to 6 AM ET. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent any other time.
- 1.5X – Earn 1.5 Points per $1 spent on All Other Purchases.
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Citi Strata Elite Welcome Offer: Earn 80,000 Points!
The Citi Strata Elite launched with the following welcome offer: Earn 80,000 bonus Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening.
While this bonus is on the lower end of what we've seen from other premium cards — especially those that have recently launched or been refreshed — the spending requirement is also lower than most of its competitors. That makes it a much more accessible bonus.
Related: The Biggest Credit Card Offers Available Right Now
What are Citi ThankYou Points worth?
If you're considering the Citi Strata Elite, one of the biggest questions you might have is what the welcome bonus is actually worth. After all, that’s one of many reasons for getting a new card. Based on recent redemptions by AwardWallet readers, Citi ThankYou Points are worth an average of 2.18¢ each.
That means the 80,000-point welcome bonus could be worth around $1,760 toward award travel when redeemed via Citi’s transfer partners. Fortunately, there are some excellent ones to choose from, including American Airlines AAdvantage®, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, and even Leading Hotels of the World Leaders Club.
Need some concrete examples of how to use your points? Here's our complete guide to maximizing Citi ThankYou Points.
Why Get the Citi Strata Elite?
At first glance, there’s a lot to like about the Citi Strata Elite. Here’s an overview of its headline perks, earning rates, under-the-hood benefits, and the annual fees you’ll need to pay to keep it in your wallet. This should help you decide whether the card makes sense for you.
Headline benefits
- Up to $300 Annual Hotel Benefit: Get up to $300 back each calendar year on a hotel stay of two nights or more booked through Citi Travel.
- Up to $200 Annual Splurge Credit℠: Earn up to $200 in statement credits every year on your choice of up to two of the following brands: 1stDibs, American Airlines, Best Buy®, Future Personal Training, and Live Nation.
- Up to $200 Annual Blacklane Credit: Receive up to $200 in statement credits annually when you book with Blacklane. Earn up to $100 from January through June and up to $100 from July through December.
- Up to $120 Global Entry® or TSA PreCheck® Credit: Get reimbursed up to $120 every four years for your application fee for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.
- Four Admirals Club® Passes: Receive four Admirals Club passes every calendar year, granting access to nearly 50 lounges worldwide.
- Priority Pass Select Membership: Complimentary access to 1,500+ airport lounges worldwide for the primary cardmember and authorized users, plus entry for up to two guests.
- Access to The Reserve by Citi Travel: Book from a curated collection of hotels in Citi Travel and receive perks like daily breakfast for two, free Wi-Fi, a $100 experience credit, early check-in, late check-out, and room upgrades when available.
- Citi Entertainment® Access: Exclusive access to presale tickets and VIP experiences for concerts, sports, dining, and cultural events.
- Access to Fashioned by Death & Co®: Complimentary access to the Fashioned platform for mixology courses, videos, and cocktail tutorials.
- Mastercard World Elite™ Benefits: Enjoy elevated Mastercard perks as part of the World Elite Legend tier, including priority restaurant reservations, premium event access, and more.
Earning rates
The Citi Strata Elite earns ThankYou Points on eligible spending as follows:
- 12X – Earn 12 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on cititravel.com.
- 6X – Earn 6 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel booked on cititravel.com.
- 6X – Earn 6 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants including Restaurant Delivery Services on CitiNights℠ purchases, every Friday and Saturday from 6 PM to 6 AM ET. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent any other time.
- 1.5X – Earn 1.5 Points per $1 spent on All Other Purchases.
And if you use your card abroad, you won’t pay any foreign transaction fees.
Under-the-hood benefits
In addition to all of the above (yes, there’s a lot), the Citi Strata Elite also comes with a handful of not-so-flashy but helpful protections:
- Trip delay protection
- Trip cancellation and interruption protection
- Lost or damaged luggage coverage
- MasterRental collision damage waiver
- Extended warranty
- Purchase assurance
These benefits can come in handy when plans go sideways or purchases don’t quite work out.
Annual fee structure
The Citi Strata Elite is a premium rewards card, and it carries a $595 annual fee. If you want to add an authorized user to your account, you’ll pay $75 per user.
Qualifying Citigold® clients can offset the Citi Strata Elite’s annual fee in one of two ways. If you’re not already a Citi banking customer and have eligible assets, you might consider becoming one. That’s because you can receive an annual credit toward the fee on your open and current Strata Elite Card as follows:
- Citigold Private Client Relationship Tier credit: Qualifying Citigold Private Clients receive a $595 first-year banking relationship credit, followed by a $145 annual credit each year thereafter.
- Citigold Relationship Tier credit: Qualifying Citigold clients receive a $145 annual banking relationship credit.
Citi Strata Elite Application Rules and Restrictions
Like most credit cards, the Citi Strata Elite comes with its own set of application rules. To make sure you're eligible for the welcome offer, here are the card-specific terms you’ll want to review before applying:
Bonus ThankYou® Points are not available if you have received a new account bonus for a Citi Strata Elite℠ 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 Elite.
Based on this text, you’re not ineligible to earn the welcome bonus on the Citi Strata Elite just because you have (or have had) the Citi Prestige® Card — which is no longer open to new applicants — or the Citi Strata Premier® Card.
And in addition to these card-specific rules, Citi also has broader application policies that affect when you can successfully apply for a new card. Specifically, for personal credit cards, Citi allows only one application every eight days and no more than two applications within a 65-day period.
Bottom Line
With the launch of the Citi Strata Elite, Citi is back in the premium travel rewards game — and it didn’t just dip a toe in. This card delivers a well-rounded package: a compelling mix of statement credits, travel perks, lounge access, and elevated earning rates on travel and dining. Plus, the welcome bonus is worth serious value when paired with Citi’s strong lineup of transfer partners.
Even better? The credits are straightforward and relatively easy to use — no monthly calendar reminders or workarounds required. If you can comfortably use the annual hotel credit and Splurge Credit, you’re already well on your way to offsetting the annual fee.
Not everyone will need what the Strata Elite offers. But if the benefits align with your lifestyle, this new card deserves a close look.
- Earn 80,000 bonus Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening.
- Earn 12 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on cititravel.com and 6 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel booked on cititravel.com.
- Earn 6 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants including Restaurant Delivery Services on CitiNights℠ purchases, every Friday and Saturday from 6 PM to 6 AM ET. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent any other time.
- Earn 1.5 Points per $1 spent on All Other Purchases.
- Up to $300 Annual Hotel Benefit: Each calendar year, enjoy up to $300 off a hotel stay of two nights or more when booked through cititravel.com.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- 12X – Earn 12 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on cititravel.com.
- 6X – Earn 6 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel booked on cititravel.com.
- 6X – Earn 6 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants including Restaurant Delivery Services on CitiNights℠ purchases, every Friday and Saturday from 6 PM to 6 AM ET. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent any other time.
- 1.5X – Earn 1.5 Points 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 Elite℠ Card (Rates & Fees)
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