The
Citi Strata Premier® Card is a good credit card to apply for if you have
good credit or better and you want to earn lots of bonus points. You can get an initial bonus worth up to
$600 bonus points on airfare, hotels, gas, restaurants, and supermarkets, making the card easily worth the
$95 annual fee.
What I Like About the Citi Strata Premier Card
Big initial bonus.
Citi Strata Premier shows its appreciation for new cardholders who spend at least
$4,000 within
3 months of opening account by doling out a bonus of
60,000 points. That bounty is redeemable for
$600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com. It's one of the bigger initial bonuses available right now.
Excellent travel rewards.
Strata Premier gives 3 points per $1 spent on travel-related purchases. That includes airfare, hotel reservations, gas and travel agency purchases. That earning rate is roughly triple the
market average for a rewards card. Plus, you can earn a total of 10 points per $1 spent on hotel stays, car rentals, and attractions booked on the Citi Travel portal.
On top of all the bonus points, you can get a $100 hotel credit if you book a stay for $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) through Citi Travel. You can get that deal once per calendar year.
Solid rewards on food.
Citi Strata Premier provides triple the market average in rewards on dining at restaurants and supermarket purchases, giving 3 points per $1 spent. This makes it good for foodies and families alike.
Transferrable points.
Citi Strata Premier cardholders can transfer rewards points to some notable frequent flyer programs, including JetBlue’s TrueBlue and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.
What I Don’t Like About the Citi Strata Premier Card
$95 annual fee.
At
$95, the Citi Strata Premier Card’s annual fee is roughly 4 times higher than what the average credit card charges.
Standard base rewards rate.
You’ll get 1 point per $1 spent on purchases that aren’t in bonus categories. That’s normal for a card with extra rewards on certain purchases. But it could be better.
Limited redemption options.
You’ll only get 1 cent in value per 1 point redeemed when you trade in your earnings for gift cards or Citi Travel bookings. Other redemption options may not get you as much in return, and not everyone wants gift cards or is planning a trip.
Not built for carrying a balance.
Citi Strata Premier doesn’t offer 0% intro rates, so its high regular APR means you’re probably going to overpay on interest if you carry a balance from month to month.
Good credit required.
The Citi Strata Premier Card requires
good credit or better for approval, so make sure to
check your credit score for free here on WalletHub before applying.
Note: This review is not provided, commissioned or endorsed by any issuer. Opinions and ratings are our own.